interviews

Any good interview story's??

I just had one... not sure I am prepared to talk about it yet lol! Let's just say, it wasn't the most orthodox lol! They started with, "what questions do you have for us?". Doesn't that come last lol?

Well the only ones to have interviewed me have been the police. It was a long time ago but is still not a subject I choose to discuss.

I've been to several interviews that were nothing more than a ruse to collect data and your email address, and create store traffic.
('aka 'job fair') My inbox spam reflects this. I'm willing to bet they never really hire anybody.

I got a job as assistant corporate counsel for this summer, and one of the things I was asked during my interview was, "so, tell me about this straight razor hobby, that sounds interesting."

:rock:

Yes, yes I will tell you about it.

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Originally Posted by JoelLewicki

I got a job as assistant corporate counsel for this summer, and one of the things I was asked during my interview was, "so, tell me about this straight razor hobby, that sounds interesting."

:rock:

Yes, yes I will tell you about it.

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Dude!! Just like a lawyer to put on his CV that he likes sharp cutting things lol!!! Anyone else wouldn't even get an interview lol!

Congrats on the position!

What's an interview? The last one I had was going on 40 years ago. Can't remember what was said but it must have gone OK retiring 34 years after it.

Bob

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Originally Posted by earcutter

Any good interview story's??

I just had one... not sure I am prepared to talk about it yet lol! Let's just say, it wasn't the most orthodox lol! They started with, "what questions do you have for us?". Doesn't that come last lol?

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So long as they didn't ask you about politics David,,,I'm sure it went well,,,,,,:rofl2:

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Originally Posted by RezDog

Well the only ones to have interviewed me have been the police. It was a long time ago but is still not a subject I choose to discuss.

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Ah,,,but we found a video of Shaun's interview,,,,,,,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixeh-uf9KQw

My medical school interview at Rush Medical College was pretty strange...those things generally follow a fairly standardized script. But this one was weird from the git-go.

I walked into the interviewer's office, and was waved to a chair without a word. He ignored me while he continued working at his desk for what seemed like an eternity. Then he picked up a folder with my name on it, and leafed through it as if it was the first time he'd seen it. Without looking up, he asked, "I see that you took a class studying Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales...in the original Middle English, no less. Why would a pre-med student take a course like that?"

I was stunned! There had been no greeting, no hand shake, no introduction, and no ice-breaking chatting; just this off the wall question. None of my other interviews were anything like this! So I told him that I had many interests, and that some of them had little or nothing to do with medicine, and that I believed it was important to have a well-rounded, diverse education. After a moment, and still without looking up from my folder, he said, "Good answer. Do you recall which text the class used?" "Absolutely", I said, "it's one of my favorites, so I kept it", and I told him the name of the book. This time he looked at me, and said, "That's also a good answer; I helped write that textbook." So, it turned out that my interviewer was a Chaucer scholar!

The rest of the interview followed the norm, and I left feeling like I'd aced it. But I didn't get accepted at Rush, though I was eventually offered a spot as an alternate.

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Originally Posted by Dzanda

My medical school interview at Rush Medical College was pretty strange...those things generally follow a fairly standardized script. But this one was weird from the git-go.

I walked into the interviewer's office, and was waved to a chair without a word. He ignored me while he continued working at his desk for what seemed like an eternity. Then he picked up a folder with my name on it, and leafed through it as if it was the first time he'd seen it. Without looking up, he asked, "I see that you took a class studying Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales...in the original Middle English, no less. Why would a pre-med student take a course like that?"

I was stunned! There had been no greeting, no hand shake, no introduction, and no ice-breaking chatting; just this off the wall question. None of my other interviews were anything like this! So I told him that I had many interests, and that some of them had little or nothing to do with medicine, and that I believed it was important to have a well-rounded, diverse education. After a moment, and still without looking up from my folder, he said, "Good answer. Do you recall which text the class used?" "Absolutely", I said, "it's one of my favorites, so I kept it", and I told him the name of the book. This time he looked at me, and said, "That's also a good answer; I helped write that textbook." So, it turned out that my interviewer was a Chaucer scholar!

The rest of the interview followed the norm, and I left feeling like I'd aced it. But I didn't get accepted at Rush, though I was eventually offered a spot as an alternate.

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That's a great story!!

lGreat start and great thread|

My first interview was not a job interview, but it did set the course for my future employment & retirement.

At 17 years of age I'm standing in the high school gym(in a small North Carolina town) watching the girls do cartwheels, about 9:30am. Into the gym walks two men in suits, who approached the coach, who in return points his finger in my direction. I knew immediately they were cops & I knew I was in for a long day. I'm taken to the police station for my interview. Two detectives & me in a room, a pen & note pad, on a small table.

One detective said, "We know what you and your buddies did Friday night, so list their names for the record, then we can all go home."

I said, "If you know what we did, then you already know who my friends are. I'm not writing sh*t down for you. I come from a family of cops(my father & grandfather) and I know my rights."

One said, "Well if you come from a family of cops, then you know whats next."

I then received about a 45 second ass beating (seemed like an hour).

One said, "How about them names, son."

I said, "No,,"

One said, "Fair enough,,,"

They took me back over to the cell, My case called in front of the judge about 3:30pm. My name called, the State told the judge I had given a full confession, admitting that I had done it all. Judge found "Guilty"

Before you go thinking a innocent 17 year old was railroaded,,,,well I was guilty as sin for Friday night & many other nights that never got me an interview.

But that first interview changed it all.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

My first interview was not a job interview, but it did set the course for my future employment & retirement.

At 17 years of age I'm standing in the high school gym(in a small North Carolina town) watching the girls do cartwheels, about 9:30am. Into the gym walks two men in suits, who approached the coach, who in return points his finger in my direction. I knew immediately they were cops & I knew I was in for a long day. I'm taken to the police station for my interview. Two detectives & me in a room, a pen & note pad, on a small table.

One detective said, "We know what you and your buddies did Friday night, so list their names for the record, then we can all go home."

I said, "If you know what we did, then you already know who my friends are. I'm not writing sh*t down for you. I come from a family of cops(my father & grandfather) and I know my rights."

One said, "Well if you come from a family of cops, then you know whats next."

I then received about a 45 second ass beating (seemed like an hour).

One said, "How about them names, son."

I said, "No,,"

One said, "Fair enough,,,"

They took me back over to the cell, My case called in front of the judge about 3:30pm. My name called, the State told the judge I had given a full confession, admitting that I had done it all. Judge found "Guilty"

Before you go thinking a innocent 17 year old was railroaded,,,,well I was guilty as sin for Friday night & many other nights that never got me an interview.

But that first interview changed it all.

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Whoa!! What the heck?? You did get railroaded!! Didn't you become a cop??

I think that interview as you put it, would have seen me take law lol! Of course, I don't know what you did Friday? The charges might have been enough to make passing the bar impossible... But you were a cop no?

Yes, I did,,,as they say, 'I got my mind right."
& I learned it was better to be on the "giving" side, than be on the "receiving" side.

The last interview i had went something along the lines of:
"Hi, sit down,
Please fill in this application,
What size uniform do you take,
When can you start"

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

Then last interview i had went something along the lines of:
"Hi, sit down,
Please fill in this application,
What size uniform do you take,
When can you start"

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Obviously your reputation as a great, knowledgeable employee preceded you.

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Originally Posted by rolodave

Obviously your reputation as a great, knowledgeable employee preceded you.

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Well i do HOPE it wasnt just desperation :)

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

The last interview i had went something along the lines of:
"Hi, sit down,
Please fill in this application,
What size uniform do you take,
When can you start"

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You got lucky Ed. Nowadays paddle pop ladies need a blue card... :p

James.

It wasn't an overly interesting interview, but the one I did for my academic job had a weird moment or two.

I was in the UK, the job was in Australia so we arranged a video-conference interview. For me that meant getting up at 5:30am and cycling 20 minutes on a freezing late November morning to the vid-conf centre for a 6:30am 2 hour interview.

The vid conf tech set it all up and left us on our own. After the pleasantries the first thing I had to do was present a 45 minute lecture. So I stood up, turned to the whiteboard and started delivering.

About 4 minutes into the lecture they interrupted me. Apparently the videoconference camera wasn't panning out and so when I was facing them to speak they were getting a crotch shot. And when I was turning around to write on the board they were getting an arse shot!

So I had to give the lecture sitting down, newsreader style. Every time I needed to show a formula or whatever I had to draw it on a piece of paper and hold it up to the camera in front of my face while I spoke to it. Kinda a nightmare but I bumbled through.

They told me later they were impressed that I was able to adapt and see it through. But in all honesty, what choice did I have? lol.

James.

Yep,,,blame it on the camera,,:rolleyes: ,,,,the things we are will to do, to get that job,,,,:rofl2:


Like I've said,,,you gotta know your target audience,,,,;)

I've had a lot of interviews. Some good, some bad. Always got the job if I needed it. But the best interview wasn't even an official interview. It was one of intuitively recognizing someone and shocking that person into granting a cross country trip for the "official" interview. I was at a national convention for my field and I had posted on the job board my qualifications and desire for employment. I had gone to the message board, pushed my way through a thick crowd, found a message for me, read it and immediately turned around and introduced myself to the imposing figure behind me. And no, I did not see a name tag, nobody had a name tag on. And yes, it was the writer of the message to me. We had a good talk and the formal interview came two weeks later.

I've found that excusing oneself to the restroom when feeling threatened is frowned upon.

Perhaps, that was because I felt it necessary to re-introduce myself to all in the room and pretend the interview had just started.

The 4th time was the charm.

Two interview stories: I applied in high school for a job in what was then the fanciest restaurant in town, in a fine old house. The owner was interviewing in a the bar area. There must have been a couple dozen black men in that room. The other white guy and I got the job after a perfunctory interview-I've never forgotten that lesson in the way the world worked...

2nd story: I interviewed 14 years ago for my current position on the faculty of a large suburban high school, where I''ll probably retire from. Anyway, after some more perfunctory professional questioning, the principal got sidetracked on running down a local, rival school, and local history, and I just went with the flow,being something of a history buff myself. Long story short, I got the job at one of the top high schools in the state, and I love it.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

They told me later they were impressed that I was able to adapt and see it through. But in all honesty, what choice did I have? lol.

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You could have stuck to the original shots, not unimpressive either ;)

And when Jimbo got there they were impressed he had lost 10Lbs! :ziplip:

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Originally Posted by gugi

You could have stuck to the original shots, not unimpressive either ;)

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,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:gaah:
Consider yourself Hirlau'd :roflmao

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Originally Posted by gugi

You could have stuck to the original shots, not unimpressive either ;)

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Well, the lecture I gave was on "Big Data", so ...

James.

Heard by way of the grapevine that an old hard case with REALLY nice trucks and good pay was looking for a driver. I knew the company and thought I'd see about gettin a seat in one of his big shiny, hard charging, Peterbilts. I drove into the parking lot in my pick up slow and easy so as not to stir up a bunch of dust. Went inside and asked if they were still looking for a driver. Dispatcher pointed at a door and told me Jimmy, the old man, was in there. I knocked, stepped in, introduced myself and told him what I was there for. He looked me up and down and said. "Can you run a pair of boxes?" I answered, "does a fat dog fart?"

He grinned and said, "Well, let's see what ya got. Follow me." I followed him outside to one of the best looking, extended hood Petes I's seen in a long time. He allowed as this was HIS truck. He pitched me the keys and said, "Let's go." I caught the keys, shoved 'em in my pocket, and opened the hood, checked the oil and water on that V-8 Cat, looked her over real good front and back, closed her face and unlocked the doors. Fired it up and made sure it had oil pressure and stepped down and lit up a smoke. The old man never said a word while all this was going on. I listened to that Cat rattle for a bit, finished my smoke and climbed in. The old man got in on the passenger side. I cogged it up, released the brakes and started creepy crawling out toward the street at an idle. Got her on the pavement and started going through the gears. we went about half a mile and he said, "turn this sumbitch around and take it back to the yard."

I did, pulled it up within inches of where we left from, set the brake and shut it down. He fiddled around with something for few minutes and said. "When do you want to start?" Told him I could leave right now as I had all my gear with me. He said be ready to go on Monday. I asked him what truck I'd be driving so I could throw my gear in it. He grinned and said, the one you just got out of. It's yours til you screw up."

I drove for him for 6 months, then the old goat had the nerve to up and die on us. His kid was a punk and I wasn't gonna work for him. Had three job offers from owners before the week was over when they found out I wasn't working for Jimmy anymore.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

You got lucky Ed. Nowadays paddle pop ladies need a blue card... :p

James.

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Yes you are probably right, i was just in the right place at the right time, and though the job has its frustrations I dont forget that i am very lucky.
I hope i didn't sound flippant or anything, that really was pretty much the course of events, though getting to site was a 5 week wait for various courses and stuff, not to mention the phone call i missed at 3 pm which when i returned it at 5pm was "you have a 5.30am flight to get to site tomorrow", to which i replied "but you havent given me my uniform or boots yet" and the subsequent hour long dash to the office, and the night of packing.

Once again Wullie wins the most colorful story award-I could picture every bit of it. You should write your stories down, seriously.

Never had an interview ,but my first job in the oilfield went like this, I walked up to the platform and asked the guy who was running the rig if I could get a job. He looked me up and down , then told me ,if I could whip any of the crew I could have his job. I looked at him without missing a beat and told him, " who gets paid the most" interview over. He gave me a job, have been with the same company from the floor to the top . I'm sure I couldn't even begin to think my way thru an interview! Tc

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Well, the lecture I gave was on "Big Data", so ...

James.

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I've been told by computer experts that objects appear much larger on computer & television screens, than they actually are,,,:shrug:

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Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Once again Wullie wins the most colorful story award-I could picture every bit of it. You should write your stories down, seriously.

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Wife says the same thing. She hasn't heard much of the story at all. Every now and then I run into an old buddy from somewhere back in the day and they start running their head, then I usually have to do damage control..... ;)

I interviewed for a maintenance position at the county workhouse. 8 or 10 cops in a relatively bare room grilling me. I expected them to bring in a spot light!

They had an internal promotion and were just going through the motions. The lower position they offered wasn't worth it for me.

Well I can't believe it - they offered me the job! They are writing up a contract! Woot!

woot, woot!

Well, what the woot! will you be doing?

Ok so my worst interview.

I was on my third interview. They were down to three candidates. It was for a huge company in the food industry who's net worth rivals that of many national banks.

Anyway, interview three saw all the regular interviewers and a new person. She was introduced to me as the staff head shrink.

Now I was having a bad day. I was on company time to start off with, so when they said they were running late, I wasn't sure what to do. I chose to stay, but I wasn't 100% behind that decision.

Anyway... when the head cruncher got her turn at me, I tried to play it cool, but it was one dumb question after another. I was missing a meeting for this? Finally when she asked me what colour steam I would be were I steam coming out of a tea pot - I just about lost it.

I guess that showed I wasn't cool under pressure because I didn't get the job lol. But I'll never forget that dumb question! I wanted to ask her if she could see the steam coming out of my ears that was surely there with me getting flustered at those stupid questions - and if she did/should, she could surmise what colour mine would be lol.

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Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Well, what the woot! will you be doing?

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Marketing financial products. I started my career as an ad man - it'll be hilarious if I end it as such! :)

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Originally Posted by earcutter

Marketing financial products. I started my career as an ad man - it'll be hilarious if I end it as such! :)

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With all due respect, don't come knocking on my door. My net financial worth is mainly all the old razors I've got - all 35 of them. But if you hear of some really good penny stocks let me know. Have always been curious about them.