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| | | | | 'Questioning The Questioner', Or How To Land A Job Without Really Trying | | | | | found on USA Today
written by nemski, edited by Humberto (Plastic) [ read unedited ]
posted Sat 28 Sep 3:47pm | | | | |
 | "Beyond losing a job, one of the most vexing situations for a prospective employee is the job interview," writes nemski. "As anyone knows, as an interviewee one is expected to ask questions, but finding those good questions instead of the cliches is a daunting task. I asked the following question in a job interview to great success:"
Imagine that you do hire me and a year from now we're having my annual review. I've been extremely successful in this role. What have I done?
"What questions are the best to ask? You don't want to put the interviewer on the spot, so how can you manage to ask questions outside the box, but not out from left field?"
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[ more plastic... ] |
| | | | | | | | 2. Unemployment Insurance | | | | by wrestler |  | | | at Sat 28 Sep 4:12pm | score of 1.5 funny | | | | | | |
- My last employer had some serious sexual hang-ups. Do you have a problem with masterbation in the cubicles?
- What in the name of God is that growth on your face?
- Is that your daughter in the picture? She sure is beautiful. Who's her real father? Are those hooters real?
- I'm a sharing kind of guy. Would you like a sip of my beer?
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| | | | | | 5. Re: Unemployment Insurance | | | | by MAYORBOB | | | | at Sat 28 Sep 4:41pm | score of 1.5 brilliant | | in reply to comment 2 | | | | | |
- Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?
- Am I going to have to use Sick Leave to go to the methadone clinic or is that covered by administrative time?
- Who do I have to blow to get a promotion around here?
- Is it true what they say that guys with long fingers like you have short penises?
Tending to final details.
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| | | | | | 3. Cripes. | | | | by Goliard | | | | at Sat 28 Sep 4:30pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
How would you describe your company culture?
I guess it's just the South where folks would laugh in your face w/ that doozie. Having had about 16 different jobs in my 15 years of working, having had about 70 job interviews along the way (and just one firing)...I've learned to keep my mouth shut, mostly. Personally, if I were interviewing someone who started drilling me w/ rhetorical double-speak questions like the ones mentioned, I would cut the whole thing short and lose their # toot sweet. Who wants a pain in the ass at the desk next to them?
No one told you when to run; you missed the starting gun.
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| | | | | | 16. Re: Cripes. | | | | by gonzocanuck | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 10:48am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 3 | | | | | |
heh. I have only ever had two unsuccessful interviews. I was much too immature for one job (working at an oil company) and the other, while it lasted a long time, they wanted a more local person (United Grain Growers - I did not admit that my knowledge of agriculture came from reading books about pesticides and factory farms ;-))
It's weird, I have found that I always get along great with the interviewer, strangely so, where the interview just descended into long conversations. For both interviews I had at the library, the interviewers and I had the same hobbies. Nothing like rattling on about embroidery instead of sweating bullets!
But some people are hard to read, you don't want to say inappropriate things either.
The interview for my current job was much harder. The company developed websites but did not have a website themselves. It took a lot of searching to find out what sites they did. Also one of the reference sites I gave (my own) had a photoshopped picture of Hillary Clinton with a penis on it that week. :-D
You've got to coax him slow, that's the only way that he'll confess.
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| | | | | | | 9. Re: But I'm Working on It | | | | by TheMCP | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 2:42am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 6 | | | | | |
I simply answer that my biggest weaknesses are that I'm just so damn hard on myself, I care too much, and I'm just a tad obsessive about getting the job done. When I'm doing hiring interviews, that's one of the answers I don't want to hear... because it's too obvious, it sounds false.
When asked that question, my personal answer is "I don't suffer fools well. I rarely encounter genuine fools in the course of my work, as opposed to people who are merely uninformed, but when I do they make me very uncomfortable and I usually feel it necessary to get a co-worker to help deal with them for me to ensure they're properly taken care of." I use that one because it's true of me, it represents a genuine failure in regard to my profession (consulting) and thus comes across as honest, but also shows that I've recognized the problem and selected an appropriate solution and am unafraid to ask for help when needed.
End of line.
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| | | | | 32. Kind of like this | | | | by zico | | | | at Mon 30 Sep 7:25am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 27 | | | | | |
1ST INTERVIEWER
You seem eminently suited to this post but I wonder if you could explain the gaps in your employment record?
RENTON
Yes, I can. The truth -- well, the truth is that I've had a long-standing problem with heroin addiction. I've been know to sniff it, smoke it, swallow it, stick it up my arse and inject it into my veins. I've been trying to combat this addiction, but unless you count social security scams and shoplifting, I haven't had a regular job in years. I feel it's important to mention this. It is actually quite frightening neither this nor Spud's interview has come up in this thread yet. I better just stop myself now, before I quote the entire movie.
Every word is like a stain on silence and nothingness
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| | | | | 41. Re: Kind of like this | | | | by CoFenchurch | | | | at Tue 1 Oct 1:20am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 32 | | | | | |
I was going to quote Spud's interview, but the browser became obstinate and I lost all my comments, and it was too late at night for me to type them all again. But that interview question always puts me in mind of that scene. I HATE that question, and I have never come up with a good answer. I can't believe anyone would ever fall for the "I'm a bit of a perfectionist, actually" line. Perhaps I should say my greatest weakness is that I have never been able to come up with a good, impressive answer to that question.
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| | | | | 42. Re: Kind of like this | | | | by Utini | | | | at Tue 1 Oct 9:06am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 32 | | | | | |
(I'm paraphrasing)
Longbaugh:I've never killed a man.
Interviewer: what?
L: I said I've never killed a man.
I:And how does that make you more qualified to be a sperm donor?
L:I think that's a fucking impo-I'm sorry. A very important qualification.
I:Well, I didn't ask.
L:You should.
Plastics' answer to a question no one asked.
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| | | | | | 7. I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by WastingMy |  | | | at Sat 28 Sep 7:32pm | score of 2 informative | | | | | | |
I've interviewed perhaps 100 people throughout my career, all technical professionals. IMHO, there are two things that will guarantee you don't get the job; coming off as too cocky and not knowing your shit. Someone who is confident but doesn't pretend to know everything, and shows interest in advancing their knowledge in a particular subject usually merits a second interview.
I definitely agree with the article's advice: come prepared and ask questions. However, the article recommends asking some pretty stupid questions. You're much better off asking questions relevant to job function or responsibilities. For example, if interviewing for a programming position, ask questions about the project you'll be working on. Likewise, a desktop support specialist should ask questions about the users' personalities and operating environment. Management candidates should ask questions related to front office business--show an interest in profitability, productivity, and efficiency.
I hate to say it, but how you look is almost as important as what you know and say, so dress the part. Look at how your favorite male or female politician dresses, and copy them.
That's about all I can think of at the moment. I hope those of you looking for work find this useful.
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| | | | | | 8. As a desktop support specialist... | | | | by geekybob | | | | at Sat 28 Sep 7:53pm | score of 2 succinct | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
I'm in complete agreement with comment #7.
Remember what you're trying to do: you are trying to sell a product package (your experience, training, attitude and skills) to a company. There are a lot of other people trying to sell a similar product. You have to convince the customer that yours is the one they want.
how you look is almost as important as what you know and say
Would you buy a product that looked bad, when there are others available that don't?
Show up looking sharp, and know your shit, and say the right things. If you miss on any one of these, you're out.
Also, some of the canned questions are dumb, and a lot of interviewers will probably read that list of questions and recognize them.
I was an auto parts salesman for two decades before I became a desktop engineer, so I learned a little bit about salesmanship.
Any good sales pitch should boil down to Features & Benefits: This is what I have, and this is how it can help you. Tell the interviewer what skills and experience you have, and why you think this will help the company. (Knowing what the company does, and who their customers are, usually helps with this... do your research).
Finally, you often have an opportunity at the end of an interview to get in the final pitch. This is the closer I used in 1998 to get this position:
"I know that this new support contract is important to [the company]. I know you need reliable, flexible people on this job who show up on time every day, ready to work, and are ready to do what it takes to satisfy this client. If I'm right about this, then I'm your man."
The response: "Check your Email when you get home. There will be an offer letter in there."
I'm not a Democrat, I'm a liberal. Democrats go to meetings.
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| | | | | 10. Dressing the part | | | | by TheMCP | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 2:59am | score of 2 funny | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
I hate to say it, but how you look is almost as important as what you know and say, so dress the part. Look at how your favorite male or female politician dresses, and copy them. I firmly agree that one should dress the part.
However, dressing the part is very variable. Firstly, you shouldn't copy other people's attire unless the other poeple have the same skin tone, body shape, and facial structure as you do.
Men can learn about how to select businesswear in appropriate colors and styles from a nice little book called "Color for Men". It's available from Amazon. It's the mens' version of "Color Me Beautiful", and has a wealth of information ranging from what colors to wear to what styles are good for specific body types to which shirt collar is appropriate for a given type of face to how to tie a tie.
However, different companies have different styles. A friend tells me a story of an interview where he was in a three piece suit, and his interviewer was in a pair of shorts, a grubby t-shirt, and bare feet. (He was offered, and took, the job, but the suit was an issue.) At my first professional position I was hired before meeting the boss. (I didn't realize that I was being hired by the boss's boss.) When I showed up for work I was worried I was underdressed but didn't have any better clothes than khakis and a polo shirt... a guy in a rock concert t-shirt and shorts roller skated into my office, took off his walkman, and introduced himself as my new boss.
So, these days when I'm on the phone arranging an interview, I ask "Would you like to see me dressed up as I would be to visit a client, or would you like me to dress more casually?" They're usually pleasantly surprised that I asked, and I do get different answers from different companies. In fact, one company interviewed me twice, and for the second interview they asked me outright to please switch from formal to casual so they could see the contrast.
All of that said, though, I did once get paged by a company that wanted me to come interview right away, and had to tell them "ok, if you really want me to, but I'm not dressed for it." I showed up in a poofy black silk pirate shirt, a blood red tie with black palm trees on it, black dockers pants, and big leather motorcycle boots. I was hired as the director of systems administration before I left the building.
End of line.
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| | | | | 45. Re: Dressing the part | | | | by electroboy | | | | at Mon 7 Oct 12:36pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 10 | | | | | |
I showed up in a poofy black silk pirate shirt, a blood red tie with black palm trees on it, black dockers pants, and big leather motorcycle boots.
Why in God's name were you wearing that?
Keep your eyes open and your wallet in your front pocket --Raekwon the Chef
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| | | | | 12. Re: I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by Mike1024 | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 5:43am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
Hey,
Look at how your favorite male or female politician dresses, and copy them.
Men probably shouldn't copy thier favorite female politician's dress style, IMHO.
Michael
Whipped that shit out, and aint no doubt about it; It hit the ground and caused an earthquake and power outage.
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| | | | | 17. Re: I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by arnaut | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 11:14am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
I hate to say it, but how you look is almost as important as what you know and say, so dress the part. Look at how your favorite male or female politician dresses, and copy them. And if your favorite politician is this man?
Poi s'ascose nel foco che gli affina.
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| | | | | 19. Re: I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by firewire2035 | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 11:58am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
I've interviewed perhaps 100 people throughout my career, all technical professionals.
...
you look is almost as important as what you know and say, so dress the part. Look at how your favorite male or female politician dresses, and copy them.
You wouldn't have happened to work for Arthur Andersen Consulting?
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| | | | | 40. Re: I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by LeggyLady | | | | at Mon 30 Sep 9:25pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 7 | | | | | |
I hate to say it, but how you look is almost as important as what you know and say, so dress the part. Look at how your favorite male or female politician dresses, and copy them.
I almost fell on the floor when I read this. Where this is very sound advice, it depends on where and what field you are applying. I live in San Francisco, and I am a freak (gothic punk, etc.). That is who I am, take it or leave it. My reputation speaks for itself when it comes to the quality of my work and my level of service and commitment. I do tone it down somewhat- non-torn fishnets, more "natural" hair color, skirt to the knees, etc., but it is still very apparent that
I am not a conformist. Prospective employers have actually been impressed that I'm so confident w/myself that my looks don't matter. However I can reach a happy medium w/ employers when necessary. I have to wear a uniform in my current job- white shirt (thank god for Goodwill!) and black pants/skirt(which I was already well stocked on). My hair can be 2 colors as long as both are "natural" and I can keep my nosering in. We're all content.
On the flipside, when I managed a store in the Haight Ashbury, it was all about what a freak you could be. The more Fashion Forward, (hip, punk, rockabilly) you were, the bigger points for you. It was fun to work for a place where my boss was actually delighted when I showed up w/blue hair @ work one day.
Q:Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies have been performed on dead people.
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| | | | | 43. Re: I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by WastingMy | | | | at Tue 1 Oct 5:49pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 40 | | | | | |
it depends on where and what field you are applying.
I was referring to your standard office-type position.
I live in San Francisco, and I am a freak (gothic punk, etc.). That is who I am, take it or leave it.
I strongly support your freedom of self-expression. However, the corporate sector typically requires appropriate dress as dictated by the company. Those unwilling to conform to such policies are encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.
my boss was actually delighted when I showed up w/blue hair @ work one day.
We're living in different worlds, not that that's a bad thing--you're probably more fun than some of the stiffs I hang out with. However, while blue hair may be a big hit in San Francisco, it would definitely not go over well in my world--Wall St.
Prospective employers have actually been impressed that I'm so confident w/myself that my looks don't matter.
Ideally, looks should never matter. However, in reality they absolutely matter. If I envision a potential candidate at a meeting with my boss and my boss' boss--top executive management--and that thought forces me to cringe, qualifications are moot.
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| | | | | 44. Re: I've interviewed about 100 people... | | | | by LeggyLady | | | | at Wed 2 Oct 8:11am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 43 | | | | | |
I strongly support your freedom of self-expression. However, the corporate sector typically requires appropriate dress as dictated by the company. Those unwilling to conform to such policies are encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.
We're living in different worlds, not that that's a bad thing--you're probably more fun than some of the stiffs I hang out with. However, while blue hair may be a big hit in San Francisco, it would definitely not go over well in my world--Wall St.
If looks are such a big deal to a company (and they do have every right for it to be), then I gladly seek employment elsewhere. I do realize that if I decide Wall St. is for me, then I will have to play the part. But it is not for me, which is why I carefully choose to live where I "can get away with" being myself. And being wildly successful while doing so.
Q:Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies have been performed on dead people.
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| | | | | | 11. Other questions... | | | | by TheMCP | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 3:28am | score of 2 informative | | | | | | |
I find it's generally good to ask to see where you would be working. It's generally taken as a sign that you really want to be there and are taking an interest in the environment. Very few people ask it so it will stand out.
It's also good, if you're being interviewed strictly by HR and the boss, to ask to meet someone who would be a coworker at your level. This both gives you an opportunity to find out how they feel about working there, and to impress them enough that they'll tell the boss "please hire that person, they're good and I want to work with them."
One trick I've learned from consulting is to try to clue in on some actual problem the company is experiencing and suggest something helpful, or brainstorm with them. The goal is to make them feel as if you're already working for them, both to give them a sense of what it's like to work with you and (this is the sneaky part) to make them feel as if they've already decided to hire you and actually doing so is merely the next logical step. However, you have to be really sure of the value of your advice in regard to the problem or you just make yourself look bad. The best example of this I ever had was one company where a friend who worked there had gotten me an interview... they asked me an abstract technical question, and I was able to tell them precisely how it was applicable to their actual business, how they had actually solved the problem (which I knew because I had created the solution for my friend), and two other ways of solving the problem they hadn't even thought of. Your prior knowledge of the company's business is, therefore, valuable.
If the interviewer has any interesting decorations on display in their office, take a moment to ask about one at either the beginning or end of the interview. "Oh, I notice you have a print from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Do you like science fiction?" Showing your humanity is as important as showing that you're a good worker: these people have to come away feeling that they can face working with you every day. While I was in college, I was up for a position versus a friend of mine... they hired my friend, and told him that they felt we were equally qualified (we were) but that they liked him, while I had come off as a cold fish. One way I've learned to prevent that is to have a one line section at the end of my resume titled "personal interests", in which I list some diverse (but innocuous) activities I enjoy, like cooking and listening to music. These are talking points for the interviewer: they invariably ask about at least one of them ("So you like dogs?") and this gives me an opportunity to smile broadly and speak with some cheer about something I really care about, and maybe even tell a funny story. It shows them I'm human and friendly and they can relate to me.
And finally, one of the top reasons cited by employers to recruiters for not hiring a candidate is "they didn't say they want the job." So, if you want the job, make a point at the end of the interview to say "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I'd really like to have this job and work with you, and I hope we can make that happen."
End of line.
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| | | | | | 18. Interests | | | | by Palindrome | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 11:31am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 11 | | | | | |
One way I've learned to prevent that is to have a one line section at the end of my resume titled "personal interests", in which I list some diverse (but innocuous) activities I enjoy
A friend of mine was interning for the summer at a high-powered law firm in L.A., and it's common in these situations for partners to cultivate the interns in order to get them to apply for positions after law school.
Well, my friend is at lunch with his supervising partner one day, and it's just not going well. The partner attempts to discuss fine wines, but my friend has no sense of smell and can't taste wine. So the guy asks him about football, which again, my friend knows so little about he can't even fake it. Now my friend is starting to get nervous, since they aren't really connecting, when suddenly the guy turns to him and says, "How about guns? Do you like guns, kid?"
"Well, uh, sure." And the partner reaches into his briefcase and pulls out just a huge handgun, almost a cannon, and launches into a spiel about how he loves to go shooting every weekend, and hey, why don't we both go shooting right now!
So they do, and it's fun, and afterwards my friend ends up being the envy of the intern pool for his mad people skilz. True story.
"He is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins. -Frederick Douglass"
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| | | | | 24. Re: Other questions... | | | | by blisspix | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 7:08pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 11 | | | | | |
often I think getting along with people is just as important as having skills. Because you can learn skills on the job, but if you absolutely hate everyone you work with, work is going to be a miserable hell even if you are John Q. Genius at what you do.
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| | | | | | 14. Be curious | | | | by Phobos | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 7:43am | score of 1.5 astute | | | | | | |
I believe that curiosity is inherently appealing.
During tech interviews (I'm a software engineer) asking intelligent questions is a way of both demonstrating technical expertise and enthusiasm for the job. It also shows that you're bold enough to not simply cower there waiting for the next question. And -- if you are articulate -- it also allows you to display your all important communication skills. So if the interview is fairly unstructured, I try take some initiative and engage in questions/dialogue about the company/product/etc... This has always worked well for me, but obviously, you have to be judicious about how you go about this.
In the interviews I've participated in on the other side, candidates who are technically skilled but quiet during the interview are generally rated poorly. If they don't ask questions, they appear unmotivated and uninterested in the job. Some people express nervousness this way, however.
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| | | | | | 20. Excellent Timing | | | | by Mathematicus | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 2:43pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
Great timing for the article and discussion. Im going in for an interview at an independent computer retailer on Thursday, and I was becoming a little concerned about what im going to ask the interviewer. I like some of the other comments about how its best to ask questions that make you look both articulate and knowledgeable in the field. If anyone has any suggestions, it would be really helpful.
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| | | | | | 26. Re: Excellent Timing | | | | by TheMCP | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 8:39pm | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 20 | | | | | |
Any kind of retailer or service organization is very focused on its customers. So, ask about them. Ask about the company's view of its customers' needs and concerns, and ask if they feel there are any areas where you could help them improve their customer relationships to help increase sales. Also ask if they have any common problem areas with their customers that you could help them eliminate to reduce staff support time and thus reduce costs.
End of line.
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| | | | | | 22. Interview This | | | | by armaxmore | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 4:50pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
Here some questions you must ask:
Where will this company be in 10 years? The last thing I need to land a job with a company that could go out of business as soon as I start working. In a perfect world, a company would be honest about its fiscal health. It wouldn't hurt to ask.
What activities are involved in the position? When it comes to questioning the job you applied for, Don't act like you know everything about the job because you haven't done it yet.
Some questions should be asked before the interview! What to wear, what time to come, the hours, etc. are questions you need to ask before the interview.
Finally, leave your briefcase at home.
Talk is Cheap! Free Speech Isn't!
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| | | | | | 28. Use the first person plural... | | | | by 4d3r37h | | | | at Sun 29 Sep 11:12pm | score of 1 | | | | | | |
If you do it subtly enough or when presented with a real problem the company is facing, you create the subconscious idea that are already a part of the company and the interview is just a formality.
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| | | | | | 30. Anyone have advice on how to.... | | | | by SOflawed | | | | at Mon 30 Sep 6:32am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
quit a job successfully.
I'm an intern who goes to school at night. I owe my current boss a lot of gratitude for giving me the responsibilities that he did. And there is also a good chance I may need his signature later on.
I have an interview lined up which seems like a sure thing. However, I want to leave on a good note. Right now I'm tying up loose ends with the client I'm in charge of and with paper work that is required for an intern in my field.
Is there any advice people can give on this topic. We can open it up as a subject for discussion, as well. I'm constantly being told not to burn my bridges. I get the impression that leaving a job successfully is very important, too.
What you gotta say, Plastic?
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| | | | | | 33. Re: Anyone have advice on how to.... | | | | by MandaX | | | | at Mon 30 Sep 7:34am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 30 | | | | | |
A few ideas for you: Though I realize this is an internship, what I'm going to say applies generically for permanent positions. First, don't quit your current job until you have a signed offer letter or contract in hand for the other job. Nothing is a "sure thing" until it's all in writing. This may be less of a big deal in an internship situation, but you probably don't want to find yourself entirely without work either way.
Second, check out your current company's policies about things like giving notice when you leave. You may lose out big on things like cashing out your vacation time if you fail to give sufficient notice (again, maybe less applicable to an internship situation). Make it clear to your new employers that you will need to find out about this before you commit to a start date. Also ask your company about health coverage and how leaving affects your other benefits (e.g. retirement funds), if applicable. You should be able to do this confidentially with someone from human resources, or perhaps it's all contained in your employee handbook. If it's a really small operation, you could possibly ask your boss about these things in the hypothetical, but tread VERY carefully there. Just make sure you know what's going to happen before you turn in that resignation letter.
As for how to say "I quit" nicely...well, be nice. Provide a resignation letter that explains that while you've really enjoyed your opportunities, you are moving on to a new position with different opportunities. Ask for an exit interview so that you can explain how you've enjoyed working with your current boss and have a chance to ask for a letter of recommendation. Assuming you're going to be giving a few weeks' notice, offer to assist with hiring and/or training your replacement. There's never really a "good" time to leave any position where people depend on you, but people really appreciate it when you do what you can to facilitate the transition.
Basically, just do what you need to do to protect your interests as you change jobs, while also observing the Golden Rule. If you were your employer, how would you like to be approached with this (presumably unwelcome) news?
I think we're going crazy, things don't even faze me.
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| | | | | 34. Re: Anyone have advice on how to.... | | | | by pyite | | | | at Mon 30 Sep 8:10am | score of 1 | | in reply to comment 30 | | | | | |
Give them plenty of notice, and make sure that
you aren't abandoning any important projects.
If you are an intern, (s)he certainly expects you
to leave... don't worry about it. You should
still probably wait until you get a job offer to
bring it up with your current employer.
Ignorance is the real gateway drug
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| | | | | | | 37. the eager and the needy | | | | by Paine | | | | at Mon 30 Sep 11:20am | score of 1 | | | | | | |
I am a tradesman so the emphasis on the resume is much less prevalent. I have gotten a number of jobs by simply saying: Try me out for three days at such and such pay and I won't make a fuss if you let me go. The trial period worked both ways of course.
But there is one element that I believe applies across many different professions. The difference between whether you are presenting yourself as a "journeyman" at something or a relative newcomer to the work you are seeking.
The journeyman will do best if s(he) gives as frank an assessment of ones strengths and weaknesses as possible and by so doing show your understanding of the employers point of view. Then you can discuss the suitability of your working in a particular situation as a matter of mutual benefit rather than eagerly struggling to be the most appealing candidate.
The "beginner" must avoid that assumption of peerage but is also freer to ask what the job does for them and what are the prospects of advancement.
In either mode, enthusiasm to do a particular job is best combined with an attitude that if you don't get it, then it wasn't right for you anyway. Believe me, this is a tough row to hoe when you are desparate for cash. Nothing, however, scares employers off as quickly as desperation does. It certainly makes me nervous when I hire people.
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