Ask A Job Interviewer

[Barbados Slim]

I know a lot of people 'round these parts are looking for work. I just recently did a marathon session of interviews for a new admin assistant and the thing that struck me was that people don't know the basics of interviews, but they think know it. So let's start a Q&A dialog between people who are looking for jobs and people who normally interview candidates. I work in an insurance office so I can't really say how it works for retail or manufacturing but I'm sure there are other people that can provide insight. Here's the big things I realized:

• Typos on a resume are an automatic fail.
  
• People not wearing suits and looking like a million bucks, gone. There are certain events in life that call for you to look your best, your wedding, for example.
  
• The people who are the most impressive are the ones who are themselves, speak conversationally, ask me questions and draw from personal experience when answering my questions.
  
• The ones who don't work out are the one's who are selling themselves. They turn everything around about how great they are. They speak in generalities and stumble when I ask for specific examples.
  
• "Multitasking" isn't a real skill. It's doing two things at once which usually means you produced two things half-ass instead of one thing correctly. Take it off your resume and out of your mouth.
  
• Realize that you are being interviewed for 15% job skills and 85% personality fit with the organization.

 

[John Picard]

I know a lot of people 'round these parts are looking for work. I just recently did a marathon session of interviews for a new admin assistant and the thing that struck me was that people don't know the basics of interviews, but they think know it. So let's start a Q&A dialog between people who are looking for jobs and people who normally interview candidates. I work in an insurance office so I can't really say how it works for retail or manufacturing but I'm sure there are other people that can provide insight. Here's the big things I realized:

• Typos on a resume are an automatic fail.
• People not wearing suits and looking like a million bucks, gone. There are certain events in life that call for you to look your best, your wedding, for example.
• The people who are the most impressive are the ones who are themselves, speak conversationally, ask me questions and draw from personal experience when answering my questions.
• The ones who don't work out are the one's who are selling themselves. They turn everything around about how great they are. They speak in generalities and stumble when I ask for specific examples.
• "Multitasking" isn't a real skill. It's doing two things at once which usually means you produced two things half-ass instead of one thing correctly. Take it off your resume and out of your mouth.
• Realize that you are being interviewed for 15% job skills and 85% personality fit with the organization.

Ah, but so-called "coaching experts" (such as MSN.com) tell people to list/utilize the very behaviors you dismiss. I'm with you when people brag about multitasking. To me, that means you can't stay focused on the task at hand.

 

[SmoothieX]

Multitasking is one of those bullshit action words that looks stupid on a resume.

"Multitasked multiple men cumming on my face at once to achieve superior customer servicing."

 

[Garrovick]

Sorry, but a "Resume" and a "Suit" ???

Definitely won't get a person a job in my line of work.

More like a jeans, flannel and a hammer. And some boots that look like they get dirty pretty often.

 

[Plecostomus]

I've interviewed candidates for manufacturing and technical positions. It's all personality, skills matter very little. It's assumed if you are applying for the position you know what you are doing already and we don't need to assess that.

Causes major problems sometimes but that's how it goes.

Advice for manufacturing candidates:

* If you are running machines, emphasis on the different types of controls you can operate, don't dewll on any one type of machine or control. Companies want people who can cross platforms, rarely will they want someone who specializes in one area. This goes for ALL fields of manufacturing, from metal-work to high-volume printing to computer chip etching.

* Most times companies want people who can setup and change over equipment and/or program. The days of hiring someone to press a button or pull a lever over and over are gone.

* Training counts in these fields but not so much as experience. The successful candidate will put the emphasis on EXPERIENCE first and then mention schooling or training. Those are nice but in manufacturing the processes seldom operate like they do in the classroom.

Even if you have (for example) just 5 years experience, play up your experiences with different situations and how you solved them.

The only exception I know of right now is the optics field. They won't touch you unless you have a four year degree in an optical related field.

* If you know how to read prints make sure you mention this as well of WHAT STYLE of prints you can read. I can read most standardized prints but some shops use coordinate prints or non-standard projections. This will avoid serious problems down the road.

* 9/10 rejections in manufacturing hiring come not from lack of relevant skills but because you aren't the right personality. Manufacturing teams tend to hire people based on weather or not they fit in. Examples range from groups that refuse to consider non-military people to the ultra-exclusive ultra-conservitive religious click at WT&D that I had to deal with. Management loved me, couldn't wait to hire me... but the people on the floor refused to work with me because I wasn't "one of them."

* Lastly, production lines can't be started and stopped on a whim in many cases, most are running on deadlines. If you need a flexable schedule manufacturing may not be for you. I need someone to show up at 6am and run the press for eight hours otherwise I can't ship product and NO ONE gets paid.

Any questions, ask away... I got years of experinece on both sides of the line.

 

[Plecostomus]

Sorry, but a "Resume" and a "Suit" ???

Definitely won't get a person a job in my line of work.

More like a jeans, flannel and a hammer. And some boots that look like they get dirty pretty often.

Construction trades?

 

[Garrovick]

Sorry, but a "Resume" and a "Suit" ???

Definitely won't get a person a job in my line of work.

More like a jeans, flannel and a hammer. And some boots that look like they get dirty pretty often.

Construction trades?

Sure, that's why the fashion statement and the job skills identified should be tied to the position being applied for.

 

[Yoda]

I know a lot of people 'round these parts are looking for work. I just recently did a marathon session of interviews for a new admin assistant and the thing that struck me was that people don't know the basics of interviews, but they think know it. So let's start a Q&A dialog between people who are looking for jobs and people who normally interview candidates. I work in an insurance office so I can't really say how it works for retail or manufacturing but I'm sure there are other people that can provide insight. Here's the big things I realized:

• Typos on a resume are an automatic fail.
  
• People not wearing suits and looking like a million bucks, gone. There are certain events in life that call for you to look your best, your wedding, for example.
  
• The people who are the most impressive are the ones who are themselves, speak conversationally, ask me questions and draw from personal experience when answering my questions.
  
• The ones who don't work out are the one's who are selling themselves. They turn everything around about how great they are. They speak in generalities and stumble when I ask for specific examples.
  
• "Multitasking" isn't a real skill. It's doing two things at once which usually means you produced two things half-ass instead of one thing correctly. Take it off your resume and out of your mouth.
  
• Realize that you are being interviewed for 15% job skills and 85% personality fit with the organization.

Oh how I despise HR people. Keep in mind though, I'm coming from the perspective of a tech guy. For what it's worth I went to my last interview dressed in everyday clothes (jeans and an NFL jersey), and got the job with a small company where I make good money and work from home. What tipped the balance in my favor is that I actually interviewed with someone who works as a programmer for the company... and instead of asking me bullshit like 'what's your biggest strength and weakness' he uhh, asked me write bits of code.

In previous interviews I tried playing the 'dress up' game and got nowhere. These were all interviews at bigger companies where I'd be interviewing with people who had no clue what my job would entail or how to tell if I was even capable of doing it. All they knew is that my resume didn't list 3+ years experience in whatever buzzword technology they were looking for.

You say you should look 'your best' on your wedding day. That makes sense. Looking your best for a job interview is just hopping through a hoop. There's no reason you should need to 'look your best' unless your appearance is going to be part of the job. Why not have people dress for the interview at the 'level' that the actual job will be? Hell, if the job has a uniform then it really shouldn't matter if they show up in anything that doesn't get them arrested for public indecency since you're going to be dressing them anyway!

My most idiotic interview was with a company called sms.ac. As far as I can tell they develop crap that I can't imagine anyone uses. A little googling makes them look like a borderline scam outfit. But anyway, during the interview they were obsessed with finding out if I would fit in with the 'winning' company culture. "Do you like to win?" "Are you a winner?" "Are you competitive?" "Do you want to beat the 'other guy'"?

Sweet Jesus that was annoying.

From all my experience in getting interviewed the most common thing interviewers seemed to be looking for is my ability to bullshit and schmooze, and being a good bullshitter is not a helpful trait for any job I've interviewed for.

 

[Barbados Slim]

9/10 rejections in manufacturing hiring come not from lack of relevant skills but because you aren't the right personality. Manufacturing teams tend to hire people based on weather or not they fit in.

I think it's the same for the office. Because I work so hard at maintaining the group dynamic and keeping it all gossip-free and collaborative, the last thing I need is someone who can't easily assimilate into the office environment.

I also agree with you on the training/school vs. experience. There are just way to many situations that can only be learned by doing.

Sure, that's why the fashion statement and the job skills identified should be tied to the position being applied for.

That's why I specified that I work in an office and asked other people who work in different fields to comment.

 

[Garrovick]

I've interviewed candidates for manufacturing and technical positions. It's all personality, skills matter very little. It's assumed if you are applying for the position you know what you are doing already and we don't need to assess that.

Nothing personal. because we've never met. But, it sounds like if the interviewer was like your post describes, I wouldn't be working for that interviewer's employer. And the employer might even get a letter of explanation as to why from the interviewee.

 

[John Picard]

Oh how I despise HR people. Keep in mind though, I'm coming from the perspective of a tech guy. For what it's worth I went to my last interview dressed in everyday clothes (jeans and an NFL jersey), and got the job with a small company where I make good money and work from home. What tipped the balance in my favor is that I actually interviewed with someone who works as a programmer for the company... and instead of asking me bullshit like 'what's your biggest strength and weakness' he uhh, asked me write bits of code.

Agreed. HR people are nothing more than cattle herders. I had to interview with an HR person once, and she got peeved when I was refusing to disclose how much I made at my last job. That really isn't any of their business, and in the future, I'll flat walk out if I ever have to interview with one of those twits again. If the company wants you bad enough, they'll bypass your interviewing with HR.

In previous interviews I tried playing the 'dress up' game and got nowhere. These were all interviews at bigger companies where I'd be interviewing with people who had no clue what my job would entail or how to tell if I was even capable of doing it. All they knew is that my resume didn't list 3+ years experience in whatever buzzword technology they were looking for.

I disagree with you on this, and I'm surprised you had the audacity to to to an interview in jeans and a football jersey. It is never a bad idea to dress to impress regardless of what you wear every day. Heck, I'm a programmer as well and I wear jeans every day as well, but for an interview I'm going to present myself in the best light.

 

[Barbados Slim]

From all my experience in getting interviewed the most common thing interviewers seemed to be looking for is my ability to bullshit and schmooze, and being a good bullshitter is not a helpful trait for any job I've interviewed for.

This is probably why you had trouble at those other interviews. The people who have the attitude that you have BS your way through an interview fail that interview. I actually chose one person over another because we all felt like the latter person was a bullshitter and the former was being herself.

 

[Yoda]

In previous interviews I tried playing the 'dress up' game and got nowhere. These were all interviews at bigger companies where I'd be interviewing with people who had no clue what my job would entail or how to tell if I was even capable of doing it. All they knew is that my resume didn't list 3+ years experience in whatever buzzword technology they were looking for.

I disagree with you on this, and I'm surprised you had the audacity to to to an interview in jeans and a football jersey. It is never a bad idea to dress to impress regardless of what you wear every day. Heck, I'm a programmer as well and I wear jeans every day as well, but for an interview I'm going to present myself in the best light.

Well, it worked for me. Frankly I had just been on so many interviews lately, and I was getting nowhere. I probably lucked out as I interviewed with a guy who didn't care for much for the whole interview process either. Maybe the fact that I was in clothes I found comfortable made me more comfortable overall and improved my interview skills.

I dare say when I dress up I feel less confident and more like a fraud.

And now I'm working at home dressed in a white Hanes crew neck t-shirt and my Guitar Hero boxer shorts.

 

[Plecostomus]

I've interviewed candidates for manufacturing and technical positions. It's all personality, skills matter very little. It's assumed if you are applying for the position you know what you are doing already and we don't need to assess that.

Nothing personal. because we've never met. But, it sounds like if the interviewer was like your post describes, I wouldn't be working for that interviewer's employer. And the employer might even get a letter of explanation as to why from the interviewee.

Unfortunately, and I'm not alone in my experience but this is how interviews for manufacturing positions are run at the majority of places I've ever delt with.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually been assessed skill-wise, the rest is personality assessments... how would you behave in this situation, what would you say or do in this situation, what is your background (they get clever when it comes to age and religion and weather or not you have children)... that sort of thing.

A bunch of ex-military hardnoses aren't going to to want to work with a young religious peacenick... there is no comon ground. The new worker might be offended by the roughness of the ex-military folk and the ex-military folk are going to be put off by the peace-and-love attitude of the "kid."


For sure, this has caused some serious problems... we'll get someone who "fits in" yet doesn't have the skill to do the job. They don't want to get rid of the fellow because he gets on so well with everyone yet he contributes very little to the bottom line.


Not saying it is right or wrong, just sharing my experiences in the matter.

 

[Yoda]

From all my experience in getting interviewed the most common thing interviewers seemed to be looking for is my ability to bullshit and schmooze, and being a good bullshitter is not a helpful trait for any job I've interviewed for.

This is probably why you had trouble at those other interviews. The people who have the attitude that you have BS your way through an interview fail that interview. I actually chose one person over another because we all felt like the latter person was a bullshitter and the former was being herself.

I certainly didn't do much in the way of bullshitting in any of my interviews. People 'feel' like they need to bullshit because that's what the resume guides say to do, and it certainly seemed like what the interviewers wanted from me. But here's the thing, if you ask me what my biggest weakness is, I'll probably tell you an actual weakness, instead of declaring that "I just work too damned hard", "I just love my workplace more than my friends or my family", or any other complete bullshit attempt at spinning a 'weakness' into a 'strength'. If you have seen Michael on The Office interviewing for a job at Corporate then you know what I mean.

 

[Plecostomus]

From all my experience in getting interviewed the most common thing interviewers seemed to be looking for is my ability to bullshit and schmooze, and being a good bullshitter is not a helpful trait for any job I've interviewed for.

This is probably why you had trouble at those other interviews. The people who have the attitude that you have BS your way through an interview fail that interview. I actually chose one person over another because we all felt like the latter person was a bullshitter and the former was being herself.

I certainly didn't do much in the way of bullshitting in any of my interviews. People 'feel' like they need to bullshit because that's what the resume guides say to do, and it certainly seemed like what the interviewers wanted from me. But here's the thing, if you ask me what my biggest weakness is, I'll probably tell you an actual weakness, instead of declaring that "I just work too damned hard", "I just love my workplace more than my friends or my family", or any other complete bullshit attempt at spinning a 'weakness' into a 'strength'. If you have seen Michael on The Office interviewing for a job at Corporate then you know what I mean.

When I interviewed for my current job Ed asked me what my weaknesses were and I told him flat out "while I'm good at many lathe operations I've never mastered turning between centers, all my setups are collet or jaw-based."

HIS reply was "Would you be willing to learn that if the opportunity presented itself?"

Heck yes!

Got the job.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I can only speak to my recent experiences interviewing for computer positions--specifically, software engineering jobs.

For all interviews, I wore business casual attire. No one batted an eye at that, as it's pretty typical in this field.

I put together a superb resume, the result of a class my previous employer offered to help all of us get new jobs. Really, it was a tremendous help and got me a lot of attention.

I put the resume up on Monster and Dice, and although I applied for jobs here and there, I found I got much more interesting hits from recruiters scouting for people with my experience and abilities.

To get the job I got, I had to interview with several people:

1. My future boss, to get a feel for my work style and attitude.
2. Another software engineer, one of the founders of the company, so I guess he has some say in all hires.
3. A second software engineer, who wrote one of the applications I'd be maintaining.
4. A third software engineer, who wrote another application I'd be working on.
5. One of the company owners, who wanted to gauge my perception of the "big picture," I suppose.

I had to write code for a few of them, and also go into great detail about my work experience. Don't put something on your resume if you can't back it up. A smart interviewer will ask.

I was very comfortable throughout the process and everyone was friendly. I think it's a bad sign when you walk into an interview and you can tell right away the person you're talking to is looking for a reason to disqualify you. In my opinion, it means they are just wasting your time. If they want you, they will look for reasons to hire you, and ask questions in that direction, rather than try to trap you or trick you into saying something stupid.

That said, everyone--and I mean every last recruiter or HR person I spoke to--asked how much I made at my last job. I stood firm on the fact that it was none of their business, because it really isn't. You want my skills and experience? You determine how much they're worth to you, and make me an offer. You may not be able to negotiate as much in this market, but the rule of salary negotiation is that whoever puts down a number first, loses. That's why they always want to know how much you got at your last/current job.

I think some of the OP's suggestions are good, but some are simply not appropriate for this industry in particular. I'd say the percentages are reversed here: 15% personality, 85% skills and experience. In a technical job, they really care about whether you can do the work. Personality matters, but unless you come off as a downright jerk, it's not that relevant.

And I am suspicious of anyone who tells you that "selling yourself" is bad. That's what a job interview is. True, it's not all about you--rather, it's about what you can do for the company. That's what they want to hear. What skills and experience do you have that they need? Draw attention to those things. Find out what problems the department is facing--a fairly straightforward task if you ask the right questions--and explain how you think you can help them.

Which brings me to one of the most important points: ask questions! Not to the point of annoyance, but never say "I can't think of any" when an interviewer asks, "do you have any questions for me?" Have some good ones prepared if you are bad at coming up with them on the spot. But they really want to see that you are interested and engaged, not just going through the motions.

 

[Garrovick]

Got the job.

I don't want to sound adversarial but, I've never gotten a job through a "Cold - Off the Street - Job Interview"

It's seems it's always been the "Department Head" who has made the choice. Maybeit's because I know most of the people who run things at most of the "factories" in this county. From High School or other friends.

Maybe I should try this "Job Interview" thing and then ask "Joe the Boss" why I didn't get hired. Sounds like fun.

 

[Plecostomus]

Got the job.

I don't want to sound adversarial but, I've never gotten a job through a "Cold - Off the Street - Job Interview"

It's seems it's always been the "Department Head" who has made the choice. Maybeit's because I know most of the people who run things at most of the "factories" in this county. From High School or other friends.

Maybe I should try this "Job Interview" thing and then ask "Joe the Boss" why I didn't get hired. Sounds like fun.[/quote]


Har.

I submitted my resume to a screw-machine shop looking for a turret lathe operator. Interviewed with HR, interviewed with the owner of the company then I interviewed with Ed who is head of the lathe area.

He told me I got the job because I wasn't afraid of admitting I don't know certain operations... in a job like this trying to fake a skill can lead to machine damage, injury or god forbid even death if you aren't careful.

Point is we can give each other advice and debate technique back and forth but every situation is going to be unique. Sometimes the answer is to shmooze, other times honesty will land you the job.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Whenever I went to an interview in the library industry I wore what might be descibed as neat casual - black trousers with a nice shirt. If there is anything that women in the library industry are trying to get away from its the stereotypical representation of a librarian.