WTF? Interview Experience

[Broccoli]

The other day, I had an interview for a graduate assistantship. I guess it went okay; I can never tell. The position, in short, would have me, among other duties, serve as an adviser to various on-campus organizations.

The interview was in two parts. The first part, I talked with the director of the department for about a half hour. The second part, I talked with a group of people which consisted of the department's secretary, another GA in the department, and three student leaders (these student leaders, while not in the actual department, are a sample of the students that I would potentially be meeting with in that advising role).

Here is the "WTF" part. As I was with the group, the three student leaders were texting during the my interview. One of them didn't even look up from his phone until I asked him a question.

I was floored by this. Outside of the outright disrespect I was getting, these are suppose to be student leaders, best of the best. These three, in particular, came from the biggest, arguably most respected organizations on the campus (there was the incoming student body president, the head of the Black Student Union, and the head of the Programming Board). They couldn't put their phones away for the half-hour it took to for the interview?

Of course, I was in no position to really say anything. It was just very, very strange. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

 

[jamestyler]

That is unbelievably rude. Thankfully I haven't experienced anything like that...

...the only irritating thing I've had in an interview is when I'm 'recognised', an uncommon thing as it's only happened twice but both times the conversation devolves to wrestling, boxing, media work and with nothing discussed about the job - no chance to actually court the position.

 

[Stephen!]

Here is the "WTF" part. As I was with the group, the three student leaders were texting during the my interview. One of them didn't even look up from his phone until I asked him a question.

Maybe it's part of the Interview to test how you react to unexpected situations.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

It's not unheard of to do such things, to evaluate whether the one being interviewed sees them as normal as not. Did you give verbal and/or non-verbal signs that you believed it to be very rude?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Since moving to New Jersey, I've noticed a lot more what I would call "rude" behavior. At work, there's one guy who, in every meeting, is on his phone texting and emailing. But he used to own the company so I guess he's allowed.

Me, I wait to check my email, text messages, and missed calls until I get back to my desk. Doing that stuff while you're in a meeting just makes me wonder why you're even there. If you have something better to do, go do that!

 

[Cakes488]

LOL this is pretty bad indeed.

So the dept secty and the GA didn't bat an eye when these students were texting during the interview...all very normal for them? It's beyond rude...it's completely unprofessional and I'm aghast at how this is taking place within the confines of the interview.

 

[Broccoli]

Here is the "WTF" part. As I was with the group, the three student leaders were texting during the my interview. One of them didn't even look up from his phone until I asked him a question.

Maybe it's part of the Interview to test how you react to unexpected situations.

I had actually considered that. Though not completely unlikely, I somewhat dismissed it considering the texting was to such an extreme with the three of them at once. That and, it would reflect very badly on the person texting. For example, because of the situation, one could form the opinion that the Student Body President is irresponsible and doesn't take thinks seriously. If I was in that person's spot, I wouldn't necessarly want to do that.

It's not unheard of to do such things, to evaluate whether the one being interviewed sees them as normal as not. Did you give verbal and/or non-verbal signs that you believed it to be very rude?

For the most part, no. It was one of those situations that could horribly backfire. However, when I did first notice it, I was in the middle of an answer, and my mouth dropped for about a second before quickly composing myself and continuing on.

LOL this is pretty bad indeed.

So the dept secty and the GA didn't bat an eye when these students were texting during the interview...all very normal for them? It's beyond rude...it's completely unprofessional and I'm aghast at how this is taking place within the confines of the interview.

It is possible that she didn't notice. We were sitting around one of those long rectangular tables with me at the head. The secretary was sitting closest to me with the student leaders somewhat behind her.

 

[Cakes488]

There is no way this was part of the interview process and they were testing your reaction...I don't believe that. I just would like to know if these 3 young adults actually *think it's OK* to do this...which I guess they do...but it's outrageous!

 

[Arrqh]

Me, I wait to check my email, text messages, and missed calls until I get back to my desk. Doing that stuff while you're in a meeting just makes me wonder why you're even there. If you have something better to do, go do that!

OTOH, having something better to do describes pretty much every meeting at work I've ever been in; generally they don't give me a choice

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

For the most part, no. It was one of those situations that could horribly backfire. However, when I did first notice it, I was in the middle of an answer, and my mouth dropped for about a second before quickly composing myself and continuing on.

Good point. If it was not intentional, it could seriously backfire indeed.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Me, I wait to check my email, text messages, and missed calls until I get back to my desk. Doing that stuff while you're in a meeting just makes me wonder why you're even there. If you have something better to do, go do that!

OTOH, having something better to do describes pretty much every meeting at work I've ever been in; generally they don't give me a choice

Yeah, I'm not afraid to ask, "why do I need to be in this meeting?" If there's no reason for me to be there, I split! It's a waste of my time and a waste of the company's money for me to sit in a meeting where I am of no use whatsoever.

 

[Maestro]

If you think fast, it could be addressed in the "And now, do you have any questions for us?" Phase.

 

[freak]

That's rather odd and a little inconsiderate as well. These people are supposed to be setting an example and here they are, texting messages and caring more about their blasted cellularized telephones than anyone else. This baffles me. That's why I HATE technology today!!! More and more college kids and teenagers use cellphones and are totally oblivious to everyone else when they are using them. And I can't BELIEVE they can get away with doing that at an interview!

 

[Triskelion]

I teach businesspeople in Shanghai. They use the phone in my class. As in, loud ringtones, followed by prolonged conversations. It's like, cats in suits. I've long since given up giving a crap. Otherwise I'd be asking them every day to please stop - and then of course, I'd be the bad guy, the whole class would give me the stinkeye, fume in resentful silece, and I'd be the evil foreigner for not giving them "face". Same thing happens when I have the gall - the utter gall - to correct a mistake.

But yeah, I wish the phones would spontaneously combust. And people who use them in cinemas and live theaters should be keelhauled.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

That's rather odd and a little inconsiderate as well. These people are supposed to be setting an example and here they are, texting messages and caring more about their blasted cellularized telephones than anyone else. This baffles me. That's why I HATE technology today!!! More and more college kids and teenagers use cellphones and are totally oblivious to everyone else when they are using them. And I can't BELIEVE they can get away with doing that at an interview!

If I was interviewing someone and they dicked with their phone or other electronics device while we were actually conducting the interview, there's no way I'd call them back. You can't be disconnected for an hour or two to get a job? This is your one chance to make a good impression, and you'll blow it by being a rude douchebag? Yeah, you'll make a great employee!

I just don't get people.

 

[Aragorn]

So it'll only be a matter of time before they fall into a sewer because they were too busy texting... and then sue the city.

It's too bad you weren't doing the interviewing when they did this, then you could've ended the entire process right there. Of course, they'd just sue you for texting discrimination.

Do they have Facebook or MySpace profiles you can post here?

 

[tharpdevenport]

I got intereviewed by a girl once who looked to be maybe 26 at the oldest. She was unprofessional, didn't shake my hand, didn't treat with even the hint of respct you'd expect from any random interview, and seemed completely disinterested in the whole thing. I found myself disgusted. She wouldn't even look me in the face. It became appearent in the interview that if anyone else incharge was going to be like here (someone had to put her in charge), working there was not going to be worth it. I said I was old enough to be here daddy, and left knowing I would not get the job. I didn't.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I got intereviewed by a girl once who looked to be maybe 26 at the oldest. She was unprofessional, didn't shake my hand, didn't treat with even the hint of respct you'd expect from any random interview, and seemed completely disinterested in the whole thing. I found myself disgusted. She wouldn't even look me in the face. It became appearent in the interview that if anyone else incharge was going to be like here (someone had to put her in charge), working there was not going to be worth it. I said I was old enough to be here daddy, and left knowing I would not get the job. I didn't.

My wife missed out on one job because the interviewer was a little older than her, and she found my wife intimidating. My wife came prepared with questions and documentation, had plenty of interest in the job, but she's convinced the interviewer tossed her resume because she was afraid my wife would take her job.

It astonishes me, sometimes, the people that end up running interviews.

 

[Plecostomus]

It still surprises me the number of "older folks" who can't live without the phone. Have to be in constant contact with the kids. "Dad I need to wipe my ass" "Mom won't let me use the PS3" "OMG BOBBY TOLD ME I WAS FAT"

We have a policy. No phones no texting during WORKING HOURS. We had to change it because people were stepping inside the office area, thinking that would get around the "no phones in production" rule. Same with stepping outside.

Recently we had an incident where the welder-person was spending all day on his phone texting and twittering and internetting... then working overtime to get the jobs out the door. This became an issue when we needed a batch of parts done NOW, not later, and we couldn't find him in the welding area... he was outside on his phone.

That and the incident with the CNC mill operator who ran the mill all night with a tool-bit missing because he was too busy txting and chatting on the phone. He'd come over to the machine, take a defective part out toss it in the tray... put a blank in and press start. No inspection, no checking no nothing. $35,000 worth of time and material destroyed in a single night.


The next step will be to confiscate the phones at the time-clock and keep them locked up. This is a factory, we make parts that have to be 100% accurate, and finished on a deadline.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

My girlfriend once got a job. Not because the interviewer was really paying attention (he was only looking at her boobs -- even though she didn't have any cleavage), but because a minute after the interview ended, he ran after her saying "if I don't hire you the whole department will kill me".