Comments on: Preliminary Job Interview Question Guide http://EmploymentDigest.net/2008/11/preliminary-job-interview-question-guide/ News, Tips and Hints for those in Career Transistion Thu, 24 May 2012 12:12:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Yancey at You can learn basic employee rights http://EmploymentDigest.net/2008/11/preliminary-job-interview-question-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-30903 Yancey at You can learn basic employee rights Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:53:30 +0000 http://www.EmploymentDigest.net/?p=1628#comment-30903 Another important often-overlooked ingredient for job interviewees is where do you place in the "job interview line"? A little over a year ago, an interviewer informed me that I was the next to last candidate to be reviewed/interviewed for the position. The interviewer informed me that the interview process had taken about 2 months because there were a little over 200 interviewees! During the course of the interview, I could sense what I call "interviewer blindness". The interviewer seemed to parrot questions from numerous repetitions rather than a genuine review of my qualifications. She was very forthcoming in lamenting the fact that she had averaged between 8 and 10 hour+ interviews a day, 5 days a week for 2 months! So, I asked myself does this give me an advantage or disadvantage. If she has "interviewer burnout”, will she give me interviewee number 200 the same level of crisp mental attentiveness to my responses as she did the first two or three? Will she be able to "listen" and perceive why my skills and qualifications are the best suited for the position? Given these factors, I focused on 2 things: (1) Kept my responses short and to the point while inflecting my voice to really highlight my accomplishments. I also interjected a pinch of frivolity to keep the interviewer from getting bored. (2) I really zoned in on the questions I asked the interviewer about the job and the company. I asked very tactfully and pointedly things like, "Where does this company see itself in five years"? Are there any merger or buyout negotiations in the works that might impact the position I'm very much interested in?" "Does the company have a history of complaints filed against it with the state or (EEOC) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission"? Asking these types of questions seemed to "wake up" the interviewer. I believe these questions also set me apart from the other 200 candidates because the interviewer did not appear prepared to answer them. The interviewer became more energetic about selling me on the position and the company. This is of course the way it should be as a part of the “two-way street” interviewing process. Most career seekers may not have to face being in a long “job interview line”. However, given the present competitive nature of more applicants for fewer jobs, being prepared for “interviewer burnout” is a real possibility. Another important often-overlooked ingredient for job interviewees is where do you place in the “job interview line”? A little over a year ago, an interviewer informed me that I was the next to last candidate to be reviewed/interviewed for the position.
The interviewer informed me that the interview process had taken about 2 months because there were a little over 200 interviewees! During the course of the interview, I could sense what I call “interviewer blindness”. The interviewer seemed to parrot questions from numerous repetitions rather than a genuine review of my qualifications.

She was very forthcoming in lamenting the fact that she had averaged between 8 and 10 hour+ interviews a day, 5 days a week for 2 months! So, I asked myself does this give me an advantage or disadvantage. If she has “interviewer burnout”, will she give me interviewee number 200 the same level of crisp mental attentiveness to my responses as she did the first two or three? Will she be able to “listen” and perceive why my skills and qualifications are the best suited for the position?

Given these factors, I focused on 2 things:

(1) Kept my responses short and to the point while inflecting my voice to really highlight my accomplishments. I also interjected a pinch of frivolity to keep the interviewer from getting bored.

(2) I really zoned in on the questions I asked the interviewer about the job and the company. I asked very tactfully and pointedly things like, “Where does this company see itself in five years”? Are there any merger or buyout negotiations in the works that might impact the position I’m very much interested in?” “Does the company have a history of complaints filed against it with the state or (EEOC) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission”?

Asking these types of questions seemed to “wake up” the interviewer. I believe these questions also set me apart from the other 200 candidates because the interviewer did not appear prepared to answer them. The interviewer became more energetic about selling me on the position and the company. This is of course the way it should be as a part of the “two-way street” interviewing process.

Most career seekers may not have to face being in a long “job interview line”. However, given the present competitive nature of more applicants for fewer jobs, being prepared for “interviewer burnout” is a real possibility.

]]> By: Yancey at You can learn basic http://EmploymentDigest.net/2008/11/preliminary-job-interview-question-guide/comment-page-1/#comment-32643 Yancey at You can learn basic Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:53:00 +0000 http://www.EmploymentDigest.net/?p=1628#comment-32643 Another important often-overlooked ingredient for job interviewees is where do you place in the "job interview line"? A little over a year ago, an interviewer informed me that I was the next to last candidate to be reviewed/interviewed for the position. The interviewer informed me that the interview process had taken about 2 months because there were a little over 200 interviewees! During the course of the interview, I could sense what I call "interviewer blindness". The interviewer seemed to parrot questions from numerous repetitions rather than a genuine review of my qualifications. She was very forthcoming in lamenting the fact that she had averaged between 8 and 10 hour+ interviews a day, 5 days a week for 2 months! So, I asked myself does this give me an advantage or disadvantage. If she has "interviewer burnout”, will she give me interviewee number 200 the same level of crisp mental attentiveness to my responses as she did the first two or three? Will she be able to "listen" and perceive why my skills and qualifications are the best suited for the position? Given these factors, I focused on 2 things: (1) Kept my responses short and to the point while inflecting my voice to really highlight my accomplishments. I also interjected a pinch of frivolity to keep the interviewer from getting bored. (2) I really zoned in on the questions I asked the interviewer about the job and the company. I asked very tactfully and pointedly things like, "Where does this company see itself in five years"? Are there any merger or buyout negotiations in the works that might impact the position I'm very much interested in?" "Does the company have a history of complaints filed against it with the state or (EEOC) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission"? Asking these types of questions seemed to "wake up" the interviewer. I believe these questions also set me apart from the other 200 candidates because the interviewer did not appear prepared to answer them. The interviewer became more energetic about selling me on the position and the company. This is of course the way it should be as a part of the “two-way street” interviewing process. Most career seekers may not have to face being in a long “job interview line”. However, given the present competitive nature of more applicants for fewer jobs, being prepared for “interviewer burnout” is a real possibility. Another important often-overlooked ingredient for job interviewees is where do you place in the “job interview line”? A little over a year ago, an interviewer informed me that I was the next to last candidate to be reviewed/interviewed for the position.
The interviewer informed me that the interview process had taken about 2 months because there were a little over 200 interviewees! During the course of the interview, I could sense what I call “interviewer blindness”. The interviewer seemed to parrot questions from numerous repetitions rather than a genuine review of my qualifications.

She was very forthcoming in lamenting the fact that she had averaged between 8 and 10 hour+ interviews a day, 5 days a week for 2 months! So, I asked myself does this give me an advantage or disadvantage. If she has “interviewer burnout”, will she give me interviewee number 200 the same level of crisp mental attentiveness to my responses as she did the first two or three? Will she be able to “listen” and perceive why my skills and qualifications are the best suited for the position?

Given these factors, I focused on 2 things:

(1) Kept my responses short and to the point while inflecting my voice to really highlight my accomplishments. I also interjected a pinch of frivolity to keep the interviewer from getting bored.

(2) I really zoned in on the questions I asked the interviewer about the job and the company. I asked very tactfully and pointedly things like, “Where does this company see itself in five years”? Are there any merger or buyout negotiations in the works that might impact the position I’m very much interested in?” “Does the company have a history of complaints filed against it with the state or (EEOC) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission”?

Asking these types of questions seemed to “wake up” the interviewer. I believe these questions also set me apart from the other 200 candidates because the interviewer did not appear prepared to answer them. The interviewer became more energetic about selling me on the position and the company. This is of course the way it should be as a part of the “two-way street” interviewing process.

Most career seekers may not have to face being in a long “job interview line”. However, given the present competitive nature of more applicants for fewer jobs, being prepared for “interviewer burnout” is a real possibility.

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