The Job Interview Circus

So i have been through a few of those interviews in my 5 year career in advertising. There are various kinds of smart(ass) people you will meet in these interviews - It's amazing how taking interview is as much about skills as is your job itself. And many take this so seriously that it becomes like an exam rather than a conversation. In most cases the result of these examiners hiring ends up being disastrous as they are more concerned about how they come across to the interviewee rather then the interviewee having to prove any point to them.

A friend has been going through her interview rigors after a 2 year post marriage hiatus and every day conversations with her led to this post as it got me thinking about the variety of people i have met during my own course of job hunts.

Here are a few off my head -

• The strict school teacher - The kinds who think the only way to take interviews is by being a strict no nonsense kind of person. Straight face, no smiles and lets begin with tell me something about you. And once you start rattling like a school child they start counter questioning you about your own self like they know you better than you do yourself. But don't you think? But why would you? The questions always start with a BUT. You are so tired by the end of it after fielding all the buts and if's that you just want the bell to ring so you can run out of the class. The pressure test they say it is, but is it, i wonder how the real work life has got anything to do with making people feel nervous. and how many such pressures would actually pop up in your face while working. Yes, though it might be a warning bell clearly stating what lies ahead of the interviewee, a working style that would entail questioning as the operative word in future and not solution providing.

• The intimidating personality type  - The one who walks into the room thinking i need this person to shit in his pants the moment he sees me. I need to come across as THE boss, the supreme power who knows it all and that he cannot fool me. Now the lighter side of the story with this person is that, many a times they don't really know where they stand maybe and they think the best way to get the other person to start on a back foot is by looking intimidating. Asking questions which you do not know answers to yourself but how will this inexperienced fellow know? Setting the rules at the outset so one knows that one is dealing with a big EGO here and should be careful about what comes out of their mouth.

• The conversationalist - far and few are such people found, but those are the ones to look forward to. At the outset giving you a clear indication about chatting and not questioning. Could relax you to open up. Be honest with your experience, hopes and aspirations. About what you could bring to the table and what you would expect the interviewer to bring to the table in future. Be who you are and therefore probably give a clearer indication of what you would be like at work as the pretense that one as to put in order to be a certain kind to be liked rather than be himself or herself and be liked can  create the wrong perceptions and judgments in either parties. The future in most cases then turns bleak as what you expect is not what you get finally. A conversationalist can chat, and understand what the person is like and therefore be better able to judge capabilities, experience and knowledge.

I have met more number of first two types than the last ones. But the last ones have been the more lasting mentors. Each experience does teach you to hone your skills as you cannot choose who you shall meet. But obviously do wish that every boss out there would get the simple logic of friendly conversations over me against you conversations as that is bound to have a sure shot enemy even before you have begun unless you strike lucky. Unfortunately it trickles top downwards and so most juniors learn these interviewing skills by watching their bosses. There is a better team formed when the entire team knows that they can all fall back on each other without thinking twice and that comes with the confidence imbibed in the team by the senior leaders. The starting point to all of that is the job interview itself.

Do add your own list of people and experiences if any beyond my own set of typecast :) it would be fun to know.

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