The Interrogation

The_little_didgee · May 04, 2024, 03:28 PM

I recently experienced an unpleasant job interview. It felt like an interrogation of my personality and values. Nearly all the questions were behavioural and value based. They asked generic questions such as my greatest weakness. Only three were technical. Halfway through, I started to feel uncomfortable. At times I felt violated and wondered why I had to prove who I was. There was no need because I did a work placement. They had three weeks to feel me out and see how I interacted with the staff and worked. Staff recommended me for an interview.

Towards the end of my interrogation I wanted to stop it, but out of courtesy I stayed till the very end. I regret doing that and not standing up for myself. It felt so artificial and fake especially after the placement. Obviously it isn’t about skills, getting along with others etc… It is all about the manager, if they like you or not. She couldn’t figure out if I was male or female. That shouldn't matter today. It didn’t seem to bother the other staff.

Is it possible to have an authentic job interview experience? I mean one without generic questions with scripted answers, acting and doing odd tests such as asking me to walk and moo like a cow.

Note: If you have nothing helpful to add do not reply to my thread. I will not tolerate insults.

If you do reply, please stay on topic. Thank you.

SquarePegGuy · May 04, 2024, 06:23 PM

I'm sorry that you had an upsetting interview experience!

There are some "standard" job interview questions that can be asked of anyone. "What's your greatest weakness?" is number four of the top ten most common according to Coursera.

For a few years I was on an interview team. I got to experience the other side of the interview. I found it nerve-wracking because I had to discuss what I thought of the candidate afterwards. Usually we ask the candidate to clarify some aspect of their resume. But occasionally we'd revert to one of the common questions. I'd usually ask, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

VabGirl · May 04, 2024, 07:17 PM

Have you had alot of interviews?

16PennyNail · May 05, 2024, 03:27 AM

Sounds like a human resources person conducted that. I used to get a big laugh earlier in life when I would work part time going to school. People would ask me what my greatest weakness was and I would respond with something like, Kryptonite, or just say, I have no weaknesses. It really throws some of them for a whirl when you do that. I always got the job so it must have worked. Another of my favorites was, "Do you get along well with others?", my reply would be: I sure do when they are not present.

The Interrogation

The_little_didgee · May 05, 2024, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy

I'm sorry that you had an upsetting interview experience!

There are some "standard" job interview questions that can be asked of anyone. "What's your greatest weakness?" is number four of the top ten most common according to Coursera.

What information is sought after? Obviously it is personality traits and intelligence, but there has to be more. How does this info predict the success of a candidate? So many people walk away from jobs shortly after getting hired.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy

For a few years I was on an interview team. I got to experience the other side of the interview. I found it nerve-wracking because I had to discuss what I thought of the candidate afterwards. Usually we ask the candidate to clarify some aspect of their resume. But occasionally we'd revert to one of the common questions. I'd usually ask, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Are there any truthful answers?

They did not even look at my resume at all. I was asked nothing about my career change and why I want to work at that organization, which sent the message that they already selected people. I along with one other person were just there to make the process appear legal.

I feel so used. I wish I saw it coming.

This may be my opportunity to start my own business, so I don't have to endure this fake process and BS.

The_little_didgee · May 05, 2024, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VabGirl

Have you had alot of interviews?

Not a lot. I have gotten jobs without them.

The_little_didgee · May 05, 2024, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16PennyNail

Sounds like a human resources person conducted that. I used to get a big laugh earlier in life when I would work part time going to school. People would ask me what my greatest weakness was and I would respond with something like, Kryptonite, or just say, I have no weaknesses. It really throws some of them for a whirl when you do that. I always got the job so it must have worked. Another of my favorites was, "Do you get along well with others?", my reply would be: I sure do when they are not present.

Your reply made me laugh.

Kryptonite is a good one. My biggest weakness would be coffee or potato chips. My greatest strength would be sleeping all day and staying up all night.

splitimage · May 06, 2024, 08:06 AM

As someone who has both hired people and been on a lot of interviews myself, those questions that sound generic and like BS can actually reveal a lot about a candidate and their insight into their work style.

One of my standard, like to ask questions, is what did you dislike most about your last job? I asked this of an accounting candidate once and her reply was "dealing with people" That was all I needed to hear, as the position I was hiring for would require a lot of communication with sales and marketing.

When I was hiring a regularly for accountants, in a corporate finance setting, yes I would use generic and behavioural type questions. I'd rarely ask technical questions because one can have theoretical knowledge without being able to do anything. So part of my interview process was a skills test where I took common analyses that were part of the job and asked the candidate to do the best they could with an hour. That seemed to yield the best results in terms of hiring people that could be successful

rechu · May 06, 2024, 01:42 PM

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I've been on both sides of the hiring process. There definitely are some tactless, rude interviewers out there. I have tried to use my bad experiences being interviewed as a lesson in what not to do.

I remember once these two guys interviewed with were very accusatory. Everything was phrased as, "well, your resume says you know how to do this, but do you really know? It made me really uncomfortable. I didn't get a call back and I can't imagine wanting to work there if I did.

The_little_didgee · May 06, 2024, 05:55 PM

Thanks for the replies. My emotions are too raw right now to type out a thoughtful reply.

I'm hurting. I just don't know where I fit into the working world. I live with generalized anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder and am undergoing a gender transition (something I always wanted to do). I'm not exactly mainstream, but I am capable of working and with others. It doesn't seem to be enough.

SquarePegGuy · May 06, 2024, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

-snip-
They did not even look at my resume at all. I was asked nothing about my career change and why I want to work at that organization, which sent the message that they already selected people. I along with one other person were just there to make the process appear legal.

Yes sometimes a company will have a preferred candidate in mind before they've interviewed all the applicants. I recall also a company wanted to hire a foreigner. But immigration law said they had to publish a job ad to demonstrate that no one else could fill the position. Yet a US citizen did apply, so they had to go through an interview with that person.

The_little_didgee · May 13, 2024, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy

Yes sometimes a company will have a preferred candidate in mind before they've interviewed all the applicants. I recall also a company wanted to hire a foreigner. But immigration law said they had to publish a job ad to demonstrate that no one else could fill the position. Yet a US citizen did apply, so they had to go through an interview with that person.

Was the citizen or foreigner hired?

The_little_didgee · May 13, 2024, 11:30 PM

I talked to someone, a physician who runs a special service out of a community health center. Hiring staff is a part of her job. I asked her about job interviews. She gave me some insightful feedback.

I dissected my interview which took place at a major city hospital. It all fell apart when I realized the interviewers on the panel did not read my resume, which was a new experience for me. - I asked the physician how common this was. She told me she always reads resumes, but discovered through interviewees that it appears to be a common practice not to. She would not speculate why.

The physician told me a few stories about clinicians she hired, who interviewed poorly due to anxiety. One man could hardly speak. Another rambled. She said they were hired because they were gifted and effective clinicians who were able to connect with marginalized people, like the program clients. She pointed out the limitations of interviews in predicting success and their vulnerability to bias, which a lot of interviewers may be unaware of, because they lack the ability to critically access their assessments of prospective employees. Instead of relying on interview performance, she chose to use references and personal recommendations.

I guess a lot of it depends on the workplace culture and interviewers, specifically their ability to be introspective and see past this artificial process.

The_little_didgee · May 13, 2024, 11:43 PM

So I have to lie and act to get a job?

SquarePegGuy · May 14, 2024, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

Was the citizen or foreigner hired?

The company hired the foreigner that they wanted.

SquarePegGuy · May 14, 2024, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

So I have to lie and act to get a job?

It seems that good references and personal recommendations are the key.

Molinit · May 15, 2024, 11:54 AM

At a hospital or health care-related location, pretty much yes, you will need to lie. You may need to have required education or certifications, but the most important part is that you fit in with the group already there.

"Honesty" isn't really valued as much as one would think. Assimilation is the goal. Also, health care is probably the meanest workplace I've ever been in. I don't work there now, but in that role and in my current role, I parrot the company values and keep my personal feelings to myself. I guess you could say I lie all day long by pretending.

SquarePegGuy · May 15, 2024, 08:25 PM

@Molinit, @The_little_didgee,

I don't work in healthcare, but I also need to "parrot the company values and keep my personal feelings to myself." I don't consider that lying. To me, it is acting or behaving in a professional manner, as well as limiting self-expression. It took me a long while to get used to that, BTW.

divine1966 · May 16, 2024, 05:11 AM

Many people do lie on the interviews and resumes and if they are skilled in lying, they often get a job .

But it never lasts. Eventually (and sometimes rather quickly) their lying becomes apparent and they are either fired, or asked to leave or they leave on their own because they can’t handle the task. So I never recommend lying. .

Also some people naturally interview well and some don’t. And it’s unfortunate. But I don’t recommend for people to present themselves as they are someone they aren’t.

Discombobulated · May 16, 2024, 06:32 AM

I think there’s degrees of lying.

There’s outright lying about experience and or qualifications which isn’t a good idea because it’ll likely be apparent if you did get the job.

Then there’s more subtle lying along the lines of fitting the profile the interviewer is looking for. For example I’m not naturally confident but I’ve acted that part at interviews because that was what was needed. The natural me is quieter, but being too quiet at interviews isn’t going to give them enough info to go on to make a judgement.

It’s kind of like masking with autism.

The_little_didgee · May 20, 2024, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molinit

At a hospital or health care-related location, pretty much yes, you will need to lie. You may need to have required education or certifications, but the most important part is that you fit in with the group already there.

I just completed a training program and got the certificate. A part of the training was a work placement, so I gave them 12 days of free labor. I proved I could do the job and can get a long with people. It wasn't enough even with recommendations from senior technicians. Apparently I have to smile all the time and act fake, something I cannot do. I'm too introverted and autistic for them.

It was a support position without patient contact.

The_little_didgee · May 20, 2024, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discombobulated

There’s outright lying about experience and or qualifications which isn’t a good idea because it’ll likely be apparent if you did get the job.

I know someone who lied about being a baker. He told me he never went to school and trained to be one, but applied for a bakery position in a grocery store, because he was running out of options and money. They hired him. At night he would learn as much as he could, so he could appear competent. Years later he worked his way up to store manager.

The_little_didgee · May 20, 2024, 07:46 AM

Looking for work is opening up wounds I thought were healed. It is reminding me of my perpetual struggles. I swear some people are cursed.

I'm running out of money. I only have enough to pay my rent for two months. This is too much. I asked my psychiatrist if I can get MAID. I'm so tired of struggling.

Discombobulated · May 20, 2024, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

I know someone who lied about being a baker. He told me he never went to school and trained to be one, but applied for a bakery position in a grocery store, because he was running out of options and money. They hired him. At night he would learn as much as he could, so he could appear competent. Years later he worked his way up to store manager.

Working in a grocery store myself I can well believe that, in most store bakeries it’s more like production work than actual skilled baking (the products usually come in ready to bake) so it can be picked up as you go along.

Molinit · May 20, 2024, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

I just completed a training program and got the certificate. A part of the training was a work placement, so I gave them 12 days of free labor. I proved I could do the job and can get a long with people. It wasn't enough even with recommendations from senior technicians. Apparently I have to smile all the time and act fake, something I cannot do. I'm too introverted and autistic for them.

It was a support position without patient contact.

Getting along sometimes isn’t enough and “fitting in” is what they want.

Do I want to smile and be fake all day? Absolutely not. But my landlord and the electric company need their money, so I do it. I enjoy my life outside of work and my work provides shelter, utilities and a car to drive.

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