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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
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#1
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. __________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Veteran Member
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 657
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#2
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?" __________________ Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol |
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Member
Member Since Jul 2021
Location: virginia
Posts: 323
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#3
Have you had alot of interviews?
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Member
Member Since Mar 2024
Location: In the southern United States
Posts: 346
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#4
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.
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
11 ![]() |
#5
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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. __________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
11 ![]() |
#6
__________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
11 ![]() |
#7
Quote:
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. __________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Moderator
Community Support Team Member Since Mar 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 11,451
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#8
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 |
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Magnate
Member Since Apr 2016
Location: Somewhere in South America
Posts: 2,314
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#9
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. |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
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#10
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. __________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Veteran Member
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 657
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#11
Quote:
__________________ Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
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#12
Quote:
Was the citizen or foreigner hired? __________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
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#13
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. __________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,590
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#14
So I have to lie and act to get a job?
__________________ Dx: Didgee Disorder |
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Veteran Member
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 657
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#15
__________________ Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol |
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Veteran Member
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 657
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#16
__________________ Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol |
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Grand Member
Member Since Nov 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 865
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#17
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. |
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Veteran Member
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
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#18
@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. __________________ Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol |
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Legendary Wise Elder
Member Since Dec 2014
Location: US
Posts: 22,721
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#19
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. |
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Elder
Member Since Oct 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 5,042
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#20
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. |
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