Home Menu

Menu



advertisement
Closed Thread
Thread Tools Display Modes
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 04, 2024 at 03:28 PM
  #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
The_little_didgee is offline  
 
Hugs from:
16PennyNail, Anonymous49105, ArmorPlate108, Discombobulated, unaluna

advertisement
SquarePegGuy
Grand Member
 
SquarePegGuy's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 795
4
127 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 04, 2024 at 06:23 PM
  #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
SquarePegGuy is offline  
VabGirl
Member
 
Member Since Jul 2021
Location: virginia
Posts: 323
3
35 hugs
given
Default May 04, 2024 at 07:17 PM
  #3
Have you had alot of interviews?
VabGirl is offline  
16PennyNail
Member
 
16PennyNail's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2024
Location: In the southern United States
Posts: 346
99 hugs
given
Default May 05, 2024 at 03:27 AM
  #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.

The Interrogation
16PennyNail is offline  
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 05, 2024 at 03:06 PM
  #5
Quote:
Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy View Post
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 View Post
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.

__________________
Dx: Didgee Disorder
The_little_didgee is offline  
 
Hugs from:
Discombobulated
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 05, 2024 at 03:12 PM
  #6
Quote:
Originally Posted by VabGirl View Post
Have you had alot of interviews?
Not a lot. I have gotten jobs without them.

__________________
Dx: Didgee Disorder
The_little_didgee is offline  
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 05, 2024 at 03:18 PM
  #7
Quote:
Originally Posted by 16PennyNail View Post
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.

__________________
Dx: Didgee Disorder
The_little_didgee is offline  
 
Hugs from:
Discombobulated
splitimage
Moderator
Community Support Team
 
splitimage's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 11,513
18
79 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 06, 2024 at 08:06 AM
  #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

__________________


"I danced in the morning when the world was begun. I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun". From my favourite hymn.

"If you see the wonder in a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail." Abba

The Interrogation
splitimage is offline  
rechu
Magnate
 
rechu's Avatar
 
Member Since Apr 2016
Location: Somewhere in South America
Posts: 2,337
8
1,068 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 06, 2024 at 01:42 PM
  #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.
rechu is offline  
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 06, 2024 at 05:55 PM
  #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
The_little_didgee is offline  
 
Hugs from:
Anonymous49105, Discombobulated, FloatThruThis, rechu, unaluna
SquarePegGuy
Grand Member
 
SquarePegGuy's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 795
4
127 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 06, 2024 at 08:34 PM
  #11
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_little_didgee View Post
-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.

__________________
Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum
Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol
SquarePegGuy is offline  
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 13, 2024 at 11:03 PM
  #12
Quote:
Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy View Post
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?


__________________
Dx: Didgee Disorder
The_little_didgee is offline  
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 13, 2024 at 11:30 PM
  #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
The_little_didgee is offline  
 
Thanks for this!
Discombobulated, unaluna
The_little_didgee
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since Apr 2013
Location: Ontario Land
Posts: 3,591
11
PC PoohBah!
Default May 13, 2024 at 11:43 PM
  #14
So I have to lie and act to get a job?

__________________
Dx: Didgee Disorder
The_little_didgee is offline  
SquarePegGuy
Grand Member
 
SquarePegGuy's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 795
4
127 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 14, 2024 at 08:12 PM
  #15
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_little_didgee View Post
Was the citizen or foreigner hired?

The company hired the foreigner that they wanted.

__________________
Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum
Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol
SquarePegGuy is offline  
SquarePegGuy
Grand Member
 
SquarePegGuy's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 795
4
127 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 14, 2024 at 08:17 PM
  #16
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_little_didgee View Post
So I have to lie and act to get a job?
It seems that good references and personal recommendations are the key.

__________________
Major Depressive Disorder; Sleep Apnea; possibly on the spectrum
Nuvigil 50mg; Effexor 37.5mg Wellbutrin 100mg; meds for blood pressure & cholesterol
SquarePegGuy is offline  
Molinit
Grand Member
 
Member Since Nov 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 870
8
91 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 15, 2024 at 11:54 AM
  #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.
Molinit is offline  
 
Hugs from:
Anonymous49105
 
Thanks for this!
Discombobulated
SquarePegGuy
Grand Member
 
SquarePegGuy's Avatar
 
Member Since Mar 2020
Location: Northeastern USA
Posts: 795
4
127 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 15, 2024 at 08:25 PM
  #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
SquarePegGuy is offline  
divine1966
Legendary Wise Elder
 
divine1966's Avatar
 
Member Since Dec 2014
Location: US
Posts: 22,878 (SuperPoster!)
9
1,294 hugs
given
Default May 16, 2024 at 05:11 AM
  #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.
divine1966 is offline  
Discombobulated
Elder
 
Discombobulated's Avatar
 
Member Since Oct 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 5,180 (SuperPoster!)
5
12.4k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 16, 2024 at 06:32 AM
  #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.
Discombobulated is offline  
Closed Thread



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Can I say to my T that sometimes our sessions feel like an interrogation? emmaleemochizuki Psychotherapy 10 Jun 17, 2020 08:50 PM
Psychologists and prisoner interrogation pachyderm Other Mental Health Discussion 1 Aug 16, 2008 09:18 AM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:35 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.