Re: can we get an interview thread
 

This... seems effective as fuck, Dev. I mean, you don't waste your time asking things you know they have obvious answers prepared for, and you put them in actual work to see how well they go.



On topic: my last interview involved three managers, three interviewers. The best one was the second manager. Instead of a classical interview, we just chatted. He asked me things about my life relevant to the internship in question, and asked in a way that my answer would show me how I would act in the workplace. Being an internship, I have to study a lot to earn certificates and the likes, so he asked me if I read books, and what kind of books. Then asked about how my english was, since English is not my mother language, and for how long I studied it. I felt comfortable with it and didn't fucked it up, so I took it as a cool thing.

I got the internship by the way.

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Pretty much this.

Also dress at least business casual.
If a socially awkward guy like me can get a job, anyone can. :P

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

ive never done an interview in my life tru story

actually i lied i've conducted a bunch

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

THIS THIS THIS!!!

I got the VERY lucky chance to get into the Technician field starting off as a part time labor helper. My work ethic was so good and I was so driven once I heard that they were looking for full time employees that I would not slack off, though I never do (it's not part of my work ethics). And it really showed. The lead Techs, my supervisor and many others who had been there 10+ years knew I was a winner based on how I worked and how anal attentive I was (yes, they actually said that. xD)

The best thing for you when going into an interview is confidence in yourself. That and trying to do a lil research into the company and know what you're getting into.

Also, you sound disgustingly similar to me in the 'doesn't prepare for interviews' topic, KgZ. I think winging it is one of the better things to do. It helps prepare you for any off the wall questions an employer may ask (and some will do that to see how well you can handle being thrown off-topic).

Weirdly enough, as a gov't contractor, my interview was rather short and to the point, but that may have also been because i was just being hired to put hardware in bags for 4 hours a day. XD

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

winging it only works if you're that kind of person

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Yeah, every interview I've ever "winged" I've crashed and burned pretty hard.

Sometimes interviews really do come down to "did you or did you not read the fucking Vault guide?"

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

I thought that was common information. Being around dull people that aren't willing to work in a team is horrible to think about in of itself.

A rule of thumb is to review what position you're interviewing for so that way you can also discuss your qualifications for that position, but in a conservative matter. Don't create a resume that makes you sound like a pompous jackass, and you should certainly be ready to discuss anything you put on your resume. If you can't discuss something on your resume, it shouldn't be there.

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

can i penetrate your avatar dg

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

uhhh idk if u noticed or not....but dg's avatar is a cartoon O_O

>_> gonna go over here now.......

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Faking confidence makes you look confident regardless, so it puts other people at ease which you'll pick up on, making you more comfortable with them.

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

got the jorb

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

omg grats!!

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Congratsmania. :)

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Whoa! Congrats! :D I hope you enjoy it :)

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Every industry's different.

A lot of the advice in those images on how to present yourself is good, and can apply to nearly every interview, but the advice on the questions can get really silly depending on the type of job for which you're interviewing.

My experiences regarding dress: suits can be too dressy. Consider the position and what you'll be wearing when you're working. Will you be wearing a tie to work every day? Don't you dare show up in less than a suit. Interviewing for a position in which you're like to get sweaty, dirty, or greasy? Wearing a suit could be laughably out of place and peg you for a total fish out of water, even though you're only wearing it for the interview. Business casual is the bare minimum, so you'd better be sure that it's okay if that's all you go with. Ties are another judgment call, but they're a very safe bet. Above all, rock whatever you're wearing; it's better to drop a level of dress and look confident in it than wear an ill-fitting suit that suggests you're conducting the interview in a very by-the-book manner.

A word on confidence: it's probably the most important trait, but keep it in check. Cockiness is a huge turn-off for pretty much anyone; keep in mind that you're being hired by a superior, so you need to prove yourself to be a good subordinate, too.

Just be personable, dammit. Nobody wants to talk to an interview robot who read every piece of advice literature and has an answer prepared for every question. Prove to the interviewer that you're someone he or she would like to be around and work with and you've fought half the battle in the first ninety seconds.

--Guido

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Can we talk about being a good interviewer, too?

I want to get up and leave any interview when I hear the words, "Describe a time when you..."

--Guido

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

That's an interesting thing to talk about that I haven't thought of much. I think we all have heard of our fair share of advice on how to be a good interviewee. But what about the interviewer? For starters, being an unappealing interviewer could reflect badly on the company in the eyes of the interviewee which is not good if the interviewee gets multiple offers from various organizations.

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

I have come to hate the phrase "tell me about urself"

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

Same here.
I prefer more specific questions.

Re: can we get an interview thread
 

I think being able to effectively answer that question is a good skill to have. I think it's good to have a 30 second "elevator speech" about yourself so when people say "what do you do?" or "so tell me a little bit about yourself", I'm well prepared. I call it an elevator speech because you should be able to give the majority of your speech during an elevator ride (which could happen if say you're at a job fair or conference or convention or whatnot).

Edit: In addition, I'm trying to work out different versions of my elevator speech that's tailored to my audience. For example, if someone asks about my research, I have three main versions based on the audience's familiarity with the topic.