Firegod343
01-21-2008, 04:32 AM
I know that this has been covered in the past by members of much greater intelligence than I, but after spending the last week doing interviews, I thought I would pass on some good, and some bad of oral interviews.
1) While telling you not to be nervous will probably make you more nervous, keep in mind that the panel WANTS you to do well. We are looking for bright, young superstars for our agency....and we want it to be you. It actually hurts us more to watch a candidate auger in front of our eyes.
2) Guys, wear a dark suit.....blue, black, and grey work. Gumby green doesn't. Wear black shoes shined. If you wear brown, the panel will talk about you all day.
3) Do wear a tie, a nice tie, one that your significant other picked out. Do not wear one with cute designs of palm trees or golfers. With that tie make sure your top button is buttoned. To tight?, get a bigger shirt before the interview.
4) Ladies, wear formal business attire. I don't know what that is, but the female evaluator sitting next to me does, and she will immediately tell me what it is, and what it isn't.
5) If you show up in jeans and t-shirt, don't throw in the towel. You screwed up big but you might be able to dazzle us with your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
6) Don't answer questions with "I'm anal" or similar. While being anal is not a bad thing, being unable to phrase it in an acceptable way is.
7) Don't try to make yourself look good by throwing your current co-workers under the bus. The self-preservation mechanism kicks in and I don't want you to bring that attitude to our doorstep.
8) Do show a little self-awareness. Know that we may actually want to know something about how you tick inside. Nothing too deep, but how you react to difficult situations, both personally and professionally. Know this about yourself before you walk into the room.
9) Don't call me by my first name, even if you know me, and especially if you don't. It won't be appropriate as a recruit, so don't do it now. If you don't know my rank a simple "sir" will do.
10) If you're given time at the end, sell yourself. Keep it simple, but leave me with the feeling that you're the one. Have something.....there is a strange, awkward feeling when we ask if you have anything you would like to add, and you say, "Nope." And make sure you thank the board, not for just the opportunity to interview, but for the fact that they have put their normal busy schedule aside to meet with you.
11) Finally, whatever happened to good old department research? The first one or two people stating they researched the agency on the web was ok. The 10th person saying it made us wonder about what they really knew...the 20th indicated that maybe it was a problem. Web pages are ok, but are frequently incorrect or outdated. Do some real legwork to learn about that place you "Really want to work at."
I hope this is not too reduntant with all the other info that's out there. There is some incredible talent out there, and we're looking for it.
FG
1) While telling you not to be nervous will probably make you more nervous, keep in mind that the panel WANTS you to do well. We are looking for bright, young superstars for our agency....and we want it to be you. It actually hurts us more to watch a candidate auger in front of our eyes.
2) Guys, wear a dark suit.....blue, black, and grey work. Gumby green doesn't. Wear black shoes shined. If you wear brown, the panel will talk about you all day.
3) Do wear a tie, a nice tie, one that your significant other picked out. Do not wear one with cute designs of palm trees or golfers. With that tie make sure your top button is buttoned. To tight?, get a bigger shirt before the interview.
4) Ladies, wear formal business attire. I don't know what that is, but the female evaluator sitting next to me does, and she will immediately tell me what it is, and what it isn't.
5) If you show up in jeans and t-shirt, don't throw in the towel. You screwed up big but you might be able to dazzle us with your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
6) Don't answer questions with "I'm anal" or similar. While being anal is not a bad thing, being unable to phrase it in an acceptable way is.
7) Don't try to make yourself look good by throwing your current co-workers under the bus. The self-preservation mechanism kicks in and I don't want you to bring that attitude to our doorstep.
8) Do show a little self-awareness. Know that we may actually want to know something about how you tick inside. Nothing too deep, but how you react to difficult situations, both personally and professionally. Know this about yourself before you walk into the room.
9) Don't call me by my first name, even if you know me, and especially if you don't. It won't be appropriate as a recruit, so don't do it now. If you don't know my rank a simple "sir" will do.
10) If you're given time at the end, sell yourself. Keep it simple, but leave me with the feeling that you're the one. Have something.....there is a strange, awkward feeling when we ask if you have anything you would like to add, and you say, "Nope." And make sure you thank the board, not for just the opportunity to interview, but for the fact that they have put their normal busy schedule aside to meet with you.
11) Finally, whatever happened to good old department research? The first one or two people stating they researched the agency on the web was ok. The 10th person saying it made us wonder about what they really knew...the 20th indicated that maybe it was a problem. Web pages are ok, but are frequently incorrect or outdated. Do some real legwork to learn about that place you "Really want to work at."
I hope this is not too reduntant with all the other info that's out there. There is some incredible talent out there, and we're looking for it.
FG