Richman: Misguided job seekers demonstrate what not to do in interview
Richman: Misguided job seekers demonstrate what not to do in interview
What interviewing lessons can you learn from these seven composite examples from job seekers and company representatives?
No. 1: I’ve been turned down by an employer who obviously doesn’t know talent when he sees it. For example, he asked me technical questions that I couldn’t answer. So I made up stuff that sounded pretty good, considering I didn’t know what I was talking about. He didn’t seem to appreciate my answers, or my jokes. Instead, he peered at me from over his glasses and read his questions off a long sheet of paper, like he was the Grim Reaper. Whatever I was selling, he wasn’t buying. With him being the boss and me being the applicant, you’d think he would have given me points just for hanging in. Well, it’s obvious now that he didn’t. It’s his loss. And I let him know it, in person and through an e-mail. And I copied the president of his company. That’ll show him.
No. 2: I applied for a job and wasn’t allowed to interview because I didn’t have a résumé. I said I could talk about what I had done better than I could write about it. The employer said they had rules, and one of them was that they needed a résumé in advance of an interview to determine if they wanted to go forward. I told him I was worth their time and they should trust me on that. He said they’d take a pass. I showed up anyhow. He wouldn’t see me. That’s rude.
No. 3: The interviewer had some nerve! Sure I had gaps in my résumé. Sure I’ve lost a lot of jobs and quit a bunch of others. But the nerve of her to point that out like it was something I could control. Isn’t that against the law? Who can I report her to?
No. 4: Can an interviewer tell me to leave because I’m smoking? All I needed was a couple of puffs to settle my nerves. The interviewer told me it was a “smoke-free environment,” which means they discriminate against smokers, and I told him so. That’s when he told me to leave. I said that I wasn’t going until I had my interview. He said there wasn’t going to be an interview. If that’s not illegal, I don’t know what is.
No. 5: We interviewers know each other because we belong to the same organizations. It’s not uncommon for us to swap “war stories” about applicants whose behavior is outrageous enough to be memorable. When applicants are interviewing with one of us, they’d do well to imagine themselves interviewing with all of us.
No. 6: Some applicants like to “make friends” with us receptionists, hoping we’ll put in a good word for them. What they don’t seem to understand is that we can, and do, put in a bad word as well. Our loyalties are to our employers, not to inconsiderate, clueless applicants who talk loudly and incessantly on their cell phones, who litter the reception area with food containers and soda cans, and stroll around like they own the place.
No. 7: I conduct interviews in a small, poorly ventilated office. It‘s hard for me to breathe when applicants wear strong perfumes or have strong body odor. As a result, I have to conclude our conversations very quickly.
Joyce Richman is a speaker and career coach conducting seminars and workshops throughout the United States, and the author of “Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” You can reach her at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com. Watch Richman’s latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during “The Good Morning Show” on WFMY News 2.
