Learning interview protocols and NT secrets

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My company i sending me to a two day training in how to interview and what the company is looking for and how to evaluate job applicants..

I'm a little nervous about the training though as a large part of it is interviewing each other with coaching from experts. Very scary.


The class starts Sept 13 - I will post a full report... If you guys have any specific questions about interviewing with big companies - post them here and I'll try to track down answers.

Very good. It has been a while since I went for an interview so I might need to brush up. This should be of interest to a lot of people here.

Oh I hate role playing. Good luck and thanks for your willingness to share the information.

Y

It is all a fix. Everything is decided in the first few seconds and unfortunately those who have the power to smash the doors of opportunity shut in my face tend to do so because the [i]don't like[/] the person they are interviewing.

What we live under is a reverse meritocracy; one only has to look at all the popularity contests to see what a crock it all is and how it is all rigged.

I have so much less stress now that I refuse to try to 'play the game' and utterly ignore the dross that tries to pin all the blame on me.

What are some of the biggest interviewer turnoffs? What things make them write off a candidate instantly without regard to skill or suitability for the job?

Well, I can maybe help, since I've interviewed quite a few people and know what it is to be 'on the other side'.

For example, I had to pass on a candidate who looked really good on paper because she was uncommunicative and just plain weird. What I mean by that is that she didn't say more than 5 sentences in the interview, answered by umms and grunts a lot of the time, dressed in something that looked like a kitchen apron and had wild uncombed hair. In retrospect, she seems like she could have been an Aspie, but even so, the company I work for does not cope well with quiet, retiring people and the ability to communicate well with everyone is really important for fitting in with the team. Believe it or not, employers will assess how you will fit in with the rest of the people who already work there and if you seem very different to them, then there is no point in giving you a job. It would be like throwing a spanner in the works (metaphor), especially if it is small to medium sized place.

Someone here mentioned that most employers are not interested in hearing your opinion unless it coincides with theirs. I would say that there is some truth to this, however in my experience it is very difficult to fake this and at the end of the day, we have always employed people who looked like they would do the best job and fit in well too.

You can help yourself a lot by researching the company you are interviewing well ahead of time so that you are able to discuss with them the rquirements of the job as if you were already working there. In fact, that would be my best tip (apart from the obvious-appearance, clear concise speach etc) - try and make them see you as if you are already working there with them. Do not be over familiar (whatever you do!) but always show that you know what the company is involved in. It takes only little googling to be able to come up with some pertinent things.

Personally, I am still petrified of interviews, so it just goes to show that sometimes all the knowledge you have does not amount to much if you have anxiety issues you cannot overcome.

I hope the tips above could help someone in some small way at least.
laterz

I think this is why my jobs only last about 3yrs tops. I've gotten very good at convincing the employer that I would fit in. However, as an Aspie I'm never going to fit in with the NT's. After a little time, my true self starts to show through and its time to move on.

yup. same here.

I agree with you. It's more about appearances than anything else. Ability and hard work rarely cuts it these days.

When I apply for a job, I always adjust my resumae in a way that sounds more appealing to them. Not by faking things, pretending I did jobs that I actually didn't do but more to emphasize more things than others. To do this, you have to know in detail what they're actually looking for.

Then there's the interview. I somewhat tell the story of my resumae ('I can do this, I'm very good at that', etc.) and talk about how those capacities are useful for the things that I'm supposed to do at the company. Since you don't want to sound too motivated or too good to be true for the job, this isn't as simple as it seems.

It's a bit of psychological game; you want to master the conversation but not too much as the interviewer must have a good feeling about himself afterwards: Instead of thinking 'I'm glad he found us' it's better that he/she's proud of finding you for the company. So give them the idea that they're pulling the strings and don't blow them away. They're not looking for a smart-ass but someone who's willing to follow the rules (besides matching the preferred profile). OTOH, they're also not looking for someone who lacks to take the iniative, so you shouldn't be too 'goody 2 shoes' either.

How one accomplishes this I cannot say, I've also learned through experience (but never failed!). But an interview is not something to be scared of. There's always the possibility that you won't get the job (maybe due to other causes than your own capacities or appearance), so it's also important that you never expect to much and consider about what to do when you don't get the job.

Later on I've also been on the other side of the table. It amazed me how stressed, uninterested or fake people sometimes could be. That is a subjective perception, but hey, I'm the boss, only my opinion matters at that time.