Interview advice please

[SharonStoned]

Thanks mate, I don't think I got it I was very nervous, they are ringing the person who get the job tomorrow and the rest get a letter in the week. So I shall be jumping eveytime the phone rings 357 people applied for the job and only 20 of us were interviewed so even if I don't get it at least I know I can fill out a good application form I have another interview for a really interesting job in the morning so it looks like I shall be having another sleepless night! But at least I will be full of cake as it is my little ones 4th Birthday today

[tinygreendragon]

Bummer...... But at least you have cake

Good luck for tomorrow (& thanks for the santa hat)

[rabid]

Where is your santa hat?? has it fallen off or has she eaten it

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I have decided to give up the world of work for the good of society. Its for the best, as I appear to be abit of a jinx. For example, when I started training to be a psychiatric nurse they announced "Care in the Community" and promptly closed my hospital. Later, when with the military, they announced "Options for Change" and made swaithing cuts. Things were on and off for a few years until I got a job at the Child Support Agency just as it came under parliamentary scrutiny and look what happened to them, I left and got a job at a video store which went bankrupt within 6 months. Later I worked at Woolworths, and my they are doing great aren't they? Now I'm working at the Royal Mail, just at a time of some serious rationalising. Mind you, I am certain I have to be lucky one day

Edited December 17, 2008 by Planet Dave

[Katster]

I have decided to give up the world of work for the good of society. Its for the best, as I appear to be abit of a jinx. For example, when I started training to be a psychiatric nurse they announced "Care in the Community" and promptly closed my hospital. Later, when with the military, they announced "Options for Change" and made swaithing cuts. Things were on and off for a few years until I got a job at the Child Support Agency just as it came under parliamentary scrutiny and look what happened to them, I left and got a job at a video store which went bankrupt within 6 months. Later I worked at Woolworths, and my they are doing great aren't they? Now I'm working at the Royal Mail, just at a time of some serious rationalising. Mind you, I am certain I have to be lucky one day

[rachbon]

i never got the job at glasgow sherrif court. i knew i wouldn't get it. they said i'm on the reserve list and i'll be considered for any similar vacancies that come up. so maybe i only just missed it.

i f**kin hate competency based interviews. when they ask a question such as "tell me about a time when you had to meet a deadline" - how am i supposed to pick out a specific situation, when i work to deadlines every day? i don't want it to seem like i'm making something up. it's hard to give a specific example.

Edited December 17, 2008 by _rachelbon

[rachbon]

has anyone ever been asking something odd in a competency based interview?

i went for an interview for an internal job last week and i was asked "have you ever had to explain a complicated piece of information to a manager?"

i felt like saying, yeah, all the f**king time cause no one in this company knows anything or has any common sense!!

[tinygreendragon]

You might have to clear out your temporary internet files.

(not completely evil)

[tinygreendragon]

has anyone ever been asking something odd in a competency based interview?

i went for an interview for an internal job last week and i was asked "have you ever had to explain a complicated piece of information to a manager?"

i felt like saying, yeah, all the f**king time cause no one in this company knows anything or has any common sense!!

[TalkShow Bob]

Ah yes that worked thanks mate your a star (with slightly evil tendencies)

Hmm I think you could put your gift to good use, there are loads of companies would benifit from the PD touch (McDonald's, Nike, Shell, coca cola just to name a few)

[Katster]

i never got the job at glasgow sherrif court. i knew i wouldn't get it. they said i'm on the reserve list and i'll be considered for any similar vacancies that come up. so maybe i only just missed it.

i f**kin hate competency based interviews. when they ask a question such as "tell me about a time when you had to meet a deadline" - how am i supposed to pick out a specific situation, when i work to deadlines every day? i don't want it to seem like i'm making something up. it's hard to give a specific example.

[rachbon]

Have just been to an interview today with a three part test first (proof read some minutes, using software on the computer plan a training event - no information other than title of training session and the date it is on never made it to the third part of the test and didn't finish the plan )

The advert for the job was pretty small and over a month ago, the letter for interview arrived on monday. The letterhead was for a housing group, I reread the advert and researched the housing group. When I got to the interview it was for a company in partnership with the housing group None of my research was relevant and the woman interviewing me was very annoyed by the fact that I didn't know much about them She then asks me, "Have you ever been in a situation where your actions could be seen to have caused another person injury or insult", I sat there for a full minute looking stunned I think before replying that I didn't think I ever had and she said "oh really Hmmm" Then asked "Would you consider yourself to be a truthful sort of person" I don't think I have got this job

[rachbon]

All of my interviews have asked questions such as this

Sorry to hear you didn't get the job.

Edited December 17, 2008 by _rachelbon

[rachbon]

i didn't get a job once after a competency based interview because i "didn't criticise myself enough."

they asked about a time when i had to cope under pressure and once i had given my answer, they asked if i thought i could have dealt with the situation in a better way. i told them no, i'd dealt with the situation in the best possible way and there was nothing i could have done differently. i was being honest. do they want me to lie??

Edited December 17, 2008 by _rachelbon

[Millsy2008]

both my interviews went very well, i actually enjoyed them?? not sure il get either job but now i can relax a bit

[Langdale Wolf]

I bloody hate filling out application forms, and I bloody hate interviews.

But what takes the f**king biscuit is a role you see advertised and apply for it thinking it sounded great, before realising the person they already have presently filling in for it on a temporary basis is the person they want to employ in that role full time.

So you have basically wasted your time filling out/sending off tedious forms, getting your best suit dry cleaned, taking a few hours off work, researching the company in question why they had absolutely no intention of employing anyone else for the role.

Totally f**ks me right off.

[Katster]

i didn't get a job once after a competency based interview because i "didn't criticise myself enough."

they asked about a time when i had to cope under pressure and once i had given my answer, they asked if i thought i could have dealt with the situation in a better way. i told them no, i'd dealt with the situation in the best possible way and there was nothing i could have done differently. i was being honest. do they want me to lie??

[Katster]

both my interviews went very well, i actually enjoyed them?? not sure il get either job but now i can relax a bit

[applepie]

Just got back from an interview. The first question they asked was if I had my own car. I said no. They said it was a requirement of the job. I ticked the box that said 'no car' on my application form so why the f**k did they ask me for an interview! There was nothing in the advert that said you needed a car, the job was in a hospital.

[Katster]

Just got back from an interview. The first question they asked was if I had my own car. I said no. They said it was a requirement of the job. I ticked the box that said 'no car' on my application form so why the f**k did they ask me for an interview! There was nothing in the advert that said you needed a car, the job was in a hospital.

[applepie]

Was there anything in the job/person spec rather than the advert which informed you you needed your own car?

[Katster]

That was the problem - there was no job spec. I tried ringing to ask and left loads of messages with personnel and other people but no one ever got back to me. I just had to go with it and as it's not normally the kind of job you'd need a car for.

The annoying thing was that they had my application in front of them and then answered their own question.

[applepie]

I'd imagine you're better off not getting a job with them in that case

[lynneyt]

has anyone ever been asking something odd in a competency based interview?

i went for an interview for an internal job last week and i was asked "have you ever had to explain a complicated piece of information to a manager?"

i felt like saying, yeah, all the f**king time cause no one in this company knows anything or has any common sense!!

[Rufus Gwertigan]

i didn't get a job once after a competency based interview because i "didn't criticise myself enough."

they asked about a time when i had to cope under pressure and once i had given my answer, they asked if i thought i could have dealt with the situation in a better way. i told them no, i'd dealt with the situation in the best possible way and there was nothing i could have done differently. i was being honest. do they want me to lie??