An unpleasant job interview experience
A job interview I had a few months ago that went terribly badly was for a very junior internal position that I really only applied for because some of my colleagues had encouraged me to go for it. It got off to a bad start with the first question: why do you think you're the best person for this role? That threw me - how could I honestly say I was the best person? What I wanted to be asked was: why are you interested in this role?
Then I was asked to describe when I had used a technology at work. This threw me as well - it was such a basic question. Where would I even begin? Here I am writing about technology in a blog! Further very simple questions followed which I stumbled over as I was not expecting them. I had expected a more relaxed, conversational style interview about the job and why I wanted it. But it became clear that the interviewers were pretending that they did not know me, that I had not worked in the library for 7 years.
By the time I was asked about a problem with another colleague and how I had solved it I was having a meltdown - I was angry, emotional and passive aggressive (there isn't a solution for every problem! I kept saying). To top it all off when the appointing manager rang me a few days later, she spoke like a robot "I regret to inform you that you have not been successful..." and then she seemed quite disappointed with my performance in the interview without offering me an opportunity to explain what had gone wrong.
So what does this interview say about me? It says the following:
Then I was asked to describe when I had used a technology at work. This threw me as well - it was such a basic question. Where would I even begin? Here I am writing about technology in a blog! Further very simple questions followed which I stumbled over as I was not expecting them. I had expected a more relaxed, conversational style interview about the job and why I wanted it. But it became clear that the interviewers were pretending that they did not know me, that I had not worked in the library for 7 years.
By the time I was asked about a problem with another colleague and how I had solved it I was having a meltdown - I was angry, emotional and passive aggressive (there isn't a solution for every problem! I kept saying). To top it all off when the appointing manager rang me a few days later, she spoke like a robot "I regret to inform you that you have not been successful..." and then she seemed quite disappointed with my performance in the interview without offering me an opportunity to explain what had gone wrong.
So what does this interview say about me? It says the following:
- I want to be treated like a human being and a valued colleague
- I am honest and sincere, I don't like pretending
- I don't appreciate the potential that I have so I have not been aiming high enough with my career
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