Thursday, October 05, 2006
17.12 Five Minutes Late
So, what really happened yesterday...
The panel was on Day Four of Six in terms of interviewing days, and looked as though they had had quite enough of each others company already, thank you. I got the impression that there were boxes to be ticked and, by this stage, they weren't too fussed who they were ticking them for. All I needed to do was trot out the right trite phrases, pepper my answers with corporate speak, say 'strategic' at least three times and (almost literally) Bingo! Job won.
Easy eh?
I don't think I committed a faux pas on the scale of the shoeshop interview but when the question is "Tell us why you are the ideal candidate" your answer probably isn't supposed to start "I don't think I am" but I have a compulsion to be honest about the things I am not very good at.
The way I see it, if I tell them where my weaknesses are they will know not only that I am incredibly self-aware, but, that they can trust me when I say I am dead ace and brilliant at plenty of other stuff...only that's not how it works in real life is it?
I think it might have been his way of telling me I haven't a hope in hell.
Lose Yourself - Eminem
The Hardest Button Too Slow - Kylie/White Stripes
Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches
11.30pm (Dirtiest Trick In Town) - Mattafix
Teardrop - Massive Attack
Airbag - Easy Star All-Stars
Scumbody Told Me - Killers v Arctic Monkeys
So, what really happened yesterday...
The panel was on Day Four of Six in terms of interviewing days, and looked as though they had had quite enough of each others company already, thank you. I got the impression that there were boxes to be ticked and, by this stage, they weren't too fussed who they were ticking them for. All I needed to do was trot out the right trite phrases, pepper my answers with corporate speak, say 'strategic' at least three times and (almost literally) Bingo! Job won.
Easy eh?
I don't think I committed a faux pas on the scale of the shoeshop interview but when the question is "Tell us why you are the ideal candidate" your answer probably isn't supposed to start "I don't think I am" but I have a compulsion to be honest about the things I am not very good at.
The way I see it, if I tell them where my weaknesses are they will know not only that I am incredibly self-aware, but, that they can trust me when I say I am dead ace and brilliant at plenty of other stuff...only that's not how it works in real life is it?
Also, wtf is "Tell us what steps you would take to ensure that you are a proficient practitioner?" supposed to mean? All that came into my head was, oh, I bet you you think you're really smart don't you, 'listen to this, I wrote a question that ends with some alliteration, how clever am I?' pah! What's next? 'Describe how you would motivate your team...in the style of a limerick please'.
Actually, I could probably have done alright on that one.
LineManager told me he thought the jobs would probably go to 'management clones' who 'talk the talk but don't get their hands dirty'.I think it might have been his way of telling me I haven't a hope in hell.
Lose Yourself - Eminem
The Hardest Button Too Slow - Kylie/White Stripes
Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches
11.30pm (Dirtiest Trick In Town) - Mattafix
Teardrop - Massive Attack
Airbag - Easy Star All-Stars
Scumbody Told Me - Killers v Arctic Monkeys
