armed with information
Several weeks ago, after submitting my resume and application, I was contacted for a telephone interview and given questions to prepare to answer during the interview. Initially, I thought the questions were pretty odd; then I performed a search on the name of the woman with whom I was interviewing and found her Ph.D.. dissertation online. (in philosophy) I read the entire paper, which provided a roadmap to answering the questions. I aced the telephone interview and was invited for a 7 hour "panel" interview. I sent her a "thank you for your time note", to which she responded. She cc'd another person with my thank you note/email. Figuring he had something to do with the selection process, I did a search using his name. I not only found some postings he had on blogs, I also found a book review he had written on Amazon.com. I bought the book, it was about good and bad management practices (this is an HR job handling employee relations) When I began the interview with the book reviewer and his boss, they mentioned following the principles on which the book is based. I began to smile and told them I am familiar with the book and was currently reading it. Wow, I thought I had it nailed. 2 weeks later, he called to advise me someone else was hired. After absorbing the disappointment, I called him back and left a message asking for some feedback, good and/or bad. Haven't heard another word. I spent 2 full weeks and $30 preparing for the interviews. Was it worth it?? I doubt that many people go to the lengths I did to try to land a job. For all of my preparation and time, I am getting nowhere.
EEO, Hate to say it but you are doing everything right (except next time check the book out from the public library). I am a firm believer that the intensity you talk about here IS required to get a job, especially when your screen-name suggests you are a JD. My personal philosophy when I went through an 18 month unemployment gig was quality and not quantity. I drilled down for each interview doing the same google searching of interviewers (I always ask the names of who I will be interviewing with); researching the bejeebers out of the company, networking with everyone I could about the company. I did interviews for 16 jobs and about a dozen informational interviews before getting my current position. I really feel for you but hang in there. Depite what bozo advice you might get from others, you are going the right thing! I'd follow up with the interviewers with a thank you card right away and then sit on your hands a month. At that time, email them once more and ask for a 15 minute interview to discuss their company because you really want to work there. Chances are they might blow you off again but RIGHT Now, the interviewers are working to get paperwork pushed through to hire the new person, then they need time to orient the person. They don't have time to interview with you. However, a month from now they may have the time. Remember every successful interview is building a realtionship with a company. Nurture the relationship even as you are reading the next doctoral dissertation and learning about anthroposophical biodynamic gardening as you get ready for the next interview! : )
Perhaps, as you were spending all that time researching the interviewers and reading stuff they wrote to figure out the types of answers they wanted to hear, they were looking for an independent thinker who had something new to bring to the organization. You have to understand how an interviewer thinks. If I'm looking for fresh blood, why would I hire a 2nd me? I already have me. I'd rather hire someone who has something unique to contribute. Your answers should reflect YOUR views and YOUR personality, not those of the interviewer. The fact that you read the paper and the book is not an automatic qualifier. And btw, once the 2nd interviewer told the female interviewer that you had read his book prior to the interview and used it as a roadmap for answering his questions, she probably figured out you had found and read her paper as well and used it to come up with "perfect" answers. I wouldn't be happy to find out that the person I considered the perfect candidate had in fact read my paper and fed my ideas back to me. It's commendable that you thoroughly researched the company and the interviewers, but you don't want to just repeat their words to them when answering questions. Unless I misunderstood your post, it sounds like you may have done just that. As for requesting feedback, 9 out of 10 times the employer will not respond. When they do, they will usually just say that they found someone more qualified. You'll rarely be given the real reason. The best thing to do after a rejection is to simply move on. Some people like to send a short post-rejection TY letter (you can find samples of them on the web). That's ok too. Can I ask you a question?Why would you want a job as HR in employee relations? You have stated in other posts that you have a BBA in finance and a Juris Doctor. Why wouldn't you go for a job in a law firm doing employment law? Defending the wrongfully terminated. As for why after all your hours of research and preparation they turned you down, well...I guess only they could answer that. But, I do have to say that more times than not, the whole unemployment gig isn't fair at all. Especially to the individual who is moving heaven and earth to find the right answers and to join the place of employment they feel they can do the most good. My first thought was that you had done too much research and that you, not consisouly, sounded mechanical as if your were reciting the works accomplished by the interviewers and not answering in a way that shows how you think. But, at least you did your research. One of the duties in my job is that I do interview new applicants and determine if they are a good match for our firm as either a legal secretary or a paralegal. Just today, I interviewed three people for a paralegal position we have in one of our other branches. (We have three branches in this city even though I thought we only had the one. Their are two satalite offices on each end of the valley) Anyway, two of the applicants had the skills to do the job but did not have the requested (not required) 2 years of working for this states legal system. One applicant had all of the requested years but had not used one particular computer system. I had not used this system before either and, quite frankly, it is a perfect example of a waste of time. Out of those three applicants only she possessed a working knowledge of what the firm did and I highly suspect that she had taken some of her answers word for word from our website. But, you know what, I am sort of leaning toward her because at least she DID some research. Whereas I got the impression that the others didn't even know what our website address was or if it even existed.
I think it is important to remember that you will not get every position you apply for. That's just reality. I think your approach was commendable despite what others have suggested. One thing I've always been told is to research the company, interviewer etc. The advice I would give, however, is to not focus your research so much on the interviewer and their accomplishments, but the company as a whole. Research the company's core competencies, needs, plans for the future, competitors, product offerings, mergers, successes, failures etx. Also I don't think it is wise to use your research to find out what you think they what hear.. When you're in an interview you should answer questions based on your opinions and personal experiences. Basically be truthful. Trying to be someone else to get a job may get you a job your not happy at. Next time use all your great research skills to ask thought provoking questions about the company and the position. I interviewed for a marketing internship position a year ago. The company had recently merged with another company. A question I asked was something to the extent of: Company A recently merged with Company B. What were some of the challenges faced by the marketing department during this time of transition? How has the role of marketing executives changed? Considering the new needs of the company what skills and experiences are especially important now? Use the books and dissertations written by the interviewer to ask them a great question that somehow relates to the company, the positions, work habits, etc. Show them that you've done your research without reiterating what they've already written. The woman, whose dissertation I read, with whom I had the telephone interview was only involved in the initial competency screening interview. She was very clear that her role ended after the telephone interview. When I interviewed in person, my first interview was with the manager/book reviewer (not author) and his supervisor, the director. It was during the interview that they both alluded to the book and how they were in the transition phase of implementing the policies and evaluation system advocated by the book. The idea that they would be more interested in bringing someone on board that does not believe in or agree with the practices is, at the very least, counterintuitive. I did not simply echo answers during the interviews to agree with the dissertation or book; I absolutely agree with the management principles they advocate. Also, the dissertation did not provide answers to specific questions; it compared management styles within a single organization, one that led the agency with a positive, "employee friendly" style, the other lead with the "instill fear in employees to produce" leadership style. The upshot being that the leader that created a positive work environment that encouraged employees enjoyed much greater success and organizational growth than the other. I did not "repeat" anyone's words. The questions posed for my telephone interview were quite nebulous;however, they made sense after I read the paper and understood the institutional philosophy, with which I agree wholeheartedly, that they are implementing within their organization. Trust me, a dissertation in philosophy examining organizational dynamics is not an outline of simple questions and answers one can repeat in job interviews. With regard to your suggestion that I believe researching and reading anything is an automatic qualifier, you are truly preaching to the choir. It's a dog eat dog job market out there. If I can find any information that may enlighten me about organizations with which I have applied, I consider it a queue. Perhaps you underestimate my intellect and insight. I am a highly intelligent, thinking human being, with an immense capacity for independent thought. I am quite certain that reading the dissertation and book were of great benefit to me, despite what you say. I was one of 4 who made it to the in person, day long interview phase. Nor do I believe it is a mistake to request constructive feedback. I rarely do so, but on the few occasions I have asked, I have received valuable feedback and advice. BTW, if someone was interested in learning about me, and found my research paper online, I would be flattered; however, I wrote it in 1989 before the Internet sprung to life. Again, you are preaching to the choir. I have been trying to get a job for 3 years, 9 months and 3 days. If I expected to get every job for which I have applied and/or interviewed, I would have given up long ago, tail between my legs. While rejection is always extremely disappointing, especially when you make it to the "final four" repeatedly, I am keenly aware it is part and parcel of the process. Also, posters on this thread are suggesting that I merely mimicked answers based upon my research. Quite the contrary. I felt much more confident answering truthfully and being myself because I understood the theories and beliefs of these individuals and agreed with them. My readings only provided me with insight into management practices, not answers that I repeated. I interviewed with 8 people from various departments over the course of 7.5 hours. There is no way to prepare "rote" answers or anticipate what they will ask. Each interviewer had a vested interest in hiring the "right" person. They chose someone else. I would still like to know how I was perceived to prepare for future interviews. I also recently interviewed with an agency manager that sent very clear vibes that they--the agency subscribe to the "beat the employee up" "if they don't like it here, there's the door" management philosophy. I had to be very guarded about my true beliefs during the interview. She called me last week to advise me they hired someone else. Interestingly, she strongly urged me to keep checking their job postings and applying. She seemed to have something in mind but would not tell me anything specific. I checked the site last week, found nothing "appropriate" for my skills. I checked earlier today and found a job posting for which I am qualified that is much higher in rank than the one for which she interviewed me. I will apply. You never know. I have learned that when I think I have nailed interviews, I cannot trust my gut. Recently, I left an interview feeling that I could have more adequately answered the questions. I am still awaiting their decision, but when I spoke to the director last week, she said she though we had a great interview. She also told me, that whatever their decision, she will be more than happy to provide feedback to all candidates. Thanks, hedtec, I am receiving a lot of unjustified criticism about my research and reading in preparation for interviews. I am not a parrot, simply repeating words and sentences that I believe they want to hear. I will continue to do anything I think will provide any advantage over those who are less resourceful in this endeavor. Yes, I have a law degree, admitted to State Bars of CA and TX. Unfortunately, my licenses are inactive because it is too expensive to pay dues and continuing legal education tuition. Unlike some others, you also seem to understand that the substance of the dissertation was slightly more complex than providing an outline of interview questions and appropriate responses. Will keep your advice in mind and continue to fight a good fight. I may be losing some battles, but the goal is to win the war! Kelly, It is difficult to get a gig as an employment/labor law atty. Frankly, I am not a good litigator. I am too honest and ethical to engage in most of the underhanded maneuvering and back-stabbing successful attorneys resort to. Been there, done that. It is very contentious. I've been lied to by clients, opposing counsel, and had judges make insane, almost criminal decisions. My biggest problem was getting paid. I am a sucker for a hard luck story and took on clients that could not pay me because they needed help. Wish I could help people for free, but need money for food. At this point in life, I just need to earn enough to support myself. If I could find a job that enables me to pay bills while helping others, I would be ecstatic. Can't even afford to volunteer because of the price of gas. EEO. Like I said, depite the bozo advice to the contrary, getting inside the head and heart of the company is important. In my research on one job about a year ago, I discovered that the person I was going to be interviewing with worked very closely with one of my former bosses. That information completely changed the dynamic of the entire interview and while I ended up a very close number two candidate, it created a relationship with the company that continues today and is on my list of "right position at the right time" companies that I would work for. A couple months ago, there was another position in the same company and I again did intense research about the position. I read academic articles, has email conversations with colleagues across the country and again ended up as number two. The hiring manager said that after a reorg several months ago, that she had several internal candidates for the position. a rough quote is: "Never did I think anyone would be a serious contender to those internal candidates. You forced me to think really hard. In this case, I just can't overcome the intertia of an internal candidate." That company is still on my list of "right position at the right time" companies that I would work for. Never forget interviews are about building relationships. Your doing it right and doing it right will pay off.
As a side note, I can't help but think that not having your current license isn't holding you back. Short-term is is expensive and a lot of wok but long term having a current license has to position you better. I have a good friend who just spent $3,000 and 200 hours of unpaid practicum to get her nuring license reactivated. It was had and at times humiliating (she was blown off by several times by nurse recruiters in favor of new grads.) But now that she is done with the process and has an active license, she is seen as an RN with 10 yrs of critical care experience and several hosiptals want her.
| |
|
Career Tips
|