I have had my share of interviews, and I have won some and lost some. The one conclusion I have drawn from those experiences is this: There is no preparation for interviews other than interviews! My career has peaked with my current post, and I have had the time and security to look back and think about all those interviews, all those discussions with a bit of introspection. I was reminiscing the other day about some of the memorable exchanges I have had during these often awkward encounters (perhaps because we are interviewing several people for jobs here at my school lately), and a few stick out clearly in my mind. For lack of a better introduction, I will label them in impromptu categories:
Toughest Question: I had been working at the University of Akron for several years when I was approached by a co-worker who told me her husband had heard about me, and my experiences, and wanted to interview me for a position in a new unit he was creating at the local children's hospital. It was to be a Recreational Therapy unit on the psych ward. His wife had shared with him some of my work in orphanages and refugee camps in Jamaica and Yemen, as well as my educational background. Given that I was still piecing together my family's existence on a series of part-time jobs, the opportunity intrigued me.
I had no experience in Recreational Therapy, nor had I recalled hearing of the program before. It did turn out to be a relatively new field, and I benefited from the low number of applicants with the specific degrees. When I arrived at the interview, the first real panel style interview I attended, I was very intimidated. The panel consisted of the three psychiatrists who supervised the psych unit: An East Indian man with a vest sweater and an unlit pipe in his mouth; A Korean woman who sat there sternly with no expression: And a White Male, fiftiesh or so without a hair out of place, a wrinkle anywhere in his immaculate outfit, and the most rigid posture I had ever seen. They started right in without introductions with a scenario: What (pronounced Vat by the Indian doctor) would you do if you came into the sleeping room of four boys and one was masturbating? I paused for a second and just answered it honestly. They continued with traditional questions and odd scenarios for about 45 minutes. I eased up and just did my best, knowing that I didn't have to have the job and that I wanted them to know who I was and how I thought. In the end, I was rated the best of the three finalists and was offered my choice of the shifts. My boss was a bit disappointed when I didn't take either of the two full-time positions, but instead opted for the two ten hour shifts on the weekends. It was one of the many good career moves I would make, not leaving education full-time. I did well in the position, and learned a lot more about human nature from the milieu of talented professionals I worked with. I was never taken back by another interview questions again either.
Simulation Drill?: Often, in interviews, you are asked situational questions where you can simulate your responses and they can get an idea of your affect and behavior. Sometimes this is done as a role-play. Well, I had the mother of all role-plays in 1985, but I don't think it was scripted. I had arrived in Jamaica as a Peace Corps Volunteer without an assignment (long story, other posts) and had heard about an orphanage that needed a teacher for a year. I contacted them and scheduled an interview with the director the next day. When I arrived at the school, I was surprised to see it had been an old tourist hotel overlooking Montego Bay. It was quaint and dated, and the boys lived in the old guest rooms (four boys to a room). There were only two floors, one central area, and an abandoned pool. I made my way upstairs to meet with the director and casually looked down the railed hall of the second floor. I could hear activity at the end of the balcony and I figured classes were going on there. I went into the office and began what was to be a half-hour interview - it didn't last nearly that long. We exchanged pleasantries, and he explained the nature of his need: The regular teacher was pregnant and needed to take a year's leave. She presided over a one-room school with seventeen boys ages 7-17. In his words, these were the boys "too spirited to appreciate the benefits of a traditional education." I got his drift.
He seemed pleased with my answers and was in mid-sentence with another question when we heard a very loud scream from outside. I knew it came from the end of the hall I had passed, and my instinct led me to bolt up and run down to the room. I emerged first, with the director close behind, and saw a very large, very pregnant Jamaican woman against the wall with her hand over her mouth. My eyes followed her gaze and I looked over to see a small boy poking a homemade knife into the belly of a much larger boy. Once again, I acted without thought and tackled the larger boy sensing he was the cause of the problem. The director caught the smaller child and calmed him down and I held the older boy until we could take him down to the office. He had only superficial cuts to his stomach. I survived the interview (new meaning to that phrase now) and I got the job, and after a year and a half, I did make some progress trying to reach David, the older bully. The kids were wonderful and I learned so much about education in that little room without resources.
Completely Clueless: After finishing my undergrad degree, I went off to Stillwater, Oklahoma to study Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations at OSU. I spent a year there before travelling off to Jamaica, and the experience taught me that I no longer wanted to be a college professor. I enjoyed the coursework, but I couldn't see myself trapped in a small office pounding away at minutiae, old minutiae at that. While there, I needed to work and I was determined not to go back to construction or fast food enterprises. While scouring the want ads, I came across a short listing for a night auditor at a local hotel. I had no idea what that was, but I sent in an application anyway, one of a few dozen to places that didn't produce grease.
To my surprise, I got a phone call and an invitation to interview at the hotel. Once there, I met a very congenial, very large fellow named Jimbo. We sat down in the restaurant and he interviewed me over lunch. He asked me all kinds of questions as we ate, and I tried to remember what I had read about lunch interviews - not salting my food too quickly or something to that effect. I left the interview in a good mood, full, but not having an earthly idea what the job entailed. Two days later Jimbo called and asked when I could start. The job turned out to be perfect for my school schedule, and I eventually caught on. After about three months when I was sure of myself, I asked Jimbo a question that had plagued me from the moment he offered me the position: Why did they hire me with no experience at all? His answer was short and logical - "We had hired several business students from OSU but found that they thought they knew what auditing was but did not and they couldn't adjust. We figured you were halfway bright and knew nothing about auditing and would learn whatever we taught you and accept it as auditing." I shrugged my head and turned back to find the $135.68 charge that was missing from the night before.
Incredible Venue: I have interviewed in many places - airports, schools, hospitals, restaurants, job fairs, etc., but nothing will ever top an interview I had a few years ago. Without going into too much detail, I will cut to the itinerary: I was flown to NYC and picked up by a limo driver with my name neatly printed on a large card (not the first time, but it never gets old). He drove me to a very nice hotel downtown where I had a few hours to freshen up. He then returned and dropped me off at one of the largest buildings overlooking Central Park. After checking in with security, I took the express elevator to the top floor penthouse where I was greeted with a properly attired British maid. My soon-to-be employer appeared and ushered me into his office. It was hard to concentrate as I talked to him; the office had full-length windows on one side overlooking the park. We chatted for about 20 minutes or so then he sat me at his desk and had me take a logic test. It was hard to concentrate as I wondered about the scope of business that might have been transpired there. After a half and hour, he returned and told me he would be in touch. On the way out, he gave me a baseball cap (a new one of the major league franchise he was in the process of purchasing) and wished me well. I walked the 15 blocks back to the hotel, trying to understand what had just happened. It was a very surreal but pleasant experience.
Ignoring My Gut: There is an old cliche that you interview the job while it interviews you - I have learned the hard way that is very true. I once flew to another coast to interview for a position at a college, having outgrown my current post. When I got there I was very impressed with the hospitality and interest they showed me. They gave me presents, and the interview process went well until the final stage when I spoke to my would be boss one-on-one. To this day, I don't recall having said two words in that hour, and I do recall this person laughing and saying "I have done all the talking." I left the office to drive back to the airport with a funny feeling about the whole thing, but I didn't have much time to process it all as I got the job offer before I got off campus. I accepted and it turned out to be a difficult situation for me. I found out later that I was the only candidate and that they had run off the last three incumbents. Since I have left, they have been through a few more. I have learned to pay more attention to the subjective nature of these processes.
I have been on many interviews, and have interviewed more folks than I can remember. In the end, it boils down to a simple proposition - show them who you are, and take a good look at the place, the people, and most importantly, the person you will report to. A job interview should be the beginning of a joint, informed decision. I have learned from my experiences, and I believe I have finally leveraged them in my current position - it was a long road but well worth it.
Toughest Question: I had been working at the University of Akron for several years when I was approached by a co-worker who told me her husband had heard about me, and my experiences, and wanted to interview me for a position in a new unit he was creating at the local children's hospital. It was to be a Recreational Therapy unit on the psych ward. His wife had shared with him some of my work in orphanages and refugee camps in Jamaica and Yemen, as well as my educational background. Given that I was still piecing together my family's existence on a series of part-time jobs, the opportunity intrigued me.
I had no experience in Recreational Therapy, nor had I recalled hearing of the program before. It did turn out to be a relatively new field, and I benefited from the low number of applicants with the specific degrees. When I arrived at the interview, the first real panel style interview I attended, I was very intimidated. The panel consisted of the three psychiatrists who supervised the psych unit: An East Indian man with a vest sweater and an unlit pipe in his mouth; A Korean woman who sat there sternly with no expression: And a White Male, fiftiesh or so without a hair out of place, a wrinkle anywhere in his immaculate outfit, and the most rigid posture I had ever seen. They started right in without introductions with a scenario: What (pronounced Vat by the Indian doctor) would you do if you came into the sleeping room of four boys and one was masturbating? I paused for a second and just answered it honestly. They continued with traditional questions and odd scenarios for about 45 minutes. I eased up and just did my best, knowing that I didn't have to have the job and that I wanted them to know who I was and how I thought. In the end, I was rated the best of the three finalists and was offered my choice of the shifts. My boss was a bit disappointed when I didn't take either of the two full-time positions, but instead opted for the two ten hour shifts on the weekends. It was one of the many good career moves I would make, not leaving education full-time. I did well in the position, and learned a lot more about human nature from the milieu of talented professionals I worked with. I was never taken back by another interview questions again either.
Simulation Drill?: Often, in interviews, you are asked situational questions where you can simulate your responses and they can get an idea of your affect and behavior. Sometimes this is done as a role-play. Well, I had the mother of all role-plays in 1985, but I don't think it was scripted. I had arrived in Jamaica as a Peace Corps Volunteer without an assignment (long story, other posts) and had heard about an orphanage that needed a teacher for a year. I contacted them and scheduled an interview with the director the next day. When I arrived at the school, I was surprised to see it had been an old tourist hotel overlooking Montego Bay. It was quaint and dated, and the boys lived in the old guest rooms (four boys to a room). There were only two floors, one central area, and an abandoned pool. I made my way upstairs to meet with the director and casually looked down the railed hall of the second floor. I could hear activity at the end of the balcony and I figured classes were going on there. I went into the office and began what was to be a half-hour interview - it didn't last nearly that long. We exchanged pleasantries, and he explained the nature of his need: The regular teacher was pregnant and needed to take a year's leave. She presided over a one-room school with seventeen boys ages 7-17. In his words, these were the boys "too spirited to appreciate the benefits of a traditional education." I got his drift.
He seemed pleased with my answers and was in mid-sentence with another question when we heard a very loud scream from outside. I knew it came from the end of the hall I had passed, and my instinct led me to bolt up and run down to the room. I emerged first, with the director close behind, and saw a very large, very pregnant Jamaican woman against the wall with her hand over her mouth. My eyes followed her gaze and I looked over to see a small boy poking a homemade knife into the belly of a much larger boy. Once again, I acted without thought and tackled the larger boy sensing he was the cause of the problem. The director caught the smaller child and calmed him down and I held the older boy until we could take him down to the office. He had only superficial cuts to his stomach. I survived the interview (new meaning to that phrase now) and I got the job, and after a year and a half, I did make some progress trying to reach David, the older bully. The kids were wonderful and I learned so much about education in that little room without resources.
Completely Clueless: After finishing my undergrad degree, I went off to Stillwater, Oklahoma to study Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations at OSU. I spent a year there before travelling off to Jamaica, and the experience taught me that I no longer wanted to be a college professor. I enjoyed the coursework, but I couldn't see myself trapped in a small office pounding away at minutiae, old minutiae at that. While there, I needed to work and I was determined not to go back to construction or fast food enterprises. While scouring the want ads, I came across a short listing for a night auditor at a local hotel. I had no idea what that was, but I sent in an application anyway, one of a few dozen to places that didn't produce grease.
To my surprise, I got a phone call and an invitation to interview at the hotel. Once there, I met a very congenial, very large fellow named Jimbo. We sat down in the restaurant and he interviewed me over lunch. He asked me all kinds of questions as we ate, and I tried to remember what I had read about lunch interviews - not salting my food too quickly or something to that effect. I left the interview in a good mood, full, but not having an earthly idea what the job entailed. Two days later Jimbo called and asked when I could start. The job turned out to be perfect for my school schedule, and I eventually caught on. After about three months when I was sure of myself, I asked Jimbo a question that had plagued me from the moment he offered me the position: Why did they hire me with no experience at all? His answer was short and logical - "We had hired several business students from OSU but found that they thought they knew what auditing was but did not and they couldn't adjust. We figured you were halfway bright and knew nothing about auditing and would learn whatever we taught you and accept it as auditing." I shrugged my head and turned back to find the $135.68 charge that was missing from the night before.
Incredible Venue: I have interviewed in many places - airports, schools, hospitals, restaurants, job fairs, etc., but nothing will ever top an interview I had a few years ago. Without going into too much detail, I will cut to the itinerary: I was flown to NYC and picked up by a limo driver with my name neatly printed on a large card (not the first time, but it never gets old). He drove me to a very nice hotel downtown where I had a few hours to freshen up. He then returned and dropped me off at one of the largest buildings overlooking Central Park. After checking in with security, I took the express elevator to the top floor penthouse where I was greeted with a properly attired British maid. My soon-to-be employer appeared and ushered me into his office. It was hard to concentrate as I talked to him; the office had full-length windows on one side overlooking the park. We chatted for about 20 minutes or so then he sat me at his desk and had me take a logic test. It was hard to concentrate as I wondered about the scope of business that might have been transpired there. After a half and hour, he returned and told me he would be in touch. On the way out, he gave me a baseball cap (a new one of the major league franchise he was in the process of purchasing) and wished me well. I walked the 15 blocks back to the hotel, trying to understand what had just happened. It was a very surreal but pleasant experience.
Ignoring My Gut: There is an old cliche that you interview the job while it interviews you - I have learned the hard way that is very true. I once flew to another coast to interview for a position at a college, having outgrown my current post. When I got there I was very impressed with the hospitality and interest they showed me. They gave me presents, and the interview process went well until the final stage when I spoke to my would be boss one-on-one. To this day, I don't recall having said two words in that hour, and I do recall this person laughing and saying "I have done all the talking." I left the office to drive back to the airport with a funny feeling about the whole thing, but I didn't have much time to process it all as I got the job offer before I got off campus. I accepted and it turned out to be a difficult situation for me. I found out later that I was the only candidate and that they had run off the last three incumbents. Since I have left, they have been through a few more. I have learned to pay more attention to the subjective nature of these processes.
I have been on many interviews, and have interviewed more folks than I can remember. In the end, it boils down to a simple proposition - show them who you are, and take a good look at the place, the people, and most importantly, the person you will report to. A job interview should be the beginning of a joint, informed decision. I have learned from my experiences, and I believe I have finally leveraged them in my current position - it was a long road but well worth it.
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