What you're doing wrong in an interview... and in your life.

reply to post by getreadyalready


You forgot to mention that smaller locally owned stores often have products that are hard to find. I love to check out those shops for the unique products they offer. The united states just doesn't have enough of them, sadly. Friends from the UK have told me many times how they have so many "shops" with cool things. It makes me sad that america is so standardized due to corporate domination.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


Yep!

And that is extremely apparent in my old career of automotive services. The local part stores had parts that none of the big corporate stores had, and they were a little bit more expensive, but they were always right the first time, instead of having to order them over and over again to get one that fit and worked at the same time.

Also, a call to a corporate parts store got me some kid that knew how to look in a computer, but a call to a local parts store got me an expert that would often correct me, and say, "You don't really want that, if this is 90's model firebird, you just need the little throwout bearing, you don't want that whole pulley, you'll have to order that, let me just send you what you really need." AND THEY WERE ALWAYS RIGHT!

reply to post by TheRedneck


RedNeck

Thanks for replying. I'm sorry if my post seemed a bit hostile toward you.
Regarding my comment about one person doing the work of 3-4, I can give you specific examples, but they're just anecdotal.

Working for a software developer, I have the opportunity to see, up close and personal, some scary things that companies are doing.
My team often works side-by-side with the employees of the companies that hire us.

I recently witnessed a company tell workers that they literally "must find a way" to double their output, or "they won't have a job". These were hard-working people. I didn't see anyone slacking or taking long breaks.
Quite the opposite.

Time permitting, i have a couple very specific instances I can give. I hope to post another comment soon.

reply to post by timewalker

Congratulations!

That line between cocky and confident is the finest one I know of,and it really depends on who is interviewing you. It sounds like you made the right steps and I hope the job works out great!


reply to post by Philippines

You're absolutely right.

The restrictions, some via union overdemands and some by legal mandate, that restrict how and why you can fire someone only make it harder to get a job. It's not a big decision for an employer to try someone out and see if they will fill the bill or not (and I have even used the line "Try me for a week and if I'm not your guy I won't take the paycheck"... of course the labor laws have tightened and that won't work any more), but it is a much bigger decision when you realize that it might take years to get rid of a bad worker.

That's one of those unintended consequences of stricter laws. They were designed to keep employers from taking advantage of employees for subjective reasons, but had the added effect of making it harder to get a job in the first place.


reply to post by southbeach

Hey, I'll keep you in mind if I go that direction.

TheRedneck

reply to post by ColeYounger

I believe you. It happens.

But when those poor folks are not able to find a way to double their output and don't have a job, the company they used to work for will find they don't have employees... until they hire off the street and now have employees worse than the ones they started with... which kills that bottom line they were no doubt protecting in the first place... which will kill the company because obviously someone is not going to give on that bottom line goal...

It does hurt to see things like that, but things do even out in the long run. Even WalMart is starting to show signs of decay; in my Accounting II class we picked a company to examine the records of. I chose Dollar General; another guy chose WalMart. DG was sitting in pretty good shape, but I wouldn't invest a dime in WalMart with those numbers!

I bet no one else will either if they don't turn things around soon.

TheRedneck

reply to post by getreadyalready


I was thinking more along the lines of showing up to work with the same shoes as someone else. It's really problematic when a large corporation has a sale. Okay though, we can go with auto parts!

To the naysayers. You need to realize that The Redneck wrote his post from the perspective of an individual, not the interest of a corporation. Even if you are not applying to a job, his outline will help you get through life.

reply to post by TheRedneck


That's some good stuff. Besides the smiling part I do most of this. Funny how some people don't take all these evidently. I'd think these don't have to be explained, but...well, there's just folks who don't think.

I was a headhunter for 5 years. I worked physicians, executives, middle managers. I placed people at GE, Cendant, Castrol NA, and many hospitals. the average all in comp package was worth around $200,000

the reality is depressing, but here goes.

getting the interview means "on paper" the employer feel you are qualified on a basic level for the job. the interview is to determine if you will fit in with the culture, are likeable and usually attractive on some level.

the reality is some decision makers are loking for some eye candy. some are looking for a non-threatening stooge to blame failures on, while others are looking for their replacement so they can be promoted. sometimes there is no job, and they are picking your brain because you work for a competitor.

so it's literally impossible to have a one size fits all advice package.

it's like any other human interaction tho, chemistry is key to success, and that is unpredictable, just like dating

I interviewed hundreds of candidates over my career, and there are some universal ways to maximize your chances on an interview

do your research ahead of time. go online and read the company mission statement, news clippings and "about us" page. don't just read it, think about it, read through the tea leaves and make a determination of what direction the company is headed. come up with 3 questions about the company and memorize them. there is NOTHING WORSE than an candidate that doesn't have interesting questions that show they did their homework. it signals the hiring manager you are lazy, arrogant and going throug the motions, like you took the interview to get your spouse off your back.

Find out the process. Is it 2-3 interviews or 1 ? are you the 2nd to interview or 10th ? are they weeks from making a decision or days ?

On a first interview, these questions better NOT be about money, benefits, hours, travel or what's in it for you. NO, the article you read that said showing your killer instinct sets you apart. it makes you look like you have no idea how the process works. of course, if it is a 1 interview process, ask these questions at the end

ALWAYS follow up from the interview with a communication saying thank you. manners matter. if it's a young computer culture, email is ok, but make it a formal letter style inside the -mail. otherwise, pop a hand written letter on that paper stuff in the mail that night so it gets there is a coupla days. please don't reiterate how great you are, that's for me to decide. just say thank you and list your contact info again so I can find it when I need it.
the only other time to send an e-mail is if the decision will be made in a few days


at the appropriate time, simply ask for the job. a salesmans job is to ask for the money, and a candidates job is to ask for the job. keep it simple, and hopefully as close to the end of the final interview as possible. make it something like, "I can really see myself here, and would love to hear something positive from you when you have made your decision"

NO, this will NOT hurt your negotiating leverage. any employer with experience is expecting haggling, even if you ask for the job.

last point on money. don't lie about your earnings, anyone with local experience knows how their competitors pay, and can find out on the downlow, or even ask for a W-2.


don't give the first number. ever watch pawn stars ? whoever gives the first number is at a disadvantage. rick always make sure to ask "what are you looking for ?" and then he low balls from there. if he gave the first number, than the seller highballs from his number, and he would do worse

if they ask about salary requrements, simply say, "you know what I'm making, I need to do better than that, but I'm really more interested in other long term aspects of this position, and I'd consider any competitive offer"


again, the real key is chemistry and knowing your auduence. look for clues everywhere. I always start with the cars in the parking lot. finally take your key from your interviewer. don't imitate them, but alter your presentation to mach their energey level and basic style

hope this helps

I don't have much to contribute to this thread, but I am a longtime Wal-Mart employee and I'm open to any questions.

every interview i've had the employer has basically tried to sell me the job. i never do much more than head nods and slight grins

Originally posted by Moneyisgodlifeisrented
That's a big issue I think in today's working world. People hiring friend's and family, trying to be nice or fill a spot with a known face. Regardless of the reasons it's kinda turning into a huge issue. You have so many people working jobs they haven't a damn clue how to do.

Gaining employment is now a networking game, of who can I befriend who has a company or place of employment that I can work for? Now many may be " Whats wrong with that ? " well, think about it, it's draining jobs from people who would best fit them, for people who will best fail them.

I love my friends, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna work with them, and family.... HAH I already was forced to grow up with them, I'm not spending 40 + hrs a week with em.... But somehow that's not that bad of an option for people, I dunno, maybe i'm rambling, but maybe i'm also just disgusted with the way society evolves.

It is the same with the promotions. If you work your ass off at one technical level and become to valueble there and at the same time do not waste working hours to promote yourself/networking then you will not get promotions/other working assignments. Unfortunatly I am one of the many ball in the air who like to push my own limits but doing it makes you exhausted sometimes after work. It sucks when you see people who really are not performing at all get promoted and that you one other collegue is the reason a team of 5 is performing. I promise you if you are not getting ahead from work at a place and others are that do perform less, stop performing exassivly and force yourself to play the social game or change work to a place where people appriciate performance. You are not doing yourself any favors when you extremaly overperforming and go into the wall from exhaustion at a middle 35age.

reply to post by getreadyalready


It was a REAL job. It was Kroger.
He has had other interviews similiar - also REAL jobs.

It's what happens when the unemployment rate goes sky high in an area.

reply to post by syrinx high priest


Way to miss the point entirely. It sounds like you know a lot about the corporate monstrosities that are turning people into predators in the job market and in life. The kind of people that you want to avoid!

The advice you just gave will get someone a really bad and unreliable job. Yes, there are jobs that you want to avoid! Having a smear on your employment record is worse than being unemployed.

I sadly can't find jobs even at mcdonalds or burger king because of a work check I cashed in 03 that later I found out was forged - after I was arrested. So I got a misdemeanor for theft since I'd cashed it at a food store due to not having my own bank account I can't get it expunged here in Illinois because I did 7 weeks for it and no mis can be expunged if you did jail time.

I had two job ops AT McD's and Walmart; McD's app said only put down felonies, so I was safe. Then during the interview they had me fill out a paper saying everything I'd ever been arrested for: traffic tickets, anything ever. Wanted to see honesty. And I was. I even explained what had happened and they said it'd be no problem. Never did get the job. Same at Walmart. Let her know during the 'sign here and get your paperwork filled out' third interview; she also said it'd be no big deal - that they just look for sex offenders, armed robbers, drug dealers etc. I got the letter a few weeks later saying my misdemeanor kept me from being hired. Guess cashing a work check is as bad as murdering someone.

When I work, I treat the job as if I owned it. I put tall pride in my job, all my duties, love staying late to help out, do my utmost. I see the place as a customer would and do all I can to ensure it's clean, presentable, they get fast service, always smile, treat all customers like they were long lost friends.... I make sure they leave with a smile and if something goes wrong, I do what is in my capabilities to ensure they are satisfied.

Been two years now since I last worked. I did have a job at Subway september of 2011. Was so proud. Then two weeks after I started, the owner took me aside and was sad to say, "I know you're working as fast as you can but you're just not fast enough." I wish she would have said something else. I NEVER heard that in my entire life and I'm 39. I'd go home exhausted from bustling and hustling non stop the whole time I was there for that whole 3 hour shift. That rides on my mind now and it sucks.

I just want off food stamps and out of housing. Had to move there in April.

Gotta go. Horrific storm just kicked up. Hope our power doesn't go out.

Originally posted by TheRedneck
reply to post by seamus

Middle management is largely to blame for the current state of hostilities between labor and industry.

Agree and disagree.

Middle management is far from a utopia. Sadly, many companies have hired managers who lack an understanding of leadership and a sense of business. Yes, these "wanna-bes" are largely responsible for the problems between management and labor, but they are also easily neutralized.

Are you implying that because something is easily done, it's done when needed?

A high turnover rate is a red flag for upper management that there may be a problem... meaning any drop in productivity when investigated will cause those who regularly abuse their position to lose that position.

In a bottomless labor pool such as East Tennessee (where I live), there is apparently little incentive on the part of employers to do anything but abuse their employees. My stepsister works 13 days on and one day off, for Wrigley. The pay is OK but why they don't hire enough labor to do the job without working the people they have to the brink of mental breakdown is beyond me. I am guessing that the methamphetamine crisis is really messing with the labor pool, so when a company finds people who can be relied upon, they milk them for all they are worth. It almost seems a social engineering experiment. It makes seemingly no financial sense, with all that overtime pay going out... And these insane hours are very common among heavier industrial employers in this area (anything in the manufacturing sector, basically).

On the other hand, I do not discount the childish and counterproductive attitudes typically harbored by employees either.

You've got a point, and a good one. But don't forget these kids grew up seeing their parents generally have to work less hard to make ends meet.

It takes little for management to find an excuse to explain away what is actually intended to be retaliation for perceived abuse as just a disgruntled worker. Most employees give enough ammunition to management in a single week to allow them to be shown in an unfavorable light for a year.

My current employer is like that. They have rules in place that you cannot NOT break, and still meet production requirements. So what do you do? You look around to see if management is looking, and only do it when they aren't looking. Sucks, huh? I think they have it like that so that they can terminate a bad-attitude employee without having to dig too hard for justification.

The result is that when they are let go, that becomes a feather in the cap of the very people they were trying to hurt, because the company just "got rid of a troublemaker". Let someone with a high productivity record and no history of problems be let go suddenly, and that feather is more of a whip being used to find out why.

Even worse, when company-wide policy on what constitutes "productivity" is substantially impacted by circumstances beyond the employee's control, you have a universal disgruntlement. "Your being written up because you failed to meet your stow rate" "But there isn't any space in the racks!" "Too bad". That hasn't happened to me yet, because I'm putting all my brains to work in avoiding positions with production rate attached. Sucks to be in inbound in a warehouse that's 98% full (no bull, we set a record).

This drama is not going to be on the 11:00 news; it happens behind closed doors, out of sight. But it does happen.

The fault is on both groups.

I agree, but management KNOWS better!

As if the wages paid by small businesses (as opposed to larger corporations) are livable with energy costs going the way they are.

You are taking two dynamics out of the picture.

An employee must agree to their wage; no one has ever been forced to work for a particular wage in this country within our lifetimes. You may feel you have no choice, but no one is stopping you from simply stating "I quit" and walking out. The only thing stopping you is (legitimate) concern over the consequences of that action. So if the consequences of not having the low-paying job are so bad, why would you be angry with the company that gave you the job?

Because they are using the cost-savings to earn big bonuses for their fat asses, that's why! And you are in the SOUTH! You know full well there's not much choice down here! It's a conspiracy.

Secondly, the cost of living is historically tied tightly to the minimum wage.[...]

TheRedneck

Sure it is, but is there a compelling reason other than greed to pay minimum wage (or just above) for skilled labor? Lots of companies think so. Recently I saw an ad looking for ambulance drivers with CPR certification, paying 8 bucks an hour! Are you frickin crazy?

reply to post by sarra1833


If you are being honest about your work ethic and style you should try getting a job at a book store or a slower paced place. Fast food and retail jobs demand incredible speed and accuracy, but place a lower priority on the strengths you mentioned. It's hard to find a person that can provide decent customer service nowadays.

reply to post by seamus

Are you implying that because something is easily done, it's done when needed?

No, but I am implying that it should be done.

Most people like what you describe are not exactly the brightest bulbs in the box. They're easily manipulated and therefore easily controlled. Oh, there are some exceptions, I am sure, but I have generally been able to out-think the ones I run across and get by until I can situate myself in a better place.

You apparently do the same; at least you allude to it further in your post.

In a bottomless labor pool such as East Tennessee (where I live), there is apparently little incentive on the part of employers to do anything but abuse their employees.

Economics at work.

The reason there is a bottomless labor pool is that there are not enough jobs to go around. There are too many people ready and willing to be taken advantage of because they think they have no choice. There is always a choice! I spent the last three years either unemployed or severely under-employed. Instead of sitting crying about it, I worked at the part time grunt job abuse factories as much as I could until I could finish school. Now I have options, because not just everyone has my skill set.

I'm just a redneck. If I can do it, surely you and everyone else reading can.

The pay is OK but why they don't hire enough labor to do the job without working the people they have to the brink of mental breakdown is beyond me.

I'll tell you the reason.

If you hire someone, you have accepted a certain amount of responsibility for that person. You can't just fire them without a reason, despite those right to work laws, because there are plenty of things that can override those laws. Someone can claim they were fired because of their race, their gender, they can claim a handicap, etc. Even if they don't win the suit, there's attorney's fees that have to be paid and there's a lot of lost time appearing in court.

When you hire someone, you have to screen them, verify citizenship, interview them, and set them up in your payroll. All that takes time, and time is money. Then you never know for sure if you've hired an unknown drug addict or thief that just hasn't been caught yet... and you really don't want them to be caught while in your employ.

As it turns out, it is cheaper in the long run, easier if workload drops, and just less headaches to pay overtime.

I think they have it like that so that they can terminate a bad-attitude employee without having to dig too hard for justification.

That is exactly why they have it that way... as well as to try and coax a little more from the workers they have. Read above about why they don't want to hire any more people.

Sucks to be in inbound in a warehouse that's 98% full (no bull, we set a record).

I bet it does!

But there again, that's the economy taking its toll. I would hazard a guess that the policies were in place from a time when there were plenty of available stow racks. Now, they aren't moving freight out as fast so the warehouse is filling up. Expect layoffs soon if nothing changes.

Because they are using the cost-savings to earn big bonuses for their fat asses, that's why! And you are in the SOUTH! You know full well there's not much choice down here! It's a conspiracy.

Nah, not a conspiracy. If the company gave you a chance to earn a big bonus, wouldn't you take it?

The choice or lack thereof is all in your head, my friend. There are always choices, but most people have been trained to not see them. Open your eyes and look around. Is there anything you can do for individuals that is worth money? Anything you could sub jobs from companies? Remember that a subcontractor doesn't have the same legal headaches as hiring someone direct. Could you go back to school? There's literally money floating around everywhere for college and most classes can work around job schedules... a lot of them at my school are Internet-based!

I repeat, there are always choices of we only look for them outside of the boxes.

Sure it is, but is there a compelling reason other than greed to pay minimum wage (or just above) for skilled labor?

Sure, it's greed, but so is wanting to make more per hour. It's also called "looking out for me" and so far I haven't known anyone who didn't do it to some extent.

TheRedneck

You make some good points, however you need to acknowledge the faults of employers as much as employees need to acknowledge theirs. Otherwise you sound arrogant. Here are some additions from someone who's been in the workforce for 38 years. The first 2 are kind of related.

I want to to accept the fact that when you come up with more efficient ways of doing things your boss will get all the credit and get promoted, and you'll always be the same peon you were from day one in my eyes. You are here to make your boss look good. Don't get upset when he takes the credit for your good ideas and I don't have a clue that it was you who thought of it and took the inititive to develop and perfect it. Expecting recognition from someone who hardly knows you is just silly.

I want you to know that my relatives will win any "competitions" that reward employees with any kind of monitary compensation for innovative ideas that will save the company money. Don't be stupid. You don't have a chance of winning anything. However, keep thinking, because sooner or later I'm going to have to lay people off, and because your boss took credit for your ideas, and other people are good at making themselves appear indespensible to me, if I think I can hire someone for less pay than you, you'll probably be one of the first to go.

I expect you to stay in the same position that you started in, for the same pay, for as long as possible. Or at least until you give your 2-week's notice, then and only then will I even consider giving you a promotion or a raise because promoting you would only cost me more money. Think about it, you move up, get a pay increase, and on top of that I have to hire someone to fill your old position. Why make life more difficult for me?

I want you be a faithful, happy, grateful employee. You owe me for giving you a job. The fact that you had other offers and chose to work here is past history. Thank me every day and pretend that this is the place you will work for the rest of your life, when in fact you and I both know you're getting the boot without any notice sooner or later. In exchange I'll keep pretending that I will employ you for life, and keep giving you false hope that you have a carreer here, just to keep you on your toes.

Seriously though, Good employess in most cases don't get recognized. Their accomplishments are buried in a sea of beaurocracy, or outright stolen. I had this happen to me just recently, and it gets very discouraging.

They are also expected to act like this current position is their dream job. There are exceptions of course, but many places discourage ambition whether consciously or unconsciously. Even when I love my job and am happy to go above and beyond, I know that I'll face the humiliation of being laid off and escorted out of the building sooner or later, so excuse me if I'm not always the exceptionally giddy employee that you demand me to be.

And just for the record, I am employed, but looking. I thought this thread would give me some good pointers for interviews, but it just reminded me of why I'm looking.

edit on 7/8/2012 by AntiNWO because: (no reason given)

TheRedneck, you forgot to include "If you don't like it, you can work somewhere else."

(Don't need no stinkin' second line, above is self explanatory.)

While I agree with most everything in the OP, I have to say the door swings both ways. Typically with larger companies it is worse, but I've seen excellent, hard-working employees get reamed by the corporate machine. If it doesn't make money, it's gone. If it doesn't meet a quota (racial or money or otherwise), it's also gone. It's one thing to expect loyalty - it's a pity it often isn't given back to the employee. I was with a company that went through four acquisitions. Time and again, I saw good people let go because they were favoring someone else who was NOT nearly as qualified, as friendly, as hard-working. I've seen people with 20 years in the company let go. I'm working for a smaller company now, maybe it will be different.

Some employers seem to think they are owed all the favors. They are due all the respect. Sorry, that's not how it (should) work. If someone brings you good business, they work hard for you, they should get equal respect - and it rarely happens. You wouldn't be IN business if it were not for those hard working employees.

Mind.. I still agree with the points in the first post - it's just not reality though, to think all employers are due this level of respect, with how they treat their own employees.