I suck at job interviews/I hate my job and everyone sucks[MEGATHREAD?]

[Takon Orlani]

inb4lock etc etc

I dont think we had a "Generic bitching about our first-world problems with career/workplace problems/seeking advice" thread.

As someone trying to break into his career field I was wishing I had someplace to anonymously ask for advice/bitch about shit, so I thought "Hey we have a food thread, an emo thread, a mental health thread, why not a shit job/Im trying to get hired thread?"

Whats the worst that could happen?

Anyways, I'll start things off with something all people with fresh degrees ask themselves about constantly.

"How the fuck to I nail the interview?"

Now obviously there are things like:
Dress to impress (Fucking Shave, wear nice things but not too nice)
Prepare questions for the interview (I usually ask what a normal day consists of for the position I applied for)
Read up on the company you are applying to (History, what they do, who they market to, etc)
Study the job description (I bring a copy with me plus some scratch paper and a cheat sheet)

But where I get choked up is the personality portion.

When they ask for strengths I usually refer to the ones listed on my resume for consistency reasons,
but when asked for weaknesses I usually get stumped because my thought process immediately goes into "DONT MENTION ANYTHING HORRIBLE OH GOD YOU ARE A GIANT NERD SO MANY THINGS YOU CANT SAY" mode.

So I guess that would be my first question: What are valid weaknesses to reveal if asked?

Secondary: How do people feel about being required to hand over facebook and other social media login details to possible employers? I hear that it's becoming more common to either let them access your facebook or befriend one of their HR people as a requirement of employment.

I think it's kinda shitty, IMO. But as far as catching illicit stuff on social sites that people share publicly without coercion is that persons fault. They should be more careful what they post or edit their privacy settings like the pro's do.

(If this goes to shit just lock it and call it done. If this is in the wrong section then welp. If this has already been done then welp.)

[Lallante]

I have just got back from a 30 minute snooze in the disabled bathroom and approve of this thread.

[indi]

Read some Dilbert books. I seriously got the best idea ever from that. Key is mentioning something that is a 'hidden strength' - like saying that you can be too demanding of your coworkers by setting p. high standards. Has always worked for me, possibly because it's true too.

If that fails, go with something innocuous and fairly innocent. Example: you apply for something in project management, say that y ou are very good with the big picture, but could be more detail oriented, idk.

[Lallante]

I'm pretty sure requiring social network login details would be illegal, at least in the UK. Its also utterly ridiculous.

[Me]

I have just got back from a 30 minute snooze in the disabled bathroom and approve of this thread.

http://failheap-challenge.com/showth...bation-at-Work

[Don Pellegrino]

Eh, I guess the most important is to see the interview as a mutual kind of thing, you are trying to learn more about the company and they're trying to learn more about you. That makes me feel more chill and in control of the situation. I think it's less about what you say and more about how you say it and how comfortable you seem to be. A bit like dating I guess.

For the usual shitty questions like "Tell me 3 of your strengths" I usually one have one strength in mind and I will just casually talk about it and myself in general, I divert the conversation from a "grocery list" of strengths/weaknesses to a more natural flow of just talking about me. It makes it look more natural and it shows that I'm not frozen in terror and no longer able to talk other than to repeat a bunch of memorized answers to the most common interview questions.

I like to ask about the people I'll be working with (I say 'will be', not 'would be'). How long have they been working at the company? How many people will be part of my team? What's the age spread?


About handing over the facebook login:
http://failheap-challenge.com/showth...835#post411835

In a job interview, the applicant is also interviewing the company and getting a feel of their "culture". If an interviewer asked me for my login for anything I would just smile and say "You do realize that this position will require me to sign a NDA [I work in software], which is a legally binding contract, yet you're explicitly asking me to breach a contract with Facebook. How do you expect your employees to be reliable if they accept to hand over confidential information to just about anyone? Furthermore, this incident makes it clear that XXXXX is not the kind of business I want to work for."

Now this could be a test to screen out the retards, but in that case the interviewer should be pleased with that answer. In my case, it's a win/win situation. There is no job shortage and I've been offered a job several times in the last year and I could easily go back to any place I've ever worked at just by sending an email, so it's not like I'm risking unemployment.

The Congress voting against that bill could easily give a feel of justification to interviewers. Of course it's still not legal, but I'm sure it will contribute to make it more common.

The problem is all the unemployed people. You've been unemployed for over 6 months. The interview is really going great. It's almost over, but right before leaving, he asks you for your Facebook login "for security reasons. You have no reasons to worry if you don't have anything to hide, right?" Now do you risk going months without a job or do you cave? It would be a really tough choice. Suing them could be risky and you don't have much money at all right now due to all those months without a job. What do you do?

Basically how desperate are you? You can either go with the "alpha" answer in that post if you
- work in a field where you will handle company "secrets" such as customer private info, source code, important information that needs to be kept secret until a certain date (press releases, financial results, etc)
- feel confident about getting the job (you can usually easily tell by how the interviewer is reacting) or just don't care too much about it
or just cave and hand them over (desperate option).

[Fitzy]

LOL at the facebook thing, though I've heard about it. Seriously If they asked for your email password would you give it to them? Whole idea is a joke.

If any place asked I would tell them I mostly use facebook to stay in touch with family that is interstate/overseas and consequently there are a lot of private family details that I won't be sharing with them.

e: Oh and if I was in serious contention for an intelligence job I'd delete my facebook, tell my friends I was moving to canberra for 'a job' and ask them to communicate with me via fitzy@brucespies.gov.m8

[Smuggo]

I've had a job since I was 16. Stop being so bad.

[Cool09]

I have just got back from a 30 minute snooze in the disabled bathroom and approve of this thread.

lol'd.. I know a guy who does this regularly.

Living the dream.

[Loire]

First world problem thread?

Aced the 'interview', get offered a substantial wage (for a student) with plenty of overtime for the summer.

"So you'll be doing shift work outside of Fort McMurray, all right?"

Awesome! Three weeks on one week off, in the middle of the fucking Boreal forest, with a bunch of rig workers and nobody my age group, with no mode of transportation to get into town.

I might literally go insane from the isolation. Keep you updated in the mental health thread.

[Cool09]

I've had a job since I was 16. Stop being so bad.

Strong username to post content ratio.

[Lallante]

I have just got back from a 30 minute snooze in the disabled bathroom and approve of this thread.

http://failheap-challenge.com/showth...bation-at-Work

that was inspired by this thread, not my 30 minute snooze haha

[Joshua Foiritain]

Secondary: How do people feel about being required to hand over facebook and other social media login details to possible employers? I hear that it's becoming more common to either let them access your facebook

Fuck no. Though i dont really give a shit about facebook letting a stranger rummage through your shit is a terrible idea not to mention giving out passwords is just

or befriend one of their HR people as a requirement of employment.

Id be fine with this though, people are retarded, companies have to protect themselves

[Liare]

I'm pretty sure requiring social network login details would be illegal, at least in the UK. Its also utterly ridiculous.

and its a clear sign that the company in question is not going to treat you well, so walk away.

any company who legitimately need to nose about your private parts will have a very rigid procedure for it and it will involve letters to both the police and what have you, they are also incredibly unlikely to care the fact you prefer to have your GF give it to you with a 20" strap-on while having sexy time in bed, all they care about is that you're a "upstanding" citizen (eg, no criminal record, no excessive debt, no addictions(gambling,alchohol and so forth)) and that you have the required mindset to work there.

don't ever fucking lie in a interview, there's no harm in leaving out "bad bits" but don't ever lie and don't ever be evasive in your answers. if you need a bit of time to consider the answer dont be afraid to take it either, nobody knows everything walking in the door and as long as you prepared well from the start and have the "run of the mill" questions prepped the interviewers are unlikely to be annoyed by such a thing.

and if you apply to a technical position, expect a lot of HR bullshit, its a entire chapter in itself but to put it simply, the huggy-feely HR/Recruiter types do not mix well with the "hard" Engineering/IT types. learn the potential friction points, be prepared to bullshit a little on your application to get past that "gate" (who most of the time has no fucking idea about what you're doing anyway) and learn to deal with it.

[Lallante]

I'm pretty sure requiring social network login details would be illegal, at least in the UK. Its also utterly ridiculous.

and its a clear sign that the company in question is not going to treat you well, so walk away.

any company who legitimately need to nose about your private parts will have a very rigid procedure for it and it will involve letters to both the police and what have you, they are also incredibly unlikely to care the fact you prefer to have your GF give it to you with a 20" strap-on while having sexy time in bed, all they care about is that you're a "upstanding" citizen (eg, no criminal record, no excessive debt, no addictions(gambling,alchohol and so forth)) and that you have the required mindset to work there.

don't ever fucking lie in a interview, there's no harm in leaving out "bad bits" but don't ever lie and don't ever be evasive in your answers. if you need a bit of time to consider the answer dont be afraid to take it either, nobody knows everything walking in the door and as long as you prepared well from the start and have the "run of the mill" questions prepped the interviewers are unlikely to be annoyed by such a thing.

and if you apply to a technical position, expect a lot of HR bullshit, its a entire chapter in itself but to put it simply, the huggy-feely HR/Recruiter types do not mix well with the "hard" Engineering/IT types. learn the potential friction points, be prepared to bullshit a little on your application to get past that "gate" (who most of the time has no fucking idea about what you're doing anyway) and learn to deal with it.

I exaggerate my ass off in interview, sometimes even citing completely made up examples of times I've "demonstrated leadership" or whatever. You have to be fucking confident you cant be caught out (i.e. its nothing important) and also generally pretty relaxed in order to pull it off though.

[Takon Orlani]

I've had a job since I was 16. Stop being so bad.

As have I. We're talking "Real" jobs.

m8.

Secondary: How do people feel about being required to hand over facebook and other social media login details to possible employers? I hear that it's becoming more common to either let them access your facebook

Fuck no. Though i dont really give a shit about facebook letting a stranger rummage through your shit is a terrible idea not to mention giving out passwords is just

or befriend one of their HR people as a requirement of employment.

Id be fine with this though, people are retarded, companies have to protect themselves

I think there are ways of restricting how even your "friends" can view your activity.

Pretty sure you make a group like "People I dont want to see my shit" and you edit your posting options to not display posts to those people.

Not sure if they can still see it in timeline mode though.

[Xennith]

The bit I always struggle with in interviews is the biggest weakness question. I dont even know why people ask it, they might as well replace it with "please show me how good you are at bullshitting". Oh you're a perfectionist or you work too hard? That must be terrible for you.

As far as the facebook thing goes I can understand it if you're going for a job that requires security clearance, but in the private sector I think I'd just thank them for their time and leave. As Liare says, they're not going to give any fucks at all about your personal life as long as you're upfront and honest about it.

[Liare]

The bit I always struggle with in interviews is the biggest weakness question. I dont even know why people ask it, they might as well replace it with "please show me how good you are at bullshitting". Oh you're a perfectionist or you work too hard? That must be terrible for you.

As far as the facebook thing goes I can understand it if you're going for a job that requires security clearance, but in the private sector I think I'd just thank them for their time and leave. As Liare says, they're not going to give any fucks at all about your personal life as long as you're upfront and honest about it.

places requiring security clearance dont give two fucks about your facebook.

and if they did, they would get your consent and the content directly from the provider rather than ask for your password.

[Lallante]

The bit I always struggle with in interviews is the biggest weakness question. I dont even know why people ask it, they might as well replace it with "please show me how good you are at bullshitting". Oh you're a perfectionist or you work too hard? That must be terrible for you.

As far as the facebook thing goes I can understand it if you're going for a job that requires security clearance, but in the private sector I think I'd just thank them for their time and leave. As Liare says, they're not going to give any fucks at all about your personal life as long as you're upfront and honest about it.

Weakenesses they are just looking for some understanding of ways you can improve in future. Always pick something that is either not actually bad, or something you can actively fix and they wont mind.

Examples -

"I dont have much experience in [vaguely related area of expertise NOT crucial for current field] - its something I've been working on in my spare time."

"I can sometimes be a bit overenthusiastic about projects I find really interesting"

"I'm fairly new to Business Development and still find it a bit daunting, but I've been volunteering for every opportunity on offer and am finding it only gets easier with practice!"

That sort of thing. Ideally you want to trigger two responses in them - "me too" and/or "good, he is proactive".

[keiiko netsova]

Read some Dilbert books. I seriously got the best idea ever from that. Key is mentioning something that is a 'hidden strength' - like saying that you can be too demanding of your coworkers by setting p. high standards. Has always worked for me, possibly because it's true too.

If that fails, go with something innocuous and fairly innocent. Example: you apply for something in project management, say that y ou are very good with the big picture, but could be more detail oriented, idk.

You have to be careful with this. If you use "too demanding" (which isn't a weakness unless it's really "incapable of correctly judging colleagues' capabilities or what constitutes reasonable expectations") or "too hardworking (which isn't a weakness unless it is really "has no life outside work") people increasingly dismiss it as bullshit (because it is), and only some will be nice and ask again for a real one.

Be honest about what your weaknesses, but most importantly, follow up with how you mitigate or compensate for it.