Everyone knows that candidates should prepare themselves for interview questions. Here are some very real examples of a few interview questions and the answers a candidate gave.
Q: "Can you tell me what ended your most recent position?"
A: "When my boss revamped the company, he vamped me to a new job that I wasn't qualified for."
Q: "What about our posting was of most interest to you?"
A: "Well I haven't worked for your company before."
Q: "So tell me what kind of work you're looking to do."
A: "Well I left a bunch of stuff that I've done out of my resume and I guess I should have really put that in there."
Q: "What about our posting was of most interest to you?"
A: "I applied to a lot of jobs so I don't really remember what I applied to at your company."
Q: "This position is budgeted for $65,000. How does that compare to your target range?"
A: "Is that monthly?"
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Strike Three, Candidate's Out!
Are we more
accepting of mistakes in attention to detail today? After how many strikes
should I call a candidate out?
I frequently
email candidates with a written request to arrange a telephone interview, and I
always request that they provide me with the telephone number best to reach
them. In no less than 30% of responses, the candidate fails to provide the
requested number in their reply. Strike 1. But I am resourceful, and though it
increases my time to respond, I usually go digging for a telephone number.
(Surprisingly, I still receive resumes with no telephone number to be found.
Major resume foul.)
More and
more, candidates are using their smart devices to reply to my inquiries. I see
many electronic signatures followed by "sent from my iPad" or
"any typos are compliments of Blackberry" or such. This quick-fire
reply sometimes results in an "oops!" moment, when they have pressed
the "send" icon too quickly. This results in entries such as
"You may reach me at 677-531", or "Thank you for reaching back
ou", and on occasion, "
Sent from my HTC". Strike 2.
But I try to be forgiving, and though it irritates me, I try to overlook these
fat-finger mistakes.
Using
LinkedIn frequently as a recruiting source both to post jobs and to source
passive candidates, I am amazed at the errors I see on profiles, especially the
profiles of candidates who are applying to my LinkedIn job postings. Isn't this
public profile where perfection should reign? Misspelled titles abound
(Adminstrative Asistant; Insurnace Repersentative, etc.). Browse any given
industry and the errors are appalling. Recently a candidate's telephone number
was formatted as 888=555-1234. Is this a cryptic math equation? and what about
all of those whose content appears in only lower case letters? I SUPPOSE THAT'S
BETTER THAN ONLY UPPER CASE. Strike 3.
It is
surprising how often my name is misspelled by the candidate, repeatedly, after
the candidate and I have corresponded in writing, repeatedly. Yes, my name has
an unusual spelling. But I always spell the candidate's name correctly. Strike
4. OK fine, it's my mother's fault my name is spelled the way it is. I'll give this
strike a pass (although it's funny how, if I begin intentionally misspelling
someone else's name in my correspondence, suddenly they start spelling mine
correctly)...
Batter up!
Friday follies: Candidates say the *?(!#$(&*est things
Candidates say the *?(!#$(&*est things - these are actual spoken comments from recent interviews,
verbatim.
"I'm a administrative assistance and office extraordinare"
"I done some research"
"I inputted stuff"
"Do ya'll do the internet and stuff over there?"
"Well I spent most of my time working for Jimmy's brother over there"
"I was calling to touch ground with you"
Actual written comments:
"I would certainly advice you to hire an expert!" (As would I, perhaps an expert proofreader?)
More follies:
When I ask if I can answer any questions for you, "I'd like to be a part of the company" is not a
question.
When I ask "Can you give me some examples of some of the applications you have developed recently",
responding with "I really prefer the Agile development method" is not an appropriate answer.
Showing up a little bit early to an interview is great. Showing up 48 hours early because you forgot
what day it was... not so much.
verbatim.
"I'm a administrative assistance and office extraordinare"
"I done some research"
"I inputted stuff"
"Do ya'll do the internet and stuff over there?"
"Well I spent most of my time working for Jimmy's brother over there"
"I was calling to touch ground with you"
Actual written comments:
"I would certainly advice you to hire an expert!" (As would I, perhaps an expert proofreader?)
More follies:
When I ask if I can answer any questions for you, "I'd like to be a part of the company" is not a
question.
When I ask "Can you give me some examples of some of the applications you have developed recently",
responding with "I really prefer the Agile development method" is not an appropriate answer.
Showing up a little bit early to an interview is great. Showing up 48 hours early because you forgot
what day it was... not so much.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Really? More bad candidate behavior... really.
Really? Really. CANDIDATES STILL BEHAVING BADLY - just another day in the life.
You and I had a telephone appointment that we both confirmed in writing. I phoned you at precisely our agreed upon time. You answered the phone as if I'd just interrupted your favorite Oprah rerun and you'd done nothing to prepare for our call. Really?
When you use my name so frequently in our conversation that I begin counting, it's not going to go well for you. I KNOW MY NAME. I don't need you to say it every other sentence. Really.
You and I had a telephone appointment that we both confirmed in writing. I phoned you at precisely our agreed upon time. You answered the phone while walking down a crowded city street amidst blaring horns and you asked me who was calling, then you asked me to read you the job description again because you weren't in front of your computer. Really?
When you apply to my postings and I take the time out to respond via email to request a telephone interview, maybe you should take the time to regularly check your junk and spam filters in case that's where my reply to you ended up. It's been known to happen. Really.
You and I had a telephone interview. It went great, so as a part of the hiring process I sent you a list of questions as a writing assignment to help us gauge your communication style. You sat on it. I followed up four days later to be sure you'd received it, and you said you have it and you'd get to it soon. That was over a week ago. Really?
When we have a confirmed phone interview, it's probably not a good idea to leave the baby in her high chair and sit right next to her while we discuss the job. Really.
You and I had a telephone appointment that we both confirmed in writing. I phoned you at precisely our agreed upon time. You answered the phone as if I'd just interrupted your favorite Oprah rerun and you'd done nothing to prepare for our call. Really?
When you use my name so frequently in our conversation that I begin counting, it's not going to go well for you. I KNOW MY NAME. I don't need you to say it every other sentence. Really.
You and I had a telephone appointment that we both confirmed in writing. I phoned you at precisely our agreed upon time. You answered the phone while walking down a crowded city street amidst blaring horns and you asked me who was calling, then you asked me to read you the job description again because you weren't in front of your computer. Really?
When you apply to my postings and I take the time out to respond via email to request a telephone interview, maybe you should take the time to regularly check your junk and spam filters in case that's where my reply to you ended up. It's been known to happen. Really.
You and I had a telephone interview. It went great, so as a part of the hiring process I sent you a list of questions as a writing assignment to help us gauge your communication style. You sat on it. I followed up four days later to be sure you'd received it, and you said you have it and you'd get to it soon. That was over a week ago. Really?
When we have a confirmed phone interview, it's probably not a good idea to leave the baby in her high chair and sit right next to her while we discuss the job. Really.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
More job candidates behaving badly
MORE CANDIDATES BEHAVING BADLY:
Does this sound like something you would do? (Be ashamed if you answer yes)
You took my scheduled telephone interview call while dining inside a crowded cafeteria. (Tell the
clerk I'll take a pastrami on rye, extra mayo, and tell the screaming kid to knock it off.)
You told me that in your last position, you taked notes. (as in, rhymes with baked / faked / ached)
You said, "Not gonna lie, I don't remember anything about your job posting."
I asked if you had any questions. You told me you had a lot of questions but you weren't going to ask
them.
Your phone number does not appear anywhere in any of your correspondence, even after I let you know
that I needed a phone# to reach you.
Your personal email address is still @aol.com. And now you're spamming me with enlargement offers and
can't-miss stock picks.
I asked in our phone interview what you're hoping to do you at this point in your career, and you
responded "It's hard to say." (Do you have a chance? It's hard to say...)
Does this sound like something you would do? (Be ashamed if you answer yes)
You took my scheduled telephone interview call while dining inside a crowded cafeteria. (Tell the
clerk I'll take a pastrami on rye, extra mayo, and tell the screaming kid to knock it off.)
You told me that in your last position, you taked notes. (as in, rhymes with baked / faked / ached)
You said, "Not gonna lie, I don't remember anything about your job posting."
I asked if you had any questions. You told me you had a lot of questions but you weren't going to ask
them.
Your phone number does not appear anywhere in any of your correspondence, even after I let you know
that I needed a phone# to reach you.
Your personal email address is still @aol.com. And now you're spamming me with enlargement offers and
can't-miss stock picks.
I asked in our phone interview what you're hoping to do you at this point in your career, and you
responded "It's hard to say." (Do you have a chance? It's hard to say...)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Incredibly bad resumes - volume 1
These were pulled from newly received resumes in my office just
today. These applicants represent the typical job seeker candidate pool
from which we are so fortunate to hire in this technological age. Ain’t
it heartwarming? (The italicized comments are my editorial for comedic relief. Otherwise I would be screaming).
Contribute my sixteenth years of profession as insurance office management support and my nineteenth years as a education majors students.
Author of company employee manual published even
I make arrangements to courier the medical records to the provider. I mail stuff.
Vacation Consultant Plan Promotional Vacation packages to Hilton members. So you’re that telemarketing jerk that keeps calling me!
I then task myself to follow-up by confirming the scheduled appointments. Go task yourself.
My extensive role is to bring a confident and significant contribution by becoming an asset to your team within the organization while advancing and acquiring new education within each opportunity performed. My favorite website is thesaurus.com.
Degree: Business Administrations which makes me twice as valuable as those losers with a single Business Administration degree.
hi again :-)! this is my resume, the other email was my cover. please feel free to give me a ring at anytime Hi back, this is my reply, your capitalization skills are :-(. Please feel free to not wait for my call.
Experience: World Disney World it’s a world world after all
Skills/Certifications: Domestic Violence where does one learn this skill? Can you teach a class?
SPECIAL SKILLS/ TRAINING * Receptionist training for Seven years. Must have been a really big switchboard.
I look forward to being employed in an area that offers a fun working environment. Maybe try World Disney World
I have completed four years of formal education and now seek to make that investment pay off with an opportunity that has a high quality of life associated with it. Unless your four year education majored in How to Quickly Marry into a Disgustingly Wealthy Family, I suggest you reconsider.
I know it is safe to say I appreciate the value of a stable work history. Oh good. I was scared to say it.
In review of my resume attached, I am confident you will find the experience skills, you are seeking, for this position. In review of your, poor usage of the comma, I am confident, you will not, be visiting me for an interview, anytime, in the near future.
See attached resume (name of attachment: ABC Fine Wine.Doc) I’m only opening this attachment because I’m hoping it will include directions and specific ingredients for a tasty Merlot.
OBJECTIVE : TO OBTAIN A POSITION WHERE THERE IS OPERTUNITY FOR GROWTH. NEW OBJECTIVE: learn how NOT to use ALL CAPS because SPEL CHECK doesn’t find GROS ERRERS in ALL CAPS.
Name____, Director Dept Human Resources Company Address City/State Dear Mr./Mrs. Here is a tip for the standardized template user: (___insert really important tip here___).
I am looking for to find a good job for US citizen. For to good job, yes US to come here you should. We plenty jobs good here.
With one of my classes being sociology. With my other classes I always skipped being remedial English.
Responsibilities Consists of: becauses mores gots to be betters thans fewers
setting up te file, revwg credit rpts., DO/DU revwg appr rpts., order title rpts., are you text messaging this resume? IDK. WTF?!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a Human Resources Manager, whose primary responsibility is to recruit and hire employees. I have to read this stuff
Contribute my sixteenth years of profession as insurance office management support and my nineteenth years as a education majors students.
Author of company employee manual published even
I make arrangements to courier the medical records to the provider. I mail stuff.
Vacation Consultant Plan Promotional Vacation packages to Hilton members. So you’re that telemarketing jerk that keeps calling me!
I then task myself to follow-up by confirming the scheduled appointments. Go task yourself.
My extensive role is to bring a confident and significant contribution by becoming an asset to your team within the organization while advancing and acquiring new education within each opportunity performed. My favorite website is thesaurus.com.
Degree: Business Administrations which makes me twice as valuable as those losers with a single Business Administration degree.
hi again :-)! this is my resume, the other email was my cover. please feel free to give me a ring at anytime Hi back, this is my reply, your capitalization skills are :-(. Please feel free to not wait for my call.
Experience: World Disney World it’s a world world after all
Skills/Certifications: Domestic Violence where does one learn this skill? Can you teach a class?
SPECIAL SKILLS/ TRAINING * Receptionist training for Seven years. Must have been a really big switchboard.
I look forward to being employed in an area that offers a fun working environment. Maybe try World Disney World
I have completed four years of formal education and now seek to make that investment pay off with an opportunity that has a high quality of life associated with it. Unless your four year education majored in How to Quickly Marry into a Disgustingly Wealthy Family, I suggest you reconsider.
I know it is safe to say I appreciate the value of a stable work history. Oh good. I was scared to say it.
In review of my resume attached, I am confident you will find the experience skills, you are seeking, for this position. In review of your, poor usage of the comma, I am confident, you will not, be visiting me for an interview, anytime, in the near future.
See attached resume (name of attachment: ABC Fine Wine.Doc) I’m only opening this attachment because I’m hoping it will include directions and specific ingredients for a tasty Merlot.
OBJECTIVE : TO OBTAIN A POSITION WHERE THERE IS OPERTUNITY FOR GROWTH. NEW OBJECTIVE: learn how NOT to use ALL CAPS because SPEL CHECK doesn’t find GROS ERRERS in ALL CAPS.
Name____, Director Dept Human Resources Company Address City/State Dear Mr./Mrs. Here is a tip for the standardized template user: (___insert really important tip here___).
I am looking for to find a good job for US citizen. For to good job, yes US to come here you should. We plenty jobs good here.
With one of my classes being sociology. With my other classes I always skipped being remedial English.
Responsibilities Consists of: becauses mores gots to be betters thans fewers
setting up te file, revwg credit rpts., DO/DU revwg appr rpts., order title rpts., are you text messaging this resume? IDK. WTF?!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a Human Resources Manager, whose primary responsibility is to recruit and hire employees. I have to read this stuff
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