Have you been an interviewer? As you prepare the questions, have you thought about how you would answer the questions as much as what you expect them to be answered? Sometimes, pondering the questions could be refreshing.
For me, interview is about communicating (positively) about the company and job to the candidates, getting the candidate to the natural zone, and conducting an assessment whether he/she will be successful in the position and future ones in the company.
If the company is big enough, the candidate may end up spending 
more time doing other jobs than his/her first position. With that, listening skills, communication skills, self-management, versatility and ability to learn become as important as the current job fit. Among these skills, listening skills seem the most under-appreciated. It is a skill that seems to disappear over time; it takes lots of practice to keep the curiosity and humility. We don’t learn things by saying what we already know; we know new things by asking questions and seeking a new answer.
For the interviewees, there could be translations for some questions.
“How do you deal with difficult people?” Are you telling that there are difficult people waiting? It would be interesting to see the interviewer’s response to “how would you describe your coworkers?”
“How do you work with younger people?” Seriously, the question alone is on the borderline for age discrimination. It shows an inexperienced interviewer and the existence of young guns around the company.
“How do you deal with ambiguity?” You just tell that there is ambiguity or there could be more changes ahead.
“How do you handle conflict?” This is a difficult one, it is hard to think of a job that does not involve conflict, but maybe there is a bit more here.
“What gets you up in the morning?” “my alarm clock”? This says something that th
e motivation is valued and needed.
“What is your passion?” This is really about what you like the most in the job?
How about these questions that I got from a friend? Worth to ponder.
- Am I making a difference?
- Am I being stimulated intellectually?
- Am I growing professionally?
There is no lack of encouragement to ask many questions. That sometimes translates into effort to overcome a self-inflicted intimidation factor as people around are smart and young. The laissez faire culture nurtures self motivation and some never-enough sentiment though freedom also breeds insecurity and alignment issue. In comparison, the status report and weekly progress report, adopted in traditional companies, give more gravity, even it becomes counter-creative over time. A majority of hard-core engineers in a house don’t make much of a social environment, nor business-savvy organizations.
The longing of a dream is gone at the same time when the dream is realized. Friendly co workers warned, with certainty, a plateau would be ahead, and likely a sense of disorientation for a period of six to twenty four months (or forever). It is a new cycle to start from somewhere again. And one tends to morph into similar species of the surrounding. It reminds me of the beginning in another high-tech company many years ago.
to a new company is no easy task, yet the experience is often among the memorable moments in our career. It feels like an exciting traveler to a foreign country of different culture and a different language. Like a traveler, there are many things that the initial impression could define the remaining journey. It may be uncomfortable, it may be surprising; yet, it is rejuvenating.
interviewers. If again you run into unprepared interviewers or ask so general the questions, it is hard not to question that they are likely to recommend candidates with similar profiles as themselves. Unprepared interviewers are either overloaded or hiring is not their priority. Neither seems to represent the position well. And how likely would these companies embrace diversity in their core values?
e to solve.
ion is accepted, the discussion of last day would be the final piece of puzzle. How do we settle any gaps? Guiding the discussion towards “what needs to be done?” would be a lot easier than answering “when would you leave?” It is simply a matter of writing up the areas of responsibilities and how long the transition could take if a warm body is available.
ain. A small number of phone interviews, ends up with onsite interviews, and even that often end up not going anywhere, other than another experience. In an even smaller subset, there is a call from the recruiter informing “you get it”. Like a tennis tournament, there is only one person getting the trophy; the early rounds are resumes, cover letters, email, maybe phone interviews; and the latter rounds are equated to on-site interviews. Disappointing as it may be, losing in early rounds is less damaging than losing a close final. .
ollege of the top choice. The heart would beat at a rate in par with where the position and the company rank among the wish list. The excitement is followed by a challenge to focus on the present. The mind, wonder towards the new world, presents an uneasy barrier to stay in the present. Not just that, it draws a different orbit for all future meetings and future due dates at work, with many of those futures you would no longer make happen. Along the way, there are questions and doubts too – “would there be change in the decision?”; “what would the terms of offer be?”; “what is the decision criteria to accept, negotiate or deny?”; “would the new position warrant a change”; “what are the adjustment and adaptations required?”. Until the final decision is needed, it is not always obvious on how much we fear or embrace a change in landscape.
nother human being. There is relationship with a country, with a company or with an organization. Whatever it is, it takes some courage to get out of a long-term one.
half dream comes true may turn out to be different from the imagination. There is something missing in reality, a different reason on different days. It is like a bird in a tree-hopping mode, before sensing the right place worth to settle down again. I receive a good advice to write a new description of a dream job, which I believe applies to all job seekers.
views are not only about an offer. Interviewing is finding answers to the “competence”, “compatibility” and “chemistry” between the two parties. An effective interview provides laser clarity, and minimizes ambiguity to those questions. I am lucky enough to experience this top notch onsite interview at this world famous technology company. It is revealing, energizing and opens up the window of learning.
arning experience. I have experienced more of these interviews from promising start up or best companies to work in. The interviewers show trusts in the ability of candidates and often offer hints to put the candidates at the best.
oliviatamccue 