Dec 17, 2011 15:54
We have an open position at our busiest office. I interviewed about 10 people over the phone, and brought four in for in-person interviews yesterday. Of the first 10, 6 did not make the cut because of a mix of:
1. Negativity. Don’t badmouth your old job or your old boss. One badmouthed a doctor she used to work for who happens to be boys with one of my associate doctors. Don’t complain about patients or customers. Negativity just shows immaturity and inappropriateness overall, but the world is also really small.
2. Too much personal life blabbing. A little bit that is lighthearted/funny/relating is fine, but I don’t need to hear about all of your troubles and problems and sagas. I know its hard out there, but again just not appropriate and makes you sound unreliable.
3. Too demanding. We can talk about the salary/vacation time/hours when you get an in-person interview or an offer. I want to know what you can offer us, not what you want from us. These are valid questions, but just not right away in the first phone call.
4. One word/super short answers. I am trying to get a read on you. When I ask, “What are you looking for in your next job? What is important you, either concrete or abstract?” don’t say “hours.”
All of that said, the people that I DID bring in for interviews weren’t total kiss-up robots. One was really funny. One was a little tougher. All showed that they can see the big picture, they can relate to people that they are working with and serving. They can see the world beyond themselves. They also had good concrete answers to how they have/would resolve problems. These answers and ideas don’t have to be specific to the job at hand, every position is different and most people can be taught the details. What I look for is someone who can be enjoyable and relate-able to a wide range of people, is flexible/can think on their feet, and won’t cause problems inter-personally. It’s that simple.