On not getting a job

[nwhyte]

I do a fair bit of recruiting - hiring interns two or three times a year, and occasional involvement in more senior hires - and a couple of thoughts came together for me this week

Comments

[frumiousb]

good advice, all.

[alexmc]

As I have an interview tomorrow, and am unusually nervous, I don't know whether I should read this in detail or not :-)

[nwhyte]

Oh don't worry, I'm not offering any advice at all on how to approach the interview - and since the rest of the detail is about what to do if you don't get the job, I hope you won't need to read it! Good luck!

[redfiona99]

As someone who will soon embark on the great post-PhD job hunt, this was very useful.

[pgmcc]

Nice post.

Having been recruiting people for about twenty years I can support what you say and even give a couple of examples.

don't lie
I interviewed a person who claimed to have experience in disciplines A and B. When asked to describe her work in A, she gave a tremendous description and definition of B. Of course, when asked about B, she gave great detail in B. Unfortunately, her descriptions in both cases were theoretical and she did not give any evidence of having real experience in either A or B.

Another candidate demonstrated her honesty when asked about the same two disciplines. When asked about A she gave detailed work examples she had been carried out and demonstrated an understanding based on personal experience. When asked about B, she said she had only done a course on the topic and had no working experience in that discipline. I hired her and she is a fantastic worker and will go far.

Don't make stupid mistakes (of any sort)I used to work for one of the three larger retail chains in Ireland. Let's call it "A

[yea_mon]

On the subject of the personality factor I've had a bad experience with the automated systems that are used increasingly for large programmes. I did the on-line aptitude test for the UK Civil Service and was not happy to learn that I had passed all but the 'competency test'. Aforesaid test was not of competency, but personality. On inquiring as to the benchmarks of the test I was told breezily that it covered all the major ethnic groups in the UK. I received no reply when I asked if it could handle a Northern Irishman who had lived in Japan for 6 years.

I was pretty peeved at the whole affair.

[pgmcc]

All the tests have to be treated with balance, and I wouldn't like automated rejection on the basis of an automated test. I can see who some organisations would think it a great labour saving device. Such automated filtering of applications can only be carried out on factual detail relating to core requirements; e.g. an electrical engineering job requires someone with electrical engineering qualifications and experience - all other applications are rejected.

I had a colleague in the 1980s who was/is an industrial psychologist. He was requested to design a test to be administered to civil service applicants (in Northern Ireland). He did this on the basis that it would need several years data for normalisation and could not be used as a decision making tool until that data was accummulated and processed.

However, after the first batch of applicants had been processed he received a letter telling him the test worked very well and thanking him for his services.

[yea_mon]

I have to wonder if this kind of thing breaks any employment laws - IMHO if it was being administered by a person, who opined that the prospective employee "just wouldn't fit in" it certainly would. Sadly code is usually propriatory and convoluted, so I guess this practice is safe for now.

I've a tale about the NI Civil Service which I'll get to when I have a bit more time. Assumed knowledge, racist stereotyping and 'don't use your brain' exercises...

Oh! and another thing!

[pgmcc]

One piece of advice for prospective interviewees that I forgot to mention was, "be yourself". I would also say, "Relax", but people about to have an interview find it difficult to accept such advice.