| 3/17/2006 |
YOU BETTER WORK
|
There's nothing better to inflate or deflate your ego than a job interview.
Job interview, you say? Why am I going on a job interview?
Don't worry. I still have my job. I like my job! But my job has a finite end. So when I come across something that interests me, I apply.
I went on a job interview and I must say there is nothing like doning a proper suit and tie to make me feel like a million dollars. I hate feeling like a million dollars. I immediately tense up and walk stiff as a board when I have a suit and tie on. The best part of the interview is two minutes after I leave the building and rip off the tie and de-suit my jacket. I'd probably drive home without the dress pants too if I wasn't pretty sure it was frowned upon.
The interview well went as far as I can tell. Though, I'm pretty sure I won't be getting a call back. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
It was a State Department job, but I'd forgotten what it was really about. I'd accidently thrown away the listing I'd printed off. Since the position had closed I couldn't find it online either. I'd found a smiliar listing for another city, but unsure if that was actually it or not. Well, it turned out the job was for a Medicad Waiver coodrinator. Basically, from the way it sounded I'd be assisting youth with disabilities or physical handicap issue in getting the proper set-up and services in their homes. Not a bad job at all, but certianly not something I have any experience in doing.
Arriving at the interview I noticed that the employees seemed very casually dressed, even for Casuaul Friday. I'm pretty sure a wife-beater and jean shorts is too casual. I could've shown up in a Hawaiian shirt and grass skirt and really impressed them.
The lady conducting the interview was VERY nice, but... in her mid-hundreds. I'm pretty sure she was around when the state was founded. Tactfully asking her what the job would actually entail she read me the website listing word for word as though she was reading her grandchildren a bedtime story. Once again. VERY nice woman... She explained that there was currently a hiring freeze and that they wouldn't even consider any applicants for at least 3-4 weeks. She reported that they'd recently closed down a branch office in another city and those people was given the chance to relocate or find jobs within the company. Ok... so then why interview me now?
A second lady joined us for the actual Q&A part of the interview. As one would ask me a question the other would jot down notes about my response. Not uncommon for any interview that I've had. The questions, on the other hand... Well, they could repeat the question as many times as I needed, but they couldn't explain them to me. Huh?
Let me say again. They could repeat the questions as many times as I needed, but they couldn't explain them to me. So if I had a question or needed clarification, I was out of luck. Is this common? Have I been lucky to have never had this happen in an interview before? Or was this just a little odd...
Well, there were definitely some questions that I didn't understand, and thinking about them later, I know that they were intended for someone who had some knowledge of the inner workings of the department. I BS'ed as much as I could. Most of the time I would laugh to myself about how empty the answers where that I was giving. I think I've come pretty close to perfecting the "non-answer" in times like that.
My favorite example is from my last job, when callers would be paranoid about being recorded or their calls being traced.
CALLER: "Are these calls recorded?"
ME: "We are a confidential hotline."
Which was the truth as long as they weren't going to hurt themselves or someone else. Certainly not the answer to the question they asked, but usually enough to satisfy their paranoia.
I'd love to see the notes these women took about my interview. "Does not have a clue!" "Did he just say 'embiggens'?"
The second part of the interview was a written task where I was given a situation and had to write out a basic outline plan of how to help a family with a specific issue. As the Centagenarian fired up her computer I noticed the version of software that was running. Office '97!? What were these people? Amish?! How last century... I think the geek in me took control and actually scoffed a little when I saw that. I printed out my written response and could actually here the dot matrix printer down the hall grinding away.
So... yeah... I don't think I'm getting the job. But it was good practice just the same. |
|
I posted this @ 3/17/2006 01:23:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
|
|
|
|
|
|
