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September 23, 2006
How to interview...
When I’m all grown up and stuff and when I’m big and have The Power, I am going to store the memory of yesterday in my subconscious to remind myself HOW to interview. It doesn’t take much, and really at the end of the day it’s like any social conversation really, you respond to the person who speaks. You look them in the eye, you smile encouragingly when they say something good and even, horror of horrors, there is nothing in the world to stop you chuckling a bit if the interviewee says something half witty. Ok so Jo Brand I am not, but I tried and thank you - it was acknowledged.
You see I am a veteran of the interview now, I’ve been to the grand total of three in the past couple of weeks and I’ve seen how to do it and how NOT to do it. By no means must you sit there with a Jesus-Christ-It’s-5pm-And-I’ve-Been-Asking-The-Same-Questions-All-Day-I-Want-To-Be-At-Home-With-My-Feet-Up-In-Front-Of-Eastenders look on your face, there is no excuse because, get this, you don’t HAVE to ask the same questions. You could have the interviewee’s CV in front of you and you could tailor the questions as to their experience. Yes that’s right, two birds with one stone, it keeps you on your feet and the person the other side of the table feels like an individual human being rather than a machine. Then the interviewee relaxes and you get to see the real person, rather than one who is trying to contend with the voices in her head saying ‘Oh my God! There was not so much as a twitch in the corner of his eye. You said the wrong thing. He hates you and now you are going to continue to say the wrong thing and he is going to continue to hate you forever. Walk out the door. Walk out the door. Walk out the goddamn door!’
The thing is, it was my number one choice anyway but now I want the job even more. The people who interviewed me (all THREE of them!) were lovely, the people on the front desk were lovely and I had a wander round after the interview and …. did I mention that I want that job?
I have a whole week to wait and find out, but even if I don’t get the job, I have at least learned HOW to interview.
Posted by purple elephant at September 23, 2006 08:59 AM