Intervews suck. I know this is common knowledge but still it bears repeating. For all you people out there that can just say "I'll do my best and there is no sense in worrying about it" AND procede to actually not worry..... I hate you. Die. Of course I say that with all the love in the world. But for those of us who are not Shaolin Zen Masters, interviews suck.
Who came up with this stupid concept in the first place anyway? Can a person really sum up all of their pertanant life/ work experiences along with demonstrating how awesome they are in just 30 to 60 minutes by answering a handful of quasi- random questions? Of course not. Furthermore, who is actually fooled by it? I have sat on both sides of the interview table many times. All you have to do is Google the word "interview" and you will be bombarded with links, sites and ads. They all say the same things and and give you the same advice. Well, actually, I have to admit that the advice does sort of work. I'm too much of an animal trainer not to see how it is all about manipulating perception. Oh, I don't mean lying..... just the "never say anything negative" stuff. Your skills and education and experiences are all valid and important but really it is just about thinking on your feet and making a good impression, isn't it? Which is freaking hard to do when you feel like puking through the whole thing! Of course you try to project confidence but, lets face it, you are willfully asking a random stranger to sum up, compare and rate your usefulness. You are nervous, they know you are nervous, but that rational thought doesn't necessarily cut through their gut instinct. Which really sucks for all of us poor test takers. I've known enough people whose nerves get the better of them that are awesome at what they do as well as good interviewees who spend their first (and last) day sitting on the floor in the middle of the isle for 3 hours just reading the back of the DVDs during the first week of December. At least I can say it wasn't *my* fault that one slipped through!
On a related note: Applying and interviewing are hard enough but it sucks extra for those of us with 'non-trad' jobs. I get that the masses work in offices (doing whatever it is that people in offices do) therefore the bulk of material is geared towards them. But does it ALL have to be? After days of searching for tips, advice, potential questions ect... the best I can find was "be confident- they already know what they need to from your resume." Wow. Nerves totally calmed.
