Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with interview

How do I say "Psst...I'm still available for that 9-to-5..."?

slightlyamused — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:20:05 -0800

I interviewed for this position over a month ago, and it went really well. According to a family friend who also works there (and informed me of the available position to begin with), I was a top contender for the job, but they ultimately went with another person with experience, whereas I had none (even though it was entry level - but I get it, experience is better than lack thereof. No hard feelings here). PLOT TWIST: Two days ago, I find out via friend that they just discovered this new person lied about having a degree, so she's as good as gone. Friend suggested I send a nonchalant email to remind them of my existence, hinting at the fact that I'm still available. How do I do this subtly without it sounding awkward as hell after over a month? I don't think I'm supposed to know about this turn of events because friend was pretty hush hush about it, and I certainly don't want to throw friend under the bus or get him in trouble. How do I go about this? Extra details:

- they never called me to say I didn't get the job (friend gave me the update when he saw the new person on her first day)

- I admittedly didn't send the interviewer a thank you note for interviewing me because... Shoot, to be honest, I don't know why I didn't. Before this, I'd never really interviewed for a job that was this grown-up and formal and "interview etiquette-y" - my past job interviews had been for more casual part-time jobs in high school and college that I'd usually hear back from either on the spot or soon enough thereafter that I never really had time to send thank-you notes. This job interview, however, was probably one in which a follow-up thank you note would have been nice... Is it too late to use this opportunity for that?

I so very much appreciate any ideas or suggestions from you lovely folks. Also, 'tis my first on-the-books question (though I'm a regular lurker), so I'm so sorry if I've done anything that goes against the code of question-posting... I don't think I have though..

I just interviewed for a job and I have no idea if I want it or not.

wannabecounselor — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:13:02 -0800

Assuming I got an offer for this job, how should I make my decision? What would you do? I live in a city that I mostly enjoy which is not very close to family, but close friends are nearby. The job is in my rural hometown area just over two hours away. The major reason I applied is that spouse and I are seriously planning to expand (I might be in my first trimester right now, don't want to jinx anything). Pros are, it's close to family that could help with childcare, in a lower cost-of-living area, with a slightly higher salary. I also love "nature" and it's very nice out there. But these are the only pros. I don't feel strongly about the job itself, it's pretty much what I do now which doesn't get me any closer to my "goal" career (see my mefi history if you want to know more). The info I got from the interview and people I met didn't "wow" me. They even asked a couple of questions that really threw me off guard - 1) At the end they asked me if I would accept the job if it were offered to me, which I answered that I have been seriously considering it but would still need about 24 hours to make a final decision, and 2) If I were a final candidate they would want to speak with my current supervisor, who has no idea I applied for this.

Other negatives include: partner's job situation is 85% able to work remotely but no guarantees right now. Potential need for 2nd car would eat into the better salary. I'm at a good place with my current employer and would feel pretty crappy leaving, but because my hometown is so rural I doubt another opportunity like this would come along any time soon.

Also, considering my potential "condition", I anticipate taking new job would mean a heck of a lot of stress during pregnancy, plus not as much maternity time allowed (though if I was near parents, they could help). If I stay where I am for now, I wouldn't feel as much stress through pregnancy and could have extended maternity leave, but then being faced with full-time day care in our expensive area would get overwhelming fast.

I feel like in terms of our financial future and prioritizing care of a future child, it makes sense to take the job and move. But in terms of all the unknowns and potential stress, I'm not sure if it would all be worth it.

I'm losing sleep over this and any advice is appreciated!!! It just may be that my wishy-washy feelings were sensed in the interview and a job offer is not in the cards at all anyway!!!

Looking for a specific Tarantino quote

frimble — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:38:59 -0800

Quentin Tarantino, in an interview, said something along the lines of, "The medium that I work in is the audience's emotions." I think that the interview was relatively recent, either about Inglourious Basterds or Django, and it may even have been referenced on Metafilter, but now that I'm looking for it, I can't find it. So, did he actually say something to this effect? If yes, where did he say it and what was the actual statement?

I didn't get the job, but I have been sort of offered a better job?

ad4pt — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:10 -0800

I didn't get the job, but I have been sort of offered a better job at the same company in the future? Is there anything I can do besides wait? I'm currently an office manager for a small marketing firm. It's a very small company, the owner and I are the only administrative staff, everyone else is a sales manager. I've been sort of applying for jobs here and there that sound appealing since I have the advantage of already having a job and I'm worried about the financial health of my company.

I applied for an executive assistant position for the president of a medium sized, successful, local company. I killed my interviews and it was between another person and me, they went with the other person.

I wrote the customary "thank you for not hiring me" letter and asked if they had any feedback. The president called me and spoke with me for about 40 minutes about how I should not feel bad at all for not getting the job, the other person's personality fit the assistant role better, but he did want to hire me for a marketing position. Yay!!

It was a very flattering phone call, but essentially he said he recognized my creativity and talent and thought my personality would be wonderful for a marketing position. He said he still very much wants me to work for the company and he will "make" a position for me. However, he said their budgeting was done at the beginning of the year and there's no position for me to fill so I might have to wait until then. After further discussion he seemed to think that maybe he could make it happen sooner.

Now, I have very little marketing experience, but I was a digital art major and am very familiar with most creative software. I currently work at marketing firm and produce a great deal of marketing material and come up with marketing ideas. I didn't study it at all, but I am very interested in it and so far I've made significant contributions to my current company.

In short: THIS COULD BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIELD THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, BUT DIDN'T REALLY INTEND ON GETTING INTO. I am SOOO stoked and feel like this could really be like my "big break" into the marketing field. The company I would work for is really wonderful to their employees and seems to value innovation and out-of-the-box ideas. I REALLY REALLY want to work for them. In this phone conversation the president pretty much told me that they would be happy to pay to do everything I love to do!

My question: How do I make sure this opportunity doesn't slip away?

I didn't send a thank you note for his phone call (this was Friday), because I already sent a thank you note for not getting the job and thanked him many times over the phone and I thought it might be overkill.

When and how is it appropriate to e-mail him to follow-up? Is there anything that I could send him to help further affirm that I would be a great employee?

I think I can clearly articulate specific examples of how I've boosted my current company's social marketing, e-mail campaigns, web visibility, etc. Should I at some point send that in an e-mail? Wait until I get maybe another interview for this potential job?

Help? I have no idea what I'm doing here. I know mostly I should wait, but I just want to make sure that I follow-up on this as appropriately, professionally (but persistently) as possible because I really, REALLY, REALLY want this job.

Any advice is highly appreciated.

How much should I persist in getting feedback for this interview?

glache — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:43:03 -0800

I've already attempted contact twice, should I persist in getting feedback or move on? I interviewed for a job, and didn't get it. They asked me to ring them, which I did, where they then said I didn't get it, and asked if I had any questions for them. Note that when they told me, it was exactly when they promised they'd get back to everyone.

I asked for feedback, and the manager said she'd get back to me in the next few days. When a week had elapsed with no response, I sent an email to follow up, saying I was fine with written feedback if she was too busy to phone. She responded by email, saying no it'll be fine, ring me tomorrow. I did, and she said she was snowed under, could she ring me back in 45 mins. That never happened, and that was last Friday. Fridays and Mondays are generally busy, so I didn't bother following up yesterday. Now that it's Tuesday, should I, or move on?

Thanks!

Should I mention salary discussions in an interview thank you note?

shoesietart — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:07:26 -0800

Yesterday, I had a third interview with the same company and I want to send a followup note today. The interview went well until we got to salary discussions. I was caught off guard and did not respond as well as I should have. I already know I should have had her give me numbers first, but like I said, I was caught off guard when she asked me how much I was expecting. I told her what I made in my last position, which was in a very expensive city and now I’m in a small Midwestern city. I knew as the number was coming out of my mouth that I was saying the wrong thing. I backtracked a little and said my research indicated a range of B to D, a $20K range. (This range was much less than the number that popped out of my mouth of its own volition.) She then said she was expecting to pay between A and B, a $10K range, where B is her ceiling and my floor. The range I quoted is a little on the high side and hers a little on the low side.

I felt she wasn't as warm after we talked money. I also know that there are a number of other candidates. However, three interviews would indicate a decent degree of interest in me. She asked if I was still interested and I said that I was. I really am excited about the position. (I also want the most money possible.)

Now I need to send a follow up email to express my continued interest and thank her for meeting with me. An offer has not been made and we’re not in negotiation so I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I feel like I should somehow address it. So, should I mention the salary, and if so, what do I say? Or do I ignore salary for now and just let my thank you note be sufficient to get across that I still want the job?

Did I box myself in with a low salary?

Two Stranger — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:00:12 -0800

I just had my first phone interview for a prospective software engineering job, which was a ten minute phone call with an in-house recruiter. I wasn't expecting the topic of salary to come up this early in the process, which I grant was maybe naïve, but they asked me and I gave a lowball offer. Now I'm wondering whether I've screwed myself here. Basically, I wasn't entirely prepared and gave an offer that, now that I've done the research, I see is a good 20% lower than the salary range that Glassdoor reports for that company and that position. Am I going to be able to negotiate upwards later? This feels very early in the game, but I don't have that much interviewing experience.

Possibly relevant background:
1. I'm currently employed.
2. I would be relocating for this job.
3. It's at a mid-stage startup.
4. This short call went well, so I've got a phone interview coming up with the actual department lead tomorrow.
5. I'm just beginning the process of looking for new jobs in the last few weeks, with the hope that I'll have something in hand by August, and, while you never know with these things, I'm fairly confident that I'll get an offer at some point in the next few months, not to mention that if worst comes to worst I don't need to leave my current position. All that is to say that I don't have much to lose in negotiations.
6. I live in an area with a really low cost of living, and this job is in an area with a really high cost of living. As a consequence, that salary range from Glassdoor that I mentioned above is twice what I make in my current position. I told the recruiter my current salary, rounded up to the next thousands place.

So, what do you think? Am I locked in, or can I still negotiate freely without harming my chances of getting the job?

Interview advice

rebent — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:27:47 -0800

I had a phone interview last week that I thought I bombed. But, apparently I did good enough to land an in-person interview on Thursday. I'd like some advice on where in between "Fake it till you make it" and "lay your cards on the table" I should be. Details inside. The job is listed as an entry level position creating, managing, and delivering training. However, it pays (i am guessing here based on the interview) $70,000, requires 5 years of experience, and is all about leadership training.

I got a master's degree from the same school as many of the people working at this company last year, which gives me a grand total of 3 years fudged, or 1.5 years steady experience. I think the experience I had was phenomenal and very applicable (I worked in a leadership training department) but I didn't learn enough from it to do anything on my own. I guess what I'm saying is that, while I'm very capable and skilled and knowledgeable of theory, I still have a lot to learn in terms of hands-on skills.

I also am not an expert with regards to leadership or sales, which is the focus of this department.

In the phone interview, they asked a lot of questions that seemed pretty specific, like they had a correct answer in mind, but I could only speak to theory and generalities. For instance, a question along the lines of "What is your process for creating learning objectives?" to which my answer was along the lines of "I'd probably ask someone for help."

During this section, I got a strong feeling from the interviewers that they were just going through the motions because they didn't think I had the skills they were looking for. I can't put my finger on what it was, but i suppose they answered my questions somewhat abruptly, didn't ask may follow-up questions, and didn't ask me to clarify my answers much. (It is possible that I was just imagining this based on my own self-assessment.)

Finally, one of the things I focused on pretty strongly during the phone interview (and was very nervous about afterwards) was that I understood the realities of business and how what a trainer thinks is the right answer isn't always what the other business people want from them, and that it's the training department's job to work for the company, not to try to dictate "the right way" to do things. I honestly have no idea if this helped or hurt my standings.

I don't have much experience interviewing for things that are a challenge for me. My past jobs have usually been completely in line with my qualifications, and I left the interviews feeling confident. This situation is different and I am panicking, and would greatly appreciate your advice.

I have always been told "fake it till you make it" because I am much more judgmental of myself than anyone else ever could be; it's my job to show the best of myself, and it's the company's job to decide if my best is good enough.

On the other hand, I feel that they must realize how inexperienced I am, and that if I act like I have experience when I really don't, they will think I'm fake and bragging and selling myself as better than I am. I want to open the interview by saying "Listen, based on the questions you asked, I think it's pretty clear to everyone that I won't be coming into the position with the ability to immediately start churning out leadership training. By asking me here to interview, I think it shows that you are not looking for that type of candidate. So, let's talk about what about me you find attractive, and we can come to a joint decision about whether I am right for this role."

But I'm super scared that i will say that and they will say "well actually, you misread us completely. We did think you had the skills, but based on what you just said, now we're not sure."

I know that no one can give me the perfect answer because none of you (I hope!) are familiar with the job/department in question. But I hope that some of you with more experience than myself can help me think through this more clearly, and help me find a distinct brand to present during the interview.

Thanks in advanced!

Should I contact my initial interviewer, or just wait?

Sakura3210 — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:21:25 -0800

I could really use some help regarding my follow-up to an interview... I'll keep the details short and to the point. 1. I had a fellowship interview last week; it went really well (went over 3x interviewer's original allotted time).
2. I sent a thank you e-mail with a follow-up question (simple question about the program structure I didn't think to ask during the interview)
3. Interviewer responded, saying that they were referring me to a higher-up who would "reach out" and call to interview me further (and whom I should direct the question to, as interviewer #1 did not know the answer); apparently the goal was to talk to me by today.
4. I have received no reach-out (no phone call, e-mail, etc.), and the final determinations (at least according to the info I got) are being made by Monday.

I thought about e-mailing interviewer #2 directly, but I do not have their contact info nor can find it online. I then thought about e-mailing interviewer #1 for the #2's contact info, but am concerned that might be pushy. Ideas for my next steps? I'm really interested in this position.

Thanks!

Advice on what to do before/during an interview to assess my Spanish?

EmilyClimbs — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:58:56 -0800

I'm an intermediate Spanish speaker, and I have an interview in a couple days to assess my Spanish level. How can I be as successful as possible, both as far as brushing up/practicing, as well as keeping my nerves under control? After a long break after college, I did a one month Spanish immersion program a few years ago that got me roughly back to the intermediate level that was my high point previously (around a B1 level or maybe somewhere between B1-B2.) Since then, I've tried to keep current/improve mostly by reading, with a modest amount of watching Spanish TV (and keeping up with a big deck of vocab flashcards I made right after), but I've barely spoken at all since then.

At this point, I can generally understand almost everything I read in Spanish (there are often words I don't know but I can almost always figure them out from context.) I can understand most of what I hear either on TV or overhearing people on the subway/etc, although I can definitely get lost from time to time when there's vocabulary I don't know, and I have some trouble following people who speak particularly quickly or have certain particularly strong accents (or if they're speaking quietly, there's background noise, etc.)

So now there's an extended volunteer program I really want to do where they say they require an advanced level of Spanish (just for the purpose of smooth interpersonal communication as far as I know.) I told them I was willing to take intensive Spanish lessons (20 hours+ per week) before I begin and/or alongside the 20 hour/week volunteer commitment, and they asked to do an interview with me to talk and see whether they thought it would work. (It's in Argentina... Argentina-specific language advice is definitely appreciated!)

I feel like my weakest point in speaking is grammar, particularly conjugating verbs. A lot of tenses like present (and the compound tenses/"ir a" future that just build off present) and conditional come basically naturally/automatically, but I sometimes have to hesitate picking between imperfect and preterite in some of the fuzzier cases, and it can take me more time than it should to make sure I'm conjugating preterite right in the 1st and 3rd person singular. And I'm not solid on subjunctive at all... we didn't get to that in my immersion classes, and although I've done some self-study on the conjugation and usage, I haven't practiced it much and I definitely have to think about it.

So what's the best use of a few hours between now and then, and then a couple immediately before the interview? Drilling on the preterite and/or subjunctive? Thinking of sentences I know I'm going to want to say and looking things up to make sure I get the grammar and vocabulary right? Trying to find the fastest Argentinian speech I can to practice listening to? Try to distract myself and ignore Spanish altogether so my nervousness doesn't spiral?

And then during the interview, should I try to use subjunctive, or is that going to have me second-guessing everything I say? How bad does it sound to skip it? (I'm already planning to skip using vos because I'm just not used to it and it seems like it would make me nervous about even the grammar that should be easy for me... unless focusing on a few hours of drilling that instead would give me the most bang for my buck?) What kinds of mistakes or flaws make you think "okay, she needs a bit more studying and practice/immersion, but she'll be fine" and which send the message "she's got a long way to go to be fluent and even with a month of lessons and immersion she'll still be a hassle to communicate with"?

And how do I keep calm and do my best during the interview? I'm an anxious and self-conscious person generally (and kind of a perfectionist), and I really want to do this program, so that adds to the pressure. Any tricks to keep from overthinking words that should come automatically? How important is it to keep talking fluidly versus pausing to get the word right, and if I need to keep talking, how do I quiet the voice in my head that says "That's wrong, you idiot, you sound stupid?"

Thanks so much for any advice.

I can do the job, mostly, really

Fee Phi Faux Phumb I Smell t'Socks o' a Puppetman! — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:20:37 -0800

I have a tricky job-application scenario: basically, I can do all the requirements that were advertised, but I have excellent reason to believe they expect the person in the position to semi-regularly do something my health prevents me from doing at all. How do I handle this in the application/resume process? The job description and situation, as advertised, is basically perfect for my skills, interests, and everything else.

The thing is, I know the person who had the job before was on-call 24/7, and sometimes had to drop everything (including sleep) and run off to take care of something (the something - it varied - could happen anywhere in a ~450 mile radius.) This only happened a few times a month at most, and I have no philosophical problem with it at all; in my younger and more foolish years, this would have been a plus, honestly.

Unfortunately, health reasons prevent this from being even a remote possibility for me - this is well inside in "my doctor will make me go see someone else if I sign up for this, because it really is that irresponsible" land.

So! I'm in a pickle. Two questions:

1. Do I bother applying?
2. At what stage do I let them know about my problem?

I don't want to waste anyone's time, but I would love the job as advertised. I'm reasonably confident they will let me interview if I send in a resume & application but do not disclose my issue. I also don't want to burn bridges with these people, because I would really love to do several of the jobs they may eventually have open (it depends largely on folks retiring.) Oh, and I'd really rather not my boss knowing I'm looking for outside work unless there's at least some shot I can get the job (and she will know if I apply - she knows all these people much better than I do, and they will call her, quite possibly before the interview stage.)

There are, as far as I can see, three options other than not applying at all:

1. Disclose in the cover letter,
2. Disclose in the interview, or
3. Disclose the first time they say "oh and by the way, here's the pager" (which might be during the interview.)

What are the pros and cons? As a hiring manager or HR person or other employer type, what would you recommend? Is it foolish to even try this?

I have talked with someone I know in the office (not the hiring manager, but someone who helped advertise it,) and she's pretty sure the position will still include the on-call stuff.

Should I play it cool?

kettleoffish — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:51:20 -0800

I had an interview a week ago with an HR person and was told the company would be in touch soon, they liked my resume, etc. Since then... nothing much. I know who my next interviewer would be. Would there be anything weird about... emailing them and asking for an interview? Or should I wait?

HR Interviews and Unorthodox Employment History

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:56:56 -0800

I'm an ABD Ph.D student pursuing a really awesome job opportunity as my next step. The firm has moved on to asking me to interview with HR to talk about my employment history, relationship with supervisors, etc. I have a solid resume, but I have one element of my recent history that's complex and difficult to explain. It's not complex-bad, just complex, and I'm not sure how to pitch it to HR. I've been employed (in the "receives a W-2" sense) by one firm throughout my grad school career. I used to work for them full-time, and they've retained me on as an employee, on an hourly basis, to consult on some relevant projects. I've worked full-time during a few summers and winter breaks. I report directly to the president and owner of the firm (it's a small biz), and he has been completely awesome about helping me negotiate my availability and his requirements. My hours are, when I'm not full-time, highly variable. During a few projects I've gone above half-time; lately I've not been billing any hours because of writing my dissertation. My job title is kind of impressive, because I am the most senior person in the firm with my skill set, even in the current situation. However, it's definitely the kind of job title a non-technical person gives a technical person. My hourly rate is $X, but during crunch-time projects, my supervisor has temporarily raised my rate to 2*$X, to reflect the more intense nature of the commitment/work.

How on earth do I answer questions about my yearly salary and such? I don't want to get bogged down in explaining this situation in grueling detail, but I realize that if I gloss over it, this is likely to sound a little sketchy.

Quick interview follow-up email question

obviousresistance — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:43:31 -0800

So last Monday, April 8th, I interviewed for a summer internship. The interviewer mentioned I should hear back sometime this week, and I wanted to send him an email to let him know how interested I am in this internship (of course, under the guise of "I wanted to know if the position has been filled" etc). During the interview, we talked about running for a little bit. It turns out he runs half and full marathons, pretty seriously. Would it be out of place to include something like "In our interview, you mentioned you run marathons. I wanted to extend my condolences if you or anyone else were affect by the events..."? I'm hoping to send the email before 5:00 tonight. A little bit more information:

- this is an economic research internship
- this is my second email sent post-interview. The first was a thank you letter.
- I've been thinking of calling on Thursday.
- I think the interview went ok, but for reasons below, I think it could have gone better.
- The reason I'm not calling right now is because he speaks very quickly and is somewhat hard-of-hearing, so I'd like him to have a hard copy of what I said.

How do I best prepare for a job interview?

kettleoffish — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:16:29 -0800

I have an interview for a new job later this week. It is the same job that I have now, just with new people and in a larger company. It also pays a ton. I am very nervous and am slightly psyched out. I'm not good at tooting my own horn. How do I get "in the zone" for a job interview? Non-traditional tips welcome. Anything from specific questions to practice to... well anything really. I'm shooting for feeling like a "competent business lady..." When it comes to the actual grit of the job, I've read the job description, and it matches my past work well. This is more just to feel super-prepared.

How do I record a phone interview on an outgoing call?

ablazingsaddle — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:10:02 -0800

I'm doing some freelance journalism-y things, and I sometimes need to interview people over the phone whilst plugging away at my "day job." How do I record these calls? I have an iphone 4, if that makes a difference. Every iphone app that I've tried thus far has crapped out on me - Call Log Pro was promising, but didn't actually record anything. And made my phone freeze.

I have google voice, but it only records incoming calls, and a lot of the time I have to fight to get someone on the phone. (I.e., they're not going to call me).

When I am able to interview someone in the evening or over the weekend, I put them on speaker and record the call using my computer. I can't do this at work - it might work, but I don't think it will be quiet enough anywhere in the building for me to get away with it.

I am willing to pay for this magical, phone-call recording app. But what is it?

I promise I'm actually a good employee!

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:41:37 -0800

I have an upcoming job interview for a fairly sales-oriented position in business. Putting aside that I'm not sure I want the position yet and that in my eyes it counts against the company that they put stock in this sort of thing, the company is about to send me a personality test which they use as a strong hiring indicator. I would prefer to ace the test, whatever that means, and have my actual interview and position discussion determine hiring. How should I go about answering a test that I don't believe will be reflective of my personality? If memory serves when I was a teenager I failed a Subway sandwich-assembly part-time job's personality test. I don't think I'll scale up well. I know that when I answer OKC questions and the like, I overthink everything. If a question asks me if I ever could see myself _________, I almost always can come up with an instance where yes, in this specialized circumstance I've concocted, I could. It appears other people usually just answer their right now answer. Should I keep answering the literal wording, which is what feels accurate, or try to answer the right now way?

I also do not know how to answer generalized preference questions (do you prefer spending evenings at parties or at home reading a good book?) as the answer is variable given actual context. I want to answer BOTH, DEPENDING in this instance; often that is not an option in this type of test. I genuinely don't know what to do with this sort of question when the real answer isn't available.

I could also answer what the questions are driving at from an employer's point of view, but don't know if intentionally answering them in a manner that appears to align with my understanding - which at this early stage is limited - of the job duties is dishonest or what you as the candidate are supposed to be doing. I'm also scared that my guess at what I think the employer wants to hear might not be accurate particularly since this is a job opportunity gained through networking and I only have a vague idea of what they'd want me to be doing. (So say a question asks if I work better independently or in groups, and I know the position is group-dependent, do I say groups? But then what if later on promotion-wise I'd be independent? Or do I just say what's true, which is independent?)

Basically, I'm lost with this whole pre-job-interview personality test business. I've had several professional jobs before (though none have previously been sales-oriented) and this is the first job-associated personality test since the Subway one. Please advise.

Chartering a course for the next eight years

tilde — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:34:00 -0800

What have you experienced/what would you ask about at a soon to be opening charter school? http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/Charter_Schools/

When I moved where I moved in Florida, I picked some pretty decent public school areas and thus far with my exceptional* kids, it's been ... okay. In some ways fan filliping tastic, in other ways okay, in other ways meh.

They say the plan doesn't always fit the planning, so we're looking at adjusting courses. The only thing I knew about charter schools before this week (an oppty has come up that might put all our kids in a charter school) was that they existed, sometimes they fail loudly, and I wished that their apparent flexibility could be done in county-run public schools. Overall I'm still iffy about the concept but my kids don't have time for waffling.

Thus far, we have the kids at two different schools, two different tracks, though they all are qualified for education plans (basically what passes for gifted testing and education around here).

The charter school would make some bits of life easier, including a nice four year span of ONE DROPOFF in the morning, and likely ONE PICKUP (though I have been enjoying that for the past six months, what a delight!). ONE PTA board meeting would be nice, as would ONE Portfolio night and ONE school program night ...

The charter school, as far as we can tell, would fit the childrens' educational needs (one reason they are split up are differentiated needs - one currently does not get gifted pull outs or classes).

I sat with the ViceP for fourty minutes yesterday and have been doing my reading on charter vs non charter as it is run in Florida ... but not sure what else to ask.

Topics we did ask about - classwork, homework, enrichment (arts and sports), fundraisers, uniforms, extracurricula, gifted instruction, inclusion instruction, hours, code of conduct, computers, PTA, parent and student volunteering, Safety Patrol, National Honor Society, National Merit Scholars, teacher communication, projects, facilities, experience with the "teaching plan and philosophy" they're using (expanding campuses - there's already a few locations, this is a new campus).

Based on my reading, looks like they expect to be able to expand the enrollment - I need to ask about class size and teacher student ratios (right now about 140 kids per grade) but what else should I be asking before enrolling my kids, in your experience?

_{*EPs for gifted, IEPs recently converted from 504s when we got all the paperwork and demonstrations of measurable problems submitted. Still learning my way around the process.}

Interview brainteasers?

hot soup — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:52:56 -0800

I have an interview with a technology startup coming up that will involve "brain teasers". Got any tips or practice questions? I'm not really looking for the riddle-esque "Microsoft-style" interview questions you see spammed all over the internet - I'm looking for questions geared towards evaluating quantitative reasoning/analysis and the ability to think logically on your feet. Also looking for tips to get into the right mindset for this kind of interview.

This is not a software development position, if it matters.

Help me become the next Barbara Walters/Charlie Rose

ferdinandcc — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:15:58 -0800

I want to be great at interviewing people, but going to journalism school isn't an option. What books will help me most? How do I learn to recognize and ask great questions? How do I prepare? Who are exceptional interviewers I should check out, and what do you think I can specifically learn from them?

Reading to complete before a technical interview (CSS, JS, HTML)?

jsturgill — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:15:56 -0800

I'm scheduled for a technical interview after the weekend for a front-end development position. I'd like to spend some intensive time beforehand reading relevant blogs and books to prime the ol' noodle and supplement my existing knowledge. Could you recommend some resources? Are there questions you would ask an applicant in this situation, or that you have been asked? The interview will, in particular, cover "HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery." The company in question runs on WordPress, so items at the intersection of any and all of those technologies might be particularly helpful. Code will be discussed and produced as part of it.

Should I try to pursue this job further?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:09:55 -0800

I had a great technical phone screen, then told they were passing because I don't have experience we didn't even really touch on in the interview. Is there anything I can say/do to get them to take a second look? A couple of weeks ago I responded to a job ad for an IT position I am very interested in. Several days later an internal recruiter contacted me, we had a brief phone screen, and was told I would have a phone screen scheduled. A day or two later I received an email with details on the interview.

The interview was a technical phone screen, which I felt I did well on. The specific tech I would be working on is in an area that I have extensive experience in, and I think would be an excellent match for my background. The position is also a management/leadership position, and I would be running a department. During the technical screen the individual briefly touched on my management/supervisory background. I also have 10-15 years experience leading teams in this area, which my resume clearly covers. I shared that experience with the interviewer, but it wasn't a very significant part of the interview.

The next day I received an email back from the recruiter who stated they didn't think I was a good match and that they would not be proceeding further. I asked for feedback on what led to that decision, and was told they were looking for someone with more leadership experience.

I am completely thrown. The interview was 99% a technical screen, which I did well on. My management background was barely even touched. The interviewer was just an engineer as far as I understand.

I really wanted this one. It's for a great company, and is an excellent opportunity. Is there anything I could say to the recruiter to get them to take another look, or should I just let this go and move on?

Putting together my interview outfit

peacheater — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:55:30 -0800

I think I have all the pieces for my interview outfit. Can you help me put them together appropriately? Me: Female, 5'7'' Size 8, curvy, transitioning from academia to industry
The job: Actuarial position at an insurance company

Suit: Tailored suit in charcoal grey, wool, pant suit (I also have the matching pencil skirt, but think I would prefer to wear the pants, and they appear to be perfectly acceptable).
Shirt: I have button downs in pale blue, white and pink. I am leaning towards the blue as this goes best with my complexion (which is warm). Actually none of these colors is ideal and I would prefer to wear a mustard silk button-down blouse or navy printed button-down silk blouse, which I also have, but I think these are more daring choices and am leaning towards being conservative for an interview.

Shoes: I am having some trouble deciding on these. I have the following shoes: these ankle boots and these black pumps. When wearing my suit pants, the boots despite their look on the Zappos site, show a fairly neat profile (i.e. only the front part of the foot is seen) but it is possible that a tiny bit of the zipper may be seen. Do you think this is unprofessional for an interview? These are very practical shoes that I wear regularly with the pants I'll be wearing for the interview.

My other option is the black pumps -- these are new shoes that I bought for this purpose, but my pants are probably a bit too short for them as currently tailored. (I have actually just given them to the tailor to take down half an inch so that they'd even work with the boots.) Also I am much more comfortable in the heel height of the boots as opposed to the pumps. They're quite comfortable, but that's "comfortable for heels" not comfortable in general.

Finally I could go with neither of these, return the black pumps and buy these pumps, which are a lower heel height.

Bag: The only appropriate tote I have right now has a broken zipper, so I am thinking of getting something like this briefbag. Would this be appropriate? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the help!

Day in The Life of a professor or research scientist

marsbar77 — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 07:11:40 -0800

I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on the daily experience of a university researcher in either psychology or the basic sciences as well as a meta-review of the job as a whole. Specifically:
What was the path to employment like for you?
What skills- both practical and interpersonal- would you say are important to doing your job well? What factors contribute to your success?
What are some challenges or drawbacks of life as a PA? ( Please be specific if at all possible)
What opportunities would you say there are for growth/advancement?
These are just general guidelines. Feel free to ( and in fact I would ask you to) to speak to your individual experience and add whatever two cents you may have. This started as an assignment, yes, but I'm also genuinely interested in making an informed decision about my future. Thanks everyone!

To shake or not to shake?

jorlyfish — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:17:47 -0800

I have a job fair sort of thing coming up tomorrow. I've been advised both that I should and should not shake hands with the interviewers. Help? Shaking hands with them seems like the natural thing to do both at the beginning and end of the interview (I think), but it has been pointed out by a professor whose opinion I trust that they will be seeing lots of people that day (around 20 interviewees plus whoever else might want to shake hands with them) and not everyone wants to shake your germy hand (even if you are not ill). We should not refuse a handshake, but we should not initiate one, either.

If it makes any difference, it's college-based, and the interviewers are from creative fields... think video game development or animation studio, not accounting firm. It is semiformal - they do not have jobs or internships necessarily open for us, and we are not applying for specific jobs it's more of a "first look" and networking event in which we set up 15-minute interview appointments to have a variety of people look at our portfolios and resumes.

I would certainly shake hands for a more formal interview - i.e. in which I was actually applying for a specific position - and would certainly decline to shake/wouldn't initiate a shake if I was ill and explain why. I see my professor's point about the number of handshakes and not wanting to force them into shaking your hand to avoid awkwardness, though.