Okay, so I've got an interview today. I am in an advantageous position for this job because a friend of mine works for them and is referring me. The position is:
Medical X-Ray Order CSR Representative. Not a bad position, pays $13/hr (which is $1/hr more than what I currently make).
I've been with my current position at PODS for almost 2 years now. A new manager has stepped in 3 months ago and is making a mess of things. Quality control has been severely amp'd up and is causing problems with TONS of employees (I'm barely skimming along). Approximately 30 employees have been terminated in the last 3 months and I don't want to be part of that group. My position also includes severe micro-management. Like OMG Chris your handle time / adherence / hold time is too low/high etc. How annoying!
The position I'm interviewing for today, according to my friend, does none of this crap... and pays better!
The only thing I really, really hate about interviews are the incredibly vague questions they ask. I've been through a ton of interviews and some of the questions I STILL have yet to figure out a good answer to. How DO you answer "Name a time you were in a bad situation with someone, you helped that person and what happened?" Fricken crap, I can't think of that shit on the fly! Does anyone know what I'm talking about when I say "completely vague" questions?
Any advice?
When the interviewer asks if you like testicles answer more vaguely... Uhmm..It sure is cold in here..
QuoteDoes anyone know what I'm talking about when I say "completely vague" questions?
No. They don't pull that kind of crap here, fortunately.
Simple, just say: God blessed me and and my heart lit up!!! ;)
This guy's books are pretty good:
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/ (http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/)
I don't know about the site.
Edit: Fuck. I posted a link to a bible. Sorry guys.
is this sales?
No. CSR (Customer Service Representative)
tell me what yer gonna be doing
Taking orders for x-rays and verifying completed orders with doctors / companies etc
on the phone or in person?
on the phone...
Here is my advice young man. And this is from a person who has never, NEVER not been hired after a personal interview! Grab the bull right by the horns. You are as much interviewing them as they are you. Attitude but not arrogance. BE ON TIME!
Go in to the inverview positive, but not cocky. Firm handshake, slight smile.
Sit straight, lean forward, forearms on the desk as if they are about to give you a very exciting project. You will always look the person in the eye.
Start the interview yourself, talk easy but not too slow and not too fast, avoid ah's, er's, and um's speak casual but with importance. "Hi, I'm Chris, nice to meet you and thank you for the opportunity, when my friend aitm told me about this position (always say position not job) I got real excited because he tells me you guys are detailed orientated and demanding and that is what I like. The company I work for now has no organizational policy and people constantly lose orders and it drives me crazy. I suggested a better organized more detailed system but the people there have no interest in it and as a result the company is not making the money they could be, and that means I am not going anywhere up that ladder. So...If you're as detailed and organized as my friend says I think I would fit right in. I understand its primarily phone work and thats okay, but I also have some field work in the past. I am,as I said detailed, organized and my job is to help you make money, so I can. "stop"
So, what do you want to know?
Quote from: "wolf39us"Okay, so I've got an interview today. I am in an advantageous position for this job because a friend of mine works for them and is referring me. The position is:
Medical X-Ray Order CSR Representative. Not a bad position, pays $13/hr (which is $1/hr more than what I currently make).
I've been with my current position at PODS for almost 2 years now. A new manager has stepped in 3 months ago and is making a mess of things. Quality control has been severely amp'd up and is causing problems with TONS of employees (I'm barely skimming along). Approximately 30 employees have been terminated in the last 3 months and I don't want to be part of that group. My position also includes severe micro-management. Like OMG Chris your handle time / adherence / hold time is too low/high etc. How annoying!
The position I'm interviewing for today, according to my friend, does none of this crap... and pays better!
The only thing I really, really hate about interviews are the incredibly vague questions they ask. I've been through a ton of interviews and some of the questions I STILL have yet to figure out a good answer to. How DO you answer "Name a time you were in a bad situation with someone, you helped that person and what happened?" Fricken crap, I can't think of that shit on the fly! Does anyone know what I'm talking about when I say "completely vague" questions?
Any advice?
What is pissing me off about the libertarians and rethuglicans is that they blame everything on the worker, but the DOW is at a record high and even with the recession profits still keep going up.
"Job creators" my fucking ass.
Quote from: "wolf39us"The only thing I really, really hate about interviews are the incredibly vague questions they ask. I've been through a ton of interviews and some of the questions I STILL have yet to figure out a good answer to. How DO you answer "Name a time you were in a bad situation with someone, you helped that person and what happened?" Fricken crap, I can't think of that shit on the fly! Does anyone know what I'm talking about when I say "completely vague" questions?
Any advice?
Think about those answers before you enter the interview. You know you're going to be asked about angry customers and how you handled them. You know you're going to be asked about a disagreement with a coworker. You know you're going to be asked about working for a supervisor you didn't like. You're going to be asked how you helped make a good business better. These are pretty much standard fare. Have those answers ready, so that you have a crisp, straightforward reply. You might even want to write it down; that will help you remember the details and will be useful for all interviews, not just this one.
Don't slag previous supervisors or coworkers. It makes you appear to be not a team-player.
Don't slag customers. It makes you look like you don't appreciate their business, and a CSR cannot give that impression.
Keep your answers short and to the point. Don't wander off into details. This is why writing the answers down beforehand is helpful. There's nothing wrong with it, either. The interviewer has scripted questions. You should have the essence of your answers scripted, too. Of course the exact answer will change based on circumstances laid out by the question.
Long story short, prepare your answers beforehand and don't throw anyone under the bus.
Good luck, Wolf. Hope you land on your feet, bud.
If they ask a vague question just make some shit up.
I don't think a good tactic criticize another employer in an interview ...
Quote from: "Mathias"I don't think a good tactic criticize another employer in an interview ...
I think that is bullshit. Since when should criticizing someone be cause not to hire them. If I were to own a business and do interviews, what is more important to me is the why. If I see something lagit in it that makes sense to me, it would mean that they actually care about the job they do.
There is a difference between bitching and criticism. I wouldn't want ass kissers working under me. What if you know more than your boss and your boss is too fucking dense to correct a mistake or make an improvement? Open door policies help businesses. Only a narcissist would care more about simply bossing people around. I have had those types of owners and managers and those types who act like tyrants rather than team players are hell to work for and I have never stayed long at those places.
I refuse to work for anyone who merely treats me as a tool and is unwilling to listen to me.
Quote from: "Brian37"Quote from: "Mathias"I don't think a good tactic criticize another employer in an interview ...
I think that is bullshit. Since when should criticizing someone be cause not to hire them. If I were to own a business and do interviews, what is more important to me is the why. If I see something lagit in it that makes sense to me, it would mean that they actually care about the job they do.
There is a difference between bitching and criticism. I wouldn't want ass kissers working under me. What if you know more than your boss and your boss is too fucking dense to correct a mistake or make an improvement? Open door policies help businesses. Only a narcissist would care more about simply bossing people around. I have had those types of owners and managers and those types who act like tyrants rather than team players are hell to work for and I have never stayed long at those places.
I refuse to work for anyone who merely treats me as a tool and is unwilling to listen to me.
It sucks but Mathias has a point. It does not do good in interviews. I used to be the manager of a Domino's Pizza, and though I wasn't hiring people to help operate X-ray machines the principle is still the same and I had to ask the same, vague questions. The trick is to just be vague back. Don't be specific, hell you can make shit up if you want, I am not going to go researching "a time when you made a mistake, and had to find a way to correct it." Say what they want you to hear, and as long as you work hard if you get the job, they aren't going to question anything you said in the interview.
The whole point of the vague questions is get a feel for how the interviewee responds to certain questions, not really the questions themselves. They work in the same way if I wanted to find out if you were left or right handed I might ask you grab something. How well you grabbed something is not what I was looking for.
They are looking for someone who will drink the kool-aid, not question what's in the punch. My advice, make it look like your drinking the concoction, and just spit it into the plant next to you when they aren't looking.
Quote from: "aitm"Here is my advice young man. And this is from a person who has never, NEVER not been hired after a personal interview! Grab the bull right by the horns. You are as much interviewing them as they are you. Attitude but not arrogance. BE ON TIME!
Go in to the inverview positive, but not cocky. Firm handshake, slight smile.
Sit straight, lean forward, forearms on the desk as if they are about to give you a very exciting project. You will always look the person in the eye.
Start the interview yourself, talk easy but not too slow and not too fast, avoid ah's, er's, and um's speak casual but with importance. "Hi, I'm Chris, nice to meet you and thank you for the opportunity, when my friend aitm told me about this position (always say position not job) I got real excited because he tells me you guys are detailed orientated and demanding and that is what I like. The company I work for now has no organizational policy and people constantly lose orders and it drives me crazy. I suggested a better organized more detailed system but the people there have no interest in it and as a result the company is not making the money they could be, and that means I am not going anywhere up that ladder. So...If you're as detailed and organized as my friend says I think I would fit right in. I understand its primarily phone work and thats okay, but I also have some field work in the past. I am,as I said detailed, organized and my job is to help you make money, so I can. "stop"
So, what do you want to know?
Yep- that's all good. It's ok to say 'company I work for now...blah blah" - but just enough to let them know you're serious for a change and not wasting anyone's time. Can show interest IF said the right way. Don't belabor the point and Don't talk about what you Don't like about current or past employers unless asked a direct question (after the above). Never drive home the idea that you're prepared to talk shit on them if it doesn't work out.
Happy medium. No you don't want to complain about past or current jobs when trying for a new one BUT as AITM has it said - his wording - that works.
It's tricky to get that part right.
GOOD LUCK!
QuoteIt sucks but Mathias has a point. It does not do good in interviews. I used to be the manager of a Domino's Pizza, and though I wasn't hiring people to help operate X-ray machines the principle is still the same and I had to ask the same, vague questions.
Why did you "have" to ask the vague questions? Can't you just be clear about shit? Isn't that much easier?
Quote from: "Plu"Why did you "have" to ask the vague questions? Can't you just be clear about shit? Isn't that much easier?
Again, the value of those questions does not lie in the exact answer, but rather, in how it is delivered.
When I conduct job interviews, on of my standard questions is: "Tell me what you think is your strongest point, and what you think your weakest point is."
With very few exceptions, I don't really care what the exact answer is. What I'm really gauging is the ability of the interviewee to self-analyze and draw the appropriate conclusions. That's very hard to measure if you actually announce that that is the quality you are testing. Most people don't like to consider their errors very deeply, and they certainly don't feel comfortable addressing those in a job-interview setting; but I value honest employees who hold themselves accountable and aren't afraid to say, "I made a mistake, but I've looked into and know what I did wrong, D. It won't happen again."
Always research the company you're going for, learn as much as you can to show your interest, and prepare for the usual "So what do you know about us?" questions.
An interview is just another sifting process, you've been vetted already on your experience...this is the chance to sell yourself. Always wear a suit no matter the job (shows you put in the effort), and try to stand out, such as with a coloured shirt...nothing crazy, but enough to make you stick out in the interviewers mind.
Quote from: "aitm"Here is my advice young man. And this is from a person who has never, NEVER not been hired after a personal interview! Grab the bull right by the horns. You are as much interviewing them as they are you. Attitude but not arrogance. BE ON TIME!
Depends very much on the interviewer, it -should- be a conversation, but more often than not the interviewer is pretty poor (a good one for example won't sit with a desk between you as it's a barrier, they would sit to the side at an angle).
Quote from: "aitm"Go in to the inverview positive, but not cocky. Firm handshake, slight smile.
Sit straight, lean forward, forearms on the desk as if they are about to give you a very exciting project. You will always look the person in the eye.
Start the interview yourself, talk easy but not too slow and not too fast, avoid ah's, er's, and um's speak casual but with importance. "Hi, I'm Chris, nice to meet you and thank you for the opportunity, when my friend aitm told me about this position (always say position not job) I got real excited because he tells me you guys are detailed orientated and demanding and that is what I like.
A good start! Ask them how their day is going too, establish the conversation right from the get go, rather than going right into a speech. If not offered a seat, ask if you can ("may I?" *gesture to chair*). Keep your body open, no folding arms or crossing legs. Don't stare of course, it makes people uneasy (think the most most people can stomach is around 7 seconds if memory serves), but don't let your eyes wander around the room.
Quote from: "aitm"The company I work for now has no organizational policy and people constantly lose orders and it drives me crazy.
Uh-oh! Smug guy, possible trouble-maker in the future. Never bad mouth your current/previous employers, ever. If you left your old job because your boss was a dick, just say it lacked advancement opportunities instead etc.
On the phone, be concise. Have a piece of paper handy and as they ask questions, bullet point words or phrases that stand out, and when you reply, cross them off when you cover a topic.
Never be afraid to ask for clarification or to repeat a question...far better than getting something wrong because of a miss-understanding.
Don't over-use "power words" like adaptable, dedicated.
When given the opportunity, ask questions which reveal something about your intentions...potential advancement shows you to be someone interested in remaining in the company, pension schemes reveal a forward thinker etc. And if you can't think of anything, at the very least compliment them by saying they've already answered all your questions you prepared through their explanations.
Lots of other little things here and there, unfortunately i'm not as good a teacher as my Mentor (HR head of a national supermarket with thousands of interviews under his belt), but should help a bit.
the idea of the minor bitchin about the old job is because what he is going to be doing needs to be organized,efficient and detailed. Everything done to the T to maximize the time and save time wallowing through orders that have not been organized. People in the business understand how poorly organized most people are and recognize the value of detailed organization.
Most HR have no idea how to interview which is why you get this idiotic clap trap of "vague questions". Most HR have no training at HR, most HR are misplaced office managers given the job to merely clear the rabble and get the cream to the big dog.
Someone who tells me that his company was content to lose money due to mismanagement and poor disorganization tells me he understands the concept of making the company money.
Aaaaand guess who got a new job?
=D>
congrats! Musta been your smarts cause you aint' pretty.... :rollin:
I wouldn't want to be considered "pretty"
Although I keep getting told that I have "Beautiful Eye Lashes". Chicks dig the full lashes :-)
Way to go, bud!
Quote from: "Brian37"Quote from: "Mathias"I don't think a good tactic criticize another employer in an interview ...
I think that is bullshit.
It might be bullshit. But hiring/firing has been one of my responsibilities with several jobs I've had over the years. And I can assure you, any disparaging comments about a previous employer or manager during an interview with me almost always guarantees you a don't call us we'll call you response at the end of said interview followed by your resume hitting the circular file. If an interviewee said something along the lines of the manager at that job didn't know anything about managing people, my decision would be made on the spot. It could very well be that the management at said job was inept. Or it could just as easily be that the interviewee doesn't know how to work well with managers and will thus turn into a problem employee. Hiring people is always expensive and there are almost always far too many other applicants out there to take a risk on anyone who gives any indication that they might turn out to be a bad hire. Bullshit? Irrelevant. It is what it is. Saying anything disparaging about a former employer during an interview is the very definition of a bad idea. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it.
Quote from: "aitm"the idea of the minor bitchin about the old job is because what he is going to be doing needs to be organized,efficient and detailed. Everything done to the T to maximize the time and save time wallowing through orders that have not been organized. People in the business understand how poorly organized most people are and recognize the value of detailed organization.
Man 1...
"My old employers sucked and were completed inefficient, pissing money down the drain so I suggested some new approaches to solve it."
Man 2...
"During my previous employment I took the opportunity to offer suggestions with a view to increasing productivity where appropriate."
One is negative, one is not. Am sure most people would rather hire number 2 over number 1.
Quote from: "WitchSabrina"Quote from: "aitm"Here is my advice young man. And this is from a person who has never, NEVER not been hired after a personal interview! Grab the bull right by the horns. You are as much interviewing them as they are you. Attitude but not arrogance. BE ON TIME!
Go in to the inverview positive, but not cocky. Firm handshake, slight smile.
Sit straight, lean forward, forearms on the desk as if they are about to give you a very exciting project. You will always look the person in the eye.
Start the interview yourself, talk easy but not too slow and not too fast, avoid ah's, er's, and um's speak casual but with importance. "Hi, I'm Chris, nice to meet you and thank you for the opportunity, when my friend aitm told me about this position (always say position not job) I got real excited because he tells me you guys are detailed orientated and demanding and that is what I like. The company I work for now has no organizational policy and people constantly lose orders and it drives me crazy. I suggested a better organized more detailed system but the people there have no interest in it and as a result the company is not making the money they could be, and that means I am not going anywhere up that ladder. So...If you're as detailed and organized as my friend says I think I would fit right in. I understand its primarily phone work and thats okay, but I also have some field work in the past. I am,as I said detailed, organized and my job is to help you make money, so I can. "stop"
So, what do you want to know?
Yep- that's all good. It's ok to say 'company I work for now...blah blah" - but just enough to let them know you're serious for a change and not wasting anyone's time. Can show interest IF said the right way. Don't belabor the point and Don't talk about what you Don't like about current or past employers unless asked a direct question (after the above). Never drive home the idea that you're prepared to talk shit on them if it doesn't work out.
Happy medium. No you don't want to complain about past or current jobs when trying for a new one BUT as AITM has it said - his wording - that works.
It's tricky to get that part right.
GOOD LUCK!
What kind of advice is that? No you go into an interview and the first thing you say is "I know where you live" and pound your fist into your other hand. Then give the creepiest smile you can. What? No one ever likes my ideas.
Quote from: "Johan"Quote from: "Brian37"Quote from: "Mathias"I don't think a good tactic criticize another employer in an interview ...
I think that is bullshit.
It might be bullshit. But hiring/firing has been one of my responsibilities with several jobs I've had over the years. And I can assure you, any disparaging comments about a previous employer or manager during an interview with me almost always guarantees you a don't call us we'll call you response at the end of said interview followed by your resume hitting the circular file. If an interviewee said something along the lines of the manager at that job didn't know anything about managing people, my decision would be made on the spot. It could very well be that the management at said job was inept. Or it could just as easily be that the interviewee doesn't know how to work well with managers and will thus turn into a problem employee. Hiring people is always expensive and there are almost always far too many other applicants out there to take a risk on anyone who gives any indication that they might turn out to be a bad hire. Bullshit? Irrelevant. It is what it is. Saying anything disparaging about a former employer during an interview is the very definition of a bad idea. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it.
Exactly. If you're interviewing for a subordinate position, criticizing your former supervisors makes it look like you cannot take direction.
And again, that is one point of view. One of course has to take direction, but it is stupid for a boss not to listen, because that can lead to mistakes as well. Better management to me is when the conversation is a two way street.
As was pointed out in a previous post, there's a difference between being negative and pointing out things that didn't work in your previous job.
Also, there's a difference between hiring a specialist and hiring the least dumb person for a job anyone can do. I wouldn't give a chance to anyone in the second category complaining about their bosses, because the problem is likely with them.
On the other hand, if it's a specialist I except a bit more, so I'd be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least.
Quote from: "Brian37"And again, that is one point of view. One of course has to take direction, but it is stupid for a boss not to listen, because that can lead to mistakes as well. Better management to me is when the conversation is a two way street.
The problem with that is simple:
The current employer don't know the other side of the coin. An efficient employee uses the errors with the previous employer (his, boss, coworker, etc.) to be a better employee in the next. Of no use criticizing the mistakes and yes, once employed, to ensure that they do not occur.