Anything else we should know about?

I had a client in for a mock interview today. Jim has an interview tomorrow with a well-known financial services company. He was a bright lad, he had an impressive CV, a string of top qualifications to his name, and he was tall and well built – it turned out he was a rugby player.

I took him through the interview questions, giving him feedback on each one. Then we came almost to the end of the interview. I asked him,

- Is there anything else the firm should know about, that isn’t on your CV?

A question like this gives a candidate the opportunity to express qualities about themselves that are not on their CV, such as personality traits that would enhance their ‘asset value’ to the prospective employer.

Jim ponders the question, and says, in all seriousness,

- Well, in my spare time I like to travel all around the country to shopping malls and sell people goldfish.

WTF?!!!

PhD students

Employers and what they REALLY want to know

Just three little things.

1. Are you able to do the job?
   Think knowledge & skills (technical, competencies)
2. Are you willing to do the job?
   Think dedication & motivation
3. Will you fit in?
   Think ‘team player’ and company ethos

It’s really that simple.

Kris’s interview

Kris is a bright lad and he’s had a bunch of awful jobs. He is working abroad and often comes back to the UK on leave, and decided to go for a job in the UK. I asked him how his interview went for an emergency planning job in Durham.

K – The Durham emergency planning job doesn’t seem to be good

CA – So how did the interview go?

K – It went really well, until I asked them questions

CA – I wish I had been a fly on the wall! (I know Kris fairly well)

So, the interview went like this…..

K – What particular role will I be undertaking, seeing as there are 11 EPOs, and specific tasks assigned to them?

Interviewer – Sorry Kris, we just don’t know until a decision is made on whether the EPO unit will remain as is or to split up to represent their service areas.

K – Well, who will be paying my salary and pension scheme, is it the Fire Service?

Interviewer – Sorry Kris, I do not know the answer to that until we know what happens with the unit. You may be funded by the local authority, fire service, police or the NHS.

Kris was sat there, thinking, why the fuck are you interviewing?

K – When it is likely a decision will be made with regards to the future of the unit?

Interviewer – Sorry Kris, we don’t know when that decision will be made, it could be next month but it will be before April 2009.

(LOL)

So it’s back to Cambodia for Kris. For the moment. After he heard all that, he told them he won’t be available until April.