Comments on: When to Shut Your Mouth http://rehaul.com/when-to-shut-your-mouth/ Rethinking the ways people and businesses interact Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:54:55 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Lewis http://rehaul.com/when-to-shut-your-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-265 John Lewis Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:42:07 +0000 http://www.yourhrguy.com/2006/09/14/when-to-shut-your-mouth/#comment-265 Yes, I really learned the hard way about “talking yourself out of a job”. I consider myself quite meticulous when it comes to job searching and interview preparation. A few years ago, I had my well-rehearsed interview dialogue stored in my memory perfectly, when I interviewed with a local office of a nationally known insurance company. I was expecting the traditional one on one interview. However, when I entered the interview room, I was shocked to discover that I was going to be interviewed by 3 different supervisors; each asking a separate thought-provoking question in what they called a “competency style interview”. I happened to be a visually impaired job seeker, so naturally, anxiety is always a little higher for me; wondering if I am going to sell my skills past whatever preconceived notions they may have about hiring a blind person. so I was even more rattled, knowing that I could not deliver exactly as I so thoroughly planned. I guess you could say, “they hit me from the blind side” with questions such as, ”How would you describe your idea of a utopian supervisor?” “Describe a period of your life which you consider to be a total failure.” ”Where do you see yourself in five years from now?” I felt that I answered all their unexpected silly questions fairly well, considering that I was a bit unnerved. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying to weave in bits and pieces of “my selling points” which I thought were more pertinent to the job I was applying for. I later found out, (from one of the interviewers), that one of the reasons I wasn’t considered for the job was due to my “going off on a tangent”, not staying focused on simply answering the question. Later, I crafted some very well-thought responses to about 15 of these competency questions, just in case I ever encounter that kind of interview in the future. It’s been about 4 years now and thankfully I never experienced this situation, but you never know what’s coming! Yes, I really learned the hard way about “talking yourself out of a job”. I consider myself quite meticulous when it comes to job searching and interview preparation. A few years ago, I had my well-rehearsed interview dialogue stored in my memory perfectly, when I interviewed with a local office of a nationally known insurance company. I was expecting the traditional one on one interview. However, when I entered the interview room, I was shocked to discover that I was going to be interviewed by 3 different supervisors; each asking a separate thought-provoking question in what they called a “competency style interview”. I happened to be a visually impaired job seeker, so naturally, anxiety is always a little higher for me; wondering if I am going to sell my skills past whatever preconceived notions they may have about hiring a blind person. so I was even more rattled, knowing that I could not deliver exactly as I so thoroughly planned. I guess you could say, “they hit me from the blind side” with questions such as,
”How would you describe your idea of a utopian supervisor?”
“Describe a period of your life which you consider to be a total failure.”
”Where do you see yourself in five years from now?”
I felt that I answered all their unexpected silly questions fairly well, considering that I was a bit unnerved. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying to weave in bits and pieces of “my selling points” which I thought were more pertinent to the job I was applying for. I later found out, (from one of the interviewers), that one of the reasons I wasn’t considered for the job was due to my “going off on a tangent”, not staying focused on simply answering the question. Later, I crafted some very well-thought responses to about 15 of these competency questions, just in case I ever encounter that kind of interview in the future. It’s been about 4 years now and thankfully I never experienced this situation, but you never know what’s coming!

]]> By: marvin walberg http://rehaul.com/when-to-shut-your-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-264 marvin walberg Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:21:25 +0000 http://www.yourhrguy.com/2006/09/14/when-to-shut-your-mouth/#comment-264 Good information.....do you mind if I quote this feed in an up-coming "Getting Hired" column? Thanks, Marvin Walberg Good information…..do you mind if I quote this feed in an up-coming “Getting Hired” column?

Thanks,

Marvin Walberg

]]> By: Your HR Guy http://rehaul.com/when-to-shut-your-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-263 Your HR Guy Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:37:20 +0000 http://www.yourhrguy.com/2006/09/14/when-to-shut-your-mouth/#comment-263 It probably gave you a good indication as whether or not to work there ;-) It probably gave you a good indication as whether or not to work there ;-)

]]> By: Colleen Kelly http://rehaul.com/when-to-shut-your-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-262 Colleen Kelly Fri, 15 Sep 2006 15:56:21 +0000 http://www.yourhrguy.com/2006/09/14/when-to-shut-your-mouth/#comment-262 What about the other side when the interviewer discusses everything but the available position and doesn't really seem to know much about it? I've had at least two of those kinds of interviews in the last 5 years. One interviewer, a CPA, told me her entire relationship story with her ex-husband. Um, I'm there for a job interview....I don't really care about your love life or lack thereof. What about the other side when the interviewer discusses everything but the available position and doesn’t really seem to know much about it? I’ve had at least two of those kinds of interviews in the last 5 years. One interviewer, a CPA, told me her entire relationship story with her ex-husband. Um, I’m there for a job interview….I don’t really care about your love life or lack thereof.

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