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How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

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Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#21

Post by cabacon »

techdmn wrote: post #15
d_r wrote: post #8

One of the last sentences: "This is not a true story but similar things have all happened to me or to my colleagues. "

I found this to be a let down. The story was structured as a first person narrative, I didn't expect it to be fiction.

Particularly followed up with a pitch for the book to teach you how not to do these things that didn't happen. I agree that interviewers forget that an interview is a two-way street; you're pitching yourself as a fit for the interviewee as much as they're pitching themselves as a fit for your company. But it's such a good point, I was sad to have the fun anecdote turn out to be a marketing pitch for a book instead.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#22

Post by Deestan »

Other turn-offs:

1. Pull out an inconsequential suboptimally worded sentence in my CV and ask questions about it while wearing a half-smirk.

2. React negatively to anything about my CV or manner that is considered general practice among other interviewers. Is it silly and unnecessary of me attach a cover letter as PDF? Of course it is, but some companies' HR screenings require it, and I don't know your company's screening process.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#23

Post by nagrom »

evo_9 wrote: post #19

I've never worn a suit to an interview. I've always thought people in suits have something to hide, aka, if they really knew what they were doing they wouldn't be overdressing.

I'm a research scientist who wears a suit and doesn't understand your attitude. I don't wear a suit to cover up any lack of ability, I wear a suit because it's very comfortable, extremely convenient (lots of pockets!) and means that I don't need to worry about my outfit. I also enjoy being treated better generally because I look neat - doesn't matter about your body shape, a decent single-breasted suit makes you look good.

Isn't part of the attraction to no-dress-code places (like start-ups, universities and research institutes!) that you can wear whatever you like without being judged on it? Why do you prejudge those of us who wear a suit? Especially when they're uncertain of the dress-code of the place that they visit for the first time! I don't think that I'd want to work somewhere that the staff make such a judgment on such a shallow first impression, if I am honest.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#24

Post by mkramlich »

evo_9 wrote: post #19

I've never worn a suit to an interview. I've always thought people in suits have something to hide, aka, if they really knew what they were doing they wouldn't be overdressing.

you might be in your 20's or younger because wearing a suit to an interview was pretty much the standard in white collar professions at least up into the 80's. The software field has probably been among the earliest to start shifting away from that. But you're right, today for a software dev interview it will often look like overkill and awkward. It's so hard to find people who can program period and are avail and are interested in your particular gig.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#25

Post by mkramlich »

my goal is to reach a point where i never have to subject myself to an interview or application process ever again. they are fundamentally broken and often irrelevant or carried out amateurishly. once you've shipped enough code and had enough successful projects under your belt it gets rather old dealing with it.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#26

Post by angstrom »

nagrom wrote: post #23
evo_9 wrote: post #19

I've never worn a suit to an interview. I've always thought people in suits have something to hide, aka, if they really knew what they were doing they wouldn't be overdressing.

I'm a research scientist who wears a suit and doesn't understand your attitude. I don't wear a suit to cover up any lack of ability, I wear a suit because it's very comfortable, extremely convenient (lots of pockets!) and means that I don't need to worry about my outfit. I also enjoy being treated better generally because I look neat - doesn't matter about your body shape, a decent single-breasted suit makes you look…

I've never worn a suit to an interview, but I liked your response nonetheless. Where I work it's a mixture of dress/jeans/suits.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#27

Post by Tichy »

mootothemax wrote: post #14
fogus wrote: post #6

I would love to read stories of interviewees who've decided to call it quits on the interviewers. It must happen right?

10 years ago, the dot com I was working for went out of business. Even better, I was a PHP developer with all of a couple of years of experience. The dot-com crash was not a good time to be interviewing. The recruitment agent I was using must have been equally desperate. He sent me along to an interview for the position of in-house developer (yup, the only one) with a company based in central London. The interview we…

Typically developers complain the other way round - that employers don't believe they could be able to pick up any other skill than the ones already on their CV.

I still think PHP is basically ASP for Perl - sorry... (Yeah I've heard people claim it is not like Perl at all).

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#28

Post by Tichy »

j_baker wrote: post #13
fogus wrote: post #6

I would love to read stories of interviewees who've decided to call it quits on the interviewers. It must happen right?

You know, based on reading thedailywtf[1] for a while, I've concluded that it happens very infrequently even under the most absurd circumstances. Most of the time, the interviewee says something like "This was bizarre, but I figured I should just stick the interview out". I'm curious why that is. [1] http://thedailywtf.com/Series/Tales_from_the_Interview.aspx

Often you can still learn some things from the interviews. A glimpse into differing company cultures, for examples.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#29

Post by evo_9 »

nagrom wrote: post #23
evo_9 wrote: post #19

I've never worn a suit to an interview. I've always thought people in suits have something to hide, aka, if they really knew what they were doing they wouldn't be overdressing.

I'm a research scientist who wears a suit and doesn't understand your attitude. I don't wear a suit to cover up any lack of ability, I wear a suit because it's very comfortable, extremely convenient (lots of pockets!) and means that I don't need to worry about my outfit. I also enjoy being treated better generally because I look neat - doesn't matter about your body shape, a decent single-breasted suit makes you look…

Here in Colorado it's very informal; it's just not the norm to wear a suit to an interview. It raises eyebrows. This is especially true for tech jobs. I would never not hire someone because of this, but the reality is I've never met anyone that over-dressed like that for an interview that aced it. If they did, I'd probably joke with them about the suit, but that would be that.

I also personally find suits unoriginal. It's actually more work to find a nice outfit that is stylish, professional and looks good; a suit is like choosing Pad Thai at a Thai restaurant - it's just the easy choice, not necessarily the best choice (though sometimes it is the best choice too). I also think ones appearance gives you a glimpse into what makes them unique; if I'm meeting you to consider hiring you then your appearance matters. It won't be the reason I hire you, or not hire you, but it matters. Sorry if that bothers you.

Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview

#30

Post by evo_9 »

mkramlich wrote: post #24
evo_9 wrote: post #19

I've never worn a suit to an interview. I've always thought people in suits have something to hide, aka, if they really knew what they were doing they wouldn't be overdressing.

you might be in your 20's or younger because wearing a suit to an interview was pretty much the standard in white collar professions at least up into the 80's. The software field has probably been among the earliest to start shifting away from that. But you're right, today for a software dev interview it will often look like overkill and awkward. It's so hard to find people who can program period and are avail and ar…

Nope, I'm 43 (yeah who let the old guy in here???).

Maybe it's because I'm 43 that I have the opposite view of this; growing up in the 80's and seeing what kind of people wore suits (aka the 'greed is good' crowd), that probably had a negative affect on me. There is also Dr. Johnny Fever (WKRP anyone?) and his compelling 'Suits Versus the Dungarees' argument (sorry couldn't resist an obscure 80's ref...).

But I want to STRESS I would never not hire or hire someone based on this - I just think ones appearance helps give you another factor at evaluating a potential hire.

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