How to Mess Up a Job Interview

[Gatorman]

How to Mess Up a Job Interview
We've all been interviewed for jobs. And, we've all spent most of those interviews thinking about what not to do. Don't bite your nails. Don't fidget. Don't interrupt. Don't belch. If we did any of the don'ts, we knew we'd disqualify ourselves instantly. But some job applicants go light years beyond this. We surveyed top personnel executives of 100 major American corporations and asked for stories of unusual behavior by job applicants. The lowlights:

- "...stretched out on the floor to fill out the job application."

- "She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time."

- "A balding candidate abruptly excused himself. Returned to office a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece."

- "...asked to see interviewer's resume to see if the personnel executive was qualified to judge the candidate."

- "... announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewer's office - wiping the ketchup on her sleeve."

- "Stated that, if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm."

- "Interrupted to phone his therapist for advice on answering specific interview questions."

- "When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood up and started tap dancing around my office."

- "At the end of the interview, while I stood there dumbstruck, went through my purse, took out a brush, brushed his hair, and left."

- "...pulled out a Polaroid camera and snapped a flash picture of me. Said he collected photos of everyone who interviewed him."

 

[LegacyDriver]

Reminds me of a buddy of mine (and I have heard this from multiple sources so I tend to believe it) who claimed to have ended his Jetlink interview rather abruptly. He had been hired elsewhere so didn't need the job any way (those were the days).

Jetlink Interviewer: Why should we hire you?

My Pal: Because I am Superman.

Jetlink: Superman?

My pal (rising from his chair and jerking his shirt open): SUUUUUUUPERMAAAANNNN!!! Duhn ta da dunh DUNH DAAAAA!!! (Runs around interviewer's table) WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Superman!!!! WOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!

Then out the door to have a beer at a friend's place.

True or not, one of the funniest aviation tales I ever heard.

He didn't get the Jetlink job.

 

[charter dog]

Yeah, I think I just futzed one up by hesitating when the CP informed me that their hiring practice was to make you sit the indoc class and an oral prior to being offered a position, all on your own time. The interview seemed to be going pretty well up to this point. I was pretty much "on my game" and felt the reaction to my dialogue was positive. This hesitation reaction of mine seemed to scrub off much of the enthusiasm I was detecting prior to this point.

I guess this "extended interview" scheme gives them a chance to "get to know you" to some degree while requiring the applicant to prove their desire to work there prior to the company making any signifigant commitment of monetary resources. Were I not currently employed and unwilling to jeopardize my current position, I would have gotten over any hesitation real quickly by looking at the indoc class as a time investment I could afford in order to get this job. Because this is a better (equip and $) position than I currently hold, I would have done it without hesitation were it not for the fact that I cannot get the time off from my current job to do it without "calling in sick" or otherwise lying to my current employer, who allthough they are tough business practitioners, have treated me in an ethical manner. A shame really, since I had hopes for this one. On the other hand, if they expect me to screw my current employer to get the job at their place, maybe I did the right thing whether I intended to or not. That extra dough sure would have come in handy. Oh well... for now.

Best,

 

[LegacyDriver]

I wouldn't want a job like that any way. Indoc on your own???????

 

[CapnVegetto]

LD's right. That's bull$hit. You oughta be thankful you didn't get that one.

 

[charter dog]

You oughta be thankful you didn't get that one.

Thanks. You make a good point. And I do appreciate the support.

I have very mixed feelings about it. On one hand, this practice does not speak very well for the general character of this company. On the other, It really was quite a bit more money. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the companies who have a decent compensation package and a high standard of care for both aircraft and crew are in a position to make you jump through more hoops. That's just the way it is. And so it also seems as though for me, it may come down to a choice between accepting substandard pay and working conditions at a company where far less butt-smooching and corporate BS is required of it's pilots, or just chugging the corporate Kool-aid (or at least appearing to!) and taking the money and all that comes with it. No free lunch.

The reason I added my interview experience to this thread is that I really think I let one get by by me here. I've got to take the next step if I'm going to go any further in this business. Flying experience and knowledge/proficiency will only carry me so far in the process of career advancement. Even though honesty and "doing the right thing" appears to have cost me this time, I must/will find a way to maintain those values while still projecting the image of the ideal employee to potential employers. It's a fine line I had better learn to see more clearly.

Anyway, thanks for the responses and I hope there is something in this to be learned that will benefit all of us.

Best,

 

[PA-44Typed]

Not sure if it’s true or not but I have hared of a guy that got a rejection letter but still showed up for indoc. The way the story goes the first day of indoc the company was very busy and he was able to fake is way through day one, after that he got assigned a training partner and went on and flew for the company till retirement.

 

[User998]

Wow, how much is a PA-44 type going for now a days?

I remember back when theyd let anyone fly the Seminole!

 

[Avalanche]

I heard about a guy who Fed Ex'd his resume to the UPS Chief Pilot....that may not apply to this thread though because he never actually got the interview.

 

[PHX767]

I managed to piss off the DO of a charter outfit that was looking for a G3 pilot. He told me there were no scheduled days off and I said thats a bunch of BS. How the hell were you supposed to have a life. Saw him a few weeks later, he said he got the impression I didn't want to work hard enough to fly charter. I told him he was correct in his assumption.