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Strange Interview Behavior

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Resume Writer

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Feb 7, 2004
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Hi Everyone,

Found this article and thought you might find it interesting what some people do on job interviews. It also has some common sense advice.

One area it talks about is people either not showing up for an interview or calling to reschedule. I see nothing wrong with calling to reschedule - as long as it is for a good reason.

One piece of advice I always give my clients is to bring a cell phone with them (leave it in the car though), with the name of the person interviewing you. If you get a flat tire or are in an accident on the way, always call the interviewer to let them know. Not calling is definitely the kiss of death.

Remember, the hiring manager community is as small as the aviation community. They talk and you do not want a bad reputation.

Kathy

Weirdest Interview Behavior


By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

"This guy walked into the interview wearing his swim trunks... "

Lest you think that's the opening line of a really bad joke, it's in fact one example of many given to CareerBuilder.com detailing job seekers' bizarre behavior, odd habits and complete lack of social graces.

The interview is the most critical point in the job search process. While you might look great on paper, the real test starts when you get in front a hiring manager. You've got the skills, now you need to prove that you'll be a good fit with your future co-workers and company. And it's oh-so-easy to sabotage that much-coveted and highly-valuable face time.

According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey of 866 hiring managers, almost 70 percent recalled unusual conduct of job candidates. While the usual suspects did come up, some of their experiences were downright jaw-dropping. Here are some examples of how not to behave in an interview:

What Not to Wear
Clothes make the man (or woman) and what you wear has a direct impression on a hiring manager. Comfortable clothes will curb your nervousness, but that doesn't mean you should wear a housecoat and slippers like one job seeker did. The company dress policy may be casual, but save the Goth clothes and socks with slippers until you get the job. If you're hitting the beach after your interview, it doesn't give you license to wear your bathing suit and flip flops. And seriously guys, the flashy medallion on a bed of chest hair will not impress anyone.

Without a Trace
"Eighty percent of success is showing up," said filmmaker Woody Allen. So what happens when you don't even show up for your first step to success? Employers reported numerous interview absences -- candidates arrived late, asked to reschedule, didn't show up, left to feed a parking meter or simply just walked out and never came back. Needless to say, these job seekers did not receive a job offer.

I'm With the Band
Unless you're in need of a seeing eye dog, you shouldn't bring an animal or another person with you to an interview. It seems like common sense. Nevertheless, many a job seeker has brought a companion along on the interview including a child, spouse, friend, pet and even the entire family. An invitation to a job interview never includes a guest.

Have You Tried Hypnosis?
They might be normal to you, but to others, some personal habits are downright scary. Those things you do in the privacy of your own home are not meant to come out in front of someone you are trying to impress. During an interview candidates have chewed gum, lit cigarrettes, picked their nails, passed gas, burped, picked their noses, scratched various body parts, laughed erratically and even spit. Make sure to check this behavior at the door.

Time to Call Dr. Phil
One big interview no-no is talking negatively about your last job. Some job seekers seem to complain about their negative job experiences to anyone, including potential employers. Gripes included expressing hatred toward their last job, lamenting about personal problems that got the candidate fired from her previous job, complaining that his previous job was too demanding, admitting she was fired for not going to work, and divulging that a recommendation from the last boss was out of the question.

Intoxicating Behavior
Some things are strictly taboo at work, and you should behave in an interview like you would on the job. Alcohol impairs your judgment, as do drugs (not to mention they're against the law). They should be off limits -- but some job seekers don't think so. Job seekers openly admitted drug use and arrived at the interview high, intoxicated or hung over. One thirsty candidate requested whiskey, while another simply brought his own wine. Another asked if he would get the job even if he didn't pass drug test. And one candidate just left the interview after finding out about company drug testing.

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
And then there are the incidents that are just plain bizarre, perhaps provoked by ambition, a desire to impress, or anxiety. One candidate constructed a shoebox diorama of himself on the job. Another did a Ben Stiller imitation. One job seeker offered a sexual favor to the interviewer. Still another knitted during the entire interview. And another barked at the hiring manager.
 
...or simply just walked out and never came back. Needless to say, these job seekers did not receive a job offer.

I'm guessing that at this point, they probably didn't want a job offer.

And another barked at the hiring manager.

There's something that I wish I could do sometimes!

-Goose
 
Kathy, I got a question for you after reading that. Of course we all know that talking negative about your previous boss or job is a big no-no, but what is the "right" way to address an overly bad job or company?

Case in point. Before I started flying, I worked for a company that (thru the process of my job) put me in a very uncomfortable position of doing very unethical practices. I went along with the job for a few months, then I finally got on the Head of HR's bad side for refusing to do something, and it all went downhill quick from there. Before it was over with, I was so miserable with my job, I ended up taking a few days off that I was told I couldn't by the HR lady. When I came back, much to my pleasure, I was fired on the spot. Which was fine, because I was starting full-time flight school in less then a month.

I also signed a piece of paper (totally stupid of me in hindsight - but I was so relieved just to finally get out of there, I didn't see any harm in it) that WAY over-exaggerated the reason for which I was fired. Reasons which might come back to haunt me later on. My question to this is, when a future aviation employer calls her, are they going to be able to have access to the reason I was fired in any detail, or is it just going to be the "we wouldn't / we would rehire him" routine.

This has been bothering me for some time, so if you could take the time, I'd really be glad to hear what you have to say. And how do you make that nightmare of a job sound "positive" especially the part about leaving to a future employer?

Thanks.
 
Goose Egg said:
I'm guessing that at this point, they probably didn't want a job offer.

You'd think that, but I worked at a company one time that gave its potential programmers a (simple) programming test. After talking to the boss, the candidate was shown to a vacant office and given an hour to rough out two very simple (i.e. a few dozen line) programs. After about 10 min, the boss ran into the candidate waiting for the elevator. "Where are you going?" he said. The guy's response.. "I know how to program - I don't need to do any test..." Right. Sure. :)
 
User997 said:
Of course we all know that talking negative about your previous boss or job is a big no-no, but what is the "right" way to address an overly bad job or company?
If you have to address it, stick to the facts and your reasons for doing what you did. Let the HR rep determine the ethicalness of the situation by stating this is what was requested of me and these were the reasons why I could not preform in that role...
I also signed a piece of paper (totally stupid of me in hindsight - but I was so relieved just to finally get out of there, I didn't see any harm in it) that WAY over-exaggerated the reason for which I was fired.
you can always ask if they may get intouch with your previous employer. If they respond yes then you can further expand and give them more of a heads up. But, it may raise a flag if you ask. Guess you gotta weigh the situation.
My question to this is, when a future aviation employer calls her, are they going to be able to have access to the reason I was fired in any detail, or is it just going to be the "we wouldn't / we would rehire him" routine.
Technically I think that is all they can ask - this is speculation though I don't know the law. Reality though is that a good impression can be given without stating the reason the former employee was fired.

And how do you make that nightmare of a job sound "positive" especially the part about leaving to a future employer?

Thanks.

point out your strengths , just like any other part of the interview. be ready for the "so what did you like about this last job the least" question so that you can prepare some tact.
 
Years ago I heard about a guy at a UAL interview. He had a hand puppet and insisted that the interviewers direct their questions "at the puppet". I also heard he wasn't a very good ventriliquist.

A friend of mine interviewed at UAL some years back and said that one of the two interviewers put her head on the desk and went to sleep mid-interview. I think I would have gotten up and shook her awake.
 
User997,


There are several issues here that need to be addressed. Since I do not know the whole story, it is hard for me to address it specifically.

Regarding the employer being able to trash you, most HR people will not do that. However, the law does not protect you if the employer has less than 50 people. If the former company does trash you, you might be able to sue for defamation and slander, if the allegations are untrue. Not sure who the burden of proof would be on, but I believe it is the employer since they slandered you. Be careful with lawuits though. If a future employer calls the former employer, and the former says that they cannot comment as they are in legal action with you, that will not look good!

Further, if you committed any "crimes" then they do have the right to disclose that. There is a legal precedent set for that.

There was a case where an employee was embezzling from a previous company. No charges were filed, but the guy was terminated. When the potential company (company B) called for a reference, the former employer (company A) did not disclose the offense. Company B hired the person and he embezzled from them. Company B found out that Company A knew, and they successfully sued Company A, since they should have disclosed that information.

If you want to know what your former company is saying about you, then hire a reference checking company. I work with one, and there is a link to their service on my website at www.awriteresume.com/pilot.htm Have them call the former employer and record the call. (legality of this depends on your state laws) If they cannot record the call for legal reasons, they can take good notes.

The other approach you can take is to put down a person that you worked with that was perhaps a direct supervisor - someone you got along with. Since your former employer is not an airline, you do not have to put down your "chief pilot" and this approach may work.


I worked with a person through interview coaching regarding his termination from an airline. It was pretty complicated, but we were able to craft an answer that had him taking responsibility without trashing the former employer. It worked and he got hired with another airline. Previous to coming to me, he had been trashing the former employer and never got calls back after interviews - just turndown letters.

It is tempting to trash a former employer. But put yourself on the other side of the table. The hiring people are going to wonder if you will trash them later.

Kathy
 
jetexas said:
A friend of mine interviewed at UAL some years back and said that one of the two interviewers put her head on the desk and went to sleep mid-interview. I think I would have gotten up and shook her awake.

Jetexas,

Curious - did your friend get hired? The reason I ask is I was wondering if she REALLY fell asleep or was it some kind of test to see if he would wake up a fellow pilot.

Kathy
 
Resume Writer said:
Jetexas,

Curious - did your friend get hired? The reason I ask is I was wondering if she REALLY fell asleep or was it some kind of test to see if he would wake up a fellow pilot.

Kathy

Or just to see how the interviewee would react to an unusual situation. Not necessarily to see if they would wake someone up, just to see if they got nervous, lost their focus or a little flustered at the situation.
Personally, I would be amused...but wouldn't show it. :)
 
Ill Mitch said:
Or just to see how the interviewee would react to an unusual situation. Not necessarily to see if they would wake someone up, just to see if they got nervous, lost their focus or a little flustered at the situation.
Personally, I would be amused...but wouldn't show it. :)

The type of interview that fits most closely to this is called the confrontational interview or "good cop/bad cop." One person is really nice, the other is a jerk. The purpose of this type of interview is to see how you react to someone that is not "nice." There is validity to this type of interview, especially in customer service type jobs. Just be ready for one of these types of interviews, don't let your feathers get ruffled and keep your same nice demeanor - no matter what they throw at you.

Kathy
 
He didn't get hired. From what I was told, he just ignored the fact that she fell asleep and continued to talk to the other interviewer. She was acting totally disinterested and looked very tired anyway. I think they were giving him hell for being 6 hours off on his flight times as well (which is likely another 'test' they used at the time).

Personally, I would have been a bit angered that she was insulting my career efforts by being disrespectful. I might have gotten up and awakened her or said something to her,...or even dig around in my briefcase to see if there was a police whistle or duck call I could use. : )
 
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I would most likely have said something and they were probably waiting for him to say something. Since he did not, they probably questioned his judgment.


I would have perhaps made a comment such as, "Wow, all this hiring must really have you worn out. I can certainly understand, as sometimes we get too tired to perform our job, in which case we have the company find someone to replace us since safety is of the utmost importance. If you are too tired to continue, is there someone that can take your place?" :D

Might be kind of rude, but I would be very upset if someone fell asleep during my interview; especially after working so hard to get to that point in my career. Even if they were upset because he was 6 hours off on his times, that is completely unprofessional behavior on their part.

Kathy
 
Resume Writer said:
If the former company does trash you, you might be able to sue for defamation and slander, if the allegations are untrue. Not sure who the burden of proof would be on, but I believe it is the employer since they slandered you.
The two things you might be able to run with are slander (when they say bad things about you), and libel (when they write bad hings about you). you migh be abel to get both.

The burden of proof is on YOU however, since what you must prove is that they KNOWINGLY gave out false information AND that it was injurious to you.


Resume Writer said:
Be careful with lawuits though. If a future employer calls the former employer, and the former says that they cannot comment as they are in legal action with you, that will not look good!
Definitely TRUE! I would add that you need to be careful even involving an attorney. Once you do this the opposition cannot contact you directly at all - that's the law. You are represented and unless you dismiss that representative, they are the conduit through which ALL correspondence with you must pass. At $150 - $300/hour you can imagine that will get expensive.


Resume Writer said:
If you want to know what your former company is saying about you, then hire a reference checking company.
Do this first. then decide about the legal steps you might take. I'd bet a letter from an attorney saying that they've been investigated and found to be in vilation of current slander/libel statutes would be sufficient if you uncover things that could be grounds for a suit.

TIS
 

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