On Interviews

I want to record this for my benefit really.

There were three jobs I recently applied for. One was an area job, to become my line manager – except of course, I wouldn’t be my line manager because I’d have got the job and my current job would be vacant – another was the same level job as my line manager’s job, but with a county remit, instead of an area one and the third job was one that was in Ray’s hometown area and also would have been rather a nice elevation.

I heard quite quickly that I hadn’t even been shortlisted for the one in Ray’s area, so that left the two internal jobs and I was shortlisted for my line manager’s job. This job has been vacant for a while now and so I’ve been reporting to the next line manager up; a lady I shall call Snot, because she’s snotty and snooty and is probably the only person in the whole of the county council that I don’t like. It’s mutual, but we play the game and are professionally polite to each other.

Anyway, sometime ago, during the county’s infamous restructure, Snot applied for the job I was applying for and didn’t get it. She got excellent feedback from the Area Manager and was subsequently successful in an interview for her current job – one level up from the one she originally applied for. I asked Snot if she could give me any hints or tips before the interview as I’m rubbish at interviewing and need all the help I can get. She refused. She said “I’m not the person to ask, as I didn’t get the job when I applied for it.”

I know that. But she got superb feedback, learned how the point scoring system works and got a higher job! I didn’t push it though; no way was I going to beg her. She was also eight months pregnant and not always around.

So I did online research about interviews, learned about the types of questions that would be asked and prepared as well as I could. I prepared a presentation as requested and it sat in the laps of the gods from that point onwards.

Without doubt, I was the most experienced candidate for the job. Most people assumed I would get it, but I wasn’t so sure. I know that interviews are my weak point and I’ve actually been in the position before where I’ve helped to write the job description for a job and then still didn’t get it! Then as the time of the interview approached, four separate people “warned” me about another candidate. Three of these people also warned me about Snot and that she was not being supportive of me. So much for professionalism!

The interview happened. My presentation was apparently excellent and I didn’t lose a single point on that part. The questions weren’t so good for me. I expected to have at least one or two “at ease” questions where I could chat about why I wanted the job, but the very first question was “Tell me about a piece of youth work you’ve done that went wrong and what you learned from it.” Ok, it’s a fair question, but a FIRST one? Then I was asked, “What would you do if you were given a piece of work to do, but you were already doing something else?” I should have waffled on about delegation, but instead told the truth; that I’d prioritise and get them both done. And so it went on. Every question was behavioural and there wasn’t a single one that related to skills, strengths or experience. I did answer all of them with no trouble, but found it hard in one way, as I knew all the panel and knew they were aware of what I already do. 

Once I got home and changed out of my interview suit, the phone rang. It was a lady from HR asking if I’d mind the interview I’d just had counting for the county job as well. I said that was fine. The county job was the one I really, really wanted. For one thing, if I got it, I would have nothing to do with Snot!

That same evening, I got a call from Snot. I hadn’t got the area job. Apparently, I was one point less than the successful candidate who is not even qualified, but gave a brilliant interview. She had had the benefit of advice from her current line manager and did what I didn’t do, which was elaborate on her interview answers. By doing this, she said the buzz words and got the points. The girl who got the job is apparently really nice and is good at what she does – I have no problem with her at all, but I did feel resentful towards Snot who was so unsupportive.

Stupid thing is, this wasn’t the job I wanted, but it’s still not nice coming second! Also, there were two more candidates to be interviewed for the county job and although I was front runner to date, either one of them could beat me!

But they didn’t . I got the job I wanted. The only thing that might have been even better would be to have been offered both and turned down the area one!

A couple of days later, I went to lunch with Ann who is a senior manager and was also on the interview panel. She’s also a colleague/friend. Ann told me, quite indiscreetly, that she was absolutely horrified when she saw the interview questions and actually felt embarrassed asking them. They were chosen from a set of standard questions designed to cover the principles of the county council, but were not good choices for the job. As I noticed, none of them addressed experience or skills, etc. And guess what… Snot compiled them! Ann also told me that my presentation was the only one that showed any strategic awareness and that it was clear right from the start that the county job would be the better one for me. She didn’t say so, but people since have suggested that maybe I wasn’t really being considered for the area job, because of the county one (and I had made no secret which job I really wanted).   I don’t know… it’s quite a flattering thought, but not one that could ever be acknowledged.

I’m in limbo at the moment. Work wise, Christmas and New Year really have come at an inconvenient time. I want to get on with handing over my work and getting stuck in the new job, but nothing’s going to happen until next week at the earliest. 

Meanwhile, I have this assignment to write. I made a miserable start yesterday and had to get on with it today. Another 500 words later and I realised that it’s almost the same content as my interview presentation was.  I have now copied and pasted the presentation to the assignment format, substituted a few key words and it’s practically done with very little extra effort. All I now need to do is insert a few references and quotes so it looks like I’ve done some reading and research and submit it! No point in doing something I don’t need to, right?

o is insert a few references and quotes so it looks like I’ve done some reading and research and submit it! No point in doing something I don’t need to, right?