Thinking about a New Job for New Year?

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Bill Pflanz brings up an important point about age discrimination - it does NOT make good economic sense for an organization to practice age discrimination. On many levels, the plain fact is many studies show the worker in his 50's and 60's is more likely to be a steady full-time worker with fewer unplanned absences than the twenty something worker.

Other studies purport to show the 50+ worker is more efficient on the job.

There is no benefit to linking to such studies in this thread; our task here is how to deal with the various inappropriate, even illegal, questions some ignorant interviewers are asking candidates.

The questions Ralph reports are VERY TYPICAL from idiots.
Examples:One interviewer "asks how long are you planning to continue working"?
Another one asked "Do you think you have the necessary energy to do this job"?
.

Another big shot production manager asked "Are you willing to spend 18 hours a day on the job"
Here's the deal:
When you encounter questions like this, you have several decisions to make, usually in this order:
  1. Is this idiot really representing the organization policy or is he just stupid and his superiors would be appalled to learn he asks these questions?
    (Two separate interviewers asking similar questions strongly indicates stupid policy versus stupid individual.)
  2. If this guy is just a lone idiot/bigot, should I be offended or pass it off as a joke? (In another post later in this thread, we'll talk about converting verbal gaffes by either interviewer or candidate into a type of humor to avoid having the interview come to a crashing halt.)
  3. Is this guy a social misfit trying to make a joke? (I once had an employee who was a technical whiz and sincerely wanted to help us, our customers, and suppliers, but we could not let him out alone without a "keeper" because he would blurt out whatever stray thought came into his head - the poor soul had absolutely no "social filter" for his mouth. I'm too embarrassed to even repeat some of his gaffes 15 years after the fact.) Added in edit (3-24-2008): After watching some "Boston Legal" tapes this weekend, it occurs to me my tech whiz may have had Asperger's Syndrome - a form of high-level autism. Who knew?
  4. If my impressions are even remotely true, is this an organization where I could fit in, regardless of whether they agree to hire me? Remember, the interview is a two-way street. You are sizing up the company, its policies, its premises, and, most of all, its personnel as a place you would or would NOT want to work.
The question about 18 hour days can ONLY be treated as a poor attempt at a joke. Any joke, no matter how poor, from an interviewer can only be greeted with a weak chuckle and some sort of pertinent comment to indicate you believe it has to be a joke because nobody could possibly mean it to be taken seriously. For example,
"18 hour days? Ha. Ha. Next you're going to say the company pays triple overtime past 8 hours, right? Good joke! Scary, but good."
 
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R

ralphsulser

Previous post statement:
"Another big shot production manager asked "Are you willing to spend 18 hours a day on the job" Their priorities were #1-job, #2-golf, #3-family. Duh!

Wes, unfortunately this guy was not making an attempt at a joke, he was dead serious. This is a Japanese owned company in one of our southern states. The interview for a QA manager was being conducted with 4 of them-President (Japanese), a VP Sales, HR Manager, and Production Manager. We were seated in the conference room around a big table. I think it was more of a statement for him to attempt to impress the president. Further, I was informed that the Japanese president was traveling frequently, and this guy was in charge while the president was not on site.
It didn't take me long to get back to the airport.
 

RCW

Quite Involved in Discussions
Hey Wes!

Slap me if I missed speed reading something like this in this link but how about a poll as to where Covers found their last job through? Was it a help wanted ad in the paper? On a web job board? On a specific company's website? Through an inside contact (be it friend or relative)? Was it just a "cold call" to a place you wanted to work? Possibly some other method?

I have read some articles that recommend doing as many of the above as possible. I have also read that the only efficient way is through an inside contact.

What is really happening out there and what are the best angles of attack?

Thanks!
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Previous post statement:
"Another big shot production manager asked "Are you willing to spend 18 hours a day on the job" Their priorities were #1-job, #2-golf, #3-family. Duh!

Wes, unfortunately this guy was not making an attempt at a joke, he was dead serious. This is a Japanese owned company in one of our southern states. The interview for a QA manager was being conducted with 4 of them-President (Japanese), a VP Sales, HR Manager, and Production Manager. We were seated in the conference room around a big table. I think it was more of a statement for him to attempt to impress the president. Further, I was informed that the Japanese president was traveling frequently, and this guy was in charge while the president was not on site.
It didn't take me long to get back to the airport.
Pity! I still maintain the only way for a candidate to deal with such a question is humor, otherwise the interview is essentially over. I'm not sure you knew instantly the guy was dead serious, but if you did, why stay any longer to waste your time? Do we need to talk about how to break off an interview when you know it is not going to work out?
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Hey Wes!

Slap me if I missed speed reading something like this in this link but how about a poll as to where Covers found their last job through? Was it a help wanted ad in the paper? On a web job board? On a specific company's website? Through an inside contact (be it friend or relative)? Was it just a "cold call" to a place you wanted to work? Possibly some other method?

I have read some articles that recommend doing as many of the above as possible. I have also read that the only efficient way is through an inside contact.

What is really happening out there and what are the best angles of attack?

Thanks!
I'll consider this question for another thread.

Regardless of anything else, it is always better to target employers and get as much research as possible BEFORE your first cover letter/resume.
 
G

Gert Sorensen

Do we need to talk about how to break off an interview when you know it is not going to work out?

Maybe that's not such a bad idea... I'm in the medical device business, and that is basically a small world where everybody knows everybody here in DK. So how do I get out of an interview without antagonizing the interviewer, if I can see that the interview is not creating any value for me and the company?

I would like to hear some good suggestions on this one.... This is proving to be a really interesting thread, there is a lot of good points from everyone involved. :bigwave: :bigwave: :bigwave:
 

ScottK

Not out of the crisis
Leader
Super Moderator
Pity! I still maintain the only way for a candidate to deal with such a question is humor, otherwise the interview is essentially over. I'm not sure you knew instantly the guy was dead serious, but if you did, why stay any longer to waste your time? Do we need to talk about how to break off an interview when you know it is not going to work out?

I've never actually broken off an interview. On very few occasions I have tuned out when I realized it was going nowhere but I've always stuck around.
Depends on if I got a facility tour or not, I always like to take facility tours to look for new ideas and see new things.

I've broken off several interview processes, but that was after the first was complete and they asked me back for a second.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
I agree with Discordian; it's usually best to grin and bear it. On the other hand, if time is an issue and it looks like the process is going to drag out, there's usually nothing wrong with just politely calling a halt to the process by saying something like, "This looks like it's going to be a really interesting position for someone, and I really appreciate your consideration, but I don't think I'm the right candidate."
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
I agree with Discordian; it's usually best to grin and bear it. On the other hand, if time is an issue and it looks like the process is going to drag out, there's usually nothing wrong with just politely calling a halt to the process by saying something like, "This looks like it's going to be a really interesting position for someone, and I really appreciate your consideration, but I don't think I'm the right candidate."
Good diplomatic course of action. Anyone else with another?
 

BradM

Leader
Admin
Good diplomatic course of action. Anyone else with another?

I don't have one, but I wished I had. This was several years ago. Talk about an Operations nightmare; a funny story for another thread, I guess. Five minutes into it, it did not feel right. An hour 1/2 later, I finally got to leave.

Even with Diplomacy and tact, I'm not sure if I could end it. Even though it's a waste of time for both, I honestly would probably weather it out.
 
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