Job Search and Interviews

I was watching a Tamil TV show called “Senthoora Poove”. The star of the show goes for a job interview and was denied the position because he was overqualified.

Due to the current economic climate in the world, there are many people applying for jobs that are below their qualifications. They are willing to take a lower salary in the hopes of getting a paycheck. However, if the applicants put their real qualifications in the resume, such as a Masters Degree or their real job title at the previous company (Senior Manager), those people will not even get an interview. No employer wants to hire an overqualified person. The employer is afraid that he/she may quit this job when the right opportunity comes along to them.

If someone does get an interview, they have to go through the whole crazy process of answering questions again and again. Many times it’s the same thing and at some point you’ll run into interviewers who are jerks.

Once upon a time, interviewers used to ask for the candidate’s age. If it was a female candidate, they asked if she is pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Nowadays, there are other questions which are considered standard and regularly accepted but they are still somewhat silly questions. Why do you want to work for us? What makes you think you are qualified for this job? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? Are you a team player? Please tell us your strengths and weaknesses.

In an article, the HR guru Mr. Mark McNulty wrote about other unusual and weird questions that are being asked in interviews. Some of them are: If you were a fruit, what kind would you be…and why? Which movie star do you think would make the best employee? What color describes your personality?

There are books and online articles available to prepare for these types of questions. Answers to these anticipated questions must be rehearsed at home. However it must be recited, during the interview, sounding as natural as possible.

However, running into jerks can go both ways. Sometimes candidates behave like jerks and ask the dumbest questions at the wrong time. For example, during the interview candidates have asked the following: When can I transfer to another job? When will I get an increase in salary? Will you perform a background check on me? Do you do drug testing here?

One HR manager told me the most unlikely and bizarre answer a candidate wrote on his job application form. Name: He wrote his name. Address: He wrote his address. Sex: He should have written “Male”. Instead he wrote “occasionally”.

I cannot end this blog without telling about my own personal experience.
My first job in the USA was a first line Manager supervising 14 non-management employees who prepare financial reports. During the interview my potential boss asked me if I had any supervisory experience. I said yes. Knowing that I was new to the USA, he asked me if I had ever supervised Americans before. My immediate reaction was to say NO, however I held back. I thought about giving a well worded answer for 30 seconds. I was looking at him straight in the eyes while I was coming up with the right words. Those 30 seconds of silence felt like 30 hours. Finally I answered his question with a question back to him.

I said, why are you asking me this question? Are Americans very difficult to supervise? The guy burst into uncontrollable laughter. Then said: You’re hired.

I was about to post this blog but then I came across an article in an Indian magazine. This is a real story and I wanted to share it in this blog. A divorced girl went for a job interview. The interviewers asked the following questions: You did not give your husband’s name in your bio data. Why? What is he doing now? Did you see him after your divorce? Will you both live together again? The interviewers were smiling and enjoying the moment. The girl came home in tears.