how do you handle an interview?

Interviews, hmm...

...I've had my fair share and each one has been different. I think the ability to adapt to the situation is the best way to approach it. I've had interviews where I've had the chance to sit and talk to the secretary for a few minutes before the manager and the tech lead comes out and if you are nice, she'll tell you everything you need to know including what they liked about the other applicants and what they did not like. It's nearly the same when it comes to the interviewers, I was offered an Engineering position once because I played guitar and wrote songs. Of course, I have an elect engineering degree but my education and work experience hardly had any influence on his decision.

Most pre-screening interviews (for me anyways) have been just to see if they like you or not. If they do, you get another interview where they will dig more into your qualifications. Get past that one and for technical jobs, they will dig even more in the next one.
 
OH MY GOSH!! THAT WAS the WORST performance I've ever done at an interview in my whole entire life. Gosh.....where do I begin....okay, well, since yesterday, I went to an interview workshop that I found at school, and basically , they went over everything that you guys said, so that helped out. I went to their website and for like 3-4 hours I read and read and read to know the ins and outs of the company. I spent a couple of hours rehearsing to myself all the possible questions they could ask me, like the ones you all mentioned.

I come to the place, I greet the receiptionist, and they lead me to a room where I'm all alone. First it was easy, just fill out a screening questionare and that's it. But then, it got crazy. I WAS SOOOOOO EXPECTING TO meet a person to get reach to shake their hand and talk to them, but what do i get? the receptionist gives me a three page handout, and tells me that "this is a placement exam, and you have 16 minutes to do as many as you can"....I look at it when she left, and all I see are math word problems.....like, ........not even SAT type of math problems....something else, where I should've freakin brought a calculator to speed up my time, but I was just shocked at the time cuz I was SOOOOOOOoooooooooo not ready or in the right MIND SET TO think about taking an exam. So I tried whatever I could, skipping the ones I couldn't do. In 16 minutes.....out of the 40+ questions they had...I think I was only able to complete and get to 24 problems. Thenn!! After that! she collects it and theN!!.....she gives me another packet,THIS TIME,....it's a java programming exam, with like 6 problems, all having to deal with coding, some of which were questions where I had to actually write or describe something, then some where like debugging.......

THe thing is that......I"VE NEVER TRIED OR LOOKED AT any java coding in my whole life........I'm barely new to c++ ....although I saw some similarities, I knew I would be screwed at this, and it sucked, cuz I put so much time and study going into this, and this is the day when it's supposed to happen and I'm supposed to be talkin my ass off, and instead, I get stuck doing exams like I'm in school..... and after I finished those, a guy came in and told me that I didn't do well.....my math is sort of "slow"...and I told him that I didn't know java, so he was understandable....but he says, whether it's java, c# c c++.......it's all the same.....and told me to wait another year and see if I can program like the ones on the exam, THEN come back....

the only good feedback he gave me was that my writing skills were good.....

but damn, just got home from it, and I feel sooo bummed out.......gosh........that really sucked.....I can't eat right now.......I've just never put THAT MUCH time into going for a company that I wanted, and now it had to end so quickly and on a bad note like that.........DAMN>..............what can I say.......gosh...well, i learned from it, but still.............I .........I dont' know...just in a lost state of mind right now....
 
That sucks. It doesn't sound like a "pre-screen interview" to me. Sounds more like a bait and switch. Learn the lesson and move on.

That being said, I'd send a very short thank you note to the guy expressing continued interest in the job. If nothing else, it'll show you have class. He might remember you when the right opening comes up, you never know. I've gotten most of the jobs I've gotten thru flukes or friends.
 
hi mike69,

i think we've all been in your shoes at one time or another. i can definitely sympathize. sorry your "interview" didn't go the say you'd hoped.

definitely agree w/ buybuybuy - as down as you may feel, send that thank you note. i know, what's to thank, right? still, it's a good thing to do.

and if you continue taking classes in those programming languages, i think you should let them know that a few months down the line. it'll show your willingness to keep improving your knowledge base, as well as your continued interest in the company.

you did everything you could to prepare for this "interview", and some things happened that were just beyond your control. people can be really smart and talented, but be less than ideal test-takers, so don't sweat the test thing - it doesn't really reflect your true abilities.

i hope you feel better about this soon.

=) penpen
 
I feel for you.

I think everyone's been in that situation where you prepare and prepare for something, only to have all the wrong things happen. For me, I scrwed up not only my first interview at my top school, but the following year's when they granted me a second chance... (grrr... UCSF...die!). Anyways, the test packet thing was kinda out of the blue, I didn't think companies do that. I think we were all preparing you for the real interview too early.

I'd say, use the experience and effort you gained pursuing this job, and focus it on another. The school year's not over, and I'm sure people are still hiring elsewhere.

Don't get too bummed out. Better and nicer opportunites will come along.
 
mail room? what do you mean by that..? well....the thing is that I have work experience......but not in the engineering field....I'm working right now at some places, but they're not related to my major...it's more like more towards education...

but i don't know....i should've known it would be hard to get through that company considering it's a startup company that's been around for 5 or 6 years..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top