Monday, June 13, 2005

Interviewers and Interviewees.

Last week, I had my first opportunity to interview a few people for job openings. We were looking to take on an additional person into our team. And boy was it a learning experience!
My sincere advice to people who're looking for jobs.. DON'T put stuff on your resume that you don't know or are not sure of. It just takes credibility away from what you actually know and how well you actually know whatever you know.
Two questions into one of the interviews and I could say that the candidate hadn't done half the things he had claimed to have done on his resume. And I wasn't even a seasoned interviewer! This was for a very senior position, much more senior than mine. I later compared notes with other people who had also interviewed the same person, and all of them felt the same.
If you put something in your resume, well, you are going to be questioned on that for sure. So, watch out! This holds good especially for fresh grads. No one expects you to know everything in the world. You are being interviewed more for potential than your "vast" knowledge. If the interviewer feels that you have the capability to learn, and that you have learnt whatever you have learnt so far, well enough.. you probably will get the job.

3 Comments:

Blogger Woodooz said...

That's one piece of advice all interviewees can use... I once asked an interviewee on what his interests were..He said Music.. So I ask him what sorta music... He says western... So I ask him who is his favorite... and Bryan adams was the answer... And so i ask him which is his favorite song... and he says... Sorry I dont know name of songs.

Some go to such extremes to make an impression. I don't know where in the world he got the idea that I would be impressed by hearing the name bryam Adams !!!

Good luck... Hope you get many more such interviewing experiences !!!

8:07 PM  
Blogger Rhapsoder said...

lol.. somu.. thankfully the interview I held today went on much better than the previous ones. I have some hope left!!

12:20 PM  
Blogger FSN 3.0 said...

I think it is possible to like somebody without knowing the names of the songs.He might just enjoy the music..you never know.

However, if I said anything in an interview - I would make sure it can be cross-referenced, indexed, tabulated,categorized and alphabetized -- but then that's just me.

Somu, did he get the job or what?

1:54 AM  

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