The job interview shananigans thread

Turkish Pickle · 10-31-2018, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pukicabuki

I don't know the context of you being asked that question but there are situations where it is a requirement to ask. If the company/project you'll be working for have ITAR (International Traffic in Arms) requirements then nationality is a legitimate question. A number of nationalities (~23 last I saw) are barred from working under ITAR requirements. Dual citizenship and even being married to someone with citizenship of one of these countries can be grounds for rejection.

Recently, we were forced to pass on a very qualified engineer due to his Chinese citizenship even though he is a permanent resident (green card) because we are an ITAR facility.

With that being said, based on your username, German is not one of the nationalities affected by ITAR.

I will be making buildings, not selling guns
I do need sponsorship which understandably is something a lot of companies are not looking forward to because it's anywhere from $5k-10k and a shit ton of paperwork

Quote:

Originally Posted by pukicabuki

Turkey isn't on the list but given the number of countries in that region that are, its not surprising that its scrutinized. Granted, if the job doesn't require ITAR then it's a BS question with no merit.

As I said, I'm a civil engineer (in the making) so I don't think I'll ever need ITAR clearance, unless me and my classmates work on a concrete gun startup but I highly doubt that'll happen soon...

I do know a shit ton of foreign Aero majors here though, it's great that they're pursuing education here but they all know they can't do much with that here...

Turkish Pickle · 11-01-2018, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

If you need sponsorship that's a different story. Sorry about that, it's a shitty position to be in but you're smart and graduating college locally, you'll find the right fit and they'll invest in you to get you.

Yeah, that's the plan. I'm hopeful of the company I had an interview with on friday, even reached out to one of their employees (who's also Turkish, they mentioned him a lot in the interview because our last names are similar) and said he'd put in a good word for me, hopefully it goes well...

Until then though applying online has to do as we don't have another career fair until next semester :I

aozer · 11-01-2018, 12:08 AM

I know a lot of kids that needed sponsorship that ended up getting sent back to India. You need to be exemplary if you want to beat out all of your peers who won’t need the additional investment.

Chasing Dreams · 11-01-2018, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

Understandably.

The part I hate the most is "references". I hate asking people for favours, and this is likely one of the worst things to ask a person, to me.

I wouldn't mind doing it for anyone though.

Eh?

I can easily give a handful of names I have worked with. If you work in close collaboration where you always give it your best, people will want to repay you however they can.

And interview process is terrifying? I guess you don't often sit in boardrooms filled with customers or prospects then. After that, you are never again impressed from a recruiter.

cmyx6go · 11-01-2018, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dzvero

is this qualify

^ This. Happens all the time. WTF? I get people that come in, sit there and text during the interview - which ends pretty much immediately. Had one last week that was taking a video from the moment she walked in the door. You can't write this shit.

tigger_643 · 11-01-2018, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usshelena725

Off topic, but this just happened to me yesterday. I was working in my office, and let off a terrible one. Within 3 seconds, my female boss comes strolling in saying "do you have a moment to go over something" and proceeded to sit down. It literally smelled like someone died and rotted whilst eating moldy eggs and she just sat right down and started talking.

I can't stop laughing. Maybe she has no sense of smell or just a wicked kinky side you didn't know about.

Never_Enough · 11-01-2018, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aozer

I’ve only ever had one set of interviews, which was for my current job right out of my MS degree. Honestly, the interview process terrifies me and I never really want to do it again.

Interviewing for jobs is terrible. I DESPISE it. I'm also terrible at in person interviews. Uncomfortable as hell sitting there in a suit, some stranger that, most times, I'm smarter than asking me stupid questions, I'm an introvert to begin with, blah blah

Never_Enough · 11-01-2018, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

^ This. Happens all the time. WTF? I get people that come in, sit there and text during the interview - which ends pretty much immediately. Had one last week that was taking a video from the moment she walked in the door. You can't write this shit.

WTF?!

Reborn_ · 11-01-2018, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSmartyPants

I'm in engineering and one question we ask to some candidates, for several reasons, is "how does a toilet work?"

Holy shit does this stump people. Typically if someone is mechanically adept they get it, no problem. If not we like to see how they work through it. We will even help.

Some answers are gems though.

One person who supposedly had 10-15 years of MRO (maintenance, repair & operations) experience and worked on large capital projects said "you pull the lever and it goes down a black hole". Uh huh, yep.

Another guy had no idea beyond float and lever. But did say his toilet was overflowing once and so he pulled the top cover and held up the float to stop the water flowing. He did this for over an hour waiting for his landlord. I kindly informed him the little valve on the wall shuts off water to the toilet.

Neither were hired.

As am I. For the interview of my first "real" job, I was asked to describe how a floor jack works. Toilet is a smarter way to go since EVERYONE has used one - floor jack can be a bit esoteric.

In general, it is a bit surprising how few engineers are 'hands-on.'

King Rudi · 11-01-2018, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

^ This. Happens all the time. WTF? I get people that come in, sit there and text during the interview - which ends pretty much immediately. Had one last week that was taking a video from the moment she walked in the door. You can't write this shit.

I have to say I'm glad that I have not encountered this, but then again I've not sat on the other side of the desk in about 10 years. I have thrown out "Thank you for time, but I don't think you would be a good fit for our company. Good luck on your job search." half way through interviews before. The look on their faces is genuinely priceless.

Never_Enough · 11-01-2018, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not_Judy

I have to say I'm glad that I have not encountered this, but then again I've not sat on the other side of the desk in about 10 years. I have thrown out "Thank you for time, but I don't think you would be a good fit for our company. Good luck on your job search." half way through interviews before. The look on their faces is genuinely priceless.

I'd rather that than the aholes that act like I'm still in the running only to hide behind a generic rejection email

cmyx6go · 11-01-2018, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not_Judy

I have to say I'm glad that I have not encountered this, but then again I've not sat on the other side of the desk in about 10 years. I have thrown out "Thank you for time, but I don't think you would be a good fit for our company. Good luck on your job search." half way through interviews before. The look on their faces is genuinely priceless.

Even worse are people that come in and try and BS their way through the interview. Especially when they are applying for a truck driving job. This happened last week. Didn't do well talking about his experience during the interview, even though he claimed to be driving for one company for 15 years. Got worse when he was brought out to the yard for the road test portion. I'll spare you all the technical stuff he tried to bluff through. At this point my VP knew the guy was full of it and just went with it to see how bad it would get for laughs. He didn't even know how to get the truck in gear. How the hell do you think you can bluff your way through having driving experience? Pretty scary - what if there is a company out there that didn't road test and just put the guy behind the wheel of a tractor trailer?

CTinline-six · 11-01-2018, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

Understandably.

The part I hate the most is "references". I hate asking people for favours, and this is likely one of the worst things to ask a person, to me.

I wouldn't mind doing it for anyone though.

That's the thing. If you aren't a shitty human being, people generally want you to be successful and are more than willing to write a reference letter or be listed as one on your resume. In all of the places I have worked/left for a better position, each time my supervisor offered to write me a letter of reference in case I needed it in the future.

CTinline-six · 11-01-2018, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

^ This. Happens all the time. WTF? I get people that come in, sit there and text during the interview - which ends pretty much immediately. Had one last week that was taking a video from the moment she walked in the door. You can't write this shit.

Wow. Where the hell do you work, casting couch?

cmyx6go · 11-01-2018, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Wow. Where the hell do you work, casting couch?

Just an office....I guess she wanted to document to post somewhere

King Rudi · 11-01-2018, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Never_Enough

I'd rather that than the aholes that act like I'm still in the running only to hide behind a generic rejection email

I've always tried to be as transparent as possible; whether it be in the interviewing process, being a manager, being the employee a husband or a dad. It isn't always possible but it just seems to make everything flow better when people can trust you rather than feeling like you're dealing with a spy and never getting a straight answer about anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Even worse are people that come in and try and BS their way through the interview. Especially when they are applying for a truck driving job. This happened last week. Didn't do well talking about his experience during the interview, even though he claimed to be driving for one company for 15 years. Got worse when he was brought out to the yard for the road test portion. I'll spare you all the technical stuff he tried to bluff through. At this point my VP knew the guy was full of it and just went with it to see how bad it would get for laughs. He didn't even know how to get the truck in gear. How the hell do you think you can bluff your way through having driving experience? Pretty scary - what if there is a company out there that didn't road test and just put the guy behind the wheel of a tractor trailer?

There is a company in KY that will hire him. I'm currently working on an insurance case where one of his drivers sideswiped our Ottawa Yard Dog a month ago. Broken (heated) driver side mirror and damaged 2 panels on the cab....$60k. The guy tried to act like it wasn't him that hit our truck. We got him on video picking up the mirror and throwing it in the trash.

It's amazing at what people try to get away with.

CTinline-six · 11-01-2018, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Never_Enough

Interviewing for jobs is terrible. I DESPISE it. I'm also terrible at in person interviews. Uncomfortable as hell sitting there in a suit, some stranger that, most times, I'm smarter than asking me stupid questions, I'm an introvert to begin with, blah blah

Interviewing sucks. I feel I interview well, but I really hate some of the ridiculous questions like "where do you see yourself in 5 years?". Umm, hopefully here if it isn't a shit show that rewards bad employees.

CTinline-six · 11-01-2018, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Just an office....I guess she wanted to document to post somewhere

Document all the companies that rejected her for being stupid maybe.

1MOREMOD · 11-01-2018, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

How'd that work out for you?

I was sort of joking and went on kind of laughed, they laughed and I got the job.

King Rudi · 11-01-2018, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Just an office....I guess she wanted to document to post somewhere

Proof to parents that she is "trying" to get a job so they continue to keep her up, I would imagine.

Germanauto · 11-01-2018, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maynard

My favorite Q for the aspiring interns/residents: What question are you most hoping I don't ask you? I also pay huge attention to how they treat patients, office staff, and each other when 'nobody is looking' (favorite quote "I'll be nice to those people when they are paying me to do it").

I'm gonna miss interview season (not!) - I'd rather be panhandled by lepers than put up with the incessant brown-nosing.

Haven't gotten that question yet, would be quite the curveball.

The amount of small talk and BS is off putting for me. First the unnecessary Resident dinners the night before, then all of us interviewees kissing every Resident and PD's butt the next day. So much feigning interest in people because you have to. It is what it is.

Maynard · 11-01-2018, 10:01 AM

Yeah, I mostly just use it to gauge how they react to s/t that isn't on script (or if things get really slow - in a 30min interview, only the densest minds can run out of stuff to talk about, so it is fun to prod them a little). Assuming you are in medicine, may help to do a little background research on the main research or new programs that they are into (recent pubs/grants, new procedures, etc), since that will usually take things into a more interesting conversation than 'can you handle the weather here'.

11-01-2018, 12:08 AM	#91
aozer Lieutenant 993 Rep 598 Posts Drives: M235i Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	I know a lot of kids that needed sponsorship that ended up getting sent back to India. You need to be exemplary if you want to beat out all of your peers who won’t need the additional investment.
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11-01-2018, 10:01 AM	#110
Maynard Colonel 4096 Rep 2,925 Posts Drives: 228iX & M2C Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Upstate NY iTrader: (1)	Yeah, I mostly just use it to gauge how they react to s/t that isn't on script (or if things get really slow - in a 30min interview, only the densest minds can run out of stuff to talk about, so it is fun to prod them a little). Assuming you are in medicine, may help to do a little background research on the main research or new programs that they are into (recent pubs/grants, new procedures, etc), since that will usually take things into a more interesting conversation than 'can you handle the weather here'.
	Appreciate 1 deleted_397282_c43ae5ea84160.50 Quote