Interviewing

Over at Lifehacker, there’s a discussion of inappropriate-yet-common interview questions compiled from readers’ experiences. They’re grouped into several types:

• Brain teasers (possibly to see how you think);
• Personal questions (often approaching or crossing the line of what’s legal);
• Seemingly unrelated (testing something other than a job skill).

The useful takeaways: tactics for responding to these questions and steering the interview back to your qualifications for the job.

 

 

 

There’s an insightful interview with actor Nathan Fillion (Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly) about his career, including his mindset for auditions:

“I know now that it’s not about that one role or that one audition. The chances of getting a part are slim to none. Then you get one. It’s a game of numbers. In the meantime, you’re developing relationships. You’re showing a casting director that if he or she pulls me in to audition, I can deliver, I will be pleasant, and I can take direction. So when another thing comes up, they know they can count on me.”

This made me think about attitude in the job search. It’s easy to think that an interview that doesn’t result in a job is a waste: a waste of time, money, energy, opportunity, hope. But there’s a saying: nothing’s neutral. You may or may not get the job, but you will build a reputation–for better or worse–with everything you do.

It’s a good idea to cultivate a mindset that you’re always on stage, and act accordingly.