Interviewers can be so moronic

[seamonkee]

Recently went for an interview at N.....

It was a panel interview. The chief interviewer a.k.a director "scrutinised" my resume and proclaim loudly that I have a "loyalty" issue since I'm with my past companies for only a duration of 3 years or so.

Then he boasted loudly that most of the staff there (including himself) have been around for an average of 5 to 15 years... Then went on to show his scepticism of me for the post by constantly harping on this issue and that it will be an area of major concern.

THIS IS THE BEST PART!

At the end of the interview, he said:

"By the way, our company is moving ahead with the times and going into contract-based jobs. We are no longer offering long-term jobs like the past... This position is on a 3 year contract basis... Will it be an issue to you?"

?!?!?!

Oh yeah, have been monitoring the papers on this position... it's been popping up almost every Sat Recruitment Page for a good one whole year...

WHAT GIVES? And they say Singapore have a lack of talents?!?... Sometimes its just that employers doesn't know what they are talking about or that they are overly picky.... tsk tsk...

[seamonkee]

Another experience to share... As some of you guys are aware, I left my last job in Mar 2006 becoz my mum had a major ops and was bed ridden for a good six months. After much discussion with my wifey, we decided it was better that I quit to take care of my mum since my wife's job prospects are much much better than mine.

My mum has since recovered and I went on for my job interview... Having discussed with my wife that a long term solution is to get a maid once I get another job to take care of her...

So I went for interviews loh.... Went to one "######" company for an interview and the interviewer a.k.a director said this loudly over this issue...

"We want people whose heart lies with the company and who is able to prioritise his job over his family... Are you saying that if any of your family member falls ill or get into an accident, you won't be here for the company?!"

I won't be surprised this company get past off for the National Family Friendly Firm Award... but hey hey hey, I'm WRONG.... They got the award hanging proudly at the reception...

[mUAr_cHEe]

really .

[mUAr_cHEe]

you left your country club job?

[seamonkee]

you left your country club job?

In Mar 2006 coz my mum has a major leg ops (gangrene growth) which we weren't aware of... Superficially it looks like a small cut... but we were wrong...

Thank God we discovered it early duirng her half-yearly health check up coz if the pus reaches the bone... it would have been an amputation...

The thing happens too sudden for us to get a maid and train her to take care of mum... so bo bian... left my job...

[mUAr_cHEe]

How about going back to the country club??

[seamonkee]

How about going back to the country club??

Haha... The GM who has hired me has left... Now its a new GM who got his own team in...

Business environment so volatile these days... sianz... Thinking of striking out on my own...

[mUAr_cHEe]

seamonkeys? or taxidermy?? hahaha... not much animals in singapore to give u stuff... what are you interested in?

[seamonkee]

seamonkeys? or taxidermy?? hahaha... not much animals in singapore to give u stuff... what are you interested in?

taxidermy was never my job.. haha...

Enoff about me lah... I'm keeping this thread open for others to share their ***@#&*@ interview experiences....

[madmac]

Haha... The GM who has hired me has left... Now its a new GM who got his own team in...

Business environment so volatile these days... sianz... Thinking of striking out on my own...

If it is the club I think, then the new GM has proposed that, he wanted to build a new large reeftank... I'm not sure if its underway or not... (but just hinting to those who want the maintenance contract, call them... )

go easy and don't get depress, soon ur wifey will have a good 3 months maternity leave, which will take some of the stress off your back... and best wishes in job search.

[rockfish]

I got 1!

This interview i went to. After the interview, the manager called me back and say:" We really need someone with ur kind of experience. But since u are out of engineering industry for 6 mths, we believe that have reduced ur design skills to where u were when u just grad. So would u take that job for a fresh grad pay.

[nakazoru]

I have past experience...

Went to this programmer interview at science park, and interviewed by this a@#hole french guy (real nerd). There are some 8 other candidates there. Each is ask to enter for interview. When I'm there, he said that I have exactly 3mins to say abt myself. Then he took a stopwatch to time that 5 mins... While speaking, he keep looking at the stopwatch like an idiot. Irritated by his stupidity, I stop and tell him that I'm done, way before the 5 mins. Shocked he ask again "Is that all?"... I say again "Yes"....

Next, we are asked to do a mock programming in a room in C++ in 30mins. Every candidates looks puzzled and scratch head. I complete it in 5 mins and sat there waiting ahead the rest, thinking abt how I piss the french guy off....

Then one Spore guy came in to early asking me to go back to the interview room. The french guy said that they find me unsuitable for the position w/o offering explanation. I expected it. On my way out of the room, I turn back to him, and say "The question I'm asked to do, here it is. Anyway I completed the question." He look shocked to the core... as the rest of the candidates are still doing... I simply return a grind....

I always look for better jobs while having my old job. So I have no worries with lousy interviewers. Dun like them to be stuck up abt being interviewer....

[loneteelay]

SeaMonkey..

Your experience is very similar to mine.. i mean not about interview.. I finished my last job one year contract on last may '06. And I didn't find any job coz i'd to go to India for my mom's kidney transplantation. I was there for a few months and now i'm coming back and just looking for job.

Damn.. may be my resume writing skill must be sux and only a few company called me for interview. One company called me at 11pm then he request for an interveiw tml. I stay in Tampines and had to go to that company(Tuas)

Actually that was my very first interview coz last job i didn't need to go for interview becoz that was the company i did school attachment and my manager called me back. So I have no interview exp.

Then after i filled up their form. The interviewer look at it and ask me "Tell me about yourself". (thinking a few minutes and actually i don't know about myself) hee hee.. just kidding. And tok cok a bit and he show me around his very small company ( I mean the office place, not about what their doing )

After that he straight away offer me a job and ask me to come tml.

But i rejected that company coz thinking of going to Tuas 5.5 days and somemore no OT play.

Haha.. i'm still looking for job.. Guys if got any job opportunities, tell me.. wanna do job like shift job and got OT pay.

[cityofangels]

The chief interviewer a.k.a director "scrutinised" my resume and proclaim loudly that I have a "loyalty" issue since I'm with my past companies for only a duration of 3 years or so.

Hmmm.... I think ALOT of people mistake loyalty (aka ppl staying in companies for 5-15yrs) with nowhere else to go. I do not see the issue with changing companies after 3 years. It merely means that the pace of the company may not suit you and you wish to change your environment. It is simply having an ambition and unfortunately, alot of people mistake that for 'no loyalty'.

Like ppl who work in companies for 5-15yrs.... It does not mean that these ppl love their jobs (well, some do). But most of the time, it simply means they got nowhere else to go or are afraid of changes.

[kueytoc]

Hmmm.... I think ALOT of people mistake loyalty (aka ppl staying in companies for 5-15yrs) with nowhere else to go. I do not see the issue with changing companies after 3 years. It merely means that the pace of the company may not suit you and you wish to change your environment. It is simply having an ambition and unfortunately, alot of people mistake that for 'no loyalty'.

Like ppl who work in companies for 5-15yrs.... It does not mean that these ppl love their jobs (well, some do). But most of the time, it simply means they got nowhere else to go or are afraid of changes.

Agree dude. Sometimes people got 'big fat' pay already & they're contented with wat they're doing, day in day out, & waiting for payday every mth !

[seamonkee]

Hmmm.... I think ALOT of people mistake loyalty (aka ppl staying in companies for 5-15yrs) with nowhere else to go. I do not see the issue with changing companies after 3 years. It merely means that the pace of the company may not suit you and you wish to change your environment. It is simply having an ambition and unfortunately, alot of people mistake that for 'no loyalty'.

Like ppl who work in companies for 5-15yrs.... It does not mean that these ppl love their jobs (well, some do). But most of the time, it simply means they got nowhere else to go or are afraid of changes.

I can't agree more... usually the 10-15 years one, if you turn them over, there's lots of "termites" running underneath...

Honestly, I think a lot of people got "stuck" and are unable to get a job if there's a period when they are not working... There's a certain negative stigma towards "blanks" in your resume... even if you have a valid reason like medical emergency and proof to show it... too bad... To the employers, you are simply out of the rat race... damn...

How many times I heard in interviews that MY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE is EXACTLY what they need but sorry I'm skeptical about your six months of absence from your workplace... even though you are constantly coming up with new courses, revamping your programmes, involve in community work or do some project works here and there over this period (by the way, i'm a trainer)... To the interviewer, it simply means there's a PROBLEM with you if you do not have a proper full-time job in the last six months... d@mn!

And there are more and more such jobless people now in the market... all trapped in a vicious cycle... Besides those with valid personal reasons, there are also those who are made to leave companies even though they are performing very very well... This is something I heard constantly with most of my jobless friends these days... VERY COMMON given the onslaught of retrenchments and management change taking place... For example...

1) After a retrenchment and change of GM, newly appointed GMs are pressured to perform and reap in profits in tight deadlines of one year or so... given such a short frame of time, they do not have enough time to team build and gel with the existing team... So technically, even how good you are in the existing team, the new GM rather have his own team on board... In this way, he's cutting the wild goose chase of having to team work and know the existing team... of course, given the pressure, GMs are skeptical of the existing old guards as well.. NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE OLD GUARD IS!

So technically, there are such skilled people in the jobless market.... when they go for interviews, they aint even allow to badmouth their previous company...

And bear in mind that it used to be retrenchment happens when a company is NOT making profit... now retrenchments can take place for the simple sake of not making ENOUGH profit!

I heard of shit interviews when the interviewer said "If your skills are so good as it is listed in your resume. Why ain't you offered to stay in your old company during retrenchment?" Did you lie in your resume?" *expletive*....

Since interviewers cannot find their "ideal" candidate.... It appears our country has a lack of "talents"... so must get foreigners... making the market even tighter... damn

Talent = Young, Cheap, Good, Flawless, Top Grade, Scholar, No Health Problem... Must have All these attributes but cannot surpass the manager who interview you... haha...

[mUAr_cHEe]

I do agree with seamonkee and cityofangels at some point,

but... from an employer's point of view, definately there is something wrong if this chap keeps changing company; don't forget: when you are fired or you quit the company because of negative reasons, you will not put it in your resume like so,

Company: ABC Pte Ltd

Job: Big @ss Manager

Job Scope: Shake Leg

Reason for Leaving: I kena fired because forget to shake hand as well.

Company: 123 Pte Ltd

Job Bigger @ss Manager

Job Scope: This time Shake Leg and Hand also.

Reason for Leaving: The boss is a ###### and i disagree with his working methods aka Disagreement with Boss.

you will probably put looking for better opporunities. Or something like that.

Do not forget there is two sides to a coin. The interviewer is after all protecting his employer's interest.

But for slapping his own mouth, i agree that the interviewer cannot be any more moronic.

[seamonkee]

Bro muar_chee...

That's the thing I want to highlight.... There is a trend of people changing companies frequently these days and mostly not because they are not performing well or for any negative reasons... For example:

1) Contractual jobs are on the rise but interviewers still fault interviewees for "loyalty" issues simply because their last contract is not renewed. I have one friend who is a landscape architect but couldn't get a job because the interviewer says if his portfolio and designs are so good, the previous company would have extended his contract... but it just don't DIG into interviewer's brain that the project is over and there's nothing standing for this interviewee to do at the previous company.

2) Earlier scenario I have described concerning the high management changes and takeover these days... People DO lost their job not because they shake leg but because they are not in the new GM's league.... This is very real and happening rampantly these days... scary...

3) Personal issues like mine.... I'm still stunned by the last interviewer who proudly hangs a Family Friendly Firm Award at the reception but shoots his own mouth concerning work over family priorities...

Tsk tsk...

[stabilo]

I do agree with seamonkee and cityofangels at some point,

but... from an employer's point of view, definately there is something wrong if this chap keeps changing company; don't forget: when you are fired or you quit the company because of negative reasons, you will not put it in your resume like so,

Company: ABC Pte Ltd

Job: Big @ss Manager

Job Scope: Shake Leg

Reason for Leaving: I kena fired because forget to shake hand as well.

Company: 123 Pte Ltd

Job Bigger @ss Manager

Job Scope: This time Shake Leg and Hand also.

Reason for Leaving: The boss is a ###### and i disagree with his working methods aka Disagreement with Boss.

you will probably put looking for better opporunities. Or something like that.

Do not forget there is two sides to a coin. The interviewer is after all protecting his employer's interest.

But for slapping his own mouth, i agree that the interviewer cannot be any more moronic.

But can't one company find out from another company why the person left the company, i.e. by his own will, retrench or was he fired?

I remember my previous boss, he called me and told me that he was asked about me by a company I went interview for. Because I was on good terms with my previous boss, he was nice to inform me.

[minireef]

Cannot find a boss? be your own Boss!!!

[yklim]

Relax Bro SM. Its a mess in the working world. Hope u found a job soon.

[Achilles Tang]

Don't be too sore about the process. It happens to everyone, not just you.

Just take it as a clue of what a moronic company it could be IF you landed the job and ended up suffering as a result because a lot of good companies out there don't hire morons as HR people and their hiring/interviewing processes are impressive enough to give you confidence in how things are run.

You have to click with the company as much as they have to click with you.

BTW, I don't believe in loyalty unless the company really treasures employees in the first place.

[Reefaholic]

Hmm... i have to agreed with AT.

What royalty? If during bad times, they can retrench u given the fact that you work for them 10years. So what loyalty? Provided they too can be loyal to the employee.

There is always a greener pasture.

[ervine]

loyalty doesn't exist anymore in the workplace, and no employer or employee should expect loyalty anymore because people come and go, jobs get created and get dumped everyday...

So if the employer cannot guarantee employment for his workers, why should they do the same for him...

[kelstorm]

i get this qn

"what is your experience level?"

I replied "wat do you meant by experience level? Do you meant by doing the same repetitive stuff over the x yrs or have tried several stuff related to this job? like another department by in the same industry?"

The interviewer goes errr...