24 replies to this topic

[Sylar]

This is about job interviews. How do/did you present yourself at a job interview? Did you dress in a suit or just a plain collar shirt? What was your most embarrassing moment in an interview?

I'm about to have my first interview this Tuesday and I really want to know a few things before I go ahead with it.

[.:.Lish.:.]

The most embarrising intervew (and first) was for a job in the kitchen at Dominos (it's a pizza place), I was wearing a Twilight fan shirt (I used to be a twihard but not any more thank god) and some jeans that were the worst old ones I had (I have hardly any fashion sense), the lady was asking me about what job experience I've had and I said plastering houses and it had nothing to do with what I wanted to do, I kept getting these evil glares from the guy that was writing everything down and all I could think of was "what's wrong with his ass?" after the interview I got up from my chair and went to shake their hand and I tripped over I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

A few weeks later I went for a different job and I still work there now for 1 year, 5 months and 21 days.
So I think second intervew is the best cos you know more about what to wear and what they expect to hear from you...most of them look for presentable and outgoing people.

[Rellik San]

I normally try and go for relatable and reliable in an interview, with either a shirt and tie or a shirt and jacket, but never all 3, you want to make the interviewer feel they have the upper hand whilst leading the conversation yourself.

My most embarassing interview moment is also one of my favourites: I was interviewing for a job at the Disney Store, so I went in and most people were very quiet and isolated in the group, so I pushed the extrovert excited about the product attitude, but it wasn't until the final part of the interview... now let me set the scene, there's the group, the store manager and the area manager: we get to the "Do you have any questions?" part, no one raises their hand, so I raise mine and decide to impress them with a bit of obscure Disney urban myth;

"Is Walt's head really frozen under the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Florida?"
I'm met by the Area Manager in complete stunned silence, everyone else in my interview group recoils in horror, the Store Manager laughs, high fives me and says:
"God, I hope so."


I didn't get the job, but still probably my most simultaneously embarrassing and yet most awesome interview moment of all time.

Post script: I went in a few weeks later Christmas shopping and got speaking to the Store Manager who recognised me, she told me that if it was up to her I'd have been given the job there and then and she apologised for the Area Manager being a prude and applied her staff discount to my purchases.

[Moosenapper]

I suppose I dress smartly to interviews as you should, but I can't stand being fake so I tend to just be myself personality-wise :/ good to know background information on the business though. Suit is a yes generally, but I knock off the tie, I just don't feel comfortable with one.

Most embarrassing moment? They had this form you had to fill out at one interview, kept in folders on a shelf which the manager went to get, fumbled, they all started to fall off the shelf so I quickly nipped over and caught them so they wouldn't spill everywhere - he told me I could only have one and to give them back. Thought he was joking but sadly he seemed to seriously think I was trying to steal all his forms :/

[Sylar]

Well I got an interview to be a host but I can't decided if I should wear a shirt and a tie, or a shirt a tie and a blazer. I think the blazer would be overdoing it though.

[Rellik San]

Shirt and Blazer

[Moosenapper]

Completely in agreement with Rellik there. Go shirt and blazer.

[Rellik San]

The reason for shirt and blazer:

It's the classic lounge suit look, which if you're going for a forward facing front of house role like a host, means you put the customers at ease by not being smarter then they are, whilst at the same time, if you tuck a tie in your pocket, you can always put the tie on if the other candidates have all 3.

[Sylar]

Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it.

[LionJess]

My dress completely depends on what the interview is for. I know people always say to dress up, but it definitely depends on what you're going for. For example, I work in retail part-time. If anyone came in to us for an interview in a suit, they'd be crossed off pretty quickly, because they've shown they know absolutely nothing about the brand, who we cater for, what we do, what style of clothing we sell, etc. You definitely have to dress to reflect what you're going to be doing. So for my interview, for example, I went with fashion rather than formality, and had a relatively short fitted black and white graphic stripey dress with a zip the whole was up the front, tights, and black lace up shoe boots (I think). The dress was from a new range the store was promoting. The managers definitely noticed it (at that time, we were the first store to open in the whole of Europe, and it showed I knew all about the brand and the store and where they were going).

However, I've had a number of university related interviews where I've gone more down the suit route but not entirely, I usually wear some sort of pencil skirt and chiffon top. Dress code is never really a problem for me, I'm usually pretty good in knowing what would work best, I dress people in work quite frequently for interviews and a good few have come in after to thank me, specifically request me to help them, etc.

As for bad interviews.... to be honest, I've never had one. I'm very charming when I want to be, and I've got every job I've ever had an interview for. I've had a few since beginning to work in my current job kind of out of curiousity, and then decided not to take it when the contract hours/pay weren't good enough to entice me away. I've also had a few people come up to me while I'm in work and offer me a job on the spot.

I personally think that the most important thing about interviews is to relax and be quietly confident. You need to be able to let your personality show in as much as is possible. Nervously fidgeting and stuttering gives a bad reflection on you, because that's probably not who you are, it's just interview nerves. Looking at the companies 'career' section of the site often gives you an idea of basically the kind of people they're looking for, and you can work that into your interview. It sounds cliche, but you need to be able to show what you can offer the company and that you can fit in well with their culture and what they're doing.




Good luck, by the way, what's the interview actually for? A host of what, exactly?

[Rellik San]

My dress completely depends on what the interview is for. I know people always say to dress up, but it definitely depends on what you're going for. For example, I work in retail part-time. If anyone came in to us for an interview in a suit, they'd be crossed off pretty quickly, because they've shown they know absolutely nothing about the brand, who we cater for, what we do, what style of clothing we sell, etc. You definitely have to dress to reflect what you're going to be doing. So for my interview, for example, I went with fashion rather than formality, and had a relatively short fitted black and white graphic stripey dress with a zip the whole was up the front, tights, and black lace up shoe boots (I think). The dress was from a new range the store was promoting. The managers definitely noticed it (at that time, we were the first store to open in the whole of Europe, and it showed I knew all about the brand and the store and where they were going).

Ahhhh glad to see you came round to my way of thinking, I remember when we had this discussion last time (a number of years ago) and you were convinced the best thing to do was to always wear a suit regardless of the job.

Also things not to talk about in an interview: Your weapons collection, your Nerf gun collection, never admit to playing dungeons and dragons, avoid mention of drinking alcohol (even as a bar man, product knowledge is one thing but saying how much you drink is always bad), comics, cartoons, manga, anime, cult movies/tv of any kind, being on a forum (unless a moderator).

[Sylar]

Good luck, by the way, what's the interview actually for? A host of what, exactly?

It's nothing biggie, just a host for a casual dining restaurant. Though I wanted to be a server Sucks to not be 18 yet.

[Rellik San]

It's nothing biggie, just a host for a casual dining restaurant. Though I wanted to be a server Sucks to not be 18 yet.

Casual you say.... shoes, smart jeans, shirt and jacket is the way to go... SMART CASUAL!

[LionJess]

Ahhhh glad to see you came round to my way of thinking, I remember when we had this discussion last time (a number of years ago) and you were convinced the best thing to do was to always wear a suit regardless of the job.

Also things not to talk about in an interview: Your weapons collection, your Nerf gun collection, never admit to playing dungeons and dragons, avoid mention of drinking alcohol (even as a bar man, product knowledge is one thing but saying how much you drink is always bad), comics, cartoons, manga, anime, cult movies/tv of any kind, being on a forum (unless a moderator).

Hmmm, I would like to think that I was only really thinking about more 'professional' jobs that I would've been thinking about personally and not relating it to anyone else, but chances are it's probably just repeating what was drilled into my head in school Relish the moment of being proven right, Rellik! But I do still stand by that for more officey/professional job, you definitely should wear a suit (or something of a similar professional nature, I've actually come to start to really dislike women in suits, I'm more of a fan of the pencil skirt or professional dress... I digress!)




Do people really talk about things like that in an interview? :S

OP - I always think a great quality to a maître d is utter charm. I was at a vietnamese place last week and he was honestly probably the best one I'd ever met, charming to the end, very helpful if we wanted to know anything about the menu (even though that'd stereotypically be the waiters job)... I even saw him take another customers baby outside because the baby was crying, so that the parents could enjoy their food... the food was great but I'd honestly go back to the restaurant purely because of him. Also the look would probably be a little too formal for you considering it's a casual restaurant, but he had a really great shirt on - perfectly pressed, first button or two were opened but the collar was closed by the neck so it didn't 'flop', if that makes any sense. That, jeans (dark denim preferably), and a blazer sounds good for an interview for this place. 

[Rellik San]

Do people really talk about things like that in an interview? :S

I was interviewing for a nerd/obscure orientated book store... apparently though the staff like that, the managers were evil corporate overlords who didn't like the idea of someone like me swinging around a prop sword or shooting customers with nerf guns.

[finality]

being on a forum (unless a moderator).

Ah ok so I should tell interviewers that I'm a moderator on emo-corner.com, gotcha.

[Rellik San]

Ah ok so I should tell interviewers that I'm a moderator on emo-corner.com, gotcha.

I think of it more as an addition to my CV's achievements section and phrase it as:
"Content manager of several high profile online communities."

[finality]

I think of it more as an addition to my CV's achievements section and phrase it as:
"Content manager of several high profile online communities."

What if they asked about it, I think I'd be happier to say I lied about it than to own up to being on an emo website.

[Rellik San]

What if they asked about it, I think I'd be happier to say I lied about it than to own up to being on an emo website.

EC is a: "Teen to young adult user created content site designed to provide a creative and emotional outlet for troubled young people." with a "name designed to draw these youths in and encourage them to be open by appealing to a currently popular lifestyle choice among young people."

It's not a lie, nor is it a misrepresentation of the truth... it's 'Corp Speak'.

[finality]

EC is a: "Teen to young adult user created content site designed to provide a creative and emotional outlet for troubled young people." with a "name designed to draw these youths in and encourage them to be open by appealing to a currently popular lifestyle choice among young people."

It's not a lie, nor is it a misrepresentation of the truth... it's 'Corp Speak'.

Well of course I'd justify it like that, but what if they looked at my posts Too many what ifs!