Second Job Interview - Need Help!

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #21

LTS3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
I thought I had that job back in December because both interviews went well and I had an advantage over the other candidates: I could easily get to work in 15 minutes should an emergency arise or if a study needed to be done early in the morning. I never heard back from the company even after sending follow up emails and a phone call :dunno: I have no idea what happened. It's extremely rude of a company to not respond to a follow up even if the answer is a "No".

Just try not to overthink everything. Be presentable, friendly, and smile. Honestly I think the most important thing is if the interviewers like you. They already know you’re qualified because you made it to the 2nd interview. They want to know they can work with you.
I'm presentable, smile a lot, and up the friendliness as much as I can. I can work with most people. I still think something is hurting my chance getting a job offer :paranoid: None of my references have ever been contacted. Interviewers might appear nice and all that during the interview but that doesn't necessarily mean that they want to hire you.

I get the "what are your hobbies / interests" a lot. What I like to do some people find it odd. I mentioned to an interviewer at another company that I enjoy meditative walking and discovered a great local, fairly quiet place to do that, among other things like reading and quiet activities. He said, "Really???" and was laughing but it just felt weird :ohwell: I know there's no right or wrong answer to such a question but I feel judged when I respond. I'm an introvert:gaah:Maybe I should make something more exciting up, I don't know, like learning how to indoor rock climb.
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
Wow! Carol Burnett actually managed to make Tim Conway crack up! It generally worked the other way around...

Margret
Poor Tim made it his life goal to kill Harvey on stage any time he could, remember the fireman sketch? =D
I grew up with that show and will die with that show!
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
I thought I had that job back in December because both interviews went well and I had an advantage over the other candidates: I could easily get to work in 15 minutes should an emergency arise or if a study needed to be done early in the morning. I never heard back from the company even after sending follow up emails and a phone call :dunno: I have no idea what happened. It's extremely rude of a company to not respond to a follow up even if the answer is a "No".



I'm presentable, smile a lot, and up the friendliness as much as I can. I can work with most people. I still think something is hurting my chance getting a job offer :paranoid: None of my references have ever been contacted. Interviewers might appear nice and all that during the interview but that doesn't necessarily mean that they want to hire you.

I get the "what are your hobbies / interests" a lot. What I like to do some people find it odd. I mentioned to an interviewer at another company that I enjoy meditative walking and discovered a great local, fairly quiet place to do that, among other things like reading and quiet activities. He said, "Really???" and was laughing but it just felt weird :ohwell: I know there's no right or wrong answer to such a question but I feel judged when I respond. I'm an introvert:gaah:Maybe I should make something more exciting up, I don't know, like learning how to indoor rock climb.
Yeah, I get that and I think it's rude for an interviewer to laugh at something like that. I wouldn't work well with someone who made a habit of such things, so maybe it was good you didn't get that job =/
As much as it sucks, sometimes you gotta "play the game", so instead of meditative walking you could say you enjoy walks in the park to enjoy the down time and enjoy nature, not quite the same thing but can kind of be grouped into the same thing =)
I love film and book analysis and have spent hours comparing notes on popular book/movie combos and the differences and similarities between the two. To some people that sounds fun, to others it sounds weird and boring so I just start out with "I like books and movies" and if the conversation takes off, I mention the analysis thing.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #26

LTS3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
Coloring gets strange looks, too. Yeah, it is a little unusual for an adult to color in a book like a little kid but it's fun and your mind gets a break from processing the noisy non-stop world for awhile.

I have a few books in mind if I'm asked about what types of books I read. I mainly read fiction.

Every time I think I did well on an interview, I don't get an offer. Maybe I should lower my expectations for this one and maybe I'll get an offer :think:
 

Margret

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
6,497
Purraise
8,927
Location
Littleton, CO
I only have one thing to suggest, and I think you already know it, but just in case....

No matter how much they deserve it, do not mention what horrid people your current employers are. That's the quickest way I know of to scare off a prospective employer.

Margret
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
Coloring gets strange looks, too. Yeah, it is a little unusual for an adult to color in a book like a little kid but it's fun and your mind gets a break from processing the noisy non-stop world for awhile.

I have a few books in mind if I'm asked about what types of books I read. I mainly read fiction.

Every time I think I did well on an interview, I don't get an offer. Maybe I should lower my expectations for this one and maybe I'll get an offer :think:
I would just tell yourself that the right job needs to be there and you'll get it. End of story! Getting the wrong job sucks the most, a job you hate is a great way to throw yourself into a spiraling downhill thought mode of "i hate my life"! =(
We have those "big people" coloring books. Imagine you all being surprised when I say the first one I bought was a cat/kitten one! =D
The patterns and colors on these finished pages can be, and often are, amazing is time is spent putting into it deciding on color choices and placement. If someone says "I'm an artist", they get all sorts of ooh's and ahh's. If you choose color and color placement and take time to make the portrait look good vs. seeing how many you can scribble in in a 20 minutes period..you're an artist. =)
 

Azazel

Time spent with cats is never wasted.
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Messages
2,844
Purraise
3,465
I thought I had that job back in December because both interviews went well and I had an advantage over the other candidates: I could easily get to work in 15 minutes should an emergency arise or if a study needed to be done early in the morning. I never heard back from the company even after sending follow up emails and a phone call :dunno: I have no idea what happened. It's extremely rude of a company to not respond to a follow up even if the answer is a "No".



I'm presentable, smile a lot, and up the friendliness as much as I can. I can work with most people. I still think something is hurting my chance getting a job offer :paranoid: None of my references have ever been contacted. Interviewers might appear nice and all that during the interview but that doesn't necessarily mean that they want to hire you.

I get the "what are your hobbies / interests" a lot. What I like to do some people find it odd. I mentioned to an interviewer at another company that I enjoy meditative walking and discovered a great local, fairly quiet place to do that, among other things like reading and quiet activities. He said, "Really???" and was laughing but it just felt weird :ohwell: I know there's no right or wrong answer to such a question but I feel judged when I respond. I'm an introvert:gaah:Maybe I should make something more exciting up, I don't know, like learning how to indoor rock climb.
In my opinion people who laugh at your hobbies and don’t take the time to follow up aren’t people you want to work with anyway.

I know what you mean by being an introvert. My hobby is spending time with my cats. People would be very concerned if I told them that, so like Bruce said, I play the game. It’s a stupid question anyway.
 

Margret

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
6,497
Purraise
8,927
Location
Littleton, CO
Actually, a lot of people are buying and enjoying those adult coloring books; it's become a big industry.

I began making my own geometric coloring pages, using a compass and straight-edge, many years ago, because it's cheaper and at the time there weren't a lot of the books available. If you've ever done something like that you can definitely say that you do art work.

Margret
 

Kitty Mommy

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 7, 2017
Messages
444
Purraise
1,127
Coloring gets strange looks, too. Yeah, it is a little unusual for an adult to color in a book like a little kid but it's fun and your mind gets a break from processing the noisy non-stop world for awhile.

I have a few books in mind if I'm asked about what types of books I read. I mainly read fiction.

Every time I think I did well on an interview, I don't get an offer. Maybe I should lower my expectations for this one and maybe I'll get an offer :think:
coloring isn't strange at all! I have about 20 coloring books, dozens of colored pencils, and gel pens. I love to color. It is relaxing and something I can do that takes my mind off stressors. I started doing it to help with my anxiety and it really helps.
 

Azazel

Time spent with cats is never wasted.
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Messages
2,844
Purraise
3,465
Actually, a lot of people are buying and enjoying those adult coloring books; it's become a big industry.

I began making my own geometric coloring pages, using a compass and straight-edge, many years ago, because it's cheaper and at the time there weren't a lot of the books available. If you've ever done something like that you can definitely say that you do art work.

Margret
I want to color so bad and have tried it a couple times but I gave up because it’s really hard. People underestimate the talent that goes into it.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #33

LTS3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
No matter how much they deserve it, do not mention what horrid people your current employers are. That's the quickest way I know of to scare off a prospective employer.
I never talk about about current work issues :headshake: :headshake: I have mentioned some difficult situations from previous jobs, how I handled them or what I could have done differently or what I learned from the outcome, etc but those are like a decade ago.

But that's not to say an interviewer couldn't find out about my current work issues by asking around. The industry is so small everyone knows at least one person at another company. And there are conferences, seminars, etc where you network with others. At a recent interview, one of the interviewers mentioned that he had worked with [name] at X company and that she's a good but tough person. That person now works in management for my current job. It's a good possibility he had reached out to [name] to ask about me and got negative feedback. One of my references is a manager and said she has done it too to get feel for candidates in addition to calling references.
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
I only have one thing to suggest, and I think you already know it, but just in case....

No matter how much they deserve it, do not mention what horrid people your current employers are. That's the quickest way I know of to scare off a prospective employer.

Margret
Very good suggestion!!!!! (Even if they deserve it!)
 

ArchyCat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Messages
1,202
Purraise
1,801
Location
Texas
L:TS3 -- I have been retired for some years. Back in the day when I was interviewing, there were many suggestions.

Here are a few I remember.

1. Don't be critical of former employers. An interviewer might check with them for their comments.

2. Limit the details in your answers. If the interviewer wants more detail, they will ask for it with follow up questions.

Note on 2. The theory was the less you actually talk, the less chance you have of making a mistake, getting tongue tied, etc.

3. Do job seekers still use references these days? If so, what are they telling your prospective employers?

4. Have you done a google on yourself? You never know what is other until you do. I would expect any company checking a prospective employee would do a internet search on their name. Check yours. a) There maybe false or erroneous information. or b) There may be another person with your own name, with less than desirable information. If so, you might mention that at the end of the interview, and suggest how they can specify the search to produce your information.

Do you know the names of anyone currently employed by the company? If so, do an internet search on them.

Good luck. In my day and field (Software development), during a good economic
climate, it was thought that you would require 4 or 5 companies to interview before finding employment. During a severe down turn that would extend to ten or more companies.

And remember your hobby is rescuing cats! Who could find that funny?

Again, Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 

Kitty Mommy

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 7, 2017
Messages
444
Purraise
1,127
I want to color so bad and have tried it a couple times but I gave up because it’s really hard. People underestimate the talent that goes into it.
Well I'm certainly no artist and most of my coloring is very basic, I can't do blending well and sometimes I don't like the way the pictures come out. It bothered me at first that they weren't perfect but I figured out that I was doing this for fun and it doesn't matter how good it bad they turn out. So far my favorite is my purple zebra :D
 

Kitty Mommy

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 7, 2017
Messages
444
Purraise
1,127
A lot of companies these days will only give a reference about your dates of employment and if you are eligible for rehire because of potential lawsuits for giving out negative information.
 

Margret

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
6,497
Purraise
8,927
Location
Littleton, CO
sometimes I don't like the way the pictures come out.
And that's what makes you an artist! Good artists and good authors are all convinced that they aren't "getting it right," that they could/should be able to express themselves better. Authors (the best ones, anyway) never "finish" writing a book, they give up and send it in even though it isn't finished, because they know that if they don't they'll end up spending the rest of their lives trying to perfect just this one book.

Look, I play guitar. It's a hobby; I do it for my own pleasure and for a very limited and forgiving audience. Does that make me a musician? Actually, yes, it does. Does it make me a professional musician? Heck no! But I'm still a musician, an amateur musician, which is another way of saying that it's a hobby. Remember, "amateur" comes from the French word for "lover." An amateur is someone who does something for the love of it rather than for money. And it's the amateur athletes that we send to the Olympics every four years (though I wouldn't call them hobbyists).

Margret
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #39

LTS3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
[name] isn't even one of my references. That interviewer likely would have just said, a "Hey, I have this candidate who you know. What can you tell me about this person?" It could be an email, phone call, or chance encounter at a conference or something.



1. Don't be critical of former employers. An interviewer might check with them for their comments.
I have never been asked to provide contact information for previous supervisors or managers.

3. Do job seekers still use references these days? If so, what are they telling your prospective employers?
I assume they are? No one has ever asked for a list of my references. In any case, my references are people I have worked with and will give out positive honest information about my experience and abilities.

4. Have you done a google on yourself? You never know what is other until you do. I would expect any company checking a prospective employee would do a internet search on their name. Check yours. a) There maybe false or erroneous information. or b) There may be another person with your own name, with less than desirable information. If so, you might mention that at the end of the interview, and suggest how they can specify the search to produce your information.
I have no presence on social media. No FB, Twitter, etc. I do have a LinkedIn profile but it's set to private. There are lots of people who have the same name as me. A Google search turns up plenty of doctors and artists and others who have the same name as me, including middle initial.

Do you know the names of anyone currently employed by the company? If so, do an internet search on them.
No. It's a brand new start up so all the staff are still being hired.
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
Well I'm certainly no artist and most of my coloring is very basic, I can't do blending well and sometimes I don't like the way the pictures come out. It bothered me at first that they weren't perfect but I figured out that I was doing this for fun and it doesn't matter how good it bad they turn out. So far my favorite is my purple zebra :D
I have one I pull out every few months and work on for 10-15 minutes whenever the random mood strikes, because the picture I'm working that depicts a type of nature reminds me of a dream I had that included 3 deceased pets. The dream included nature, and since this scene reminded me of that dream I've assigned their "puppy collar colors" (something breeders use to identify puppies with) as the colors for this picture. Finding the colors and blending I'm happy with is no easy task. I get PO'ed, put it away, and months later drag it out and work some more.
This picture has been worked on for 4-5 years. i'm in no hurry to finish it. I want it to be special.
Patience is great, but sometimes having an eye for knowing your weakness and practicing elsewhere is better than all the patience in the world.
Great artists put works away for days, months, even years, when they're frustrated. When they pull the picture back out the mistake is obvious because they haven't been staring at it for days at a time. They fix it and move on.
Your purple zebra needs a friend. Don't be frustrated and don't give up =D
 
Top