Job interviews suck
2006-01-14 - 10:37 a.m.

I read an article yesterday at msn.com about how to answer tricky interview questions. I've spent many hours practicing for job interviews so I was interested to see if their suggestions were anything akin to what my practicing has been like.

The one question that interviewers always seem to ask, and that was covered in this article, is "What are your greatest weaknesses?" I loathe this question. First of all, it's obvious that they don't want a truthful answer and that just pisses me off. No one wants to hear, "Well, my greatest weaknesses are a habit of being late and taking long lunches," so they expect you to tell them a weakness that sounds like a weakness but really isn't. How stupid is that? MSN's answer to this question was, "The secret to answering this question is being honest about a weakness, but demonstrating how you have turned it into a strength."

Ironically, this is exactly what I've done in past job interviews, but I felt like I was cheating and not really answering the question because a weakness that I've turned into a strength is no longer a weakness. Job interview questions are such bullshit.

Another question they covered was, "Why did you leave your last job?" MSN says to be careful and not be too negative when answering this question because "complaining endlessly about your last company will not say much for your attitude." Well, no kidding, but obviously you left your last job because either a) you didn't like it there, b) you were laid off or c) you were fired. So to say anything other than these three things is basically lying, right? Job interviews are all about how creatively and convincingly you can lie.

I know these stupid questions are used to assess the applicant's personality but it still pisses me off. I hope I never have to go on a job interview again.

Speaking of jobs and such, B recently bought the course materials to begin a medical transcription program with a company called M-Tech (I think). Last year he bought materials for a program called the SUM course, which unfortunately wasn't enough to get him certification, so now he's enrolled in an official online school and it's supposed to take him 18 months to "graduate." He got a huge box of textbooks and other odds and ends a couple days ago, so he's been reading some things while I've been reading my Harry Potter book. He'll have to complete assingments and turn them in by a certain time, just like in a physical classroom setting. It's going to take some time-restructuring on his part but I think he should have minimal trouble with the coursework itself. He has medical background already because of his time spent as a massage therpist, so he's got a leg up on most people in his position.

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