Frustrating job interviews
- Started
- Last post
- 17 Responses
- fues
So I did a test for a vacancy as webdesigner at the national broadcasting channel in Belgium.
Today I got a mail that they were sorry and this and that. You know the deal.
I decided to phone them, asking what has gone wrong etc. The HR-manager told me I got the maximum score on the technical part and this out of 40 candidates (real technical, I assure you) but I didn't do good on the part about the channel itself.
An example of a question on the test: a picture of some guy that hosts a show there with the question: "Who is this?"
And this is the best part: they: "Well it really was important to us that the appliant knows a lot about our channel, the technical aspect isn't that important", AND I quote: "You can always look that up in a book or something". And this is a function for a webdesigner!
Has the world gone this stupid? Or is it just me?
- propa0
Yeah thats as wack as hearing, "well you wouldn't be happy here."
Let me decide that!
Good luck on your search
- o0o0
I guess you just don't kiss ass good enough
- BonSeff0
once i was told to do a test and it was a job they had in progress. man that was messed up. stupid
- unknown0
well the thing is, you wouldn't have known what to name the file if a pic of him came up
chaos would have reigned
:)
fuck 'em!
- chinaman0
yeah i used to work for the UK government, had been doing a job for 6mths, knew it like the back of my hands then applied for the promotion twice and didn't get it, some newbie got it that had never done the job before. if the face fits is all i can say. you're probably better off you didn't get it if thats the way they work.
- fues0
Thanks guys.
Your opinions really cheer me up a bit.
- MrDinky0
dont worry man..
you dont want to work at a place where the "actual" work doesnt count.they sound like a bunch wankers to me (hey i m canadian and using Wanker)...
fuck them. you are better off not working at THOSE places.
:)
- Jadran0
After 1 year working in a DTP studio I was solicitating for a pretty simple quark xpress job ( making phone book ads. ) , just to stay busy .They gave me a 20pages long psychological test.
Where I did almost an hour over.
They looked over the test and never ever wanted to see me again - 2 security guys escorted me out !
- atomica0
I think you should wisen up about this... form follows function and ideas are conveyed with the knowledge you have of the topic at hand. In school they always told us to cover our bases and learn as much as possible about a company before you blindly apply, like you did. You didn't get the job because your ignorance of the company. Thats completely understandable to me. And I'm sure it was seen as kind of disrespectful to them. The design is after all mechanical until it has an idea, and you can't make a good relative idea until you know what it is and who it is your designing for. Truly anyone can pick up a book, and ace the technical end, and be a shit designer who just repeats trends on blind ideas.
- unknown0
atomica, you a litte off and missing the point.
Yes, its good to know about the company before going in. But when is the last time you were applying for a job and they graded you on something totally different. If you apply for a web design job then thats what you show. You are not required to learn everything ab out the company just to apply that is rediculous. That company is whack. To not hire somebody because they didnt know a few people or ropes, Isnt that the point of getting a new job.. TO LEARN THE ROPES.?1?!?!?!?
Your off base with this one atomica...your better off not working for that company anyway... those jobs are the worst.......
- unknown0
"Truly anyone can pick up a book, and ace the technical end, and be a shit designer who just repeats trends on blind ideas. "
no atomica... more like.... Few can spend 4 years learning to ace the technical end and apply for WEBDESIGNER....
Any gramma in their living room can pick up the Readers Digest and find whose on channel 4 news it 3 seconds...
HMMMMMM I think I will choose Good technical Worker then through him the Company Roster..Thats a no brainer.... Come on.
- CAJTBr0
no, i think there are a few advantages for an employer of having someone who's taken an interest in their company.
1) it can mean that they've really applied themselves to the job application process. someone who'll do that is likely to apply themselves within a job.
2) it can mean the person has a genuine interest in the company, and thus will want the company to achieve and will work for that reason rather than just for cash.
3) design is about communicating content in the best way possible to the user, the more you know about the content, the better (though admittedly most jobs now are just production line deals)
4) if someone is unable or unwilling to learn technical things, they can be sent on courses or eventually fired for not doing their job. if someone doesn't learn the 'non-measurable' aspects of the job (ie. random facts about the company), there's nothing they can do.
getting 95% on both tests will be way ahead for the company than someone who gets say 100% on one and 40 on the other, and if they want to weight the non-technical test higher they could have their reasons.
but all of those arguments rely on the job application process being fair, and it very rarely is. the right person hardly ever gets the job, and it's usually for stupid reasons, this is probably no different - just an excuse given because they can't say "we liked the other guy more".
- johan0
which channel was it?
:)
- unknown0
atomica. learn to design first before giving this guy shit.
- cb0
my 2 cents... i think most companies are looking for a balance between the technical + someone who is into where they're applying for work. it may have been a good idea to have aquainted yourself with the company... it's another way for you to distinguish yourself from other applicants. it's suckie but it can make the difference.
i do question what they told you though. are you sure that's the real reason you didn't get the job? maybe you asked for more $ than the other applicants or you didn't vibe with the interviewer... i had 2 interviews at a place + i didn't get the job cause they felt i was over-qualified... when i think the real reason was they knew i wasn't going to work for crap $.
anyways best of luck on the job search!! :-)
- chilaquil0
Not knowing enough about the company, or knowing everything about it is irrelevant. I know some things about some design firms, but it's impossible to know them all. That's what the interview is for, to learn about each other. They learn about you, you learn about them. Once you're there, you may get the vibe that this is not the place for you or that they don't do the kind of work you'd like to be doing. I once interviewed for Frog Design and knew everything about them. I had a magazine article and read it before the interview. I interviewed with a guy named Lowell Goss and since I had read the article, I knew everything about the guy. At the interview I asked very specific questions about the firm and about his background (it's film, not design). Well, I got the feeling halfway through the interview, that the guy actually thought I was stalking him or something because he actually asked "how do you know all this stuff...?"
Needless to say, I wasn't hired... Aww poop... And Lowell, if you're reading this, don't worry. I forgive you.
- sweetweb0
what I've learned is when your on the short list for a job any one of those guys can do the job technically... they now want to find the best person who can fit in with the company environment and I guess that means in your case knowing who the "important" people are...