Today, at the session, we were all handed two sheets of paper, containing questions that might be asked at a job interview.
Then each of us had to ask a fellow "student" one of the questions from the paper and of course my question was "How do you feel about working under pressure?"
It must be more of a sore spot than I realized because instead of just answering that I don't like it, I ended up pouring my heart out and explaining what might happen to the poor person daring to disturb me while I'm in my quiet corner, getting my deadline job done..
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
7/12/10
Dear Mohinga,
Funny you should mention that question. That's not the 'only' question in a job interview that can make an interview miserable for me, but it's 'one of them'. To be so desperate for a job, and have it so close I can 'touch it', and then be asked that question,... Another bad question is, "Would you describe yourself as a 'fast learner'?" Hmmm. Well, what are we talking about 'learning fast'? Is there anything in this whole interview that I can answer an honest 'yes' to? Back to the "How do you handle working under pressure?" question. I've told them that I might ask a supervisor to help me 'prioritize' the tasks. But that only works if they don't preface the question with something like, "You are working alone, with no one to ask a question to, and...".
I think that, really, there are many, many people out there who do awful things when under stress (like curse, throw things, hide things, or blame someone else who's not at fault), but they just aren't so consciencious as we are, so they come up with glorious stories of how they would perform like an 'emergency medic' under stress, when really, they'd do much worse then we would,... and then they get hired for the job.
When these people who are so great at answering interview questions apply for (and get) a job where we already work, then we have to work beside them,... and they are often the very ones who cause us stress. Sometimes I wonder why the employers keep asking those same questions on a job interview. The 'right answers' are already documented in books that are in book stores. If we were willing to just 'say what they want to hear,' rather than telling the truth about ourselves, it's not like we couldn't 'memorize' the right answers. We are just trying to be truthful about ourselves, and too many businesses haven't learned to appreciate this kind of honesty. - jus'
Edited by justfoundout on July 12 2010 05:56 PM
We've been discussing the subject a few times, after all getting a job is what this session is all about, and we all agreed that being honest is the key.
Unfortunately, in our case that's impossible, because most companies want a fast worker who absolutely loves working under pressure and lots of it and will learn things almost before they're told how to..
I made a resume/cv that listed some of my "weak spots", all of them dyscalculia related, and my fellow students advised me to either skip them or trying to make them sound positive.
Now I'd like to know how to make forgetting people's faces a positive thing - could it be something like "I meet lots of new people everyday, even people I've known since childhood"?
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
7/12/10
Oh, Mohinga! No, you should list being a really good 'comedy writer'! You have me LOL. Here. I'll add to your collection of 'positives'. <still chuckling> Yes, I've read in books and articles on doing interviews about how, when asked to name our 'weak spots', we should tell something that's really 'good' about ourselves, but say that we just really do 'too much' of it. I've never been able to 'pull that off', because it sounds so ridiculous when I say it 'out loud'. And, in my experience, it doesn't really 'throw them off the track'. They'll 'hone in' on your trumped up excuse for a 'weak spot' just as much as if you'd actually told them your real 'weak spot'. If anything, they are even more interested, as they are probably keeping a running list of these 'weak spot' explanations,... so that they'll have something to laugh at later?
I can hear it now,... "Yesterday, I had this lady come in and tell me that her 'weak spot' was that when a customer is rude to her, she not only forgives them, but she doesn't even recognize them the next day when they come in, and greets them just as cheerily as though it had never happened." - jus'
The very funny thing is that I do exactly that - I've had to listen to horrible insults from customers when we have our semi annual stall at the fleamarket and two minutes later, I have no clue what they look like
I don't even recognize my neighbour if I see him somewhere else than "at home"..
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
7/12/10
Dear Mohinga,
About two years ago, I went to a temp agency. This is a 'nice' temp agency,... one that will actually find you a little 'office job'. And, it's in a ritzy area. Well, out on the parking lot, a man who was driving too fast came within inches of scraping my parked car, with me standing nearby, watching. When I went into the building for my appointment, as I was going up the elevator with a pleasant, young, blonde lady, I told her what had just happened on the parking lot, and she responded appropriately, saying that she was glad he hadn't hit my car.
In the waiting room lobby, the receptionist took my updated information and sent me to a computer to re-test, so as to give them my current skills. After that, I continued to wait for my appointment with the 'headhunter' who would tell me if there were any jobs for which I was qualified to be recommended.
I went into my interview. The 'headhunter' lady was pleasant and intelligent. She made some 'small talk' to put me at ease, and I reciprocated, telling her my car's recent 'brush with death' in the parking lot. She smiled and said, "Yes, we talked about that in the elevator." - jus'
Edited by justfoundout on July 12 2010 06:41 PM
Oh Jus, that must have been so embarrassing for you!
There's a friendly receptionist at the job application facilities and I don't know what she looks like - the only way to recognize her is the hairstyle and hair colour.
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
I'm pretty good with interviews, though I've only had three, I got the job on two of those occassions. I'm great at making myself sound compitant, though that doesn't always mean I am.
With the "what are your weakest quolitys" question I look upwards as if in thought, and say "oooh thats a hard one..." then come out with my stock anwser: "Well...I guess sometimes I take things a bit too seriousely, once I was doing volentary work at a libary and as I had nothing to do I reorganised all the books on the display stands, so the books for younger readers were at the bottom within easy reach. The person supervising me was really suprised. she though I was bored and told me I could go read something. I actually enjoyed doing it though, but I guess that's a bit odd!"
I think brief anecdotes make responese more convincing, and I only use ones which are true.
another I have used is "I would like to be more well rounded, as I am very interested in books and writing, but this is probably from finishing my degree which was targeted at these areas, and having reading as a life long hobby."
I was applying for a book shop, so I thought it was fairly well targeted, and my other awnsers showed I really am very into my reading and books in general.
I also scower the websites for places I apply, and read up about them and their mentality. Then I make sure I fit what their brand is about. So where I applied at my current job they are very sales and peoples focused, so I emphasied my peoples and sales skills, roles, and abilities.
I guessed most of the questions I was asked at interview before hand, and had already scripted and memorised several possible responses.
It did help jobs I've applied for I felt I was very well suited to (they normally involve books), and that I have always be involved in volentary and extra curricular activitys, which I can draw upon as examples.
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
7/12/10
Hi Bubblewrapprincess,
Excuse me for asking you just a quick question,... even though it's not 'on topic' here. Have you made any progress in starting the site for encouraging dyslexics to read more? - jus'
Mohinga wrote:
my question was "How do you feel about working under pressure?"
It must be more of a sore spot than I realized because instead of just answering that I don't like it, I ended up pouring my heart out and explaining what might happen to the poor person daring to disturb me while I'm in my quiet corner, getting my deadline job done..
That's a more complicated question than they realize, because it depends entirely on the nature of the stress and the strength of my preparations. If I have the tools and knowledge to accomplish the task, then bring it on! but if my tools are weak or missing then I'd feel the pressure much more.
Blessed are the PURR in heart!
justfoundout wrote:
. Sometimes I wonder why the employers keep asking those same questions on a job interview. The 'right answers' are already documented in books that are in book stores. If we were willing to just 'say what they want to hear,' rather than telling the truth about ourselves, it's not like we couldn't 'memorize' the right answers.
The one that drives me berserk is the old "Why do you want to work for our company?" You just wanna smack 'em and holler, "Because I need a JOB, dumb#&%!"
Blessed are the PURR in heart!
justfoundout wrote:
7/12/10
Hi Bubblewrapprincess,
Excuse me for asking you just a quick question,... even though it's not 'on topic' here. Have you made any progress in starting the site for encouraging dyslexics to read more? - jus'
Well I mentioned it to my cosine, she is dyslexic too so I thought it might interest her. She is a software designer, and I was going to ask if she could give me some pionters on website design. Anyway she loved the idea and has offered to design the entire site for me if I like, and has show me a range of fancy things she can do. Apprently she used to do web design as a hobby.
The trouble is she has been away in Venice for work. She recones it will take her several months to do properly, as she would be doing it between work.
In the mean time I have found a review format I like, and been writing reviews as I read. The slow site construction means I should end up starting with quite a few reviews, especially if I get others in on the act.
Working in a book shop should help, as it means I can keep up with the really popular stuff people are likly to want reviews for, and things which will be big on relice.
I was planning a proper update after I finalised a few things with my cosine. I also need to change my review sample to PDF to upload to Being Dyslexic, so I could get feedback.
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
7/13/10
Dear Bubble,
I'm so excited for you. That sounds like a lot of fun, and something that will help other people. Are you also looking at books that are only 'e-published'? - jus'
Location: United States Posts: 171 Joined: 2009-11-29
I've never liked job interviewes- they're like a game you have to play. You might be the best person in the world for a job, but if you aren't good at doing interviews, you won't get hired.
Bubble- your site sounds cool. Good luck with getting it up and running!
Job interviews are ust like exams in my world and I don't like either.
No matter how well I prepare, something always comes up that make my brain freeze.
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
Location: United States Posts: 1860 Joined: 2008-11-14
Mohinga - When you said this:
Now I'd like to know how to make forgetting people's faces a positive thing - could it be something like "I meet lots of new people everyday, even people I've known since childhood"?
I nearly rolled over laughing. It's so true, and it can be really hard when you're working in a setting where you have to remember people's faces quickly. For example, a lot of times I have customers ask me if I can go look in the back or go look on the floor for an item they want. I tell them, "Okay, stand here, I'll be right back." They really need to stand there and NOT MOVE because if they move, I won't recognize them. I look for the person who is standing in the spot I left them in.
For example, if I leave them standing next to the display of green towels, I am going to go back to the woman standing by the green towels and say, "I'm sorry, I couldn't find that particular item." Either she will say, "Okay, thanks for checking" or she will give me an odd look and say, "What are you talking about? I didn't ask about any item." Oops, wrong lady. Usually I try to remember people by their hair color or shirt color, since I probably won't remember their face unless it's really distinctive. That has often worked for me, since most customers are like puppies - they won't stand where you ask them to if you leave them for more than ten seconds, they wander and expect you to find them.
Re: job interviews, they really are more of a game than an interview, Nissa is right. I am lucky that I interview very well, so they have never been a problem for me. To date I have never interviewed for a job and not been offered that job. I'm sure it will happen at some point in my life, but it has not yet. It's not that I'm well qualified for any job in particular, I just know how to "market" myself and my best attributes, and I tend to make good first impressions. I don't know how it is that I make good first impressions, as I am generally not trying... I think it's just one of those things that some people do without knowing it, and other people don't.
As far as the marketing goes, I never lie, but I always try to put a positive spin on things. For example, I can't focus on one task very well. We all know that I've got a minimal attention span at best, maybe five minutes total in length. But I don't have to say that, necessarily. Instead, I say that I am a good multitasker, because I am. It is, in fact, the only thing I can do, because I cannot just sit and focus on one task at a time. I get bored and basically stop functioning altogether. Fortunately for me managers LOVE when you say that you're a good multitasker, because they think it means you can focus on several things at once. What they don't seem to realize is that if I'm not constantly mentally stimulated at work, I stop working. Oh well, they don't need to know that until after they hire me.
I always find the question, "What is your weak point?" the most difficult, not because I have a hard time thinking of one (Lord knows I have plenty) but because I have a hard time deciding which one is the kind of thing they want to hear. Yes, I answer the way they want me to answer, because I want the job. Being honest is all well and good, and I'm not dishonest in my answers, but I definitely omit certain things and highlight other things to put myself in the best possible light. I usually answer that question by saying that I get bored easily and I constantly need to be doing something. They usually interpret that as, "I am a hard worker who will work throughout my entire shift without taking a break to be lazy." They tend to miss the implication that if they cannot keep me mentally occupied, I will essentially sit on my hands and daydream until they can think up something for me to do.
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer
I don't like to be asked what my weak points are, mainly because I have plenty of them..
Like you, Kat, I have to pick one that hopefully tells them what they want to hear and then they can decide how weak a point they think it is..
One thing that I've never mentioned is how forgetful I am because it's really bad. I ought to carry a huge memo board with me at all times, plastered with notes in loud colours and equally bright writing, but then I'd probably forget it somewhere...
Yesterday morning, it was raining so I put on my ugly green anorak. When we left in the afternoon, the sun was out and I forgot "Green Ugly" at the facilities and today, we've been working at home.
Now I'm going to make a note in my cellphone and make a big yellow note to stick on my bag tomorrow to remind me to take "Green Ugly" back home with me tomorrow...
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
justfoundout wrote:
7/13/10
Dear Bubble,
I'm so excited for you. That sounds like a lot of fun, and something that will help other people. Are you also looking at books that are only 'e-published'? - jus'
I am hoping to have several different sections for different mediums. So one for normal books, one for graphic novels, one for audio books, one for e-books, and one on books about dyslexia.
I'd like to have some articals on getting hold of audiobooks for instance and some good places to get them online or elsewhere. I know there used to be some good catalouges around.
I would also like to eventually have reviews for actual e-readers and advice on what features different ones have, and what to look for in one.
Also things like spell checkers/electrinic thasrauses, reviews, where to buy, advice on what to look for ect.
I would like to have articals on a range of things about literature and dyslexia. Even interviews with dyslexic writers (if I could get some), and advice on motivating dyslexic childeren with reading, or advice for those who have dyslexia in the family and the types of things they can do to help childeren before school.
I've also found out there are books for the partually sighted which you can get, which come in audio and with a large print addition of the text. I am going to look into this and find out more about them. I know you can get them through a local libary, but I'd like to know who the supplier is ect.
So...yeah, normal book reviews first, and then I will gradually expand. It's a big undertaking and I'm not sure if I can do it all just yet but I am going to try.
I want it to end up more as a recourse on reading and writing for dyslexics in general, offering encoragment and a range of impartual information to help dyslexics connect with literacy in the way that best suits them.
Edited by BubblewrapPrincess on July 15 2010 08:53 PM
