I've conducted over 500 job interviews, AMA

[ubermario]

I once had an interviewer ask me how many gas stations I think are in my country when applying for a job in IT.

Son pls, gtfo.

[jj00ee]

recently did a series of interviews over the course of several months, went onsite, had one final interview, everything went well in my eyes. however the recruiter gave me a "you were awesome and everyone liked you but we can't hire you right now. we'll be in touch over the next few months though"

is that just a kind way of saying fuk off m8? and if so why didn't they just say fuk off m8?

pls fuking respond op

[Pete3000]

I once had an interviewer ask me how many gas stations I think are in my country when applying for a job in IT.

Son pls, gtfo.

So how many gas stations are there in Antarctica?

[sardis3207]

I found the perfect way to answer that retarded question they always ask:

Interviewer: What would you say is your biggest weakness?

Me: Honesty

Interviewer: Well, I don't think honesty is really a weakness.

Me: I don't give a f*ck what you think

Interviewer: ...

hahaha

[Pete3000]

pls fuking respond op

ha! oops sorry didn't see this.

You should call back and get a status update in a month or two. Typically if I really didn't like someone, I wouldn't mention the "keep in touch in a few months" comment. Perhaps they're waiting for their next fiscal year for funding an initiative? Anyhow, call them.

[MBisonSon]

What if instead of handing you my resume I brought in one of them "jizz tribute" deals where it was a picture of you with my jizz all over it?

Would that make my chances of getting hired better or worse?

[Pete3000]

What if instead of handing you my resume I brought in one of them "jizz tribute" deals where it was a picture of you with my jizz all over it?

Would that make my chances of getting hired better or worse?

At the very least, you would probably be passed up for another candidate. Let me know how it goes though.

[pellekuling]

It depends. If it's a large company, the HR group will filter our resumes that don't qualify. In fact, a lot of this happens electronically now so it's not even a human trashing your resume.

A small company may make concessions based on other accolades or what $ they're willing to offer.

If you have unpaid experience, I'd include it. There isn't much that could substitute real world experience so this is a bit unavoidable.

ah , damn. But thank you very much for the answeer !

[PathToSage]

I'm still a ways out from graduating college, but I am looking to dive into the construction business industry. Any advice as I go through college on making myself extremely marketable for a company to want to hire me? Looking to get a leadership position

[Pete3000]

I'm still a ways out from graduating college, but I am looking to dive into the construction business industry. Any advice as I go through college on making myself extremely marketable for a company to want to hire me? Looking to get a leadership position

Not too sure about construction. Sorry can't help ya. However, I do know here in NYC it's all unionized which typically makes things a bit more bureaucratic.

[Jw.]

your opinion on tattoos?

[PathToSage]

Not too sure about construction. Sorry can't help ya. However, I do know here in NYC it's all unionized which typically makes things a bit more bureaucratic.

Ah I understand. For a leadership position involving deadlines I assume that a good GPA and extracirricular options are a good sign for employment? Have you had any encounters with fresh college grads or do you generally interview more experienced positions?

[Pete3000]

your opinion on tattoos?

Tattoos don't bother me. But again, I'm in NYC so people are a bit more open here. If you are in a conservative area, I recommend keeping them covered or research their visible tattoo policy.

[SystemTrend]

What is the most cliche response you hear often to any question you have asked? You know the kind of response that you almost want to disqualify the person immediately because they're so fake sounding.

[8MoreReps]

I recently had scheduled an hour long phone interview where I was waiting for them to call me and no one did. After a little over 10 minutes, I rechecked the email attachment and noticed there was a phone number and ext I was supposed to call. I called and no one answered. There was no voicemail to leave a message. I emailed the HR person and they didn't acknowledge my excuse, but had gave me another time to reschedule coming up. The HR people they use to schedule interviews are in India are pretty bad at following up and responding to my emails. I'm afraid they may never have even told the interviewers why I didn't call them on time (not that I have a good excuse). Should I apologize to the interviewers on this rescheduled interview coming up, or just act like nothing happened?

Also, the HR rep hasn't even confirmed the reschedule yet after several days. If I do get another chance to interview how much will missing the first interview hurt me?

[Pete3000]

Ah I understand. For a leadership position involving deadlines I assume that a good GPA and extracirricular options are a good sign for employment? Have you had any encounters with fresh college grads or do you generally interview more experienced positions?

I typically interview the professional positions. I'm almost never on a panel for entry level.

Aside from experience, education, extracurricular... a lot of getting a job is who you know. People are generally apt to going with a choice with people they know even if they aren't the perfect selection. The devil you know is often better than one you don't. Get out there. Meet industry people. Go to conferences if you can. I knew people who recently went to a concrete convention in Vegas and they said they met a boat load of people in construction. Networking is important.

Also, having something elite, whether it be a school or organization on your resume helps a lot. I know our former boss was from Princeton and he loved everyone from Princeton regardless of their actual ability.

I don't do this, but I know people who find random things that impact their decision subconsciously. Like, "oh you're Italian? So am I!" or "You belong to _____, me too!" or "You have a geology degree. I do too!" Some of it is luck of the draw, right place/right time.

[Pete3000]

What is the most cliche response you hear often to any question you have asked? You know the kind of response that you almost want to disqualify the person immediately because they're so fake sounding.

Well I hate hearing "I'm a people person." It's so played out.

[SystemTrend]

My personal interview pro tip is make sure to let them know somewhere in the interview that one of your strengths or selling points is "attention to detail". Would you agree? It got me hired at my current job.

[Pete3000]

I recently had scheduled an hour long phone interview where I was waiting for them to call me and no one did. After a little over 10 minutes, I rechecked the email attachment and noticed there was a phone number and ext I was supposed to call. I called and no one answered. There was no voicemail to leave a message. I emailed the HR person and they didn't acknowledge my excuse, but had gave me another time to reschedule coming up. The HR people they use to schedule interviews are in India are pretty bad at following up and responding to my emails. I'm afraid they may never have even told the interviewers why I didn't call them on time (not that I have a good excuse). Should I apologize to the interviewers on this rescheduled interview coming up, or just act like nothing happened?

Also, the HR rep hasn't even confirmed the reschedule yet after several days. If I do get another chance to interview how much will missing the first interview hurt me?

Definitely mention it to the interviewers and apologize for the break-down in communication. Don't go into overt detail because no one will care. Instead, say that you are very eager to meet and are happy this meeting was able to happen. If no one calls you back to reschedule, keep following up until you get it rescheduled. Chances are the interviewers know their personnel people are apt to messing crap up and won't hold it too much against you.

I get annoyed when people are late or when people F up the scheduling. But talent still prevails if the candidate is good. I just selected someone last week who was 15 minutes late to an interview. I typically throw a fit but they were damn good so I got over it.

[Pete3000]

how hard is it to get a job if you have no degree but you started/ran a business for years and then you sold it (not a giant company, something sold for like 600k)

Are you kidding? That's a goldmine on a resume.

[Pete3000]

My personal interview pro tip is make sure to let them know somewhere in the interview that one of your strengths or selling points is "attention to detail". Would you agree? It got me hired at my current job.

Agreed!

[TrainFromChild]

Also DO write down the ****ty jobs you've done in the past. I love people who had ****ty jobs for years, nothing proves work ethic more than that.

[Ch1pChipperson]

One topic that hasn't been addressed here is salary.

- What do HR people see on your background check? Exact salary or just that you were employed?

- how much percent increase over current salary should you ask for if you're applying to a new job? Basically, what amount is reasonable vs too much

- what percentage of salary is negotiable after initial offer? What percentage is an acceptable counter offer?

Thanks bro, this is helpful info

[TheDesertFox]

Solid advice OP, I'm bookmarking this thread!

OP please give me your thoughts on this. When they ask; "do you have any questions for us?", is it okay to ask the interviewer a personal question about them? My friend got interviewed by the top two guys at a pharmacy school and he (my friend) told me that at the end he asked the interviewers where they were from and what school they attended. He said they seemed a bit caught off guard but that they responded very chill and friendly. He got accepted a week later.

[Pete3000]

Also DO write down the ****ty jobs you've done in the past. I love people who had ****ty jobs for years, nothing proves work ethic more than that.

When I was 14 I worked at a Korean mom-and-pop video stores back before Blockbuster took the market.

Ice cream shop when I was 16.

Ended up in Community College because I was a bit of a F*** up in high school. Went to a state school, got my bachelors and worked for a couple of years after that. Hated the grind and decided to go back and get an MBA. After my MBA I moved to NYC on a whim with a duffle bag, no job, and $600.

When I moved to NYC, I was almost homeless. Crashing on couches of randoms up in pretty bad neighborhoods. Live on $2 a day with cup o noodle soups and $1 pizza slices. Met a few people who got me a job at a bar where I worked while I tried to find a "real" job. I didn't even have a laptop. In all my free time, I would go to the big public library on 5th Ave and 42nd St and wait to use a public computer and would send out my resume to (no joke) any and every job that seemed even somewhat legit. Tried a few things here and there until I landed a gig with a secure employer.

After that and a **** load of hard work, I kept moving up year after year. I can honestly say that everyone I met in this City when I moved here is long gone, eaten up by the grind that is NYC. Most left back to their small towns with their tail in between their legs. Some stayed, made a name for themselves, and moved back to smaller towns where that NYC experience goes a long way. I simply love it here. I'm not sure I could live anywhere else after living here. Oddly enough, life in NYC is quite simple.

So yeah. That's my story.

[Pete3000]

One topic that hasn't been addressed here is salary.

- What do HR people see on your background check? Exact salary or just that you were employed?

- how much percent increase over current salary should you ask for if you're applying to a new job? Basically, what amount is reasonable vs too much

- what percentage of salary is negotiable after initial offer? What percentage is an acceptable counter offer?

Thanks bro, this is helpful info

Most employees will ask salary history. Technically in NY, we can only ask previous employers that you worked there and that's it. No content questions. Employers may run a credit and criminal check. Again, in NY a criminal past doesn't exempt you from a position.

i suggest before discussing salary with an employer check our glassdoor.com to see what's reasonable. There's tons of data there and often you'll find the exact job with the same employer.

I would typically ask 10% from your previous job. I've seen 25% or more if it's a candidate that's exceptional or has the right skill set and will taking on a substantial amount of added responsibilities.

[Pete3000]

Solid advice OP, I'm bookmarking this thread!

OP please give me your thoughts on this. When they ask; "do you have any questions for us?", is it okay to ask the interviewer a personal question about them? My friend got interviewed by the top two guys at a pharmacy school and he (my friend) told me that at the end he asked the interviewers where they were from and what school they attended. He said they seemed a bit caught off guard but that they responded very chill and friendly. He got accepted a week later.

Your friend got lucky. To me, that's a gamble question. Some people wouldn't respond well. I wouldn't be offended. I had a candidate recently ask a personal question what I thought about my job and whether I enjoyed it. Again a gamble question, but I was okay with it. I've known hiring managers who would answer it but later state that it was an awkward question to ask.

I don't believe that question alone got him the job. He must have done well overall in the interview.

[TheDesertFox]

Your friend got lucky. To me, that's a gamble question. Some people wouldn't respond well. I wouldn't be offended. I had a candidate recently ask a personal question what I thought about my job and whether I enjoyed it. Again a gamble question, but I was okay with it. I've known hiring managers who would answer it but later state that it was an awkward question to ask.

I don't believe that question alone got him the job. He must have done well overall in the interview.

Thanks for that bro. Yeah you're right, I guess if he asked that then that means the interview was going very good before that point. My friend also mentioned that he tried to relate to the interviewers. Is relating to the interviewer/s a good idea?

[Pete3000]

Thanks for that bro. Yeah you're right, I guess if he asked that then that means the interview was going very good before that point. My friend also mentioned that he tried to relate to the interviewers. Is relating to the interviewer/s a good idea?

I think it's good to gauge your audience. If you know who you are interviewing with, do some research on them. DO NOT add them on Linked in. That always happens to me and I decline. But check out to see where they went. If you went to their same university, state in the interview "when I was at Yale" and wait for them to say, "I went there as well." If you noticed that their experience is in logistics and you have the same experience, bring it up. If people know what you are talking or understand where you're coming from, it helps. But let it happen naturally. I wouldn't flat out ask personal questions.

[TheDesertFox]

I think it's good to gauge your audience. If you know who you are interviewing with, do some research on them. DO NOT add them on Linked in. That always happens to me and I decline. But check out to see where they went. If you went to their same university, state in the interview "when I was at Yale" and wait for them to say, "I went there as well." If you noticed that their experience is in logistics and you have the same experience, bring it up. If people know what you are talking or understand where you're coming from, it helps. But let it happen naturally. I wouldn't flat out ask personal questions.

Maybe in the context my friend said it was different. I remember him saying that when they asked him why he wanted to go to pharmacy school that he responded with something along the lines of "I'm like you guys, I love chemistry and how blah blah"