Interview Questions

It's never a good sign on a prospective job when you feel during the interview that the employer has no regard for it's employees. Generally people trying to hire you at least pretend to have social skills. They spend some time telling you how great their company is and why you should work there. During initial interviews they go over the standard questions of "What are your strengths? What is you biggest weakness? Do you prefer working in a team environment or by yourself?" But it's the questions that they come up with after the standardized ones that have more to say about them then you.

Questions like:

-"Why did you leave your last job? And the job before? And the one before that?"

Indicate that they have a high turnover and instead of taking responsibility for the work environment they have created they have chosen to blame the countless employees who keep quiting. This only applies though if your resume doesn't reflect "job skipping" i.e. six months here six months there.

-"How do you handle difficult coworkers?"

I haven't even started here and someone already doesn't like me? Generally this means you'll be working with people who may have not been informed of social norms and boundaries. Think sales people who will step all over you to get to that quota at the end of the month.

Besides those tell tale questions there is the whole tone of the interviewer. Do their voices sound kind and inviting, demanding and questioning? Are they trying to be evasive when you ask about holidays and benefits? Or are they honest and upfront?

While on this job hunt I have interviewed with several people here in Portland. Early on I went to a job fair and met a representative from a health care company who runs several assisted living facilities in the area. And right off the bat I got a bad feeling for the company. The man who was there grabbed my resume from my hand. He liked my experience and proceed to ask the why did you leave your last job question. Then he pointed his finger at my face and told me to complete the application online and call him the next week. He wasn't rude really but I just didn't get good vibes from that man. Just the same though I went ahead and applied and they called me a few days later to schedule and interview. When I got there they had me wait half and hour in the lobby. When I finally got to see the interviewer the full time billing position that I applied for turned into a part time night shift front desk position. I was told that wasn't the kind of position that I wanted and ushered out. I don't know what to make of that. In kindness I decided that someone had made a mistake in posting the position. Though they still have it posted.

Netflix was an interesting experience. They just moved their call center to the Portland area and I was very excited about this company. Netflix is known as a generous flexible company who values new ideas. Apparently this only applies to their head quarters. They for some reason have a call center that is open 24-7 (meaning holidays and weekends too). What was the most displeasing as a perspective employee is the desk situation. They have a farm of open cubicals dispersed within it are areas with couches and laptop stations. You don't get your own desk. Each time you come in for work you sit wherever and work. No pictures from home, no silly personal touches that make the call center experience survivable. You'll never know if the person who was using the headset you know have on is currently in the hospital consumptive and dying. The couches and laptop areas are for your scheduled breaks. They sat unused. The interview itself was pretty standard again mostly with the undercurrent of trying to figure out how long I would work for them before quiting. And oddly a video that was mostly about Blockbuster.

The interview with PML Microbiologicals was ideal. The woman who called me initially was upbeat and excited. She was honest and upfront with the terms of the position and her questions were centered around getting to know me and my experience. The physical interview was standard and only committed the difficult coworker faux pas. But they took me answer of demanding professionalism with approval. It took a little bit Red Sox detour when I mention Boston. All in all I think that it's a fit. Which is good because as of Monday I'll be working there.