It's a small, casual office. That's a good sign. It's small, friendly and not stuffy. It has a very relaxing, comfortable atmosphere. That must mean the manager is that way too. The three women I see there are all wearing jeans, sweaters and sweatshirts. Another plus. Looks like a casual, comfortable work environment.
The front desk lady starts to idly chit chat with me and I'm enjoy our small exchange. Another woman walks through and gives me a nice smile and a hello. I remind myself, though, to not get too relaxed again.
The manager comes in. My first impression is that of a friendly, easy-going man. He's in his late forties or early fifties. He has a pleasant, sincere smile. I shake his hand as he greets me and I address him as Mr. Brown. I don't call him by his first name, even though he used just his first name to me on the phone. I feel that by addressing him as Mr. Brown is a professional touch that shows respect. He leads me to a small office to start the interview.
As expected, the basic questions are asked about my skills and work history. Those are the easy ones remember? No problem so far.
He then pulls out a sheet of paper. I can see that it's titled “Interview Questions” and there appears to be about 10 of them.
Oh boy, here we go again.
Take a deep breath.
“Do you consider yourself to be a leader?”
Hey, that one wasn't too bad.
I immediately respond with, “Yes, definitely yes. I had to be a good leader to have built my business and handled employees for so many years.”
Good enough answer, I think.
“Do you like routine?”
“Yes,” I reply. “I enjoy doing the same tasks everyday.”
A thought quickly pops into my head. What if this position requires you to bounce from task to task everyday with a lot of variety and unpredictability? Will he think I'm not flexible and will freak out if I have to get off my normal routine? I'd better cover that variable if this is a trick question.
I quickly add, “But I understand when a project that wasn't a crisis suddenly becomes one. I'm very adaptable and can handle multiple projects at one time.”
I hope I covered both possible answers to that question.
“There are a lot of drivers that come in and out of the office everyday. How do you feel about being interrupted?”
Oh, so maybe my second answer to the previous question was right.
I respond with my signature answer that I give at each interview.
“Yes, I'm very used to being interrupted and can handle multiple projects with ease. In my previous career, I could be talking on the phone, have two lines holding for me, have someone put a fax in front of me to read, and be jotting down items on my grocery list, all at the same time.”
Pretty impressive, right?
“Where do you want to be in five years?”
I know this one. This one I can't mess up. Obviously, the correct answer is “Here.”
That's what I reply with.
“I can see myself still working here in five years. Your office seems very comfortable and friendly and I can see this becoming a career.”
Awesome, professional answer I think to myself.
“Why did you decide to apply here and what was it that drew you to our company and this particular job when you saw the advertisement?”
Gut response, that I fortunately did not reply with, but was thinking, was,
“Well, that's easy. I NEED A JOB! I'm out of work and we're broke. I'm going crazy being in the house everyday and I'm starting to talk to the laundry! You had a job advertised. I applied for it. I also applied for five others that week, praying that I'd get one of them.”
Actual answer:
“I saw that you were looking for someone with clerical skills and computer skills. I thought your company would be a great place for me to put my years of experience to use. Your company is also very close to where I live so the commute is short. I don't know a lot about the processing of your individual products, but I did grow up on a farm.” (This company is in the dairy industry.)
Decent answer, I think. I knew not to get out the pom-poms and start saying things like, “I've wanted to work here since I was in high school!” or “Every time I've driven by your company, I've always hoped that an opening would come for me because this is the only place in the whole, wide world I've ever wanted to work!”
