The Interview Experience
May. 30th, 2009 11:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cosmic_celeryI had my *first* interview yesterday for the position at the casino. I showed up, looking nice in my slacks and jacket, and chatted with the other applicants for the position. There were six people scheduled, but only four showed up: Me, a ditzy girl, an attractive guy, and a dumpy looking but clever guy. There was also some other guy there who said he was there for the interview, but he wasn't on the list and wasn't dressed nicely, so the guy wouldn't let him come in. Very strange.
As a group we were taken through the old casino, now empty, and I was able to throw in my piece of info that the new one was built in 2003. It really was quite neat, though. Huge rooms with nothing in them and only a few spotlights. It felt very Outer Limits. One room, the lights even came on when we walked through.
By and by, we came to the interview room, which had been set up with the tables in a square with a few people from the casino on one side and us on the other. One of the interviewers informed us that it would be a speed interview format "just like speed dating, if you're up with that scene."
But first! An activity! Now, I was prepared for this part, since my mom mentioned that something like it might happen, but here's how it went:
There was a piece of paper with a bunch of generic nouns written down: Fruit, vegetable, dog, store, shoe, etc. etc. The instructions were that you had to choose three and use that as a metaphor for yourself. i.e: If I were a drink I'd be 7-up because I'm sweet and have a bubbly personality. Whatever. Given that sort of format, it's hard not to be trite and unimaginative. But here are the ones I used:
1. If I were a fruit I'd be a pineapple because I'm sweet, reward patience, and work well with a variety of different things.
2. If I were a flower I'd be a hibiscus because I have a colorful personality, and I work well in warm, sunny environments.
3. If I were a department store, I'd be Macy's, because I'm nice, but not so high class that I exclude people - and I like parades!
Of course, most of that's complete bullshit. The parade line got a laugh, which I was hoping for. The other applicants did well, except for ditsy girl who seemed to not know what a metaphor is and answered with things she'd like to be.
Then we moved on to the actual interviews and I moved around the table talking to each person, getting asked typical interview questions. "why do you think you'd be good for this position?" "why, because I'm a people person!" etc. etc., I lied. I lied about myself and my enjoyment of other people for most of the interview, actually.
My only trouble was with the last guy, in his twenties with boy-band frosted hair, who's job it was to ask about my past employment history and my problems with past bosses. I was more fidgety around him, and I was making gestures with my hands until I saw him watching me gesture with my hands, at which point I fidgeted more. Since I don't have any past employment history, we talked about directors I've had and "how did you resolve conflicts with them?" Now, I'm pretty sure I answered satisfactorily, but the truth is that I'm usually not aware I'm having a conflict until it's already over. What I told the backstreet boy was that I usually don't find myself in conflicts at all and that I'm generally good when dealing with upset people.
Overall, I think I did alright. If they like me enough I'll get a second interview where I'll have to present some sort of script on stage in the casino. And they'll let me know in "a week or two." Yeesh.
Also, I've got a big blister from my heels. Not cool.
As a group we were taken through the old casino, now empty, and I was able to throw in my piece of info that the new one was built in 2003. It really was quite neat, though. Huge rooms with nothing in them and only a few spotlights. It felt very Outer Limits. One room, the lights even came on when we walked through.
By and by, we came to the interview room, which had been set up with the tables in a square with a few people from the casino on one side and us on the other. One of the interviewers informed us that it would be a speed interview format "just like speed dating, if you're up with that scene."
But first! An activity! Now, I was prepared for this part, since my mom mentioned that something like it might happen, but here's how it went:
There was a piece of paper with a bunch of generic nouns written down: Fruit, vegetable, dog, store, shoe, etc. etc. The instructions were that you had to choose three and use that as a metaphor for yourself. i.e: If I were a drink I'd be 7-up because I'm sweet and have a bubbly personality. Whatever. Given that sort of format, it's hard not to be trite and unimaginative. But here are the ones I used:
1. If I were a fruit I'd be a pineapple because I'm sweet, reward patience, and work well with a variety of different things.
2. If I were a flower I'd be a hibiscus because I have a colorful personality, and I work well in warm, sunny environments.
3. If I were a department store, I'd be Macy's, because I'm nice, but not so high class that I exclude people - and I like parades!
Of course, most of that's complete bullshit. The parade line got a laugh, which I was hoping for. The other applicants did well, except for ditsy girl who seemed to not know what a metaphor is and answered with things she'd like to be.
Then we moved on to the actual interviews and I moved around the table talking to each person, getting asked typical interview questions. "why do you think you'd be good for this position?" "why, because I'm a people person!" etc. etc., I lied. I lied about myself and my enjoyment of other people for most of the interview, actually.
My only trouble was with the last guy, in his twenties with boy-band frosted hair, who's job it was to ask about my past employment history and my problems with past bosses. I was more fidgety around him, and I was making gestures with my hands until I saw him watching me gesture with my hands, at which point I fidgeted more. Since I don't have any past employment history, we talked about directors I've had and "how did you resolve conflicts with them?" Now, I'm pretty sure I answered satisfactorily, but the truth is that I'm usually not aware I'm having a conflict until it's already over. What I told the backstreet boy was that I usually don't find myself in conflicts at all and that I'm generally good when dealing with upset people.
Overall, I think I did alright. If they like me enough I'll get a second interview where I'll have to present some sort of script on stage in the casino. And they'll let me know in "a week or two." Yeesh.
Also, I've got a big blister from my heels. Not cool.
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no subject
on 2009-05-31 05:34 am (UTC)Got to the part where you claim to work well in warm, sunny environments and mentally yelled "You lie! You work well in dark, damp basements!" ;P
no subject
on 2009-05-31 05:58 am (UTC)I really did lie for the majority of the time. My personality really isn't suited to any job that involves being friendly with people all day.
I did come up for a metaphor for myself that I like but wasn't appropriate at all:
"If I were a store, I'd be a 99 cent store because I'm filled with fascinating and often useless things."
Hee.
no subject
on 2009-05-31 12:43 pm (UTC)I just don't understand why you have to present a script on stage if your job is standing at the door saying hi to people.
no subject
on 2009-05-31 01:29 pm (UTC)I saw the stage on Friday too. It was quite high (I might be a bit worried about people being more interested in what's up my skirt than what I'm presenting). The whole bottom of the thing is covered in coca-cola boxes and the top is fringed with iridescent beaded curtains. And prominent in the center of the stage sits one of those lottery-ball selectors...presumably for lotteries of some sort. I'm not even sure if the impression it made was on the whole wonderful or ghastly, but I'm leaning toward the latter.