Well, the job hunt has begun. I figured it wasn't wise to wait until the end of my time on payroll, or until the severance package runs out. I had a second interview today with a company I'd really like to be my next employer. But the process is gruelling. Two interviews, four hours, six different people, hundreds of questions. Boy, oh boy, do I wish they still asked things like "Tell me a little about yourself." And "Tell me why you want to work here." Or "Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." Those were the days. Now, everyone is doing this "behavioral interviewing" stuff and it's impossible to prep for.
These are just a sample of the things I've been asked:
- Tell me how you increased teamwork and the results of a group you previously managed on a project. Be specific.
- Tell me about a time when you were leading a team and you made what you consider to be a mistake, or a bad decision. What did you do to correct it?
- Tell me about a project you managed where the results were not what you had expected. What would you have done differently?
- Have you ever had a project completely fail? How would you prevent it from happening again?
- What do you contribute to establish a positive working environment? How do you motivate people?
- Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
And there were many, many more. I did well, I think, until this question:
- Define the term "earned value" for me.
Now back in the day, when I earned my certification in project management, I could have rattled that answer off for you in two seconds. But today I sat racking my brains, which felt quite empty at that point. I could feel my face beginning to glow a nice scarlet shade, and after one full silent awkward minute full of sixty ticking seconds, I simply told the woman the truth. I didn't remember. I admitted to knowing it at one time, but in my present job it wasn't something we measured. (That was putting it tactfully; in my present job, I never heard anyone even mention the phrase.)
So I'm hoping that they realize that that one blank, instead of demonstrating my stupidity, shows merely that I'm human. I answered about 99 questions well, and drew a blank on one. And I wonder how much relevance that question even had to the job I'd be performing.
Interviews are tough. They're designed to force you to demonstrate your ability and experience in handling myriad situations. Although really, I don't think I've come across any job situation, ever, that tested me as much as an interview.