just cocked up my first job interview in 20 years...
Discussion
After much discussion with my wife, we (she) decided that I should consider a change of career (as long as I can obtain the same level of salary).
Much of this due to myself more than likely being physically unable to do some of the jobs that I currently take on.
So I applied for a couple of jobs and got an interview within a couple of days for a very large international company. The first interview went ok and I was asked back for a second interview. I was asked to produce a presentation for my previous company and their own. Never having done a powerpoint presentation before I spent a day teaching myself how to use the software and spent an evening putting together a decent presentation, but due to current work constraints I was unable to spend a vast ammount of time on it - having man flu for the 2 days before the interview didn't help either...
On attending, I reviewed my notes, and had literally no nervous feelings at all.
I was then given a numeracy and literacy test, and am now kicking myself for incorrectly spelling possessions (I used - posessions).
Also on beginning my presentation after the tests I suddenly became very nervous, my mouth became dry with my lips sticking to my teeth - no matter how many times I took a drink of water. My mind went virtually blank and I nervously stumbled through the presentation, although hitting the main points the presentation as rehearsed was far better worded and rather more polished. I think if I had done the presentation immediately on arrival before the tests it would likely have gone much better.
The second presentation on my own company started nervously, but being my own company it was far easier to "wing it" and my nervousness slowly subsided.
Believing that I answered the interview questions I was asked at the end quite well, I left extremely annoyed with myself at letting my nerves get the better of me and thinking I had probably blown it.
Realising my spelling error this morning has just given more fuel to my own internal pit of self loathing....
Much of this due to myself more than likely being physically unable to do some of the jobs that I currently take on.
So I applied for a couple of jobs and got an interview within a couple of days for a very large international company. The first interview went ok and I was asked back for a second interview. I was asked to produce a presentation for my previous company and their own. Never having done a powerpoint presentation before I spent a day teaching myself how to use the software and spent an evening putting together a decent presentation, but due to current work constraints I was unable to spend a vast ammount of time on it - having man flu for the 2 days before the interview didn't help either...
On attending, I reviewed my notes, and had literally no nervous feelings at all.
I was then given a numeracy and literacy test, and am now kicking myself for incorrectly spelling possessions (I used - posessions).
Also on beginning my presentation after the tests I suddenly became very nervous, my mouth became dry with my lips sticking to my teeth - no matter how many times I took a drink of water. My mind went virtually blank and I nervously stumbled through the presentation, although hitting the main points the presentation as rehearsed was far better worded and rather more polished. I think if I had done the presentation immediately on arrival before the tests it would likely have gone much better.
The second presentation on my own company started nervously, but being my own company it was far easier to "wing it" and my nervousness slowly subsided.
Believing that I answered the interview questions I was asked at the end quite well, I left extremely annoyed with myself at letting my nerves get the better of me and thinking I had probably blown it.
Realising my spelling error this morning has just given more fuel to my own internal pit of self loathing....
I should also add that the neither the clicker or the touch screen which the presntation was being given on were working 100% correctly and i had to manually use the scroll bar to move each page up, which didnt help my nerves! 
I know the tests being given to me before the presentation are actually to increase time to let pressure build intentionally by the interviewer to see how you cope, but I do thing that the screen issues were an honest technical problem... I believe "sods law" applies ..
I know the tests being given to me before the presentation are actually to increase time to let pressure build intentionally by the interviewer to see how you cope, but I do thing that the screen issues were an honest technical problem... I believe "sods law" applies ..
I was under the impression that you were involved in the kitchen business? What made you decide to change direction? I know what you mean about being physically unable to do certain jobs (I don't fit my kitchens any more) but could you not get someone else to do these things?
As for the interview stuff, you probably just need to do some more in order to get used to coping with the what sounds like stage fright. There's some interesting stuff on Wikipedia on the phenomenon that I've experienced myself.
As for the interview stuff, you probably just need to do some more in order to get used to coping with the what sounds like stage fright. There's some interesting stuff on Wikipedia on the phenomenon that I've experienced myself.
Don't beat yourself up about it. You admit you didn't have enough time for preparation and you clearly suffered for it. Your experience in the 2nd presentation should tell you that you're more than capable if you have done the preparation.
Chalk it down to experience and allow more time for preparation next time. If it's any consolation, all the jobs I've been offered have been from interviews where I thought I was terrible. I never got an offer from the good interviews.
Chalk it down to experience and allow more time for preparation next time. If it's any consolation, all the jobs I've been offered have been from interviews where I thought I was terrible. I never got an offer from the good interviews.
singlecoil said:
I was under the impression that you were involved in the kitchen business? What made you decide to change direction? I know what you mean about being physically unable to do certain jobs (I don't fit my kitchens any more) but could you not get someone else to do these things?
As for the interview stuff, you probably just need to do some more in order to get used to coping with the what sounds like stage fright. There's some interesting stuff on Wikipedia on the phenomenon that I've experienced myself.
I have a number of subcontractors and handing ALL the physical work over to them is a possibility. I only used to handle around 50% of my contracts myself - usually the higher end stuff. I have diversified considerably over the last 10-15 years and handle a lot more than just the kitchen business, although generally a connecting line may be drawn from it.As for the interview stuff, you probably just need to do some more in order to get used to coping with the what sounds like stage fright. There's some interesting stuff on Wikipedia on the phenomenon that I've experienced myself.
I used to handle anumber of site contracts as a main contractor for a number of building companies, but when the credit crunch hit the majority ceased building for at least a couple of years and within that time my wife decided she wanted to return to university, so I took a step back and decided, rather than spend 60+K on building work on my house and new garage, that I would work part time as this would allow me to do all the work myself and also pretty much stop any child care costs (which were considerable at the time).
With my children all but my one year old (he stays with his grandmotherduring the mornings whilst my wife is at work) in full time education since the start of September and not part time nursery etc and my wife now qualified and in work on a stable NHS shift pattern, I have decided to move back to working full time, as i used to. The market also seems to be on the up and I have priced a not unreasonable value of work since the start of September.
But I doubt I would be able to raise the level of credit required to run any of the larger contracts for commercial clients in the current financial climate. This together with me entering my 40s has made me think of the future and realise the possible benefits of being under the umbrella of a large brand and the otherwise closed doors that may be opened to me.
I have only applied for 3 jobs and in all honesty am only genuinely interested in 2 of them as I feel they are 2 quality brands with potential. I am only giving the interview game up until Christmas, if nothing suitable comes up I will simply concentrate all my efforts on my usual business, so nothing lost.
Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 1st November 08:53
in all honesty I am more annoyed at my spelling error, as although I may well mistype or spell without giving much thought on an internet forum in a test I shouldnt have been so cocky and spent more time...
As for the nerves issue, well, it certainly made my rather good presentation sound rather sketchy, with me desprately clutching a water bottle and swigging from it to try and lubricate the inside of my mouth without success. But with the second presentation, although entirely off the cuff and being a lot less nervous due to the fact that the majority of the information is part of my daily routine, I was hoping there could be a very slight chance they have overlooked the nervous speech and looked at the presentations as a whole.......this morning I am not so optomistic.
But, such is life, just time to put it behind me and move on...no one died.
As for the nerves issue, well, it certainly made my rather good presentation sound rather sketchy, with me desprately clutching a water bottle and swigging from it to try and lubricate the inside of my mouth without success. But with the second presentation, although entirely off the cuff and being a lot less nervous due to the fact that the majority of the information is part of my daily routine, I was hoping there could be a very slight chance they have overlooked the nervous speech and looked at the presentations as a whole.......this morning I am not so optomistic.
But, such is life, just time to put it behind me and move on...no one died.
I did my first ever presentation a couple of years back and it was horrific.
Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
blindswelledrat said:
I did my first ever presentation a couple of years back and it was horrific.
Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
I had short talk to my father the night before about it. He was in sales for over 35 years, but rather surprisingly he said that only one company had ever required him to give a presentation at interview stage. Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
He said that he hated it and couldnt actually even speak never mind remember anything to say, after a few moments of "erm" and "ah" followedby total silence the general manager creased up laughing, kept on for a few moments longer then told him that that was enough and the job was his anyway!
When my nerves kicked in this story was all that kept jumping into my head..no brand information or product specifications etc..
Edited by hedgefinder on Friday 1st November 09:44
blindswelledrat said:
I did my first ever presentation a couple of years back and it was horrific.
Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
This.Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
I regularly present to people, ranging from 2/3 Engineers up to 20/30 Engineers/Project Managers/Directors. The first couple of times I did it, I was very nervous; I'd miss critical points, jump backwards and forwards through the presentation and stumble when asked questions.
I found it much easier once I knew my material fully and I had a good idea what kind of questions would be asked. Some people are naturally good presenters, others require practice and experience.
A few things that always helped me:
- Know your material. It's an obvious one, but it makes all the difference.
- Interact with your audience. Ask questions back to them, it helps break down barriers and will provide an insight into what they know.
- Try to speak informally with them at the start. It helps when you feel like you're presenting to 'friends'.
- If something goes wrong, make a joke of it. Nothing heavy, just a bit of lighthearted humour.
- Remind yourself that those watching are trying to learn from you, not sat there hoping you fail.
Don't beat yourself up. I'm an experienced presenter, have had jobs at senior level in some decent mid-size companies (no goatee though), and I'm pretty good at interviews generally. However, I hadn't had an interview for 5 years then needed to change jobs after redundancy. I had my CV professionally crafted, networked, all the right things. I got an interview at an investment bank, at least one level down from my previous roles but at more money, so I thought I had a good chance.
At the interview though, I felt the skin on my face prickling, found myself struggling to answer questions in a well structured way, and generally got uncharacteristically tongue-tied. On the way out I visited the loo, to find that I'd turned bright red! I must have looked that way for the whole interview. Needless to say I didn't get the job.
That was a wake-up call. I have a friend who is an outplacement consultant, and she gave me an hour's interview training. Next interview I was sufficiently good that I got the job.
I guess I'm saying that interviewing is not really a conversation or a meeting of minds, it's a sell/buy meeting. I was taught a simple approach to structuring answers that makes it much easier to be confident and get your strong points across. It's about showing how you've met similar challenges in the past to the one they're implying in their question.
For presentations, it's really the same thing. Whatever the subject, it's about you showing that you understand the problem, that you have ideas for solutions, and an example of what you've done in the past.
I've done a couple of these. The one that I remember was for a big tech distributor, and they asked me to present on culture in a tech company. I presented on that, but didn't tell them how to implement it. When they asked the inevitable question on that, I told them they'd have to hire me to find out. They offered me the job, although I didn't take it in the end.
So chin up, and have another go.
At the interview though, I felt the skin on my face prickling, found myself struggling to answer questions in a well structured way, and generally got uncharacteristically tongue-tied. On the way out I visited the loo, to find that I'd turned bright red! I must have looked that way for the whole interview. Needless to say I didn't get the job.
That was a wake-up call. I have a friend who is an outplacement consultant, and she gave me an hour's interview training. Next interview I was sufficiently good that I got the job.
I guess I'm saying that interviewing is not really a conversation or a meeting of minds, it's a sell/buy meeting. I was taught a simple approach to structuring answers that makes it much easier to be confident and get your strong points across. It's about showing how you've met similar challenges in the past to the one they're implying in their question.
For presentations, it's really the same thing. Whatever the subject, it's about you showing that you understand the problem, that you have ideas for solutions, and an example of what you've done in the past.
I've done a couple of these. The one that I remember was for a big tech distributor, and they asked me to present on culture in a tech company. I presented on that, but didn't tell them how to implement it. When they asked the inevitable question on that, I told them they'd have to hire me to find out. They offered me the job, although I didn't take it in the end.
So chin up, and have another go.
Presenting is very much an skill, but like most skills the more you do it, the better you get!
I also have to present regular to engineers, operators, directors, technicians...a wide range of roles and unfortunately the subject matter (process safety) is often not well understood by the listeners.
A few things I've picked up along the way:
Talk confidently and clearly - even if you dont know what your talking about, the perception that you do can get you by
Dont waffle!
Engage the audience, encourage partcipation but don't get bogged down (unless its required)
Don't take notes in, nobody wants to see you read from a piece of A4 or the screen
Watch a couple of apple keynotes from the Steve Jobs era - widely regarded as an excellent presenter. Take note of the slide format and amount of information on the screen
I also have to present regular to engineers, operators, directors, technicians...a wide range of roles and unfortunately the subject matter (process safety) is often not well understood by the listeners.
A few things I've picked up along the way:
Talk confidently and clearly - even if you dont know what your talking about, the perception that you do can get you by
Dont waffle!
Engage the audience, encourage partcipation but don't get bogged down (unless its required)
Don't take notes in, nobody wants to see you read from a piece of A4 or the screen
Watch a couple of apple keynotes from the Steve Jobs era - widely regarded as an excellent presenter. Take note of the slide format and amount of information on the screen
Not had to do an interview for a number of years but in the last few years have been asked to do a few talks – 30-45 minute long to 40-50 people.
It really opens your eyes to how hard it can be and how much effort you have to put into making presentations and so on like this work. On the plus side it seems that people think I’m not too bad at it as I’ve been asked to give similar talks to a number of other groups. It has also taught me that there is no point at all in being word perfect. Much better to have a few points to hang things around and just rehearse it to yourself every chance you get (in car, whilst getting ready fro work in the morning, etc.)
In simple terms, know your topic inside out and you'll be fine, or at least if your audiance has no idea of the difference between a Panasonic 2100 and a 3100 you should be able to wing yourself through the odd dry patch whilst you get back on track
ETA. I hate PowerPoints and the like. My 'notes' are a page of A4 with 6-7 short sentances to make sure I don't lose structure and have a hint to hand if I feel I am wandering. I also like to give each table an A4 sheet with a few pictures of the things I am talking about as it gives people something to visulise without needing Powerpoint and I think holding a physical item tends to make things stick in people's minds more.
It really opens your eyes to how hard it can be and how much effort you have to put into making presentations and so on like this work. On the plus side it seems that people think I’m not too bad at it as I’ve been asked to give similar talks to a number of other groups. It has also taught me that there is no point at all in being word perfect. Much better to have a few points to hang things around and just rehearse it to yourself every chance you get (in car, whilst getting ready fro work in the morning, etc.)
In simple terms, know your topic inside out and you'll be fine, or at least if your audiance has no idea of the difference between a Panasonic 2100 and a 3100 you should be able to wing yourself through the odd dry patch whilst you get back on track
ETA. I hate PowerPoints and the like. My 'notes' are a page of A4 with 6-7 short sentances to make sure I don't lose structure and have a hint to hand if I feel I am wandering. I also like to give each table an A4 sheet with a few pictures of the things I am talking about as it gives people something to visulise without needing Powerpoint and I think holding a physical item tends to make things stick in people's minds more.
Edited by Rude-boy on Friday 1st November 13:34
Interviews are a bizarre way to assess suitability for a role, but in light of nothing better I guess they have to suffice. I was once turned down for a role for not having enough 'account management experience', despite having worked in the industry for nearly a decade as.......yep, an account manager.
blindswelledrat said:
I did my first ever presentation a couple of years back and it was horrific.
Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
On a promotion course, I was given the keys to the Mint; all the tips on what to do and what not to do when delivering a presentation; don't hide behind the lectern or grip it like its a rollercoaster, don't use a pointer as a comfort blanket, don't present closed body language (arms folded etc), ensure your voice projects to the furthest person in the room, don't focus on the girl with the big.....eyes. We took all this on board and spent nervous moments before our first briefs remembering all the tips.Ive no qualms with talking to people at any level about anything, but make exactly the same thing into a "presentation" and it becomes something completely alien.
Apparently it very quickly becomes second nature if you do it regularly but without the practice it is a horrific experience
Well, when the instructors gave their briefs on the next few days, they did EVERYTHING wrong. Using a wooden stick as a walking stick as opposed to a pointing implement, hiding behind the lectern, spending too much time concentrating on the screen etc.
The 'experts' are not as expert as they like to think.
Now, back on topic!
Well, as they said they would let me know today and its now after 4pm, I am guessing that as I suspected, I didn't get it.
Well, back to the old routine then... no harm done.
At least it was good experience in the event that I decide to try again for a position with a large national or multi-national company.
Well, back to the old routine then... no harm done.
At least it was good experience in the event that I decide to try again for a position with a large national or multi-national company.
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