Interviewing for a job is hard enough, but what if the person who interviews you does a terrible job? When that happens, all is not lost. Here’s what to do when:工作招聘面试已经相当困难了,然而,如果面试官还不靠谱,那要怎么办?当这种情况发生时,并不一定全是坏事。你可以通过以下一些方法来应对:
1. The interviewer springs a surprise group interview. Many companies prefer candidates to be screened by multiple people, if only to make the process efficient (Efficient, but not necessarily effective). Then you get to sit on one side of the table while three or four or even twelve people sit on the other side, and big fun is had by all. Or not。面试官突然要求群面。许多公司喜欢让候选人面对很多人来进行面试,目的是让面试过程更有效率一些(有效率,不一定是有效果)。在这样的群面中,求职者坐在桌子的一边,而对面可能坐有三到四个面试官,有时候甚至可以同时面对12个人。但有意思的是,求职者可能被所有面试官都接受,也有可能被所有人都拒绝。
What to do: You can't change the hiring process, but you can prepare. Ask questions when you're contacted to schedule: How the process works, who you will speak with, and especially whether a group interview is involved。应对方法:你不能改变招聘流程,但是你可以为此做好准备。当有人联系你参加面试的时候,你可以问一下面试流程相关的问题,比如:面试过程是怎样的,你要与谁交流,包不包括群面。
If you'll meet with the group, mentally prepare. Be ready to spread your attention to everyone in the room – especially the quiet people. Don't worry about pausing before answering questions. In a group setting it's less noticeable when you take a second to gather your thoughts. Above all, remember in a group setting it's easy to fall into "presentation mode." Don't. An interview is a conversation and a group interview is still one conversation... just with more people。如果你需要进行群面,做好心理准备。要注意到所有参与面试的面试官,特别是那些不太说话的人。不要害怕回答问题前的短暂停顿。在群面的环境下,你用一点时间来思考的话,并不会显得那么明显。首先要记住,在群面的情况下,求职者很容易陷入一种“发表模式”。不要这样做。面试是一种交流,群面也是一种交流……只不过是和更多的人交流而已。
2. The interviewer talks about possibilities。Many interviewers sell the position, the company, or even themselves. They talk about potential projects, potential expansion, potential opportunities if you're hired... but they make those possibilities sound definite and absolute, possibly causing you to accept the job based on unrealistic expectations。面试官空谈可能性。很多面试官会推销职位、公司甚至他们自己。他们会谈到你被雇佣后可能会遇到的项目,潜在的发展和机会……但是他们把这些可能性说得很明确很绝对,这可能会让你在不切实际的期望中选择接受这份工作。
What to do: Listen closely to any discussions regarding the future. Ask for details. You don't need to interrogate the interviewer, though. Be subtle. Don't say, "Is that project actually approved and funded?" Ask a leading question like, "That sounds great; I bet the approval process was intense."应对办法:仔细听任何关于未来的表述、询问细节。当然,你不要弄得像是在审问面试官一样,而要狡猾一点。不要说,“那个项目已经批下来并成立项目组了吗?”而是问一个导向型的问题,例如,“那听起来不错,我猜想审批手续应该也很紧张吧。”
Most importantly, use what you know about a job -- current duties, reporting chain, salary, benefits, etc -- to decide whether or not to accept the job. Then possibilities that turn out to be realities are a bonus。最重要的是,利用你对工作的了解——现在职务,报告链,薪水,福利等——来决定是否接受这份工作。随后那些可能性如果兑现,那就是额外的收获了。
3. The interviewer sticks too closely to a script. Providing a concise answer to an interview question is great, especially when a question is specific. But an interviewer who does not ask additional questions can fail to get the full story of your skills and achievements。面试官坚信标准答案。面试官对于提出的问题,尤其是一些具体的问题有自己认为的标准答案。但是如果面试官不问求职者其他相关问题的话,是没有办法对求职者的技能和成就有全面了解的。
What to do: Be alert for the "I'm just checking off the boxes" interviewer. If your first few answers fail to spark additional conversation, start expanding. Sell yourself a little more. Share details about why you took certain actions, how you had to adjust, how things turned out... assume each of your answers should be more like a brief story than courtroom testimony。应对办法:对“我只是来看你的回答是不是标准答案”的面试官要保持警惕。如果你最开始几个问题不能引起额外的对话,你就要扩展你的回答,更多的来推销自己。分享你所做过的事情中的一些细节,你如何去调整,事情如何发展……将你的答案以短故事形式呈现,而不是像法庭证词一样。
If the interviewer doesn't ask, find ways to tell. Come prepared with a few talking points that highlight your skills and experience and find ways to weave them in。如果面试官没有问问题,找到方法来告诉他。准备好一些谈话要点,来突出你的技能和经验,并找到方法来把这些话组织进来。
4. The interviewer monopolizes the conversation. Monologue interviewers are a major challenge. Interrupt too often or try to regain a portion of the conversational balance and you seem rude; sit passively and the interview is a waste of time。面试官垄断谈话。独白的面试官是一个重大挑战。总是打断面试官或者试图恢复对话的平衡,你就会看起来很不礼貌;被动的坐着的话,面试就是浪费时间。
What to do: Seize opportunities to interject by responding. Say an interviewer drones on about the challenges -- challenges he always overcomes, of course -- of running a multi-facility, high-profile expansion project. 应对办法:抓住机遇,在做出回应的时候插话。假设一个面试官滔滔不绝地讲述自己如何在多项目、高回报的项目中面对各种挑战。
Try to shoehorn in a, "Wow, that sounds really hard... I know when I was in charge of a team that redesigned our network platform the most gratifying thing was getting everyone to pull together. You may not accomplish much but you will manage to share at least one achievement -- and maybe plant a small seed in the interviewer's mind that you're a little bit like him. (Just not nearly as awesome as he is, of course。)试着插进去一句话,“哇,那听起来确实很困难……我理解你的意思,有次我负责了一个团队来重新设计网络平台,我最满意的事情是让所有人齐心协力做事情。” 可能你不能完成很多,但是你至少可以分享你完成的一个成就——而且这可能会在面试官脑海中种下一颗种子,让他觉得你有点像他。(当然,不是和他一样可怕。)
5. The interviewer doesn't get input from others. Smart interviewers find out how you acted and what you did while you were waiting, interacting with other people, etc. "Lobby behavior" often says a lot about a candidate. But many interviewers don't ask for other opinions。面试官不参考其他人的意见。聪明的面试官会在你等待的过程中或者在和别人的交往中去观察你的一举一动。“大厅举止”通常表现了候选人的很多方面,但是很多面试官不会询问其他的观点。
What to do: Be at your best throughout all stages of the process. On the phone, by email, when talking to the administrative assistant who schedules the interview, while waiting in the lobby... make a great impression on everyone. That way, even if the interviewer doesn't ask other people for input, some may still volunteer。应对办法:在整个过程的每个阶段都表现你最好的一面。电话中,邮件里,和行政助理安排面试,在大厅等候……争取让每个人都对你留下好印象。这样,即使面试官不从其他方面了解信息,还是会有人主动去告诉他的。