Good luck. Try not to kill people. Hands! Hands!

Willow ,'Storyteller'


Natter 52: Playing with a full deck?  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


beekaytee - Jul 23, 2007 10:41:40 am PDT #9557 of 10001
Compassionately intolerant

certain kinds of behavior get me angry in a way that's cold, white, and calculating, and by the time I quietly explain how I'm going to dispose of their corpse people usually understand that they are not to endanger other people in wildly stupid ways while I'm around.

Or, in other words, I feel like I need to high-five you for Hulking out!

Thanks my sistah. It sure seemed like the thing to do at the time.

Shortly thereafter, the same slow-on-the-uptake crew came to trash our room at dawn...while I was still in my bunk. Out of sheer delirium and an attempt to not get into a huge thing with the roomie who was conveniently absent, I let them...until one of them chirped, "I know, let's tie her roommate up! Tee hee." I came out of that bed, and through the rubble like unto someone to make John McClain proud. Things were thrown, curses were cursed. I never saw any of them again. Ever. Might have dropped out for all I know.

My current cold, white, calculating vendetta is against people who are afraid of their dogs. Don't get me started.


brenda m - Jul 23, 2007 10:46:10 am PDT #9558 of 10001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there

Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life: career, personal development and learning, family, physical (health), community service and (if your interviewer is clearly a religious person) you could very briefly and generally allude to your spiritual goals (showing you are a well-balanced individual with your values in the right order).

Yeah, this needs a hard stop right after learning. Maaybe community service if it's career related. As an interviewee, I'd flip out like a mammal if much of the rest of that came up, and (aside from the legality/ethics of it), way to lead you into a potential minefield.

As an interviewer, the few times those sorts of topics came up, my (internal) response was "why the hell would you be talking to me about that?"

The advice about being prepared with concrete, progressive goals is right on though. (Progressive as in multi-stage, not lefty.)


Kathy A - Jul 23, 2007 10:57:50 am PDT #9559 of 10001
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

With women, especially, asking about future family plans can lead to "Well, she wants to have kids, so we can't hire her as a manager when she'll be off on maternity leave!" That happened to a cousin of mine who didn't know she could tell the interviewer that her family planning was no business of his.


Theodosia - Jul 23, 2007 11:01:15 am PDT #9560 of 10001
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"

Our instructor pointed out that aside from HR reps, many interviewers don't know what the rules actually are, hence the need to be prepared for wacko and possibly illegal questions.


§ ita § - Jul 23, 2007 11:03:24 am PDT #9561 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I've never been asked those personal sorts of questions, and I'm not sure how I'd feel working for somewhere that thought it was okay.

However, I have been asked for samples of documents I'd prepared for previous employers, and well, patently not mine to distribute and I said so.

Still got the gig.

I love that there's a wank!wiki.

I found this Byrne-related article which includes the quote I'd been thinking of:

Personal prejudice: Hispanic and Latino women with blond hair look like hookers to me, no matter how clean or cute they are.

"Personal prejudice" reads to me here like "no insult intended."


beekaytee - Jul 23, 2007 11:04:12 am PDT #9562 of 10001
Compassionately intolerant

The advice about being prepared with concrete, progressive goals is right on though.

Exactly. Having a decision tree-like, if this...then that, strategy is really useful.

I have to admit, I've never been upset over a non-bfoq question. When faced with them, I've generally asked something like, "Is that an important part of the organizational culture?" Or "That's a interesting point. I wonder how that effects people here." If it is a major issue (like the fundamentalist tendencies of an org I once interviewed with), the interviewer has done me the favor of hipping me to something that could be a real problem down the road. Rather know now, then later.

eta:

Our instructor pointed out that aside from HR reps, many interviewers don't know what the rules actually are, hence the need to be prepared for wacko and possibly illegal questions.

This is more often the case as not, I think.


Dana - Jul 23, 2007 11:05:16 am PDT #9563 of 10001
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life: career, personal development and learning, family, physical (health), community service and (if your interviewer is clearly a religious person) you could very briefly and generally allude to your spiritual goals (showing you are a well-balanced individual with your values in the right order).

That gives me hives.


amych - Jul 23, 2007 11:07:33 am PDT #9564 of 10001
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

Our instructor pointed out that aside from HR reps, many interviewers don't know what the rules actually are, hence the need to be prepared for wacko and possibly illegal questions.

Oh, agreed -- but be prepared as in, "sidestep gracefully without getting so flustered as to blow the interview" rather than as in "go ahead and answer anyway."


Trudy Booth - Jul 23, 2007 11:08:01 am PDT #9565 of 10001
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

Any good sports bra suggestions? Starting mixed martial arts program next week and would prefer not to, you know, bounce...

Anything that hooks in the front? That would be glorious, I hate wiggling out of those things.


Miracleman - Jul 23, 2007 11:10:05 am PDT #9566 of 10001
No, I don't think I will - me, quoting Captain Steve Rogers, to all of 2020

I always hate the goal question. Usually I'm in such a position that the answer which leaps immediately to mind is: "Get a paycheck, Dork-o. I'll think past that when rent's paid."

I've never had anyone ask me about family planning, religion or anything besides the "goals" and "how do you think you could be an asset" questions, really.

As to my gut answer to the "assets" question, is is usually: "I'll show up."