Interviews 101

A Year of Interviews in Retrospect

I have never been on as many interviews as I have in the past year. It all started when I graduated during the height of the century’s first recession. Okay, so it actually started when I decided to double-major in Dance and Creative Writing. My undergraduate curriculum certainly molded me into a well-rounded, articulate, educated young woman. It did not, however, provide me the same job-security as majoring in economics, accounting, nursing, engineering, etc. does.

When confronted with the question: Did you make the right decision to major in those fields, I continue to say, “Yes.” I majored in subjects that I am passionate about. I enjoyed learning, questioning, being exposed to the liberal arts even if I did not have a job waiting for me. Perhaps I could have been wiser, though—I could have taken some business courses instead of English 255: T.S. Eliot and the Four Quartets. Of course that would have better prepared me to understand budgets and grants, running a company, establishing myself in a capitalistic and very corporate society. But, I do not regret studying the mysticism of early 20^th century poetry because I learned of Eliot’s critical theories, poetic brilliance, and a myriad of classical philosophies. My education taught me to process things creatively, in a way that will be fruitful for my entire lifetime and not just my career.

But I digress: Job Interviews. Listed below is a brief reflection upon a year’s worth of interviews and also some tips/advice for interviewers from the perspective of the interviewee.

A few weeks ago I went on the best interview I have ever had. It was at Table Tales, a small restaurant and café (and catering company) located in the romantic, cobblestoned South Street Seaport area. I was greeted by one of the employees, seemingly a veteran. She was very friendly and level-headed. She offered me water, asked about my resume, and introduced me to the owner. I met with the owner in her upstairs office, where she looked over my resume, conversed with me about my background, my family, what I did in college. She, in fact, said that my resume was fascinating to her. I told her about dancing, my work in the copy-center, about my father and his career as a carpenter. Overall, I felt so comfortable. In the end, despite my hectic schedule and my imminent travel plans to The Yard, she offered me a trial run at Table Tales. She is demanding, hard-working, dedicated and expects that I will be my best self. She also understands that it takes time to become acclimated to a new job environment. I think she is very admirable in this sense, and I wish all bosses/interviewers would incorporate such dimensions into their relationships with employees.

I began my job search in early summer 2009. I was never very good at interviews. For those 15 minutes or so, I clam up and my mind goes blank. Suddenly, the educated, articulate young woman talked about in the first paragraph of this blog disappears into an enclosed shell. I have nothing to say, no questions to ask, no thoughts of my own. It’s funny because in other situations, I am usually very conversational. I am convinced that my voice even changes in interviews, it becomes softer, less defined, my voice becomes unsure of itself.

My first interview of the summer was with one of the owners of Atlantis, a chain of café's in Manhattan. I was referred there by a friend and when I went to see the owner, he got out of his black car with his black suit and sunglasses and approached me, with a cell phone to his ear. He did not take my resume, did not ask my name, he simply shook my hand and asked, “Are you fast?”

I was unsure how to answer. How can I know if I am fast or slow?  It’s a rather subject question. It is also vague and complicated. Plus, even if I am aware that I'm not fast, am I really going to say that in an interview? I don’t remember what I said but I do remember that I was very uncomfortable. He told me to come in the next day to begin working. I was a bit turned off by the fact that he did not really care about who I was. A note for all interviewers: never ask if the applicant is “fast" or something of that nature: it is  completely subjective, impersonal, and rude and has many possible answers. It can also make the applicant feel uncomfortable in the middle of an interview. It certainly made me never come back (or become a customer).

Now, obviously interviewers are trying to weed out the weakest link. But what about those links that are broken down deliberately? What about those applicants that are quite capable of doing the job well but are not good at interviews? Or what about interviewers that ask questions in a condescending, unfriendly manner?

This brings me to another horrible interview I had in the winter of 2010. In February, I went on an interview for a receptionist position at the Art Center, an art school for children in the Upper East Side. It was during one of the worst snowstorms of the season and my computer broke that morning. But I went, in boots and a skirt, to the interview. While discussing my skills, my knowledge of certain computer software, and my background as a dancer, a few things came up that I would like to share here.

1. He asked me I had any knowledge of art, paint, etc. but did not care about my answer.
I told him that I have been around art my whole life, with many friends who are artists. He then interrupted and said that was irrelevant. I think the phrasing, “Well, that’s irrelevant,” is quite confrontational and dismissive for an interviewer. And, actually, it was not irrelevant. When asked if I am an artist, I would say yes. If asked if I have knowledge of art, I would also say yes. I probably spend more time in the studio, in the museum, in the gallery than he does.

2. He also seemed to segregate dance from art, in that he said, “Well, you’re a dancer so I don’t want to hire you if you’re heart will be somewhere else.”
This certainly made me uncomfortable, as I consider myself an artist and do not separate dance from visual art. Plus, how creative can the role of a receptionist be? It is a job to make money, I applied for it because it was a way to make money while being around art (not to become a professional receptionist. I think that was clear in my cover letter).

3. He also did not seem impressed that I had worked at an after-school center (which incorporated arts and crafts), have administrative experience (he kept saying, But do you know how to answer phones?—like really, dude, does it take a brain surgeon? I have been talking on the phone, as most people have, since I was three or four. 




4. He mentioned about the other applicants being MFA, MA candidates or holders and why should I be hired? My confidence instantly dropped. Also, why are MA students competing for an entry-level receptionist position? Anyhow, these were the cloudy thoughts swirling through my brain, not my skills, strengths, or background because of his passive-aggressive question.

And here’s the kicker:

He kept commenting on how young I look!!! How arrogant of a man (and I will not make any slanderous remarks here) to bring my physical features into the interview!! He actually said, “There’s a lot of rich parents come in here--- they may actually think you’re one of the students…,” jokingly. I just looked at him. I felt discriminated and self-conscious AND I do not even look that young. 5’ 1” is perfectly within normal height for a 23 year old. And it certainly would not prevent me from doing my work. That being said, do not insult (even if it’s subtly) your interviewee, that’s a bad way to start off. It does not make your company look good.

By the way, all of this was said with a smile, on his part. He remained calm, cool and pleasant throughout even though his words were the complete antithesis of pleasantries.

Other interviews included one man (my current boss at Staples,) saying something to the effect of, “You’re a dancer so you must know how to smile and be personable.” Yeah, right because that’s all dancers do is jazz their fingers and smile doe-eyed.

One man (from The Metropolitan Museum of Art gift shop) cancelled on me and then scarcely returned my calls/emails to reschedule. He then offered me an interview for a seasonal position. It seems in certain instances, even if you’re intelligent (with a strong knowledge of art and culture), hard-working, and personable, if you’re not a member of the elite upper crust, you’re not welcome in places such as those.

In addition to interviews, I have seen ads for jobs that denounce one’s experience. I worked as a waitress for Applebee’s for nearly four years during college. It was a very busy restaurant and I always had something to do. I was upwardly mobile, starting as a host and busser and making my way up to Carside and later, to waitressing. However, many places would not even consider me because I did not have “Fine Dining” or “NYC” experience (even though Staten Island is technically a part of NYC) . One ad even said, “Do not apply if you have casual, franchise restaurant experience ie, Chevy’s, Applebee’s etc.” I am pretty sure that while at Applebee’s I served customers food, the goal of any restaurant job. I think it is degrading to put such privilege on jobs. 

Also, how can one acquire the necessary “fine dining” experience if no one will let you in? It’s a sure-fire Catch 22. I also find ads that request a photo or headshot degrading and will not even apply to them. I do not think one’s appearance necessarily reflects their capabilities; therefore I find such ads completely elitist and stay from them.

Overall, I think it is wise to remember, both as an interviewer and interviewee, a piece of simple advice someone recently told me. No matter how corny it sounds: just be yourself. I had been trying to be the best candidate in every situation but I just came out mediocre, uninteresting, and passive. I decided to stop that, to just be myself during this last interview which went very well. It was partly because my interviewer wanted to know more than just my skills and background. She allowed me to be comfortable enough to let all of my reservations dissipate. I was myself and aced the interview.

It’s all a learning curve folks. However, in this severe economy, there are many people competing for just one opening. My best advice is that practice makes better. Last year, I was dumbfounded during this process. Now I have a bit more perspective and can manage an interview. I am still not an expert but I reckon with a bit more practice I will only get better.

-m