Job interview (part 1)

Have you ever been interviewed for a job? For what position? Can you still remember the questions that have been asked? How can you rate yourself during those interviews? Do you have any memorable or unforgettable job interview?

In college we had our panel mock interview that was done and assessed by our professors. I can never forget mine because my professors laughed at me. I answered them why I did not want to be assigned in the butchery department and I answered them that I did not want to carry a whole carcass of an animal. Back then I had no idea with how it works in the kitchen department of a hotel. After they laughed at me, my butchery professor told me that there wouldn't be any carcass since the meats delivered in hotels have already been sliced per parts and there would be trolleys or push carts to be able to carry those meats. And he was actually telling the truth. I have even spent most of my practicum hours in the butchery department as it was so fun and it was the coldest of all the departments in a hotel kitchen.

I did had my fair share of failed interviews in the past. I don't know why I hated being interviewed especially for a job that I get so nervous that I sometimes black out. Or I know the answer but it was always at tip of my tongue. You can say that it was probably because I am not confident and I can somehow agree to that. My friends always say that I tend to feel intimidated by an interviewer that it eats me up inside. Yes it can be but there is really something about job interviews, panel discussions and public speaking that make me a mute. Although there are also times wherein I get comfortable with the interviewer that  I don't feel like I was being interviewed but it is very rare. LOL.

Even if I know the answers to the questions, I sometimes really do get blackout. Remember when I froze during my cousin's wedding? I also tend to do that during my interviews that all I can do is to pinch my hands and my mind was telling me to answer the interviewer. But sometimes all I can do is to look at them and smile because I really don't know how to answer them. LOL. I know that I shouldn't be thinking about it and that I should think positive all the time but I cannot help but to imagine myself when applying for a US Visa sometimes. I imagined myself standing in front of the consul or whoever does the interview and I would just stand there and I could not talk even if I know the answers to his/her questions. My mom is also not good with interviews and speeches. That's why she's also afraid to apply for a US Visa.

You see I am not the right person to ask for advices with regards to job interviews and public speaking. I envy my dad and my brother for being able to speak in front of a lot of people. That is why I feel like being a lawyer doesn't suit me because I fail in a lot of areas. But when it comes to memorization and law terms and even some hospital terms, my mind can comprehend most of it. My friends even tried to interview me before. We were serious but there was really a part where I get blackout. I would say a lot of "ahh" and "uhm" and then I would have to cut our interview and ask my friends on how should I say this sentence in English. I know that we can answer in both English and/or Tagalog during job interviews however it is much better if it is the former. My friends know that I am more of a written kind of person than oral. But there is no such thing as a written interview. We practiced and we practiced but it is really different when it's already the actual interview.

During my entry level positions, I did had a lot if interviews that made me memorize my answers to the question and I can say that I had improved. Although when I was applying for a supervisory or managerial level positions, it was different. Different companies, different questions and it was 5 times harder than the interviews that I had in the past when I was applying for an entry level position and it was not just 1 interview with 1 company. When I applied for a supervisory or managerial position, the interviews were usually 2 or more. You will be interviewed by an HR officer/manager followed by the store manager next would be the area manager and last would be the owner of the company. I remember there was even a company whose questions were really hard that I wasn't able to answer any of it. He ended up answering his questions and he even asked me if his questions were hard and I honestly told him that it was. What did I expect since it was an American chain of restaurant so they really have to screen their applicants really well especially if it was in the managerial level.

I cannot recall how many interviews I have had before but even if I had countless of interviews, I just cannot overcome my fear of it. I can still remember the first time that I had my interview. I asked my friend A to walk in with me during my job hunting days. When we submitted our resume, we already had our initial interview that same day. It was a panel interview although it was 1 interviewer and 5 applicants. Have you ever experienced something like that? I don't know if there are still companies who does that but I have watched some Korean dramas where it was a panel interview and you get to be with the other applicants. For me it is more nerve wrecking because I felt like we were back to being students.

Fun fact: I hated graded recitation. Even if I know the answer, I do not raise my hand nor do I want to be called during recitations. Why? I have this feeling that my answer is wrong and that my classmates would make fun of me. Or maybe I just don't like to hear the teacher saying "wrong" to me. Maybe because I was traumatized when I was a kid when I don't get the right answer when my mom was teaching me. For whatever reason, I just don't like being the center of attention.

Though I don't know if that has something to do with how I am during job interviews. For whatever reasons, I really want to do better in my future job interviews.