To all HR Managers out there

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  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    Semi off topic and sad...I opened this post to see what heart rate manager was.

    Anyways, you have a ton of great advice already :)
  • angbieb
    angbieb Posts: 692 Member
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    After reading all of this great advice I wish there was a "do over" button I could push! Thank you all so much...this is going to help me out A LOT in future interviews!!! :heart:
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
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    Coming from an HR Manager (ME!)-

    Interviews can be really scarry, nerve racking and feared. People get nervous when they have to talk about themselves. It is easier to tell a story about your personal life, then it is to touch on your career highlights.

    I interview an average of 4 people per week. Sometimes, it gets as high as 15-20 (during our busy season).

    The candidates that always come out on top are those who present themselves with confidences and can provide the support to their comments. For example;

    Interviewer : I have noticed you have been unemployed for x months/weeks/years ..

    Candidate (bad answer) : I had to take time off for personal reasons and now I cant find a job

    Candidate (better answer) : I took some time off to deal with some personal matters, however, during that time I was actively volunteering in the community / upgrading my academics etc. Now that my personal matters are dealt with, I am refreshed and ready to get back into blah blah blah.



    When a candidate offers a pity story about their health/luck/family/divorce etc, it can lead the interviewer to believe the person is in an unstable condition, which in turn, if accurate, could end up costing the company quite a bit.

    I am not saying you said the wrong thing, but you have to consider what the interviewer is paying attention to. They are looking for;

    -a good fit
    -a long term contract/agreement
    -a MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL relationship
    -optimism
    -skills
    -potential

    I hope the above can help with your next interview. Go in there an show them whos boss!! Dont forget to dress approproately for the position!

    Good luck =)

    This...just this...

    short version...

    if you talk about what happened and offer too much insight into the negative they will think you aren't over it...or you may break down again, or you are still dealing...

    if you talk about it as if it's past and done and you are positive about it...that it happened and you grew from it and learned and are ready to take on the world...then they feel you are ready to positively contribute...

    it's all about spin.....

    you can't avoid it...you are right....but you can present it well....and that is key.
  • marciebrian
    marciebrian Posts: 853 Member
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    You need to find a careful way of walking around those questions. What might have been better would be:

    "I had to take some time off to deal with an urgent family situation."

    Honestly, they really can't pry into your business so only give them enough. Less is usually more when they ask you questions about periods of unemployment.

    YUP, This! I'm a recruiter and have been in the staffing industry for 20 years. We hear someone left without notice (less than 2 weeks) because of bad management, we consider job abandonment. High risk perception whether it is true or not. Good luck
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    After reading all of this great advice I wish there was a "do over" button I could push! Thank you all so much...this is going to help me out A LOT in future interviews!!! :heart:

    Lesson learned :) See? These boards CAN be helpful and full of warm fuzzies!! LOL
  • veec0
    veec0 Posts: 33 Member
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    Never interview for your dream job first. You need to do some practice interview. Go to the ones that you like the least first moving your way up to your dream job. This would give you the experience and some insight on how the interviewer reacts to your answer.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Never interview for your dream job first. You need to do some practice interview. Go to the ones that you like the least first moving your way up to your dream job. This would give you the experience and some insight on how the interviewer reacts to your answer.

    This made me laugh. Next time don't go interview for your dream job, call some other places you don't want to work and interview there first. Sorry to be rude, but that's how this sounds.
  • MarisaLWood
    MarisaLWood Posts: 44 Member
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    I left a job without notice due to mental health issues. Now, I always refer to it as "personal health issues, which have since been resolved". I'm not lying and I'm not providing more information than necessary. No one has ever asked further questions.

    ITA with this! I'm the HR Specialist for a nonprofit organization. If I saw "personal health issues which have since been resolved" on an application that came across my desk, I would be VERY understanding and wouldn't press for further information. In fact, that's essentially the response I would use myself if I were filling out an application.

    (Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, I couldn't legally ask further questions anyway. I would only be able to ask what kinds of accommodations someone with a disability might need IF they volunteered the information.)

    I was fired from a job in a different field in 2006 because--for reasons relating to a serious mental health condition--I was no longer able to do it without some pretty drastic accommodations my ex-employer was unwilling to provide. So I've been in a similar situation.

    Best of luck to all job-hunters out there!
  • veec0
    veec0 Posts: 33 Member
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    Never interview for your dream job first. You need to do some practice interview. Go to the ones that you like the least first moving your way up to your dream job. This would give you the experience and some insight on how the interviewer reacts to your answer.

    This made me laugh. Next time don't go interview for your dream job, call some other places you don't want to work and interview there first. Sorry to be rude, but that's how this sounds.
    Not rude at all. Always good to make someone laugh. Laughing also burns about 1.3 calories per minute.
    In the OP's case that would have helped a lot. I interviewed a lot of computer programmer and system analyst last year and I can spot someone who has never been to an interview in a while. They tend to be nervous and the answers are too long or they omit something from their work history, this is exponentially bad when there are 20 other people interviewing for the same position.
  • Pam165
    Pam165 Posts: 11 Member
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    I got my masters degree in June and I can't even get a different job with my own company. I feel I am discriminated because of age and weight.

    Never lose faith in yourself. You have what it takes to get a master's degree while working & as an adult. That's something. I had one for 5 years, couldn't get a promotion or lateral transfer in the same company. One day out of the blue, I got wind of a job opening, sent a resume, and got the job with zero experience or formal training the field, all because of my MBA. In less than a month I was on a new commute. The master's degree made the difference in the end. My new employer was looking to professionalize, and between 2 last candidates I was the one with the degree. I've been at the new job now for 12 years. Hang in there!

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