Tough Interview Questions

These questions aren't your standard fare of questions created by over-paid 20-something writers with atrocious spelling and syntax on those cheesy career websites. I mean come on already. We all know to be prepared for questions such as:

"Tell us a bit about yourself."

"What is your biggest asset."

"What is your biggest weakness?"

Blah blah blah.

Yaaaawwwwwwnnnn.

Here's some tough ones Mr. N has encountered lately:

"You're way over-qualified for this position. Why did you apply?" (I wonder if Walmart asks such a question of the PhD, Master's and Baccalaureate candidates who have had to resort to applying there.)

"Your previous position looks like a good one. Why are you no longer there?" (Is it considered taboo to say "because my boss was an ego-maniacal abusive dictatorial prick"?)

His recent interview consisted of a literal assembly-line of candidates whereby one had 5 minutes of the manager's time (which was interrupted by knocks on the door of potential candidates wanting to apply for the one position so in truth one had maybe 3 minutes total of the manager's time) only to be shuffled off to another location to fill out an application, which allowed candidate number 478 to have his/her 3 minute shot at employment fame. The ad requested that the candidate be willing to talk for awhile about why they wanted to work there. Share their ideas and their values. It was also requested the candidate bring their portfolio (it was for a creative position). Was Mr. N asked why he wanted to work there? Was he given a chance? Was there ANY time offered for him to share his ideas and such? Did they look through his portfolio? The answers to those questions are "no" and "no" and "no" and "for perhaps 10 seconds".

And this was for a reputable employer.

Perhaps there are no reputable employers out there amongst the masses of the insane. Perhaps a life of crime is what this nation is coming to in order to survive. All I can say to those who don't have to work is to thank your lucky stars. And to those who have employment they enjoy and can do, ditto. Folks in both categories are lucky. Nothing more, nothing less. And frankly, none have any business giving advice to another soul in the opposite corner.