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Stuzrol · 12-08-2007, 13:34

So tomorrow I'm to attend a "non-formal interview" and then a coding test at a company for a junior CSS developer position.

I have done a Google search for typical questions and now I'd like to ask everyone here what questions they've had that might now have shown up in my searches?? And if there's any interview suprises I should know about beforehand??

steveb · 12-08-2007, 14:31

Most surprising question I was asked at my last interview:
"Do you like people?"

Which is rather different from "Do you get on with people" or "Are you a team player".

parkyy2k · 12-08-2007, 15:30

What was your reply?

steveb · 12-08-2007, 15:31

I said most people are waste biomass who should be ground up and fed to livestock.

Maerk · 12-08-2007, 15:34

Most irritating questions are the classic - where do you see yourself in ten/five years, to which there's only two tactics, lie your arse off and say something slimy or be honest - I mean who can really predict the next few years of their career.

I know one place asks you what superhero you'd be and why. The question scuppered me as I'm really not into my superheros and comics, so didn't come up with anything particularly witty.

Ehm what else - what do you bring with you that's a benefit to us, why should we choose you over someone else etc. Fairly standard stuff.

Though for a non formal junior position it's more likely "can you operate a kettle efficiently".

Do Gooder · 12-08-2007, 16:03

swat up on their company a bit and have some decent questions about the job to ask them too!

i always do that... i write them on a scrap of paper just incase i forget them and need a queue... but only ever needed to pull out the bit of paper once.

if its informal don't be too worried/worked up though, they are by far the nicest kind of interviews to attend.

Paul · 12-08-2007, 16:26

how cheap will you work for?

freelancr · 12-08-2007, 16:50

About 18 months ago I was working in a call centre, I got the job without any experience or interview, so they must have been desperate.

After I had worked there for a few months I was getting fed up of the fact that if I made 0 or 100 calls I would get paid exactly the same. Not many of the same staff were there when I started, so staff turnover was very high. I started looking for jobs, and there was another call centre job, but it had a higher salary, and paid a performance related bonus. I knew loads of people that worked there, and had for years, and were happy enough.

So I applied for the job, and went to the formal interview dressed smart. Arrived for the appointment 15 minutes early, was the only candidate there at the time, and had to wait 45 minutes to be interviewed by these 2 bints. The ugly ginger one sat there staring into space and didn't say a word throughout, and the other one proceeded to ask me questions about customer service, what experience I had, etc. I answered these questions as well as I could. Then she went off on a tangent and started asking me stupid open ended questions, that had nothing to do with the job.

Got a pre-written letter telling me I didn't get the job, so wasn't told why. Fucking annoying waste of time. BTW Neither of those jobs were for cold calling. The first was for the NHS, and the second was for a debt collecting company.

Annoying to get rejected for an unskilled job, for no reason. God knows why these places bother with interviews, and they blatantly haven't got a clue what to ask, so just ask any old shit. To work in McDonalds I needed an interview, asked me a load of bollocks about what would happen in 5 years time..... jesus christ.

stuntman · 13-08-2007, 05:18

this is what happened in an interview i had.....

walk in , sit down, theres a coke can in the middle of the table.

them - " do you like that " ? ( pointing to the can )

me - " yes "

them - " why do you like it " ?

me - " well why shouldn't I, its done nothing to me " !?

them - " SIGH, tut " ( slow shaking of heads )

.......didn't get the job

weldo · 13-08-2007, 06:45

i had a non-formal interview in a coffee shop ...

"if you were on a desert island what book would you take ?"
"something i haven't read before" i says ...

"what's your favourite type of curry ?"
"probably a tikka masala or something tasty - and not unneccessarily hot ... boring, but lovely"

"meat, fish or veg ?"
"its gotta be chicken, hasn't it ?" says i ....

I'd basically been picked for the job before the daft questions (i didn't take it for other reasons), .... non-formal interviews are really just for them to get a feel for your personality ....

enjoy it.

relax.

weldo · 13-08-2007, 06:51

but watch out for that "how much do you think you are worth" question ...

try and find out the correct salary bracket for someone with your skills and experience in your area - and quote the market rate for that position - maybe suggest a starting wage that sits nicely in the middle, with a review after 3 or 6 months ???

Its a bitch if you get offered less than you wanted, less than was advertised or even have to suggest less than you'd really like - kinda depends on your current situation ...

centro · 13-08-2007, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuntman

" well why shouldn't I, its done nothing to me " !?

Poor answer

stuntman · 13-08-2007, 08:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by centro

Poor answer

i thought it would be a bit of a ice breaker and make them laugh, but it didn't.

Stuzrol · 15-08-2007, 08:01

Thankyou all for your helpful (and amusing replies). Had the interview on Monday, got to say it was certainly different from all other interviews I've been to in my life. 20 mins of questioning,which didnt seem to have any structure to it or didnt seem very pre-planned just very casual and on the spot,and then 10 mins of technical questioning from someone else. Now I'm on the long bastading wait to find out if I got the job.If only I were as confident about the whole interview as I am about the technical bit.

12-08-2007, 13:34	#1 (permalink)
Stuzrol Sir Digby Chicken Caesar Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 41	Common Interview Questions So tomorrow I'm to attend a "non-formal interview" and then a coding test at a company for a junior CSS developer position. I have done a Google search for typical questions and now I'd like to ask everyone here what questions they've had that might now have shown up in my searches?? And if there's any interview suprises I should know about beforehand?? Last edited by Stuzrol : 12-08-2007 at 14:08.

12-08-2007, 14:31	#2 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,529	Most surprising question I was asked at my last interview: "Do you like people?" Which is rather different from "Do you get on with people" or "Are you a team player". __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

12-08-2007, 15:31	#4 (permalink)
steveb 389 ppm and rising Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Järvenpää, Finland Posts: 4,529	I said most people are waste biomass who should be ground up and fed to livestock. __________________ My free fonts www.utfi.net

12-08-2007, 15:34	#5 (permalink)
Maerk Doodler. Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 1,348	Most irritating questions are the classic - where do you see yourself in ten/five years, to which there's only two tactics, lie your arse off and say something slimy or be honest - I mean who can really predict the next few years of their career. I know one place asks you what superhero you'd be and why. The question scuppered me as I'm really not into my superheros and comics, so didn't come up with anything particularly witty. Ehm what else - what do you bring with you that's a benefit to us, why should we choose you over someone else etc. Fairly standard stuff. Though for a non formal junior position it's more likely "can you operate a kettle efficiently". __________________ sreski & scrapbook.sreski

12-08-2007, 16:03	#6 (permalink)
Do Gooder Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5,085	swat up on their company a bit and have some decent questions about the job to ask them too! i always do that... i write them on a scrap of paper just incase i forget them and need a queue... but only ever needed to pull out the bit of paper once. if its informal don't be too worried/worked up though, they are by far the nicest kind of interviews to attend. __________________ anti social marketing

12-08-2007, 15:30	#3 (permalink)
parkyy2k Oh la... Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Manchester Posts: 606	What was your reply?

12-08-2007, 16:26	#7 (permalink)
Paul Junkie[scum] Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: location, location Posts: 1,737	how cheap will you work for?

12-08-2007, 16:50	#8 (permalink)
freelancr Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,098	About 18 months ago I was working in a call centre, I got the job without any experience or interview, so they must have been desperate. After I had worked there for a few months I was getting fed up of the fact that if I made 0 or 100 calls I would get paid exactly the same. Not many of the same staff were there when I started, so staff turnover was very high. I started looking for jobs, and there was another call centre job, but it had a higher salary, and paid a performance related bonus. I knew loads of people that worked there, and had for years, and were happy enough. So I applied for the job, and went to the formal interview dressed smart. Arrived for the appointment 15 minutes early, was the only candidate there at the time, and had to wait 45 minutes to be interviewed by these 2 bints. The ugly ginger one sat there staring into space and didn't say a word throughout, and the other one proceeded to ask me questions about customer service, what experience I had, etc. I answered these questions as well as I could. Then she went off on a tangent and started asking me stupid open ended questions, that had nothing to do with the job. Got a pre-written letter telling me I didn't get the job, so wasn't told why. Fucking annoying waste of time. BTW Neither of those jobs were for cold calling. The first was for the NHS, and the second was for a debt collecting company. Annoying to get rejected for an unskilled job, for no reason. God knows why these places bother with interviews, and they blatantly haven't got a clue what to ask, so just ask any old shit. To work in McDonalds I needed an interview, asked me a load of bollocks about what would happen in 5 years time..... jesus christ.

13-08-2007, 05:18	#9 (permalink)
stuntman cunning stunts Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 929	this is what happened in an interview i had..... walk in , sit down, theres a coke can in the middle of the table. them - " do you like that " ? ( pointing to the can ) me - " yes " them - " why do you like it " ? me - " well why shouldn't I, its done nothing to me " !? them - " SIGH, tut " ( slow shaking of heads ) .......didn't get the job

13-08-2007, 06:45	#10 (permalink)
weldo now with added beard Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liverpool Posts: 5,273	i had a non-formal interview in a coffee shop ... "if you were on a desert island what book would you take ?" "something i haven't read before" i says ... "what's your favourite type of curry ?" "probably a tikka masala or something tasty - and not unneccessarily hot ... boring, but lovely" "meat, fish or veg ?" "its gotta be chicken, hasn't it ?" says i .... I'd basically been picked for the job before the daft questions (i didn't take it for other reasons), .... non-formal interviews are really just for them to get a feel for your personality .... enjoy it. relax. __________________ fuck signatures

13-08-2007, 06:51	#11 (permalink)
weldo now with added beard Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liverpool Posts: 5,273	but watch out for that "how much do you think you are worth" question ... try and find out the correct salary bracket for someone with your skills and experience in your area - and quote the market rate for that position - maybe suggest a starting wage that sits nicely in the middle, with a review after 3 or 6 months ??? Its a bitch if you get offered less than you wanted, less than was advertised or even have to suggest less than you'd really like - kinda depends on your current situation ... __________________ fuck signatures

15-08-2007, 08:01	#14 (permalink)
Stuzrol Sir Digby Chicken Caesar Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 41	Thankyou all for your helpful (and amusing replies). Had the interview on Monday, got to say it was certainly different from all other interviews I've been to in my life. 20 mins of questioning,which didnt seem to have any structure to it or didnt seem very pre-planned just very casual and on the spot,and then 10 mins of technical questioning from someone else. Now I'm on the long bastading wait to find out if I got the job.If only I were as confident about the whole interview as I am about the technical bit.

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