The Interview

The lecture material this week regarding interviews gave great insight into the key attributes of good vs bad interview. It is apparent, based on the lectures and my own experiences, that a good interview is one that is planned and structured. Many times, even at large corporations looking to hire highly qualified individuals to fill key roles, unstructured interviews that involve free flowing conversation between the employer and potential candidate is the norm. Although this can be relieving for the potential candidate, it is often tough for interviewers to gain true insight into the qualifications of the individuals they are potentially hiring. This leaves the interviewer with their own subjective thoughts regarding the qualifications of the individual; not an effective way to gain an understanding of someone’s abilities.

I personally have participated in an assortment of interviews, both on the potential employee side and the hiring side. From a potential employee side, I have been subjected to both free flowing conversation type of interviews as well as structured and on the spot questions. At Dixon, the Recreation Center on campus, the interview process is incredibly professional and structured with an assortment of questions varying from personal to situational employment. These are very challenging and hard to get used to but the more you are subjected to them, the easier that they are. I have also found that these style of interviews make the free flowing and nonchalant interviews much less stressful. As I graduate and prepare for work after college, I have been subjected to full-time position interviews at large construction companies occupying the US. I have found that often times, these interviews are relatively free flowing and more of a personal “feel-out” type of style with managers of the firm. Although I feel as though this may not be the best way to understand a persons qualifications for a specific job, I think that there is valuable information that companies can learn from a potential candidate when interviewing them in more of a nonchalant way. It is an easier way to understand the true personal feel that someone has, how they may fit culturally with the company and valuable personal attributes that coincide with success. I feel as though the authentic side of a potential candidate can surface when in a free flowing conversation and with that, managers are able to see if this aligns with the values of their company and their direction.