Looking back on past interviews I have participated in, I have noticed some common trends that have made the interview effective and flow smoothly. The first common trend is that all hiring managers ask about your personal life prior to engaging in the actual work interview. I noticed that this makes me feel a lot more comfortable at the beginning of the interview and releases any anxiety that may have been building up prior to the interview. This is a very effective way to begin an interview, especially when the interviewee seems nervous.
Another common trend I have noticed in past interviews is that almost every hiring manager asks you why you think you would be a good fit for the company. This may be an effective way to explain your strengths and sell yourself to the hiring manager if you have prepared for the question and know what you want to say. Without preparing for this question, it may be difficult to answer it effectively.
Extra credit prompt: I decided to do the “sexuality” Project Implicit Social Attitude test. My results ended up being a slight automatic preference for straight people over gay people in regard to romantic partners. This seems to be accurate-as I do have some gay friends that I get along with well. But in regard to romantic partners, I consider myself straight and have a preference for straight people.
Drawing on what I’ve learned about discrimination and bias in this class, I think implicit bias has a significant impact on the selection process during job interviews-even when people don’t want it to. This is likely due to the basic judgment our brains give an individual when they are given the first impression. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for everyone, but for people with discriminatory tendencies, it can be mind-skewing and potentially alter the validity of the interview process. It’s also difficult to train someone’s brain to think differently-especially when the person doesn’t want to change their way of thinking. This should be acknowledged when choosing hiring managers and should ensure that they do not have a strong implicit bias so that the interview process is fair and valid.
