Comments on: How to Completely Screw Yourself in a Job Interview

By: Gabriel Mathews

Gabriel Mathews — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:19:22 +0000

Thanks for the photo cred. That photo has been seen by everyone in my company and I still have a job, so I assume these rules are malleable. .-= Gabriel Mathews´s last blog ..The Best Reuben. =-.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:31:57 +0000

J–you might find that putting some energy into looking for another job helps you deal with the effects of the current one. I have found that (for me at least) stress mostly comes from feeling helpless or doomed, and you’ll feel less of those things when you’re actually taking some positive steps to change your situation.

I also wouldn’t recommend that anyone quit a job without another, unless you’re being physically assaulted at work or something. That’s not a good idea even in a strong job market…and we are years away from a strong job market.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:29:03 +0000

George–I agree. This advice is mostly for people who have some sort of choice, but bottom line, your first responsibility to to feed your family, always. The stress of not being yourself at work sucks, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the stress of losing your house.

By: J.

J. — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:24:37 +0000

It took me waaaay too long to figure out the job I have right now is a bad fit, partly because I'm so adaptable, I can take a lot of crap and will twist myself into corkscrews making supervisors happy. It wasn't until it started effecting me physically that I really realized, and even so, it's taken me months to quit (much to the dismay of my long-suffering hubby.) I guess I've learned the value of a decent paycheck and good benefits, and I'm reluctant to leave them behind, even when I desperately NEED to. J.’s last blog post..Desperately Seeking Dynamo

By: George Guajardo

George Guajardo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:28:49 +0000

I agree that we should not force ourselves into an organization we know we won’t fit into… for the most part. It would serve us well to remember that we do not always have the option of being picky. Sometimes we have to take a job we know we won’t like because it is the best (or only) option. Punk Rock HR is having an interesting discussion on this very topic: http://punkrockhr.com/2009/03/27/unemployed-by-choice/. Check it out for a different perspective.

I have first-hand experience with this situation. I joined an organization I was pretty sure I would dislike. I was fresh out of college and fresh out of options. I convinced myself that I could get that personality transplant… Months later I realized I was wrong and the desperation was substantial enough that I would rather be unemployed. I understand that I wasted a lot of people’s time, but I also understand that the income for those few months made a huge difference for my family.

Thankfully, I am in a position where I don’t have to compromise like that (I hope)… However, if I ever face the choice between an ill-fitting job and homelessness, I know which way I will go.

George Guajardo’s last blog post..Blog Type Analyzer

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:34:37 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing your story it is SO true. The same thing happened to me a year or so ago. I needed a job so badly and I had a friend of a friend who owned a very successful insurance agency. I aced the interviews and like you said the owner warned me that it was VERY different than she thought I was used to but I NEEDED a job so I made it work. I aced every test.. even got certified faster than any of her other employees but the job was not more me. After 3 months I was physically ill because I was so unhappy. I never have experienced anything like it. I was hitting my goals and performing great but I cried when I got into my car to go home each night and like I said made myself sick (headaches, vomiting) no matter how well I did... that was not where I was supposed to be. A year later I am still embarrassed about that time in my life. I (like you) am riddled with guilt for wasting the owners and managers time and money training me. Finding a job is hard but you need to take the time to find the right fit for you - it is only fair to you and the company. I have been where I am now for a year and see myself here for a very long time! I have been promoted twice and our company has doubled in size since I was added to the team. I wish I had been more patient before and I could have been here even earlier than I was. Amanda’s last blog post..Business Owners Need to be More Involved with their Marketing Strategy

By: Ask a Manager

Ask a Manager — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:38:01 +0000

Right on! I so agree. I just posted a link to this from my site too.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:45:21 +0000

Sabrina—with a 10-year run at your last job, I think you’ll be okay. Most people have had an experience like this at some point; in fact, in my experience, the ones who haven’t are sometimes the ones who have been in one job forever. That has its own hazards.

HRPufnstuf—I love that picture. That guy is like, “I like to wear a dress, but I like my beard.” He’s not stuck in what a guy needs to look like OR what a guy in a dress needs to look like. He’s just rockin’ his own look, and he’s unapologetic. That’s cool. More people should stop to admire themselves when they are marching to their own drummer.

By: HRPufnstuf

HRPufnstuf — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:59:10 +0000

Very true, and really quite timely with as many people looking for new jobs and needing one now. I guess you have to balance what’s important, but for me, I’ll always err to the side of sanity.

Also, that picture made me laugh and laugh and laugh!

By: lloyddabbler

lloyddabbler — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:40:44 +0000

I was recently asked the “what is your weakness” question and although I came up with the answer in the middle of a sleepless night after the interview rather than IN it, I’m glad to know the honest answer for myself now. “I’ve had a long, healthy career and as such have received lots of feedback over time. At different times, I’ve had different weaknesses but I have adapted myself where I valued the source or saw room for improvement myself, and so my edges are pretty smooth by now.” It’s a diplomatic denial to play the silly game with the recruiter, but more importantly it shows what is crucial in every employee… which is that one will flex and adapt to anything thrown at them.