Well, it's that time again! It's TSQL Tuesday #54, and its about Interviews and hiring. I'm writing this free style and extemporaneously (off the top of my head). Why the rush? Well, I'm late! I'm late to the awesome blog party, but tip #1 for any interview you may have is, don't be late! It's ok to be fashionably late to a party, but not a good first impression to be late to your interview.
First, let's thank Boris Hristov (@BorisHristov) for hosting this month's entry of T-SQL Tuesday. One thing I try to do, is never schedule an interview for a Monday. That's just me, but I like Tuesday better. Rest from the weekend, an extra day to prepare for the interview once in the swing of the full week.
Anyway, I was actually late to an interview for a FT project, though it wasn't my fault. It was the vendor, who gave me the wrong address and directions. I was 30 minutes late to an hour interview. Kept the manager, two engineers, and department business users waiting, until I finally found the right address. I went left instead of right, and well, eventually I got there. I was so annoyed at the vendor, that I kinda started not to care what happened. Figured the apple cart is spoiled already. I apologized, without much regret, and explained that the vendor just gave me the wrong address. Turned out, it was their old address, and they were very understanding. Anyway, 20 minutes left on a tight schedule, with someone coming straight after me.
End of the story? Called me the next day to offer me the job! Ha! Totally unexpected, but basically knocked the interview out of the ball park in 20 minutes or less! Guess the SQLInspire TED talk lighting format helped me there 😉 So, sometimes when you're least expecting the outcome, the opposite happens! Therefore, even if you think you did great on an interview, you never know what's going on in the minds of the folks at the hiring company.
Which brings me to an articIe I recently commented on in my Linkedin Group DBA.Connect, on Dealing with Rejection, and How to ask for feedback from your recruiter, after that rejection. Even though it may not be the desired outcome, it can be educational and insightful for you on your next interview, as well as job searches along your career path.
So, did you just get off the phone with a potential employer, and thought
"What a great interview that was!" or "I know I nailed that one - can't
wait for the F2F" --> Then, the recruiter calls you and says,
"They're going in a different direction" or "They decided to go with a
candidate they already interview a month ago" Either way, what do you do
next? Sometimes the interviewER and the interviewEE have 180 degree
opinions on the interview and whether they felt you were a right fit.
Don't despair!! There are a number of reasons for being rejected, and
sometimes they have NOTHING to do with you. Typical reasons are liked
your skills, but personality wasn't a fit. Or skills were top notch, but
communication skills lacking. Or, communication skills and personality
were great, but light on the skills they need.
On the flip side, I've gotten from clients, "We thought he/she was
great, the interview went well, the skills, personality, experience etc.
were perfect, BUT - so what's the problem? Well, our internal team is
having disagreement about the direction of role. Sometimes this even
means you could have made the interviewers feel inferior! They have a
perceived notion that if YOU were to get hired, their own jobs would
soon be at risk. Nonetheless, here is an article on how to ask for
feedback. It is from a recruiter, and thought it would be interesting to
share!
Tips from a Recruiter: How to Ask for Feedback After A Job Rejection
Finally, in a shameful plug, but just an opportune topic to mention this - my company - Pearl Knowledge Solutions, Inc. now helps match up DBA professional employees with prospective employers. We're not a recruiting agency, but out of the spill over to our service offerings, we are working with companies and individuals on full time and contract roles, specifically in the SQL Server DBA, BI, Developer space. So, if you're a company looking for a full time resource, we have several qualified individuals, and if you're a database professional seeking a new role or gig, feel free to send us your resumes to pearlknows@yahoo.com with desired salary/hourly rate, and indicate if you'd prefer FT or contract. {END PLUG} Hey, the topic is Interviews and Hiring, and we know who's hiring.
Want to join the blog party? Follow these simple rules. Hope you're not already late!
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- If you’d like to host a T-SQL Tuesday of your own, review the historical list of topics and reach out to Adam Mechanic for scheduling.
Good luck on your next interview!
