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What to expect during a job interview?

HylianHylian Citizen, Mentor
I have started applying for jobs, but I realized that if anyone considers hiring me that I'm going to have to go through a job interview, and that I have no idea what to expect. I'm very nervous about it and I don't really know how to prepare for it.

I'm not great at interacting with new people and handling new situations, and I'm especially worried that if I'm unprepared that I'm not going to be able to mask my ASD, and no one will want to hire me.

I've asked my dad and aunt what to expect, but they don't get my concerns and just keep telling me I'll "do fine" which is unhelpful.

Comments

  • verityverity Administrator, Citizen
    The first question is what field are you interested in? This makes big difference,

    If you are in a field like animal rescue you might get a better experience but it won't necessarily pay well.

    Interviews are honestly quite superficial. It is a performance more than anything. If you say the "right" thing you will likely get hired, the question is is if this is will work out for you. Very rarely is the interview process involving question and techniques that test competency. That will be on resume, or CV. On rare instances  they will test aptitude, skills, critical thinking and creative thinking. In these case they will likely forgo the normal interviewing process at least for the first stage.

    In general job ads both exaggerate aspect of the job but also it common  to cover their bases and backs, you can get a good idea of how knowable the employer is about the skills needed through what they put in the job ad, as well as how realistic and in general what sort of mentality they have.

    There are some ethical employers don't get me wrong but it depend on the field.

    As employers can be less than honest it is bit one sided. All you need to is not say anything incorrect that they can check the same doesn't apply to them, other than that it is pretty subjective. It is more the case that you will have to be prepared for the job itself.

    Employers are well aware of the pitfall of the transitional interview process. Which is why in certain technical field they are already coming up with alternative processes. However for a lot of jobs they are really teasing how you will respond to their management style rather then anything else.
  • verityverity Administrator, Citizen
    I personally found that understanding that the process was superficial and with a few industry terms, or businesses cliques you have a good chance was empowering, the question is more how good a fit the job is for you both socially and the skill set. 

  • Lost_DragonLost_Dragon Citizen, Member
    I've had a couple of interviews. Further, I have an interview coming up soon.  The interview process will vary depending on the employer, but I did find that once I was there  (in my last interview) it wasn't too bad. It was for a graphic design position. I sat down in a chair and was offered some water.  The questions were mainly about staying organised in a team and how you deal with feedback / critique. I also showed my portfolio and talked the interviewers through my projects. The atmosphere was far less tense than I expected. 

    However, I've certainly had worse interviews. I remember being stuck once when asked the question "What has been your greatest sacrifice?" Thankfully there weren't any nonsense questions like that in the last interview. 

    I think the main thing I would advise is to make sure that you have questions ready to ask the interviewer at the end. Make sure the questions don't ask for information that could easily be looked up online. A personal favourite of mine to ask is "Why do you like / enjoy working here?" Ideally at least two or three questions. Don't go overboard, but have a couple of questions to show your interest. 

    Another thing - don't mention being nervous. I know it's easy to view the interview as an intimidating test but it should be more of an equal conversation. The business is trying to convince you to potentially work for them and you're testing them to see if you'd want to do so in the future.  Whilst they are trying to discern if you'd fit in, you're also trying to see if you're a good fit. I think that's fairly important to remember. 
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