Had an interview at Geek Squad.... went HORRIBLE

[DanDaManJC]

Hang in there OP. Don't take the fact Best Buy rejected you as any metric of your ability for employment.

A year before I graduated with my Compsci degree, I applied to work for BestBuy as I thought it would be an interesting place to work on that is somewhat related to my future career. After interviewing for 30 minutes, I realized I wasn't getting the job. The interviewer had no clue what she was doing and kept looking at her coworkers sending secret non-verbal messages and laughing.

After I had enough of the bullsh*t, I told her good luck in her future employment if this is a reflection of her work ethic to which she replied "You are not qualified to work here anyways so good luck on getting a real tech job." I remember laughing on my way out.

After finishing up my degree, I got a job doing software dev and make 3x my starting salary and about 10x what I would've been paid at that Best Buy.

The sweet irony is when I saw that same girl's application and I remembered the name and I looked at the job history and one of them was "Geek Squad Manager." and no formal or other education to speak for. I called her up and said "Way to burn your bridges, you aren't qualified to work here, good luck in life."

PS: Show absolute confidence in everything you do. Perception is so important and without knowing anything about you, an interviewer will take your view of yourself as a big clue. Show confidence without stepping into arrogance and you will already have a huge 1-up in any interview you run into.

Awesome story. So this chick really tried applying to your department, and you got to tell her to fuck off?

Fuckn rad.

 

[ShawnD1]

LOL. Nice story. :thumbsup:

My GF has a similar one. She used to work at a salon where a few bitches were nasty to her. They would steal her tip money, delete her appointments, make fake appointments, etc. She left there because of their harrassment, and got a job as a manager at some new salon. One of the bitches tried applying there.

Should call her in for a 2 hour interview then not give the job. Biggest waste of that person's time ever.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Should call her in for a 2 hour interview then not give the job. Biggest waste of that person's time ever.

I had a former coworker who burned major bridges at the last company I was with (he tried to get a bunch of us fired but it backfired because HR caught him lying). That was 4 years ago. Fast forward to January of this year, and whose resume landed on my desk? Yep, his! I seriously thought about calling this guy in for an interview just to waste his time and make him look like an ass, but in the end, I just threw it away. If I see him in public, I will tell him though.

 

[Rubycon]

Hire these guys to do your interviews!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J34-t-QJ7cE

:awe:

 

[PokerGuy]

Rough crowd. There's no reason to include your transcript, it's pretty much irrelevant. It's counterproductive, because by including it (which is unusual), you're drawing attention to it, and it's not stellar.

I'd take it out. GPA is fine to include early in your career (with not much experience out of school), but after that there's no reason to include it either.

Good luck!

 

[mrCide]

I remember when I was 20 or so I applied to Best Buy and CompUSA after getting my A+/N+/MCSE etc. BB didn't call me back (this was pre geek squad) and CompUSA called me in for an interview in which he said I wasn't qualified for the position and I could apply for a clerk position, "maybe". Good times. Lucky for him CompUSA went out of business.

Jackass.

Good luck, anyway.

 

[Numenorean]

Believe it or not, its hard to get an A in that course.

Doing all of the assignments is so fucking tedious because it's not teaching anyone in the class anything.

I wound up with the A, but I can completely see why someone wouldn't want to make fucking 6 spreadsheets every 2 days.

I just tested out of the entire fucking thing.

 

[Modelworks]

You need to read a few books on how to make up a resume. I can tell you that if you applied for a job from me and sent me a list of all the courses, detailed work history, etc you wouldn't get hired. You have about 5 seconds to get your employers attention from the time they read the first sentence on the page. If you list a bunch of stuff the employer will tune out, glance over it picking out only key words here and there and be bored by the end.

Very first thing I read is what strengths you have, why you should be hired. Don't care about grades or what you did during the summer, just can you do the job and in a way that will be the least amount of work for me.

Start by listing any school degrees, training and work history. Try to keep it in one line sentences and not paragraphs. The people most often hired are the ones that are quick and to the point and not the ones with 10 page resumes giving their life history.

 

[ShawnD1]

Start by listing any school degrees, training and work history. Try to keep it in one line sentences and not paragraphs. The people most often hired are the ones that are quick and to the point and not the ones with 10 page resumes giving their life history.

I think the lesson here is to write it as if you were the one reading it.

Personally, I like things that are clear and easy to understand. If I'm trying to assemble a couch from Ikea, I want point form instructions. I don't want to read a paragraph of convoluted bullshit for each step. Clarity is also why I try to space out my ATOT posts as much as possible. Something that looks like a new idea gets a new line.

 

[feralkid]

Why are you even showing them a college transcript? noone gives a shit that you got a B in Environmental Science.

No, I don't think Peter Noone really gives a shit either way.

 

[Aikouka]

Transcripts = FOR SCHOOL USE ONLY

I had to submit my transcript for my first job out of college. The current job that I'm at did not require one though (since it was work experience).

Or honesty.

You can be honest without being mean .

 

[OverVolt]

BB is trying to find someone who is right for the job. Those classes don't really apply. I would play up people skills, judgement skills, ability to sell warranty plan skills, etc. Be willing to do what it takes to get the job, and show it in person.

The interview is an opportunity to show why your right for the job, not some kind of process you have to hopefully squeeze through. As soon as he said your transcript wasn't that impressive you should have hit him with something your awesome at and applies to the job. If they ask you why you put it on there just say like "whoops guess it wasn't a good idea but at least I own up to my mistakes" or something.

 

[Sea Moose]

Exactly what I was thinking.

Why would you show them something that makes you look retarded, especially when no one is asking for it.

You are asking why retarded people do retarded things...?

 

[Crono]

Forgot to mention that sometimes interviewers will poke at your resume and qualifications. What they expect you to do is defend yourself and present the strengths of your experience and skillset. In other words, think on your feet.

 

[Sea Moose]

PS: Show absolute confidence in everything you do. Perception is so important and without knowing anything about you, an interviewer will take your view of yourself as a big clue. Show confidence without stepping into arrogance and you will already have a huge 1-up in any interview you run into.

People sometimes fail to realise that when you go to the job interview. You should be interviewing your potential employer as much as they are interviewing you. I totally agree with Kia Mans statement

 

[Old Hippie]

"WTF? I'm applying for a job with BEST BUY---not trying to get into Harvard! This is a job where people in black tie costumes, to portray the 15 year old stereotype of a computer nerd, fix computers by running restore disks and then overcharge old people! I don't know how prestigious a place you think this is to work, but you're judging me on my grades, and you're what....35? 40? You work in a place where you have to wear a tag with your name on it to work everyday. Me thinks your grades weren't so hot either, and, well, here you are! Now cut the intimidation crap and either give me this pathetic job or not."

I'd pay to see that interview. :biggrin:

 

[mizzou]

Holy shit, i didnt know you could be denied at bb, especially in the crap.squad, kind of nice to know they actually hirepeople with lwgit computer experiencenthough lol

And here i am comaining about my current cushy job and NEEDING ti move out.

Knock on wood, but i rarely had a problem with in person interviews as long asi really am qualified. Unqualified candidates can be smelled out quickly by a good interviewer.

Just be yourself, be clear, and be charming. I naturally havek those traits so its easier for me to do it, plus i seem to always nail the interviewer if shes a woman, it just helps me seal the deal. I dont nail the guy interviewers but i dont fail epicly either, they are just harder for me to let my charm worj
K its way in. Probably because i dont firt, i just get down to business.

resume. Creation is a bitch, i would tailor it to the place you areapplying to. It takes more time butit pays off in the end.


Also, make sure you dress well to the first date, much better first impressio. Helps you slip in IMO

 

[Sureshot324]

Do an ATOT search (or google search) for resume. Look at all the resumes for ideas on how to improve your own. Looking at other ATOT ppl's resumes is good because they are real people's resumes, unlike the ones you'll see by doing a google search of 'example resume', which mostly will be ones with tons of excellent work history, education, etc..

Google common job interview questions, write them all down, and pre-plan how you are going to answer them.

Also, why are you going to college and taking a bunch of random liberal arts classes? If you want to further your career with education you gotta be more focused than that. Set a goal for what kind of job you want to get into and find out what it will take to get there.

 

[chusteczka]

Congratulations on the certifications. That and the job experience are the only things you have going for you. Your class list is missing math and science. This tells me your focus is on liberal arts, this is fine. However, there are no foreign language classes in your list and your grades are not good enough to show any focus on the liberal arts. Basically, you are passively meandering through life. Who wants to hire someone without direction? If you do not know where you are going, how will you ever get there? Choose an end result, determine how to get there, then work to achieve it. My manager at my last job for Oracle programming was a philosophy major and I liked and respected him. You can succeed with a liberal arts focus but you will need to work at it and do much better than you are now.

The lack of math and science classes in your resume tells me you may be afraid of technical subjects. If technical subjects scare you, then you will not do well in a technical position.

You appear to like history. For this, you will need to understand economics. The historians I respect and enjoy reading the books of, all know more than one language so they may better research their material. They are also far smarter than I am and excellent writers. Your work is not up to par.

Again, determine what you want in life and work to get there. I served 6 years in the navy before going to college and then started at a community college. However, my experience told me that I desperately wanted an education to make life easier and more fulfilling. This drive motivated me to concentrate on every subject to receive nearly all straight A's at the associate degree level. While taking introductory classes in nearly everything, I realized that I enjoyed writing papers and received more positive encouragement in math and science than in business. This directed me to focus on math and science to leave business for a minor. I selected accounting as a minor since it is the most technical of the business classes.

I say this to show that I understand your situation at being 27 in school looking for a job. But you are looking for a job during the school semester. Find a job on campus in the computer lab or something. A position easy to get to and study during. Otherwise, focus on school. That is why you are taking classes and paying tuition. To learn. You are not going to learn your subject material while working at Best Buy. This will only distract you and maintain your less than average lifestyle.

You see how useless your job experience is for getting a job. Maybe this should tell you to focus on achieving an education. Educate yourself and increase your skillset. Something motivated you to go to college. Follow up on this, focus on your classes, and make the most of the time you are there.



There was discussion about what grades mean. Here is what they mean to me.

A - expected
B - not completely sure of the material but worked hard
C - was not paying attention in class, lazy
D - lost and lazy
F - Something bad happened



My dad is a doctor. He likes to say, "What do you call the medical school graduate with the lowest GPA?". "Doctor". He says no one is going to ask for grades or a class transcript.

I am a CS engineer. Most of the job interviews I had directly after school asked me for a transcript of my classes and grades. Those that did not were technically weaker companies that I realized I did not want to work for. I had to prove that I was good enough to get into the companies I was interested in.

Grades do not show intelligence as much as they show a person's work ethic. A person with A's and B's is going to work hard and stay focused. A person with C's will be distracted and unfocused with little technical ability to do the job. There is a technical aspect to any subject. For example, art with the ability to paint and put colors together. English Literature with word usage, structure, and essay writing.



A typical semester load involves the following classes:

Math
Science
English
Social Science
Elective (business maybe?)

 

[ScottyB]

Can I have my transcript destroyed as well?

SOC 112 Intro to Anthropology
4.0
CS 1121 Intro to Computer Science I
3.5
GE 2000 Understanding the Earth
4.0
MA 1090 Functions, Change, and Chance
4.0
UN 1001 Perspectives on Inquiry
4.0
CS 1122 Intro to Computer Science II
3.0
MA 1160 Calculus with Technology I
4.0
PH 1100 Introductory Physics Lab
4.0
PSY 2000 Principles of Psychology
4.0
SS 2200 Prehistory and Archaeology
3.5
UN 2001 Revisions
4.0
CSE 231 Intro to Programming I
3.5
IAH 201 U.S. & the World
3.5
MTH 133 Calculus II
0.0
PSY 236 Personality
3.5
ENG 230 Intro to Film
3.0
FRN 101 Elementary French I
3.5
PSY 330 Psychoanalytic Perspective
4.0
THR 101 Acting I
3.5
PSY 280 Abnormal Psychology
3.5
TC 100 The Information Society
4.0
ENG 210 Intro to the Study of English
3.0
PSY Social Psychology
4.0
IAH 221C Great Ages Modern World
3.5
PSY 200 Cognitive Psychology
2.5
TC 240 Intro to DMAT
3.5
THR 212 Costume Prop & Makeup
3.5
EC 201 Intro to Microeconomics
4.0
ENG 334 Screenwriting
4.0
TC 200 History of Economics of Telecom
3.0
TC 201 Intro to Telecom Technology
4.0
ENG 331 Film Criticism
2.5
ISB 204 Applied Biomedical Sciences
3.0
TC 310 Basic Telecommunication Policy
4.0
TC 342 Basic Video Design & Production
3.5
ENG 228 Intro to Fiction Writing
3.5
ENG 310A Literature in English to 1660
3.0
ENG 434 Advanced Screenwriting
4.0
ISB 208L IS Biology Lab
4.0
ENG 310C Lit English 1789-1900
3.0
TC 442 Advanced Video Design & Production
4.0
FRN 102 Elementary French II
4.0
ENG 379 American Women Writers
4.0
ENG 459 Victorian Studies
3.5
FRN 201 Second-year French I
3.5
TC 346 Interactive Media I
3.5
ENG 428 Advanced Fiction Writing
3.5
ENG 445 American Literature Since 1950
4.0
FRN 202 Second-year French II
3.5
ISS 310 People and Environment
4.0
BCA 505 Advanced Electronic Media Writing
3.7
ENG 602 Research Materials and Methods
4.0
ENG 691A Seminar: Writing Fiction
4.0
ENG 535 History Literary Criticism
3.7
ENG 622 Seminar: Contemporary Fiction
4.0
ENG 799 Thesis
CR
ENG 510 Writing Center Practicum
3.7
ENG 691A Seminar: Writing Fiction
4.0
ENG 621 Seminar: Contemporary Poetry
4.0
ENG 693A Seminar: Writing Nonfiction
4.0
ENG 799 Thesis
CR
COMM-682 Writing for Visual Media
TBD
COMM-516 Masters of European Cinema
TBD
COMM-634 Film & Video Production II
TBD

 

[Ksyder]

^^Maybe I'm missing something but how on earth do you have a gpa listed for each class?

 

[ShawnD1]

^^Maybe I'm missing something but how on earth do you have a gpa listed for each class?

There are two obvious answers
1 - he's joking
2 - he attended a fake school like university of phoenix


I won't say it's impossible to get an A+ or 4.x in every single class, but it's extremely unlikely. Are you saying you're the top student or maybe second from the top in every single one of those classes?

If I saw that on a transcript, the application would go in the garbage. Either you're the smartest person in the entire world and you just happen to beat every student in every class, or you attended a fake university that gives everyone a 4.0 just for paying tuition.

 

[DrPizza]

There are two obvious answers
1 - he's joking
2 - he attended a fake school like university of phoenix


I won't say it's impossible to get an A+ or 4.x in every single class, but it's extremely unlikely. Are you saying you're the top student or maybe second from the top in every single one of those classes?

If I saw that on a transcript, the application would go in the garbage. Either you're the smartest person in the entire world and you just happen to beat every student in every class, or you attended a fake university that gives everyone a 4.0 just for paying tuition.

I'd toss it in the garbage as well. Too many soft courses - literature, fiction, etc. Not enough real courses.

However, every person who graduates magna cum laude or summa cum laude has a transcript like that or better. And, that's all that's needed on the resume:
University:<....> Major: <...> Minor: <...>
Honors: Dean's list every semester, graduated Summa Cum Laude

 

[Acanthus]

Can I have my transcript destroyed as well?

SOC 112 Intro to Anthropology
4.0
CS 1121 Intro to Computer Science I
3.5
GE 2000 Understanding the Earth
4.0
MA 1090 Functions, Change, and Chance
4.0
UN 1001 Perspectives on Inquiry
4.0
CS 1122 Intro to Computer Science II
3.0
MA 1160 Calculus with Technology I
4.0
PH 1100 Introductory Physics Lab
4.0
PSY 2000 Principles of Psychology
4.0
SS 2200 Prehistory and Archaeology
3.5
UN 2001 Revisions
4.0
CSE 231 Intro to Programming I
3.5
IAH 201 U.S. & the World
3.5
MTH 133 Calculus II
0.0
PSY 236 Personality
3.5
ENG 230 Intro to Film
3.0
FRN 101 Elementary French I
3.5
PSY 330 Psychoanalytic Perspective
4.0
THR 101 Acting I
3.5
PSY 280 Abnormal Psychology
3.5
TC 100 The Information Society
4.0
ENG 210 Intro to the Study of English
3.0
PSY Social Psychology
4.0
IAH 221C Great Ages Modern World
3.5
PSY 200 Cognitive Psychology
2.5
TC 240 Intro to DMAT
3.5
THR 212 Costume Prop & Makeup
3.5
EC 201 Intro to Microeconomics
4.0
ENG 334 Screenwriting
4.0
TC 200 History of Economics of Telecom
3.0
TC 201 Intro to Telecom Technology
4.0
ENG 331 Film Criticism
2.5
ISB 204 Applied Biomedical Sciences
3.0
TC 310 Basic Telecommunication Policy
4.0
TC 342 Basic Video Design & Production
3.5
ENG 228 Intro to Fiction Writing
3.5
ENG 310A Literature in English to 1660
3.0
ENG 434 Advanced Screenwriting
4.0
ISB 208L IS Biology Lab
4.0
ENG 310C Lit English 1789-1900
3.0
TC 442 Advanced Video Design & Production
4.0
FRN 102 Elementary French II
4.0
ENG 379 American Women Writers
4.0
ENG 459 Victorian Studies
3.5
FRN 201 Second-year French I
3.5
TC 346 Interactive Media I
3.5
ENG 428 Advanced Fiction Writing
3.5
ENG 445 American Literature Since 1950
4.0
FRN 202 Second-year French II
3.5
ISS 310 People and Environment
4.0
BCA 505 Advanced Electronic Media Writing
3.7
ENG 602 Research Materials and Methods
4.0
ENG 691A Seminar: Writing Fiction
4.0
ENG 535 History Literary Criticism
3.7
ENG 622 Seminar: Contemporary Fiction
4.0
ENG 799 Thesis
CR
ENG 510 Writing Center Practicum
3.7
ENG 691A Seminar: Writing Fiction
4.0
ENG 621 Seminar: Contemporary Poetry
4.0
ENG 693A Seminar: Writing Nonfiction
4.0
ENG 799 Thesis
CR
COMM-682 Writing for Visual Media
TBD
COMM-516 Masters of European Cinema
TBD
COMM-634 Film & Video Production II
TBD

rofl, english/comms major.

enjoy your $30k/yr

 

[Patrickz0rs]

MTH 133 Calculus II
0.0

lawl failed calc 2.