Question regarding Job apps

[mAdD INDIAN]

I have to answer a few questions for a job application and I'm stuck on one of them.

They ask about what you would change in the past few years and why?. I'm in university right now so I assume it has to do with my school habits (such as studying habits), but I"m not sure.

Do they mean some personal even that you could have changed (made a wrong choice) or more of a habitual change (changing study habits, becoming more time-efficient, etc..)?


I'm trying to find out exactly what they are looking for with this question.

Thanks.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Maybe something you would have done differently to make an impact on where you are now. So maybe if you took some extra classes or something you could be somewhere else.

Not exactly sure, it's late so if my post didn't make sense, just ignroe it

 

[0roo0roo]

isn't these one of those questions u twist into a brag?

 

[gabemcg]

you should just put, "9/11"

 

[RaDragon]

Try writing an answer that is relevant to the job you're applying. So let's say, it's an entry-level position for programmer. Write something like -- I would change the way I do error checking, or something like that; Try to tie it in with your university work (if it's related) by giving an example.

They prolly want to see you "grow" from your past experiences. Then again, you can say, you wouldn't change anything because whether or not the change was positive, you learned something from it.

I dunno. I'm just blabbering

 

[DJFuji]

yeah its one of those questions where theyre trying to see if youre stupid enough to eliminate yourself from the running. Like the classic "what is your biggest weakness" question on an interview. You answer it in a way that puts you in a good light. i.e. "i'm a very organized person but you wouldnt' know it by looking at my desk/car/kitchen"

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

thanks for the responses guys. any more suggestion?

I think the question deals with hte fact that I am in my third year of Univeristy and they want to see if I've learned anything in those three years. For example, I developed effective time management skills since i underestimated workload in the first year...things like that. But I'm not sure if I should say that, since it shows I was a dumbass in my first year.

 

[badmouse]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
thanks for the responses guys. any more suggestion?

I think the question deals with hte fact that I am in my third year of Univeristy and they want to see if I've learned anything in those three years. For example, I developed effective time management skills since i underestimated workload in the first year...things like that. But I'm not sure if I should say that, since it shows I was a dumbass in my first year.

You can say it like this: "In my first year I underestimated my workload and while I did well in spite of it, I developed more effective time management skills." Get the difference?


And, what they are looking for in this question is: do you have the ability to BS your way through a silly question? Do you know how to play the job-application game? Do you know how to ask around and get a decent idea of what to say? You got some basic social, political skills? It's basically a way to separate out the totally clueless.

 

[Martin]

Which company/job did you get a interview with?

I still haven't gotten one :\

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: badmouse

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
thanks for the responses guys. any more suggestion?

I think the question deals with hte fact that I am in my third year of Univeristy and they want to see if I've learned anything in those three years. For example, I developed effective time management skills since i underestimated workload in the first year...things like that. But I'm not sure if I should say that, since it shows I was a dumbass in my first year.

You can say it like this: "In my first year I underestimated my workload and while I did well in spite of it, I developed more effective time management skills." Get the difference?


And, what they are looking for in this question is: do you have the ability to BS your way through a silly question? Do you know how to play the job-application game? Do you know how to ask around and get a decent idea of what to say? You got some basic social, political skills? It's basically a way to separate out the totally clueless.

What if I didn't really do well and they have my transcript? (which is surprising since they took the time to email me anyway).

I don't understand why we have to go through so much BS. This is a technical job, and while I understand that they want to see if I have social skills (which I do), I don't see the point of BSing my way thru an pre-scren interview.

Martin: check yo PM

 

[badmouse]

[q What if I didn't really do well and they have my transcript? (which is surprising since they took the time to email me anyway).

I don't understand why we have to go through so much BS. This is a technical job, and while I understand that they want to see if I have social skills (which I do), I don't see the point of BSing my way thru an pre-scren interview.[/quote]

If you really didn't do well, then don't use it as an example . See, the idea is to find something that isn't REALLY a bad thing. Maybe you built a birdhouse and accidentally cut a piece wrong, and it forced you to be creative and design something unique and exciting. Or (the classic example) you came into class late once and proceeded to do the 3 problems written on the board, only to discover later that they were three "unsolvable" problems, and you solved them.

See, you want to brag but make it sound like you are apologizing. This technique will be useful to you in your career, believe me.

And remember that this may be a technical job, but whoever is hiring you works for personnel - and that they aren't technical, or they'd be working as techs.

Good luck :beer:

 

[DJFuji]

yeah i was just goign to say the same thing, badmouse. The people hiring you are HR. Theyre there to ask you the generic interview quesitons and make sure youre not a dumbass and liability to the company. The tech interview, if you get one, will be much more focused and on-subject. Because the techs just want to know if you can do the job well.

 

[abc]

Originally posted by: badmouse

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
thanks for the responses guys. any more suggestion?

I think the question deals with hte fact that I am in my third year of Univeristy and they want to see if I've learned anything in those three years. For example, I developed effective time management skills since i underestimated workload in the first year...things like that. But I'm not sure if I should say that, since it shows I was a dumbass in my first year.

You can say it like this: "In my first year I underestimated my workload and while I did well in spite of it, I developed more effective time management skills." Get the difference?


And, what they are looking for in this question is: do you have the ability to BS your way through a silly question? Do you know how to play the job-application game? Do you know how to ask around and get a decent idea of what to say? You got some basic social, political skills? It's basically a way to separate out the totally clueless.

you're absolutely right, i see the same things... but why do they run interviews this way, are they wanting to fill the corporate world full of Bsers??? even the process of getting yourself into the door of many big corps, you gotta know people in there. email submissions of your resume tends not to do a thing for you.... so more so the people with connections in the corporate scene get the next job and those positions never see the light of day for the public job seeking population to get a crack at.

lesson in life for the corporate game...