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Impossible Interviews

James Shaw
Have you ever been faced with an interview question that seemed impossible to answer?


Mine was delivered on the premises of a 'world class' engineering company. "How would you ensure that a project is completed on time?"


My mind raced from the general to the particular - If I knew the answer to that I would be a billionaire! - Strikes, bad weather, supplier failure, poor specifications etc. Probably no words came out as the interviewer started to drop hints, "It begins with a 'P', it ends in 'N', it has four letters." "Plan?" I say. "Exactly!" says he. 'Idiot' thinks I.


In retrospect perhaps it was a test to see if I was suitable to develop for senior management - the 'big picture' people. "We will deliver better value, we will be smarter!" But how? Engineers, small-minded, always bothered about the details!


Needless to say, I didn't get that job. Perhaps just as well.
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    Of course as a candidate you can find that you get with the manager at interview only to find that by the time you start (or shortly after) the manager moves jobs!




    You must have read my mind Andy! I thought I had found the perfect job, my boss told me that he had discovered the joys of international committees so while his door was always open, when he was there, he expected me to get on with it. His boss, who approved all foreign travel, signed off my international travel warrant within two weeks of me starting the job and said, "May that be the first of many!". Six months later both had retired. My immediate boss "didn't do foreign travel" and claimed that he never saw me doing any work, "You are always talking to people" but was never able to find any evidence that the job wasn't being done and when presented with (unsolicited) letters of thanks complained that I must have done more than required! His boss' replacement believed that if the organisation was looking for 10% cuts that he should offer 20%! The man he replaced had believed that everything we did was vital and that others would do the cutting if required. All in all a total shift in management culture only made tolerable because my colleagues, suppliers and customers were fantastic. Perhaps the staff should get to interview and approve new managers!


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    Of course as a candidate you can find that you get with the manager at interview only to find that by the time you start (or shortly after) the manager moves jobs!




    You must have read my mind Andy! I thought I had found the perfect job, my boss told me that he had discovered the joys of international committees so while his door was always open, when he was there, he expected me to get on with it. His boss, who approved all foreign travel, signed off my international travel warrant within two weeks of me starting the job and said, "May that be the first of many!". Six months later both had retired. My immediate boss "didn't do foreign travel" and claimed that he never saw me doing any work, "You are always talking to people" but was never able to find any evidence that the job wasn't being done and when presented with (unsolicited) letters of thanks complained that I must have done more than required! His boss' replacement believed that if the organisation was looking for 10% cuts that he should offer 20%! The man he replaced had believed that everything we did was vital and that others would do the cutting if required. All in all a total shift in management culture only made tolerable because my colleagues, suppliers and customers were fantastic. Perhaps the staff should get to interview and approve new managers!


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