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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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    Andy Millar:

    I told my daughter about this one (last summer she was going through her first experience of "proper" interviews after graduation) and she came up with a lovely answer: "well, let's be honest, there will be lots of other candidates who will have the same skills and abilities that I have - and some will be stronger in some areas. But the reason I would really like this job is..." and then show how you are genuinly interested in it and would be someone they'd want on their team. Which, as I understand it, was pretty much how she got her PhD opportunity which she is now following.




    This might be a bit personal...


    I don't know you or your daughter, so I'm acting only on the information I have above. After thinking over it I can't help wondering if your daughter has an advantage by having a parent in a position of engineering management who is able to provide insight, and insider information, into the professional corporate world when it comes to interviews. An advantage over a clever council estate kid who's parents might have only had basic jobs so have no clue about how the professional corporate world works and what impresses employers. I have some information about people from rather humble backgrounds who struggle with careers despite being intelligent and having good qualifications.


    There are times when I think that there is a law of diminishing returns when it comes to education and qualifications for kids from 'disconnected' backgrounds unless they are lucky. Social mobility in Britain is quite poor and there is little evidence that academic education (above the primary school basics) is the solution to it.


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    Andy Millar:

    I told my daughter about this one (last summer she was going through her first experience of "proper" interviews after graduation) and she came up with a lovely answer: "well, let's be honest, there will be lots of other candidates who will have the same skills and abilities that I have - and some will be stronger in some areas. But the reason I would really like this job is..." and then show how you are genuinly interested in it and would be someone they'd want on their team. Which, as I understand it, was pretty much how she got her PhD opportunity which she is now following.




    This might be a bit personal...


    I don't know you or your daughter, so I'm acting only on the information I have above. After thinking over it I can't help wondering if your daughter has an advantage by having a parent in a position of engineering management who is able to provide insight, and insider information, into the professional corporate world when it comes to interviews. An advantage over a clever council estate kid who's parents might have only had basic jobs so have no clue about how the professional corporate world works and what impresses employers. I have some information about people from rather humble backgrounds who struggle with careers despite being intelligent and having good qualifications.


    There are times when I think that there is a law of diminishing returns when it comes to education and qualifications for kids from 'disconnected' backgrounds unless they are lucky. Social mobility in Britain is quite poor and there is little evidence that academic education (above the primary school basics) is the solution to it.


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