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I've been looking for a new job and of course, that involves sending out resumes and going on interviewers. I've noticed a strange pattern.
I went a very long time without being able to find a job and deeply appreciate any employment that I've had over the past two years, even if I hated the job and hated the company. I do not dislike my current employer and I don't dislike my current job: the people are generally very nice, they pay on time, and my job has enough variety that no two days are the same and there is no way to predict what the day will bring when I arrive in the morning.
I bring all this up because the only reason I am looking for a new job is because I would like to lift myself out of poverty. I get paid *okay*, and in fact, my employer recently gave me a 20% raise. The only issue is that, even with said raise, I still can't afford a better place to live, a place closer to my job, nor I certainly can't afford to buy my own transportation.
I told my employer that I'm not actively looking for a job, though I do take shots at jobs that pay about 2x what they pay. I certainly would not drop this job for a job that pays $2 more per hour. The risk is too high for that.
With all of my bases covered, I sometime have an interview. This brings up some difficulty for me. The only reason I want to quit my job is because I am determined to reach something that is closer to middle class status. I have no other reason to be sitting in front of an interviewer, so I just tell them that the pay is too low where I work.
But it feels like a half-assed response. I don't want to get into the self-improvement kick, seeking a challenge, the desire to live a "normal" life or any of the other tangential reasons of why I am sitting there. On paper, I am highly uneducated with no practical work experience. It *does* feel good that I am getting calls for jobs that pay over $20/hour. This is only because of the projects that I've worked on. I simply do not know how to crack the code.
This all brings me back to the title of this post. Most interviewers that I've spoken with really want dirt. Or at least, I get that impression from the questions they ask me and how they phrase these questions. They seem wholly dissatisfied with what appears to be evasive answers. I try to keep things positive, and one thing that I simply refuse to do is talk ill about people and my prior employers.
For example, it would be more tame of them to ask something like: "What software do they use?" and then follow up with "How would you, or what did you do, to improve the situation that was caused by said software?" Instead, this question would be followed up with "That is trash, what kind of company uses that?" Then they want to lead me down roads where I would be forced to admit that the company I work for is unprofessional and led by morons. These are all routes I do not care to go down.
Other leading questions include: "That must be a frustrating job" or other snide comments. I don't know what they are trying to accomplish with all of it.
I've never been middle class, so I don't know the attitudes that is prevalent in that world, and I don't know if it is happen-stance that I am getting a strange set of questions or if there is some secret handshake or code I am missing out on.
So, I ask, is this really what I should expect when attempting to reach above $20/hour jobs? What should I do when faced with this kind of interviewer (and dare I say they are *all* like this?), and what sort of things should I say or expect as I try to rise up in this world?
I can only speak on my experiences, but there is a place and time to bring up pay, and the interviewee (YOU) should never bring that up first...it just doesn't come off very timely. You discuss pay, benefits, and health insurance if they offer you the job, not before they make an offer. The interview is meant for you to sell yourself to the employer and interviewer, most people never understand that simple fact. Many people have the same backgrounds, but that's not what separates you from the rest, it's YOU, you have to sell yourself. You don't sell yourself based on monetary reasons, you sell yourself on motivation, drive, commitment, quality, passion, professionalism, experience, character, due diligence, and most of all personality. Good luck.
I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about. Interviewers don't want dirt. However, there are some answers that are considered "right" or "appropriate" when interviewing.
You never want to tell an employer you are looking for a new job just to make more money. A better answer is that you are seeking new opportunities to grow in your field and that you desire to tackle the challenges that come with the position as a xyz. Make up something that sounds good but never talk about money as being your only motivator.
A huge issue I'm getting from your post is that you are carrying a lot of your personal baggage into your job search. You have to put some of that down. I applaud your desire to "move up" in the world but don't go around with a chip on your shoulder.
So, what reason should I give to that question? Why would I want to quit a job I am generally happy at? This isn't a reason that I gave at all interviews. It was a reason I gave a few times. It is all testing and trying different strategies, not 100% I've tried A and stuck with A. As for the actual pay, I know what they pay before I walk in, thus partly why I applied in the first place.
Charlygal, please refrain from accusations about my personality. I don't "go around with a chip" on my shoulder. Unless you met me face-to-face, or happen to be one of the people who have interviewed me, I doubt you have much to say on this topic.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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As a hiring manager myself I would never bad-mouth either software or an interviewee's previous employer(s). If such questions are used they are more likely testing you to see how you respond, and whether you take the bait and make negative remarks to agree with the interviewer. I don't play games like that but some places do. This could even be a subtle way of doing corporte espionage, interviewing people for non-existent jobs to pick their brains. The appropriate way to answer would be to elaborate on how you did your best to work with the tools provided and got the job done, with good performance reviews, and that you look forward to using the programs they have.
I can only speak on my experiences, but there is a place and time to bring up pay, and the interviewee (YOU) should never bring that up first...it just doesn't come off very timely.
Really? I usually will ask this over the phone, just to make sure it's worth interviewing for the job.
Yeah, if they offer you an opportunity to give dirt, it's a trap; if you do, you've just blown the interview. Responding to why you're looking to a new job with "money" is not typically the best answer (unless you're in finance) but it's better than dirt.
So, what reason should I give to that question? Why would I want to quit a job I am generally happy at? This isn't a reason that I gave at all interviews. It was a reason I gave a few times. It is all testing and trying different strategies, not 100% I've tried A and stuck with A. As for the actual pay, I know what they pay before I walk in, thus partly why I applied in the first place.
Charlygal, please refrain from accusations about my personality. I don't "go around with a chip" on my shoulder. Unless you met me face-to-face, or happen to be one of the people who have interviewed me, I doubt you have much to say on this topic.
Someone will not pay you more money just to pay you, with higher pay you will be given more responsibilities. Use that to your advantage, you want to grow to X, you want more responsibility to show your skills and broaden your understanding of the profession, etc.
Really? I usually will ask this over the phone, just to make sure it's worth interviewing for the job.
Some will post the salary before the interview (good companies will do this), the ones that don't are sketchy...not all are but the majority are. They will try to low ball a lot of people, the ones that don't get low balled are the people with experience. You should also know the industry standard salary and what you think you're worth. I've been low balled plenty of times...it's easy to just walk away...I'm going to start a thread entitled worst interview ever (terrible experience).
You don't sell yourself based on monetary reasons, you sell yourself on motivation, drive, commitment, quality, passion, professionalism, experience, character, due diligence, and most of all personality.
That's right. If you make the interviewer laugh and "remember you," you will get hired, but if you have the hard skills but you sound boring, you will be passed over. You have to entertain the interviewer to get hired, even if you will be in a technical field where you will work alone for the most part. And yet I wonder why most of the offices I've worked in have seemed like social clubs.
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