Venting Do you find you have to lie in Job Interviews?

[GreenLantern]

I mean if you actually want to get the job. As in if you answer some of their questions honestly instead of giving the "right" answer they want, you won't get the job.

For example, one question I've been consistenly asked in job interviews is: "how do you deal with conflict with difficult employees and managers"?

Now the "right" answer if you want to get hired is something along the lines of: Oh I work really well with all kinds of people, I talk things out with them without being challenging, I'm assertive with them but kind and listen to them too, I work with them and negotiate with them, yadda yadda, blah blah blah. I probably didn't articulate that the best I could, but I've done it successfully in interviews and got the job.

The thing is, even though most applicants know what they're supposed to say to get the job, but it's a lie. If I were to answer this question honestly, I wouldn't have been hired by these jobs. The truth for me is, difficult co-workers and managers have been the bane of my fucking existence since I started working 20 years ago. Now in some cases, I actually did try talking it out with them and all that stuff I mentioned in the "right" answer I gave before. And with some good understanding people, it worked. But in most cases, it did not. So sometimes I had to resort to other methods such as telling the supervisor/HR, giving their disrespect back to them, ignoring them, and yes, unfortunately sometimes even quitting altogether. But of course, if I were to tell them that I did those things, of course I wouldn't get the job.

One manager even told me straight up in an interview that he hates employees reporting workplace bullying to him. He said I hate "babysitting", I despise it. And notice how some managers will condescend and call it "babysitting" if you report/"tattle" to them about someone harassing you at work. Soo, people are supposed to just sit back and take it when someone consistently mistreats them at work just so the boss doesn't have to be burdened? And of course if someone does quit or even react in an adverse way, the first thing that management/HR will say is: "oh if he was being picked on, he should've reported it to us". But they don't mean that because they don't want to deal with it really.

 

[Nofaith]

Lying in a job interview is a long held tradition.

I agree with everything you said about resolving conflict.

There's only so much you can do with a fellow co-worker. And when you follow the workplace procedure, management doesn't want to get involved. A lot fail to understand with the role you can take the good and the bad. Some just want to cherry pick. I've seen cases (from personal experience and from other people) where a manager failed to do their job and situations ended up escalating. Some to tribunal level.

Worse is when a manager either has another job lined up somewhere else or they are due to retire. They feel no need to do their job properly up until that point and then they can leave before it hits the fan.

 

[Xerxes]

I stumble when they ask me "What are your strengths?" It be better if they rephrase the question as in how it will benefit my job, but it's just a general open-ended question that leaves a blank. Then they ask after, "What are your weaknesses?" At that point, I have tons, but do I want to sabotage myself by saying that I'm a depressed, suicidal wreck, and that getting a job would ease those weaknesses because it offers me a way out?

 

[sólstafir]

I usually prepare for job interviews by trying to write down answers to questions that they may ask from me, but I can't do it anymore! Everything is a lie from my mouth if I say what they want to hear. "I have zero strenghts to be honest, my weaknesses - I'm clumsy, unpatient, I lack motivation, I'm suicidal, I have poor social skills, even little tasks are hard for me, etc," ??

 

[mattwitt]

Lying in a job interview is a long held tradition.

I agree with everything you said about resolving conflict.

There's only so much you can do with a fellow co-worker. And when you follow the workplace procedure, management doesn't want to get involved. A lot fail to understand with the role you can take the good and the bad. Some just want to cherry pick. I've seen cases (from personal experience and from other people) where a manager failed to do their job and situations ended up escalating. Some to tribunal level.

Worse is when a manager either has another job lined up somewhere else or they are due to retire. They feel no need to do their job properly up until that point and then they can leave before it hits the fan.

At my last job I was a shift supervisor and the 3 production supervisors and managers above me were just like that exactly. All they cared about was production and making themselves look good on paper so they could run to their bosses and get raises and bonuses. They didn't want to hear about or deal with anybody or anything negative. I couldn't get anyone wrote up, suspended, fired, or drug tested for anything because it would have slowed or shut down production.

 

[Boxoftools]

I've been a district manager for a rather large retail chain and this is the exact reason I hated giving interviews, you only get to glimpse the best possible version of that potential employee. I would always ask them to tell me about their former boss/ co-workers, and friends. Its not so much what they say but how they say it, its very to easy to pick up on entitlement and poor conflict resolution when their answer is something like "my boss was a total idiot and a jerk"

 

[Johnnythefox]

My downfall is I'm too honest, I usually know that moment when I've blown it and should get my coat. Then you get the questions that put you on the spot!
Someone told me that their friend was at an interview, and when he knew he'd blown it, he let rip a massive fart after being asked a question.
I'd love to be able to do that!
I think I'll take a fart cushion with me if I get any more interviews.
On another note: I was working as a Head chef in contact catering at a busy place, and a new contractor took over. They piled the pressure on me and eventually I cracked! Told the so called manager to shove her Fucking job up her arse.

 

[BaconCheeseburger]

I'm starting a new job on Monday to leave my current job that I'm sick of. I'm lucky that the interview was pretty much an informal getting to know you chat for half an hour. Of course I was asked about why I wanted the job, what I was good at etc, but it was so laid back that I felt really comfortable with what I was saying. I respect that most interviews will always be the sit down, shake hands, read question by question of things you're going to have prepared for etc, but it can be so cold and methodical sometimes.

 

[gnrluver0105]

I always lie in job interviews, I think most people do it

 

[GreenLantern]

My downfall is I'm too honest, I usually know that moment when I've blown it and should get my coat. Then you get the questions that put you on the spot!
Someone told me that their friend was at an interview, and when he knew he'd blown it, he let rip a massive fart after being asked a question.
I'd love to be able to do that!
I think I'll take a fart cushion with me if I get any more interviews.
On another note: I was working as a Head chef in contact catering at a busy place, and a new contractor took over. They piled the pressure on me and eventually I cracked! Told the so called manager to shove her Fucking job up her arse.

That's too funny! lol. I'd love to see that. I'd be soo embarrassing shitting my pants in an interview but I'd laugh about it later.

I'm starting a new job on Monday to leave my current job that I'm sick of. I'm lucky that the interview was pretty much an informal getting to know you chat for half an hour. Of course I was asked about why I wanted the job, what I was good at etc, but it was so laid back that I felt really comfortable with what I was saying. I respect that most interviews will always be the sit down, shake hands, read question by question of things you're going to have prepared for etc, but it can be so cold and methodical sometimes.

Congratulations! I hope it works out and goes well for you.

On another note, I went to one interview where they caught me off guard. During the phone interview (which went really well), they invited me to the in person interview and said I would be interviewing in front of a panel of 3. But when I arrived as we were in the elevator, the lady told me I would be interviewing in front of 6 people! Not fair at all! I actually regret not leaving right then and there. Even though it mostly went well and they liked me, I was uncomfortable in front of that many people on short notice like that. All that just to not get the job either.

 

[Jodes]

Inevatibly

 

[hieronymus.bosch]

I'm a model, so castings require constant fraudulence... masking the insomnia and chronic fatigue, applying medical makeup to scars, a probably cyanide rictus-like smile, and 'sure I'm available [on that date when I'll hopefully be dead]'.

Just doing it briefly due to pressure from the couple of people who want me to be functional. Really amplifies the convolutions of self-consciousness in an unpleasant way.

 

[AveryConure]

I think everyone does it, honestly. While it's kind of fucked up that it's usually what entails you getting a basic retail job anymore, I can also understand the person interviewing me doesn't want to hear about how I might off myself in a few months after I collect enough paychecks for obvious reasons.

 

[purplemoon]

I mean if you actually want to get the job. As in if you answer some of their questions honestly instead of giving the "right" answer they want, you won't get the job.

For example, one question I've been consistenly asked in job interviews is: "how do you deal with conflict with difficult employees and managers"?

Now the "right" answer if you want to get hired is something along the lines of: Oh I work really well with all kinds of people, I talk things out with them without being challenging, I'm assertive with them but kind and listen to them too, I work with them and negotiate with them, yadda yadda, blah blah blah. I probably didn't articulate that the best I could, but I've done it successfully in interviews and got the job.

The thing is, even though most applicants know what they're supposed to say to get the job, but it's a lie. If I were to answer this question honestly, I wouldn't have been hired by these jobs. The truth for me is, difficult co-workers and managers have been the bane of my fucking existence since I started working 20 years ago. Now in some cases, I actually did try talking it out with them and all that stuff I mentioned in the "right" answer I gave before. And with some good understanding people, it worked. But in most cases, it did not. So sometimes I had to resort to other methods such as telling the supervisor/HR, giving their disrespect back to them, ignoring them, and yes, unfortunately sometimes even quitting altogether. But of course, if I were to tell them that I did those things, of course I wouldn't get the job.

One manager even told me straight up in an interview that he hates employees reporting workplace bullying to him. He said I hate "babysitting", I despise it. And notice how some managers will condescend and call it "babysitting" if you report/"tattle" to them about someone harassing you at work. Soo, people are supposed to just sit back and take it when someone consistently mistreats them at work just so the boss doesn't have to be burdened? And of course if someone does quit or even react in an adverse way, the first thing that management/HR will say is: "oh if he was being picked on, he should've reported it to us". But they don't mean that because they don't want to deal with it really.

You said it all perfectly... Workplace bullying jerks have been making life hell for millions of people around the world then nothing seems to ever happen to the evil bully, just the victim either living with harassment 40 hours a week suffering or have to quit which screws the victim even more.

i hate these monsters, hope they enjoy hell, because whenever their day arrives, hell is exactly where their sick little black dot of a selfish soul will end up.