What mistake from your past did you learn the most from and how has it shaped you today? HR Qs 17

[delagina]

I was interviewed by Company A about 4 years ago and got asked a lot of stupid HR questions like the what are your weaknesses, what are your strengths, etc...
It was a painful 4-hour long interview with 4 different people. I didn't get the job that time.

A few weeks ago I saw similar opening (structural engineer) with the same company so I applied. I got an email from HR for a phone interview.
I'm expecting this will be followed by a 4-hour face to face interview just like last time.
I kinda like the company coz it's huge chemical company.

I was looking at glassdoor review for this company and I'm expecting similar stupid hr questions that might kill my interview.

English is also not my first language so that doesn't help either.

Anyone has experience answering stupid HR questions.

 

[IRstuff]

Actually, it was a combination mistake and goldmine. My first Weds. on the job, there was a welcoming party for all the new employees. My first Friday on the job had half of the new employees laid off. The running joke became "we're working at ##### University, where we learn what not to do." One important thing that I learned is that there really isn't a "logic inverter" that upper management uses. We think there's a logic inversion because we mistakenly thought that upper management and we have the same goals and outlook, but that's nowhere near the case.

My second to last general manager, out of 10 in 5 years, was, in my opinion, an absolute sleazoid, but his clarity of thought and purpose was unparalleled for upper management. He recognized that he had about 6 months to generate a profit, and that this was his only time horizon. If he failed, he would be booted out, like all the others, in month 6; if he succeeded, he would be promoted in month 6. Therefore, his actions, which were seemingly at odds with the notion of long-term growth, were in perfect concert with his short term time horizon.

So, when I start to think that there is a logic inverter at work in upper management, I now know that the sh!t's about to hit the fan. So a good lesson to have learned.

TTFN
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[Noway2]

So, when I start to think that there is a logic inverter at work in upper management, I now know that the sh!t's about to hit the fan. So a good lesson to have learned.

It has been my experience that a common indicator of this being about to happen is when middle managers are suddenly having a bunch of closed door meetings with each other.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Lots of LPSs to be given in this thread...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[moltenmetal]

Bad answer, "None come to mind". Failing to answer shows a lack of humility or an inability to analyze and learn from your own experience.

Honest, but probably a bad idea to answer in an interview, "Well, taking the job at the last place I worked was probably my biggest mistake..."

Smart-ass answer: "Wise people learn from their own mistakes, but the really brilliant learn from the mistakes of others."

Answer honestly, but a little positive spin wouldn't hurt. If you're not a good speaker or quick thinker on your feet, a bit of preparation for this sort of question can't hurt. In fact, it could be a good exercise of self-exploration even if you aren't asked the question.

My biggest work-related mistake? Honestly? Working for free, i.e. giving away huge swaths of my time to a for-profit corporation who was offering me no upside whatsoever beyond my salary. I don't do that any more. But that won't come up if I'm asked that question in an interview!

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Bad answer, "None come to mind". Failing to answer shows a lack of humility or an inability to analyze and learn from your own experience.

I disagree... it can also show (such as in my case) an inability to quickly recall a mistake. I have learned from every one, but I do not commit the mistake itself to memory as that's not the point of it all. Given some time to mull it over and thinking over the steps taken for specific projects, I could likely come up with many... but to put me on the spot in an interview is not going to garner the answer you want.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[IRstuff]

I would agree that "none comes to mind" is a bad answer. It's not like someone bumped into you on the street and posed this question. You knew you had the interview scheduled, you should have done your preparation, and you should have done some research into what types of questions might be asked, so there's no reason that you would show up empty-handed, as it were, with no clue as to what an answer might be. I would contend that such an answer might be justification for passing on the interviewee, since he obviously didn't do much in the way of due diligence, which would I would wonder whether that carries over into actual work related scenarios.

TTFN
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[DKirkham]

I would advise you to answer honestly. If they don't want an honest answer I wouldn't work for them. Think about it.

I interview for welders all the time. Invariably, I sit them down at the welding table and ask them to weld. Very poor welds are common. Then I simply ask, "What happened?" I have heard every excuse imaginable, bad welding machine, bad gas, bad rod, bad this bad that...

I never hire them.

One day a prospective employee meekly replied, after laying down a particularly awful weld, "I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was."

I immediately hired him. I knew he'd always tell me the truth--even if it was seemingly not in his best interest. I hired him years ago and he now runs the entire shop. I know I can trust him. Our questions are asked for reasons.

David

http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com

 

[casseopeia]

What if your worst mistake was working for people who are jerks?

If you are offended by the things I say, imagine the stuff I hold back.

 

[Maui]

Cass, we've ALL worked for people who are jerks at least once. The mistake isn't taking the job; it's accepting the abuse and staying there longer than you have to.

Maui

http://www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com

 

[casseopeia]

Yes, Maui, I never thought there was really a bad boss out there, well maybe one or two. But after being laid off in 2009, I have come across more than my fair share, three bad ones in a row. Not much I can do about the first (Taiwanese ownership) or the last when I worked as an outside contractor for the US division of a Korean firm, but the middle one is taking it on the chin now. I smell blood in the water.............stay tuned.

My problem is what to tell prospective employers. It's become a serious barrier to employment. The only real usefulness is every rejection is another piece of evidence to hand over to my attorney.



If you are offended by the things I say, imagine the stuff I hold back.

 

[Maui]

Cass, I've read about what you've been through in the Pub over the last several years and I can see that you've had a pretty long stretch of horrendous supervisors. Based on their bad behavior I'd welcome anything that you could share regarding their demise, as I'm sure most of the Pub members would too.

After I had a bad boss who laid me off I wondered about how difficult it would be to get the next job, but surprisingly it wasn't a problem. The problem was simply finding an opening in this horrible job market. It might not be a bad time to offer your services as a professional consultant (if you haven't gone down that road already) - the money is not bad provided you have the necessary connections that could provide you with the work.

Maui

http://www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com

 

[BreatheEasy]

My biggest mistake is making mistakes twice.

Now I document my mistakes which helps me remember them and think about them each time I conduct my work.

One thing I have learnt in interviews is that you shouldn't be afraid to take some time to think of an answer as long as you don't take too long. I had an interview where I took time to think about my answers, sometimes as much as 10 seconds, and they said to me that it was refreshing to interview someone who was clearly putting thought into their answers instead of blurting out things like "can't think of anything" or blurting out rehersed/standardised answers.

It does help if you are in a relaxed environment with decent interviewers.

I once had an interview where I couldn't break eye contact with them. I once broke eye contact with them to think about something (naturally people look up to the left when thinking) and as soon as I looked up the interviewers also looked up asif to say "what are you looking at, why aren't you looking at us". I definetly didn't want or get that job.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I once had an interview where I couldn't break eye contact with them. I once broke eye contact with them to think about something (naturally people look up to the left when thinking) and as soon as I looked up the interviewers also looked up asif to say "what are you looking at, why aren't you looking at us". I definetly didn't want or get that job.

The wife and I had a discussion about eye contact. When she met our daughter's new teacher, the woman didn't spend much time looking her in the eye, which drove my wife crazy. I explained to her that not all people can cogitate while staring at you as that requires a level of attention above deep thought. I'm like that, though I can fake it pretty well these days... when deep thought is required, though, I still tend to look away towards something that is inanimate and still.

But if someone were to call me out on it in such a rude fashion, I would have serious reservations about working for them. Their ability to handle people's quirks and mild eccentricities tells me they're not likely a good manager.

On a side note, I paid attention for a while, and I don't look in any particular direction when thinking... I aim towards something that is static, but that item could be anywhere, not just upper left.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[oldestguy]

A loyal employee is a great asset. As to hours on the job or overtime, out of town work, look forward to it. A valuable employee is one that is not afraid to take on new fields of endeavor, and there always will be them. One bad mistake one can make on the job is not showing full loyalty by a number of things, such as leaving right on the clock, saying "I wasn't hired for that", etc. It's what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I put a limit on some things, though... I'll do small bits and pieces here and there that are outside my domain, but in the past managers have found it all too easy to peg someone like that as "They'll do anything, so give them the jobs everyone else fights about not doing." Pretty soon all you're doing is stuff you have no interest in and it could last for years. I have several stories like that, until I wised up. Now I give them a few months of it and if things don't change, I start looking for a new job. As I've always said, loyal is a two-way street, and they're not being loyal to you if they pull that kind of stunt.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[brandonbw]

"Pretty soon all you're doing is stuff you have no interest in and it could last for years."

MacGyverS2000: That's how I generally respond to those types of questions.

It always has worked for me in the past when I said I wanted to learn more, but I became so efficient at what I am doing that they wouldn't stop giving me the same stuff over and over again. I am now looking for a place that will help me broaden my skills so I can become even better at what I do. I agree that responding with things off the top of the head is the way to go. You don't look like it was memorized and you look like you know what you are talking about. I think the idea is showing an actual weakness that is positive and finishing it off with something positive that you are looking for. As silly as I am in these things, I would then make a simple proof why I should be hired based on that insane logic. Just be yourself.


B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer

http://bwengr.com

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http://bwstructuralengineer.com

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http://bwcivilengineer.com

 

[CheckerHater]

My personal favorite:
“Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?”
“Celebrating 5th anniversary of this conversation”

 

[cry22]

my past weakness? well... you mean besides ...... Blondes (DrWeig is into Asian women, others into Blondes) - I'd say: Shut the F.ck up and listen.

Oh-MacGtver? what is LPS?

 

[MacGyverS2000]

LPS = Little Purple Stars

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[NegativeZero]

what was the last book you read and why?

Once i sat and talked and answered questions for an hour and during that whole time it had nothing to do with the position. I think they want to see how long you can take the BS before you lose it. Because you will need that fortitude to survive there.