Now I am not a morning person, so getting up at 7 for an 8:30 interview was a bit of a challenge for me. Once I establish a routine this isn't so much a problem, but effectively shaving an hour off of my already not-so-restful sleep can be a bit much for me.
The cool thing about a forced change to your routine is that you are exposed to things you aren't normally. Here in Boise we had a nice early-morning rain which I would have otherwise slept through. The drive to the interview was rather pleasant because it was nice and cool and the air was sweet and clean.
My interview went well, or at least I think it did. I interviewed with a small cross-section of the office and they all seemed rather nice. I've had interviews where the interviewers came across as a little indifferent and stiff, making me wonder if it would be somewhere I wanted to work. I think few people appreciate that the interview goes both ways. Sure, an applicant may want or need the job, but if the workplace isn't a good fit for them as well as the company, they won't stick around long.
I'll freely admit that I've sabotaged a job interview because it was readily apparent early on in the interview that I did NOT want to work there. Of course this was about a decade ago and I already had a job, but the one I was applying for (promotion within the company) would require a move. In retrospect I made the right decision because that entire program was doomed from the start and that time I was wise enough to see it.
Today's interview was on the other side of the spectrum. The person who would be the new-hire's supervisor came across as warm, friendly, and genuine. The questions asked at the interview were pretty common fare with one exception: the final question. In my last few interviews I've noticed a trend, or at least I hope it is a trend, of certain "standard" questions starting to go away. I was asked something along the lines of "Why are you the best candidate for the position?".
After joking a bit about the nature of the question it was clarified something along the lines of assuming the whole world was part of the candidate pool, why I would be the best candidate for the position. Just from a statistical standpoint, I'm sure that I could say with a 99.999+% confidence that I am not the best candidate for the job. My narcissism isn't nearly bad enough for me to bump myself to the head of the line of 6 Billion individuals.
It was good for a laugh though and seeing their reaction said a lot to me about the workplace. Good vibe.
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