Interviewing Do's & Dont's - for the Interviewer

I realize that when an individual is looking to fill a position they are interested in weeding through the massive amounts of applicants, but keep in mind that you too are being interviewed. As a recent graduate, I have now been on three interviews, the first two went well, but this last interview was a complete waste of my time. Now, you might be thinking that I am a terrible interviewee, perhaps that is the reason that I am writing this article. But I assure you, I am polite, I am articulate, I do the best I can to ensure that I look my best and that I provide the interviewer with the proper information.

Yet at this last interview the only thing I wanted to do was to stand up, tell the man to kiss off and walk out of the house with my dignity. Unfortunately, I did none of these things. Rather, I allowed the man to rip me apart, with that ridiculous smile on his face, then smoke a cigarette while he told me that I was unqualified, and though he never "did this," that he'd offer me an unpaid position.

These aren't the worst offenses, believe me. The man told me that he thought that I had a great deal of potential, but for the moment I was a button pusher, and I would push the buttons he told me to push. He also told me that I was completely underqualified for the position, despite the fact that I am a college graduate, with two degrees. I realize that I do not have any prior experience, other than the part-time jobs that I have maintained, but I have been trained in the specific fields with which he works.

The point is that the man was offering an entry-level position. He was offering a position with which I applied for, I sent a resume and a cover letter. I realized that he was looking for a candidate that was familiar with certain programs with which I was not. In my cover letter I stated that I was not familiar with these particular programs, but I was familiar with similar platforms and that I was eager to learn. During our interview he told me that I was wasting his time, because I was not qualified for the position. I was stunned. I should have said that he had only listed the terms with which I wasn't qualified as preferred qualifications, and not required. I would never have attempted to apply for the position if I believed that I did not fulfill the basic requirements.

In fact what had happened was that the man decided to waste my time. Before I had even walked in the door he had already decided that I was not qualified for the position. And yet he proceeded to belittle me for the next two hours, while I sat at his kitchen table, listening as he compared his awards to my inexperience. Then, after he had torn me apart, he decided to cut me some slack, and offer me an unpaid position, an internship.

Now there is nothing wrong with internships, I have applied for quite a few since graduating. The problem is that I have absolutely no desire to work for someone who would treat others with such little disrespect. The funny thing is that I am familiar with this man's work, I realized it at the beginning of the interview when he showed me his portfolio, and quite frankly, I don't believe that his work is that outstanding. In fact I found his work obnoxious. I am certain that any one of my classmates would be capable of making work of a much higher grade.

So please, while you are interviewing individuals, keep in mind that just because you may have more experience, you do not have the right to be rude. You should also keep in mind that when working in a specific field, recent graduates also have a hand in the networking experience. I do not plan to give this man a good rating, in fact if anyone mentions his name, I will give them my honest opinion. I only wish that I had given him my honest opinion.

Oh and please, do not ask your interviewees what color they believe the sky to be, it's a waste of everyone's time, especially if you're offering nearly $10,000 less than the average salary for college graduates.