Episode 15

Last updated Sep 4, 2022 Edit Source

1:55 Interview Myths 

5 Myths About Interviews You’ll Want to Stop Believing 

1)  Your Interviewer Is Completely Prepared 

• They might not have read your resume 

• They might not have the job description 

• They might not have been trained how to interview 

• What to do if the interviewer is unprepared 

• Have an elevator pitch matching your skills and experience to the job description 

• Have a copy of the job description 

• Have a copy of your resume 

• Be ready to answer the questions you wish you were asked (i.e. run the interview) 

2)  Interview Questions Have Correct and Incorrect Answers 

• Good questions are designed to elicit more information about the candidate, not have right and wrong answers 

• Learn to tell your story in a way that’s relevant to the role and company you’re applying to 

• Listen to the Geek Whisperers Silicon Valley VMUG episodes (two of Nick’s favorite) 

  • Geek Whispering at the Silicon Valley VMUG Tues Apr 12 

  • IT Pipeline and Hiring for Rapport with Frances Wong – Episode 112 

  • Investing in Career Insurance: VMware User Group recap - Episode 110 

  • Manager Tools / Career Tools (John’s recommendation) -  Interview Podcast Episodes 

  • Candidates need to prep for possible questions 

3)  Let the Interviewer Ask All the Questions 

• Check out these past episodes: 

  • Nerd Journey 011: Questions to Ask in an Interview and Hero Complex 

  • Nerd Journey 002: HR and Hiring Manager Early Process Interviews 

4)  The Most Qualified Candidate Gets The Job Every Time 

• “Most Qualified” is a subjective thing 

• There’s no one perfect job and one perfect opportunity 

• John might have applied to become a VMware SE 8 times 

• The organization weighs things differently than you might 

• It’s a hot job market in 2018, so stretch a little 

5)  Thank You Notes Are No Longer Required 

• It’s a differentiator 

• Consider a simple, brief, and polite note 

24:02 Boss Problems  

• Dear SpiceRex: My boss is slacking 

  • Letter writer perceives his boss as not doing his job over the past 3+ years 

  • Averages 25 hours in the office a week 

  • Perceives the boss as manipulative 

  • Department only working because the letter writer and others are working harder to pick up the slack 

• How To Manage Upward (If You Have A Bad Boss) 

  • Will this article help the letter writer? 

  • Talk to Your Boss to Establish Common Ground 

    • A good relationship with your manager is important 

    • Might not be applicable in this situation 

    • Too late when you’re resentful and want the manager fired 

    • Nerd Journey 012: Effective 1-on-1 Meetings with your Manager and Gracefully Leaving an Organziation 

    • Need to have done the groundwork before this point 

  • Don’t Be Afraid to Voice Your Frustrations, But Know the Time and Place 

    • Nick mentions empathy 

    • Discuss effects instead of perceived causes 

    • Avoid badmouthing teammates and outside influences 

  • Set Up Skip-Level Meetings 

    • Importance of meeting with your manager’s manager / having a relationship with that person 

    • Don’t get trapped into badmouthing your manager 

    • “Don’t Do That” 

    • Maybe if your skip directly asks you to confirm their observation, but even then, stay 100% objective 

    • Skip-level interaction can be informal (break room, casual conversations, some task request interaction) 

    • Probably too late to start this for the letter writer 

  • Create a Career Path for Yourself 

    • Inside or outside the organization 

    • Career and development goals (maybe share with your skip?) 

    • John remembers that he needs to do this 

  • Build a Tier of Support around You 

    • Mentors, sponsors, connections, teammates, outsiders 

    • Sometimes we need a sanity check to avoid gossip 

    • Nerd Journey 007: Professional Networking and Training Revisited 

    • Be prepared to take the advice 

• Our Actual Feedback on Dear Spicerex 

  • Pause here – what is your advice to the letter writer? 

  • Nick 

    • If people ask, answer, “I’m not sure, they’re not here, try calling or emailing.” 

    • Don’t automatically take on something if the person needs something from your manager 

    • Send people up one level (i.e. your skip-level) if needed 

    • Don’t be the hero ( Nerd Journey 011: Questions to Ask in an Interview and Hero Complex) 

    • Don’t speculate about why your manager isn’t available 

  • John 

    • Clarifying on how to say the manager isn’t around 

    • Don’t passively-aggressively critique your manager by saying they aren’t there “Yet” or “Today” 

    • Re-affirming falling into the Hero Trap 

    • Document how your personal performance is being impacted by your manager’s absence (for your personal performance reviews) 

    • Document how much work you’re doing if it’s work you have to do to back up your manager 

    • Find a new job 

      • The situation is too poisonous to stay in 

      • The organization might be great, but a bad manager represents that being ruined 

      • Find a new job before quitting 

    • The thread has recommendations to document the manager’s shortcomings to get the manager fired 

      • It’s a mistake 

      • It might even get the manager fired 

      • But the outcome still won’t be positive for you 

      • Don’t badmouth the manager, even on the way out 

• What’s your take on the situation? Tweet at us! 

• If you’re in a similarly tough situation, we’re happy to be your sounding board