I’ve been interviewing for staff recently. It’s a very painful, time consuming exercise, but the consolation is knowing that ample blog material will be generated. Here’s a taste of some of them:
Case 1:
WoAi : Why did you leave your last job after just 6 months?
Candidate 1 : The office was too far from my home.
WoAi : What specifically attracted you to apply for a job at our company?
Candidate 1 : It’s close to my home.
Case 2:
WoAi : Could you spend 5 minutes telling me a bit about yourself?
Candidate 2: Yes. I am currently working at xxx company as a marketing assistant ….
WoAi : Er, that’s not actually on your CV.
Candidate 2: Ah yes, that’s because I wrote my CV when I was still at university 3 years ago.
WoAi : Ah, excellent.
UPDATE : Sorry, I forgot to add, if you enjoy this post you will like this one from a while back also related to interviews.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:18 am
These are always my favourite posts. Some Chinese people apply for jobs for totally random reasons — and the funny thing is a lot of their parents seem to support them IE their parents thinks quitting a job cause it’s not near their home is a really good reason. These two people seem to be good examples of that.
J.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:47 am
The first one makes sense, you don’t want to spend 4 hours on road everyday. But only in case that company moved, or why he worked there in the first place? And obviously it shouldn’t be the only reason for quitting or applying a job.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Hahaha…I’ve been reading resumes cos my firm is recruiting too. I really think chinese universities should offer a workshop on resume writing, cos 99% of those I’ve read are just terrible. they use the most over-the-top adjectives to describe themselves, such as “far-seeing”, “strongly communicative”, “stable personality”, etc. So hilarious
November 20th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
JohnG – I really weep for the current generation of Chinese graduates and wonder what kind of education they are getting at university. I once asked a statistics major what type of topics he studied during his 4 years. He said he couldn’t remember specifically even though he had graduated just a few months ago. I was stunned.
Seraph – I’m not sure you should answer those 2 questions in that was in an interview. At least make an attempt to demonstrate some of the OTHER reasons such as opportunity for training, management style, the fun environment, the handsome boss. This just makes you sound LAZY if distance is your main criteria.
Mandy – They write not what’s true but what they think you want to see. I once asked someone what his weakness was. He said his weakness was he works too hard.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
love it ! – you could turn this into a tv series – lol
November 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
the best resumes ive read on behalf of my boss always have “communist party member” written on them lol lol
November 20th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
@WoAi I agree. And I wonder what expectations the universities put in people’s heads we’ve just recruited some new hires for our organization and the number of people that applied who either weren’t qualified (IE saying we should hire them cause they really know the import/export industry, which has nothing to do with our business) or asked for the salary-level of a top level native Chinese executive for an entry level position was huge. Of course those people didn’t even get interviewed.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Ah, I love these posts!!! Thanks for making my day!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I work for an engineering company, designing buildings. We once received a glowing CV from an applicant, so called him in for an interview. I told him the job description (which surprisingly involved designing buildings), and he told me he didn’t want to do that. He firmly wanted to do some types of engineering that were not related to buildings, since that was what he did at his previous company.
He seemed disappointed that we didn’t offer him a position.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
@Jill – Yes, a few applicants were party members.
@John – I am convinced some applicants literally just apply for EVERYTHING a bit like a spammer does and then see what turns up.
@SHEinChina – Thanks for stopping by.
@CP – I guess that’s partly the spoiled one child policy effect : I don’t care that you do market research, I want a job here doing something I want to do!
November 20th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
@Woai that’s exactly what happens and some of the applicants just sent out one mass email that just completely disqualifies them. I would say this is completely dumb, but many Chinese seem to think it’s a great idea, which just makes it ignorance.
@CP I’ve never seen that before. Very amusing.
J.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I got this beauty of a CV intro today and actually just interviewed this candidate – it’s a belter, sounds like it was written by Yoda:
Dear Managers:
First, thanks for your time to notice this letter.
I will graduate with certificate from Accounting of Anhui Finance & Trade Vocational College. for upcoming social life, with more pure-hearted and high sense of responsibility, I will make my life close to you. Three years’ university life, I have built up philosophy of life, axiology in correct. More confidence and filled with passional, aspirant, unflaggingly, honest, faithful and accountable, warmly in my life. Three years, this is accumulating steadily and need this when it is well prepared. I’m convinced I am prepared it very well to hit the new profession life.
As you sow, so will you reap. During 3 years’ university study and life, I learn some basic knowledge, especial financial management accounting and other areas knowledge of accounting. 3 years is very short but lots of knowledge I have acquired, in order to get progress in the major and my job occupation, I will continue to work hard with good efficiency and seek more from new thing. I’m convinced that man can get success who have a assiduousness.
I believe honesting and painstaking will make me success and my professional and special skill knowledge structure will give me chance what I want to get later. Possibly, In all of students, I am not the best. But I am sure I will work hard and never give up.
I sincerely hope that your company reviews this and give a chance to me.
Looking forward to your back for this!
November 20th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
@balt – looks like it was google translated .
shocking !! – lol
November 20th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
@John G – It’s nuts isn’t it!
@Balticninja – Oh God I can’t decide my favourite part but I think it has to be “As you sow, so will you reap”. Although “man can get success who have a assiduousness”is right up there too.
Let’s be clear, I am not mocking his poor English : filled with passional, aspirant, unflaggingly, honest, faithful and accountable. It’s the ridiculous way he’s basically finding all the best adjectives he can find that a potential employer would want and then having the cheek to say he possesses all of those. I don’t possess half of them myself!
November 20th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
lol =D
more pls
November 20th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
MORE ?!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
HAHA, I love interviews! Your blog reminds me a lot of things when I lived in Shanghai. Keep it up!
November 21st, 2009 at 12:39 am
And I bet you’ve had a few candidates turn up at a completely random time and still expect to be interviewed. No call to say they’re running late just turn up when it’s convenient and then look confused when you tell them your not impressed. How can anyone be so clueless?
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:19 am
NO wonder there is a Chinese saying :”大海捞针”. Hard to find the right person for the right job.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:28 am
Wow, their concepts on applying for a job are pretty unworldly, but it seems to work though. In Europe, every graduate puts such a pressure on himself…
Very amusing, more of it
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Disgusting. When would the local Chinese grads learn how to properly lie on job inviews!? The nerve.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I love the fact they are so insanely honest. I mean…you want a job near where you live. Fine. But think of a better reason to tell your boss dumb ass! Come on! Ah….there is no word for common sense in Chinese (as far as I know there really isn’t). I think there is evindence of this….everywhere!
November 24th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
@wisemanofaisa, thats cos in the chinese dictionary there is no equilvalent.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Sigh. I’m the one preparing a bunch of these job applicants before they send you the resume and show up for the interview. And I’m trying. I really am. They just don’t think my advice is important!
One thing I’ve really tried to get them to do is dress appropriately, but most of the time they just tell me they plan to wear jeans and a t-shirt because “nobody cares.” Next time I will show them this blog post!
November 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Nicki – One girl turned up in jeans and t-shirt, but no bag, no pen, no notepad, NOTHING. It was like she had just popped out to buy some milk. Beyond belief. The interview is over before it begins.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Nicki/WoAi – last time WoAi had this topic up, one applicant who came to interview with me was wearing an untied tie, dirty Chucks, and jeans with holes in them. Now, we had a casual group – but there’s no way he knew that. I was set against hiring him (didn’t anyways – he didn’t interview well) but he looked like he came straight from a bar to the interview.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Most of the Chinese students coming into my place looking for work dont know what a CV is.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
This entry is entertaining!!! It’s amazing how these people can answer such question… Don’t they google attending interviews dos & don’ts???
January 29th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Hi wisemanofasia
there is a chinese wording” Chang shi” which exactly means ”common sense”.