New Blog Look

But don't get excited; I just used a template Blogger already created. That's the kind of can-do guy I am. I've also added comments, because a few people asked and it was easy. Again, can-do me.

So that this post is more than just an announcement of the obvious, let me share a job-interview experience I had last week. The interviewer, who was a Chatterbox (remember the categories?), told me that she'd recently had to fire a member of her team for an intractable, disruptive attitude. The interviewer had been with the company for less than a year when this happened, and the employee had been there for a bit more than four. She said she hated to do it, but that she had no choice.

Here's my question: Why would she tell this to an interviewee? Sure, one could interpret this as the tale of a good-hearted manager who, regrettably, was forced to terminate a long-term employee who for too long had gotten away with a bad attitude. One could also interpret this as the tale of a my-way-or-the-highway boss who came rampaging into the company and fired anyone who didn't agree with her management style. I don't know which interpretation is closer the truth, but you'd better believe that at a second interview I will endeavor to find out.*

You never, ever, ever say at an interview anything that could reasonably be interpreted negatively, and that goes for interviewers as well as interviewees. I've been told I am Minbari in my attitude of telling people only what I think they need to know, but in an interview situation I think that's an asset.** That termination story was something she didn't need to tell me, although I'm glad she did. Every bit of information helps in making a decision, should I receive an offer.

* It's interesting that Dan immediately took the positive interpretation and me the negative. I don't like to think about what the says about me.

** I am awfully close-mouthed at interviews, I admit. In fact, at this interview, two people complimented my tie, and I was about to say I receive many compliments about that tie, but I thought, "Umm...they don't need to know that." So I simply thanked them.