TTSS Series (Part 1 : Job Interview Experience Chapter 1)

Halo langit!

I would like to introduce you of my new innovation of the post. Yeah time to forget the past! Let's we welcoming a new era of this blog wehehe. This is will gonna be a series blog post, titled TTSS, which are stands for "The Twenty Something Stories".

Why I decided to write this topic? Well.. according to the Harvard Business Review, you can read here, this article, and other source, many of young people (especially Gen Y) is facing more challenges in their self crisis moment (called : Quarter life crisis) at their 20-something age. Honesty, this is what I really feel right now. Yeah it is happening right now for me wehehe. But the good news is, it is very normal, and many of young people is try to figure out the answer of the questions of their life at this age.

level of stress compared with an age

old mean wisely isn't it?

and the end we will understand what's good side of our regrets

The phenomenon of Quater life crisis would be explained by that images before (for further info and deep research about that, please open the link I mentioned before, or type it to google) that shows you about the trends of ongoing stress, negative thought and feelings, mind wandering, positive affect, and satisfaction with life.

Instead of cursing this moment, I want to find the essential things and dig deeper, so I can learn something more from that events. Within this post I will share you my ideas, thought, feeling and analysis of my own experiences. Hopefully this series post will make me and you become a better person, in the future of the times.

So, here it is, the first part of TTSS.

It was just 6 hours ago, I got my first phone interview, and that was my second time of interview in the selection process to get a job. I want to tell you some stories of what is happen during the interview, and point of evaluation, according to myself while using black hat from de bono thinking tools hehe :). Ps: I've been done some of interview but not for getting a job, so let count the number of this event from zero, so yeay.. this is my first time experience.

Did I told you about this type of interview before? Basically, I got 2 opportunities for some job position, but the interview was not face-to-face. It is virtual interview and phone interview. Honesty it is pretty hard to learn and mastering interview, while in face-to-face moment you'll be judged by your body language, at this time your level of voice, intonation and pressure point it's the key.

You can't see the eyes of interviewer, you can't read how interviewer mimic and body language to predict their feedback. It is has a huge different. But I won't explain the detail nor step to do prepare for this type of interview. Because I am not the best example of interviewee. I learn how to do it by myself, yeah see? how pity am I, while I hope to do training, with girlfriend. *Meh*

This 2 interview session is not going well, and I did lot of mistake back then, based on my reflection. Honesty I . But here's some point :

•  (A. First interview)

           Position : Intl Mobile App Marketing

           Type : Virtual Interview

           Company : Russia 'well-known' tech company

           My performance : 2.5/5

• (B. Second interview)

          Position : xxxx Leader Program

          Type : Phone Interview

          Company : Well-known Multinational company in pharmaceutical and cropscience industry

          My performance : 4/5 but after I wear black hate de bono, it decrease to 3/5

The A interview was using kind of virtual interview portal, the fact is I never heard before. The portal is provided of some question that we need to answer. As a millennial, yes I used to search the content to know more about how-the-virtual-interview-works. I found videos in youtube specifically talk about the software. But this is the bold issue for you. Do not just imagining how will your virtual interview going on because it is really depend on the company. I was thought that the virtual interview will be going on the serious of video recording, without any kind of quiz or essay question. I was totally wrong.

I did the A interview in my hometown, because the schedule was on D-3 of eid. That's actually became my another challenge because I am just landed at my hometown which is I didn't have proper internet connection, I was on family and religious time, so I feel really unprepared. But that words couldn't be justified reason to not accomplish the interview. I decided to go to my uncle office and do the interview's there. I have trouble with my microphone (asuspro + windows 10 = many drivers need manual update) and because basically it was a long holiday in Indonesia, so I borrow laptop from one of the staff that still on duty. I felt like I must be accomplished the interview as soon as possible.

I did a prediction there's a lot of interview video recording (that can't be retake), but that is never happen. The only video recording is when I need to introduce myself. Yeah that's it. The whole question is kind of study case type of marketing plan, internet and mobile app maketing. The good news is no limitation time to answer the case, that is really surprised me. Can you imagine, you will answer the study case with tons of marketing theories and formulas. But there is a bad news for me, I used to borrowed the laptop which mean I need to limit my time of using it. Yeah you know the stories then, I really in a rush answering questions that actually you can leave it for googling, get lunch time and get some coffee to have new inspiration.

I know some of marketing formula like how to get the number of CAC, cost of PPC: CPC, CTR,etc. but it is too simple explanation, I mean I was did not touch strategical marketing plan things yet. Then after that, I clicked submit for 1 hours and 30 minutes. Well, I categorized this interview as a failed one, but until now I have not heard the answer yet from that company. Actually this interview give me more beyond from a job position. It is teach me and made me learn about a new way of interview, about global and remote work with some people that located spreadly by the continents. I learned about global networking and how to get more prepared to facing a next challenges ahead especially with my future job.

The lesson learned that I need to apply for next time interview is :

- Ensure that you have a work-well gadget to do this virtual interview

- Make sure you have a good internet connection because we can't do re sign-in and get the same session

- Take a look at the stopwatch for each question, how many minutes you have,etc.

- Do the best for body language, voice intonation and eye pointing. Yes it is virtual interview which mean you talk to the camera, but to make the interviewer feel engaged with you while they reviewed your answer, that is my suggestion.

====================Next to the second event========================

The B Interview was freshly done 6 hours ago, like again, that is my first experience to did interview session by the phone. The schedule was given 3 days before, a day for confirmation, and yesterday they sent me tips for this phone interview *what a good first impression for me*.

I do more preparation for this opportunity. I tried to google it but actually there is no specific and detailed news or page about the product knowledge of this company. Beside the company knowledge, I was prepared for my individual insight and experience from the past project, based on STAR concept.

At this evening I got a phone call by interviewer (I google her name, she is HR manager) so I expected to facing tough but challenging interview. She talk in bahasa for a while to say hello to me. After that, for 43 minutes and 36 seconds, we did full english interview.

I felt like I did better in this interview, based on my track record. But after did some evaluation, I was really forgot about the product knowledge point that actually I have been tried to remember and made a punchline for. That was a negative point. The other stories that I could share to you is I was speaking fast and in high intonation, due to the complex and deep question that made me forgot 'wth, what was the question actually'. Newbie said that is a trap question, but for me it is like confirmation question.

I got blank moment too for 3 times, silence in 3-5 seconds. That was bad, but yes I did learned and will improve myself as soon as possible.

The more lesson learned from the B interview is:

- Know deeply about your application filled form

- Find out as much as you can about the company things

- Keep your intonation stable and your pronounciation as clear as possible

- Be honest

Well that's it my job interview experience till know, with some tips, I hope it can be useful and you could learn from that.

The last tips is from World Economic Forum article

"....used the self-talk method and told yourself : 'I can beat my best score score next time.'

The next top strategy was when participants told yourself that you could 'react quicker this time'.

Imagery-outcome (imagining yourself doing better than last time) and imagery-process (imagining yourself reacting faster than last time) were the next best options...."

Yep, that tips is works for me. So this is the end of this post.

Sampai jumpa, langit!