rant, thinking out loud

[Sunnyday]

I just got an email about setting up an interview for this job that I want and which is out of my skill set.

I debated applying or not, but 75% of the job is so what I do, am good at and enjoy. I applied, and I knew it was long shot. And I keep thinking about it. And it has got me feeling really depressed. now that I feel like I accepted that I won't get it, I have an offer to interview.

But I'm not hopeful, because I'm only 75% of the job and so not the ideal candidate. And all the interactions with the hiring manager has been so odd and impersonal. Is that normal?

I just feel so shitty about it. The job would solve so many of my problems. it would pay more! It's got room for advancement. I would be so crushed. And I don't know what date to give for an interview. I took so much time off last week because of a sick kid. Taking more time for a slim chance...
I'll do it. And it would take the stress off of my husband going back to school. this job will definitely be at least $50k, if not much more. This will eliminate the need to take any loans for school.

it's such a great company. I would be so proud of working for them. Their business practices are so admirable.

I'm making very little sense. I just pulled an all nighter working on this stupid, non-sensical report that I have to fix.

argh

Interview tips??!
anyone!!!

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

The job I do currently the only thing I was familiar with was animal work. I didn't know ANYTHING about the rest of the job. I was pretty confident I wouldn't get it since I hadn't been offered jobs that were almost a carbon copy of previous jobs.

I was called the next day. Turns out they REALLY needed someone with animal experience, IACUC wouldn't approve their project until they had two lab staff members who were certified. I was the first one that walked in the door. They were willing to train me on everything else.

I'd go, you obviously have something they are interested in otherwise they wouldn't have called you in the first place.

My boss and I talked about it later and he said HR makes them do specific pinpointed bullet lists so they can have a mindless checklist and something to post on the website.  In reality a lot of times the person who is looking to hire is a lot more flexible than that depending on what it is they are looking for.   They really needed my animal experience so they were willing to take the chance despite the fact HR couldn't check everything off the bullet list.

[dannylion]

If you decline the interview, the chance of getting the job is exactly zero.  

So, the "slim" chance of getting the job if you go to the interview is better than that, right?  

Do it.  Make sure they know that you admire the company and its business practices.  If you make a good impression at this interview, even if you don't get the job, it might give you a leg up if another opportunity opens up at that job.  

Good luck!

[Sunnyday]

No doubt about it, no matter how slim the chance, I will go. I just don't want to call to set up the interview. Maybe I'll just email.

When you get me on the phone, I have a major tendency to ramble even when I'm not that nervous.
 
The first second anyone sees me their impression is that I'm wound up tighter than...a spool of thread...?? I'm built that way.  Not surprisingly, people aren't always into uptight people.  shocking.... ah..  I know... 

I'm not being negative but I don't see the point of being positive. I am what I am, and I know what I know. No matter how pumped up I get or how I try to sell myself, I will be me. And that is not always everyone's cup of tea.

And if I'm just a token interview.. well there isn't much that I can do about that either.    

[973beachbum]

I must be weird, because I think you being 75% of the perfect candidate makes you the perfect match.

Unless the person is interviewing for their exact job the odds of getting someone who is a 100% match IME is almost zero.   I know there are a few exceptions like maybe pharmacists, but for the vast majority of jobs no one except the person already filling the job would have been doing that exact same set of tasks on a regular basis. 

So go in that interview knowing you are probably the most qualified person for the job and completely capable of learning the things you haven't done before!

[Sunnyday]

The 25% is an engineering component. I have no background. I have no technical abilities. I have no math skills. I cannot do it. I can't bone up on it. I have a degree in underwater basket weaving.  I know a lot about weaving. I don't know anything about what they want. It makes no sense that they want me to do the other 25%. They are trying to save money by wanting the position to cover the 25%. 

I know the field enough to be able to work in it for the management side, but I can't be a professional engineer. Basically they want me to do QA for the technical aspects. No, that is the engineer's job. 

[973beachbum]

Jun 2, 2014 8:38:02 GMT -5 Sunnyday said:

The 25% is an engineering component. I have no background. I have no technical abilities. I have no math skills. I cannot do it. I can't bone up on it. I have a degree in underwater basket weaving.  I know a lot about weaving. I don't know anything about what they want. It makes no sense that they want me to do the other 25%. They are trying to save money by wanting the position to cover the 25%. 

I know the field enough to be able to work in it for the management side, but I can't be a professional engineer. Basically they want me to do QA for the technical aspects. No, that is the engineer's job. 

DH is an engineer and we both work for an engineering company.  And yes we have inspectors that inspect the technical aspects that aren't engineers.

They all have some other type of certification but not degrees in engineering.  I thought that was pretty normal.

[hoops902]

::If you decline the interview, the chance of getting the job is exactly zero.::

Unless playing hard to get makes you so desirable they just offer you the job! 

I turned down an interview for an internal job once because I wasn't interested in the role.  3 weeks later they offered me the job anyways because they had no good interviews.  So maybe not exactly zero   I turned it down a couple of more times before they hired someone else.

[jeffreymo]

Be calm and confident in the 75% that you are well versed in, and the interview will go well.  There could be a number of changes to the job description based on the applicants they receive.  Maybe they will like you so much that they decide to move part of that 25% to another position.  Maybe they can train you or pay for training so that you can do a portion of it.  They might decide that you'd be a great fit for another position.  Anything can happen.

[hoops902]

Most job descriptions are written for the ideal candidate. Most hiring for jobs is not the ideal candidate as described.  If someone already had all those skills, they'd probably already be doing that job and looking to move even higher.  Already having 75% of the job down seems like a pretty significant portion.  Be confident in your 75% and your ability to learn the other 25%.

[Sunnyday]

So I have to go and buy clothes.  I truly don't have any. All my formal clothes are size 6 and I'm double that now.

And since I've gained all that weight, I've started working from home and was pregnant twice, so all my clothes are very casual (yoga pants and tank tops). 

So, I'm guessing pant suit with a blouse.  Or just dress pants and blouse with nice pumps and bag.  It's starting to get hot, so I don't want to overheat. 

Monday, i had off anyway for a medical appointment.  IT's not too far away of a date to suggest next Monday??

[justme]

Hasn't it been posted here before about how men apply for a job where they fit 60% of the criteria, but women only apply if they meet 90%? Or some numbers like that. 

My thoughts are no one will ever fit 100% of the criteria. And those that are close it would be a lateral move for where they would probably only want to do it if a) they didn't like where they were or b) it was more money - they'd be more likely to look for jobs for a step up. You're going to have to get training for any new job, so don't sweat what % they have to train you on. That's for them to sweat.

[raeoflyte]

If a guy was applying he'd probably think he was over qualified with having 75% down.

Schedule it this week, don't stress. Youll still do the work for your current job.

Good luck!

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards

[midwestlily]

I agree, they'll never get somebody that meets all the requirements, so they'll end up hiring somebody with a big chunk of them, which sounds like YOU.

I just did a phone interview this morning for a position that listed a lot of different skills that they were hoping for.  During the interview, they asked me which parts of the job I knew I could do, and which parts I'd expect to get support for from other library staff.  I had no problem telling that that I'm good with systems and metadata and software, not good with hardware.  (I was using the landline at a friend's house, and she said later that when she heard that, she nearly burst out laughing, because she knows I really am terrible with anything mechanical.)  I think that will be okay, because I know something about their operations, and I know that they've already got people there who can work on the hardware side of things.  If I'm wrong and they're really looking for that, well, fine, that means it's the wrong job for me.

Also, I did something last night that I'd never tried before.  A blog I've been rereading for getting a job in my field listed typical job interview questions, then said that you should sit down beforehand, look at the job description, and write up short answers for EACH of those typical questions.  Not that you should read them aloud (even in a phone interview), but that it gives you some ideas to fall back on when they ask those typical questions.  It was a PITA, but I have to say, I felt more comfortable this morning, because they did ask questions that were more or less along those lines, and I did find them easier to answer because I'd thought about them beforehand.  I think I did pretty well, we'll find out in a week or so.

Good luck to you!  And please wish me luck too!

[milee]

Jun 2, 2014 8:59:56 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

Jun 2, 2014 8:38:02 GMT -5 Sunnyday said:

The 25% is an engineering component. I have no background. I have no technical abilities. I have no math skills. I cannot do it. I can't bone up on it. I have a degree in underwater basket weaving.  I know a lot about weaving. I don't know anything about what they want. It makes no sense that they want me to do the other 25%. They are trying to save money by wanting the position to cover the 25%. 

I know the field enough to be able to work in it for the management side, but I can't be a professional engineer. Basically they want me to do QA for the technical aspects. No, that is the engineer's job. 

DH is an engineer and we both work for an engineering company.  And yes we have inspectors that inspect the technical aspects that aren't engineers.

Exactly. The company I own manufactures electronics; I have no engineering background and am a CPA. But trust me, for many years when we were starting out and couldn't afford much help, I did QA and it wasn't a big deal.  From your writing, it's obvious you're intelligent, so why wouldn't you be able to do QA?  QA is mostly testing and examining the work/product to see if it fits defined criteria or passes certain tests. In our company, since it was new, we didn't even have predefined criteria or tests, so I watched what my husband (the electrical engineer) did to test things, wrote out a detailed checklist of the process and from then on any reasonably intelligent person could follow the checklist to do all the QA steps.

You may not have the technical knowledge to fix problems you find in QA (although believe it or not if you do QA enough, you'll pick up the ability to fix many of the problems just by observing), but you will be able to identify what product/work passes QA and what doesn't. The stuff that doesn't pass goes back to production or engineering to fix.

You can do this.  Really.

Now go buy one outfit that makes you feel fabulous. Even if it's more than your budget or a little unusual - you need to feel fabulous and confident. You will be OK and you need to believe it.

[Sunnyday]

Jun 2, 2014 11:18:36 GMT -5 midwestlily said:

I agree, they'll never get somebody that meets all the requirements, so they'll end up hiring somebody with a big chunk of them, which sounds like YOU.

I just did a phone interview this morning for a position that listed a lot of different skills that they were hoping for.  During the interview, they asked me which parts of the job I knew I could do, and which parts I'd expect to get support for from other library staff.  I had no problem telling that that I'm good with systems and metadata and software, not good with hardware.  (I was using the landline at a friend's house, and she said later that when she heard that, she nearly burst out laughing, because she knows I really am terrible with anything mechanical.)  I think that will be okay, because I know something about their operations, and I know that they've already got people there who can work on the hardware side of things.  If I'm wrong and they're really looking for that, well, fine, that means it's the wrong job for me.

Also, I did something last night that I'd never tried before.  A blog I've been rereading for getting a job in my field listed typical job interview questions, then said that you should sit down beforehand, look at the job description, and write up short answers for EACH of those typical questions.  Not that you should read them aloud (even in a phone interview), but that it gives you some ideas to fall back on when they ask those typical questions.  It was a PITA, but I have to say, I felt more comfortable this morning, because they did ask questions that were more or less along those lines, and I did find them easier to answer because I'd thought about them beforehand.  I think I did pretty well, we'll find out in a week or so.

Good luck to you!  And please wish me luck too!

Good luck!!! I'm good with the softer side of things too.

 I think that I can do a passable job for QA but the engineering component always made me feel unsure of myself since I'm not technical. 

I really want to put it off till next monday. This week is booked and I need to go clothes shopping. If I had to, I can do without, but the clothes that I have are so ill fitting. The pants are so tight that I have camel toe in every single one of them. 

That is not the message that I want to send! Hi, I want a job here, and so does my camel toe!   Nice visual, huh?!

[Deleted]

75% is way more than I had when I applied for my last job.

You are not looking for a lateral move which is the only time I figure you should have 90-100% of the qualifications.

You are looking for a promotion, 75% is way more than enough. Heck the moment I have 30% I start considering it, by the time it reaches 50% you can bet your ass I am applying if I am interested in the job enough.

Stay positive

[Shooby]

There was recently an article about the confidence gap with women . We tend to only feel good about applying for a job that we can do 100%. Men feel confident applying for a job they meet 50%.
Sell yourself and your skills and tell them what you said to us.

[Nazgul Girl]

    Good luck, Rainyday.    I'm glad that you're throwing your hat in the ring.   Good for you.   You can do this !    

---

[milee]

Your clothes may actually look fine to a random viewer... or they may be totally hideous. But none of that matters. What matters is that you don't feel good in them.  That will translate to awkwardness and lack of confidence in your body language. Get thee to the store, woman!

Just a thought, but if you're not happy with your current weight and feel uncomfortable with it, think about trying on skirts instead of pants. Pants have to fit really well to be flattering and you won't have time to get any tailored, so it might be tough to find that perfect pair.  You could spend hours just feeling bad about what you're seeing in the mirror if you're trying on tons of pants to find that perfect fit and it might make you feel worse rather than better.  It's easier IMHO to find a variety of skirts that fit nicely at different weights, so that could help you find something you like and feel good in more quickly if you start with the skirts.  Or even a sheath dress.  Those can be accessorized up or down and if they're made of constructed, stiffer materials, are usually flattering and professional on almost everybody.  Just a thought.

But whatever it is, just find what you feel gorgeous in.  Wear that.

[midwestlily]

Rainyday, I'm worried about clothing for an interview too (assuming that I'll get one, who knows at this point).  I have clothes that I wear to work on a normal day, nicer clothes that I save for meetings, nicest clothes for conferences, and I feel like none of it looks good enough for a first impression at an interview.  I'm overweight too, and my problem is finding stuff that doesn't make me look frighteningly busty.  Okay, I am frighteningly busty, but I keep hoping I'll find something that will make the girls less noticeable.  Possibly a burka.

[Sunnyday]

Jun 2, 2014 16:06:44 GMT -5 midwestlily said:

Rainyday, I'm worried about clothing for an interview too (assuming that I'll get one, who knows at this point).  I have clothes that I wear to work on a normal day, nicer clothes that I save for meetings, nicest clothes for conferences, and I feel like none of it looks good enough for a first impression at an interview.  I'm overweight too, and my problem is finding stuff that doesn't make me look frighteningly busty.  Okay, I am frighteningly busty, but I keep hoping I'll find something that will make the girls less noticeable.  Possibly a burka.

A burqa! That made me laugh!!!

I think that I might go for a skirt. I just have to be careful and I can't get camel toe from that right??

My problem is not boobs but my middle. I'm an apple. If it fits me around my waist, it hangs off the rest of my body. if it fits me everywhere else, I can barely button up and then I get muffin top.

thank you for being so nice every one.

[momoftwo]

You can do this. Most employers would love to have an employee who could jump in with 75% of the necessary skill set. Good employees are teachable and in fact people without all of the requirements probably bring other assets with them.

Be confident. It's worth your time and effort to see this through. If nothing else, it will help you improve your interviewing skills for a different position.

From a dress code perspective, I always use my "go to" navy blue or black pants suit for interview situations - one less thing to stress about, since you can't go wrong with either choice.

Good luck!

[drivingaround]

I concur, practice interview questions! I'm amazed how often candidates do not practice anything beyond the top 5 known interview questions.  I printed 100 interview questions off Monster and randomly would put my pen to one and practice.  It definitely made a difference in interviews, I was able to think on my feet faster and even if the same exact question wasn't asked because I'd spent time working similar questions I could adapt and put forth an articulate response.  I also agree with clothing you're comfortable in.  I tend to remember if a candidate 1) dressed too casual, 2) dressed revealing and 3) was fidgety by pulling at hems or playing with buttons.

[Deleted]

Next Monday is perfectly fine for scheduling an interview. Set it right away before someone else gets the time slot!

75% is excellently qualified. If you were a guy you would expect to get the job if you met 50% (survey's say).

Blouse & dress pants are fine. Suit is fine too if you run into a deal on one of those. You might find a skirt suit is the best for the concerns you have. Do you have Macy's where you are? I always have good luck with their suit sale rack!

Good Luck! I will be rooting for you! 

[midwestlily]

Jun 2, 2014 16:33:21 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

Jun 2, 2014 16:06:44 GMT -5 midwestlily said:

Rainyday, I'm worried about clothing for an interview too (assuming that I'll get one, who knows at this point).  I have clothes that I wear to work on a normal day, nicer clothes that I save for meetings, nicest clothes for conferences, and I feel like none of it looks good enough for a first impression at an interview.  I'm overweight too, and my problem is finding stuff that doesn't make me look frighteningly busty.  Okay, I am frighteningly busty, but I keep hoping I'll find something that will make the girls less noticeable.  Possibly a burka.

I would go with a structured jacket which can minimize the girls and a nice pair of earrings to draw the attention up towards the face/away from the bustline.

Thanks, good ideas!  I never thought about using earrings that way.

[Sunnyday]

Jun 2, 2014 22:37:58 GMT -5 drivingaround said:

I concur, practice interview questions! I'm amazed how often candidates do not practice anything beyond the top 5 known interview questions.  I printed 100 interview questions off Monster and randomly would put my pen to one and practice.  It definitely made a difference in interviews, I was able to think on my feet faster and even if the same exact question wasn't asked because I'd spent time working similar questions I could adapt and put forth an articulate response.  I also agree with clothing you're comfortable in.  I tend to remember if a candidate 1) dressed too casual, 2) dressed revealing and 3) was fidgety by pulling at hems or playing with buttons.

Yes, I think instead of looking like a model, I need to look professional and most of comfortable. I've never comfortable in a skirt.

I might have to rethink that one.

BTW. it's going down this Thursday. No real time to shop because I'm super busy at work, but throughout the day I've been working on practice questions and answers in my head.