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I recently had an interview at a small (but growing) marketing agency which was like none other I had ever seen. One of the two partners was sitting on a couch and they had a dog in the room, and I was there with my suit, tie and notebook – and I loved it.
The opening question was simply, “What’s going on out there?” and you can imagine how unprepared I was for such a question.
From there it was just a conversation about business, marketing and the changing landscape of social media. The only common question that came up was, “Why should we hire you?” The questions went back and forth as well, as they would ask me a question and then I would ask them, and so on.
Once I left I realized that this is what interviews need to be more like: conversations. Organizations are hiring people. As obvious and simple as that sounds, it is something I didn’t quite understand until now. Anyone can go in and answer the 10 most common interview questions you should be prepared for, but ambiguous questions about current news really show the type of person you are and if you fit into their organizational culture.
This is also a great chance for you to shine by throwing in your personal opinions and showing your potential employer your insights and knowledge.
I can’t speak for all industries, but I think those which are more creative in nature are changing the way they are selecting employees. Creating a profile of what you’ve done and what you want to do is essential. Whether it be videos on YouTube, podcasts, songs, pictures or blogs where you can stay informed of and have opinions on what’s going on in your industry.
Don’t be afraid to take chances during an interview or ask some unusual questions to get outside of the box because those are the memorable moments that will make you stick out in the mind of the employer. For example, after they asked me where I see myself in five years I asked them where they see the company in five years – it caught them off guard, but they enjoyed it.
Finally, get to know the company. Throughout the conversation, I occasionally brought up things I had read about them and presentations they had given, showing my genuine interest in working for them.
Result: I did not get the job. However, something even better came out of it: they said they loved my enthusiasm so much they are creating a new position for me!
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Comments
08.05.09
This is great.
Really, if this is the way we go, I'd love it. I know we in HR are supposed to hate uncontrolled interview environments but you know what: work is an uncontrolled work environment. If you don't have the right people doing the interviews that won't say stupid things that will get you in trouble, you probably don't have the right managers period because they are probably saying stupid things that will get you in trouble all day long.
Thanks!
08.05.09
This is an exciting post! I'm impressed by both the company that interviewed you, and your ability to roll with this kind of creative (and cool) interview. Congratulations on the new position!
I work in the museum industry, which is extremely controlled and hierarchical. For many of the reasons that Lance mentions, I think that these kinds of open interviews are extraordinarily productive and in many ways, more efficient. I hope that the museum industry--and the nonprofit world-- will join in this evolution of the hiring process practiced by these smaller, creative companies.
There really is a lot to learn from your experience and your post. Thanks so much for sharing!
10.01.09
Great article! I find that I always get questions about interviews for positions in my field (public relations). It really surprises people to hear the types of things I've had to do (fake media calls, create presentations in less than an hour, "homework" where you create communication plans overnight, etc.).
I find these interviews challenging but also really fun! Nobody wants to sit around and tell people how great you are all the time - SHOW THEM! This is a great way to see how you think, what you think of the world "out there" so to speak, and they get to know a little bit about you.
Congrats on the new position!!!
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