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Right And Wrong Job Interview Lessons From Television Sitcoms

We can learn wrong job interview strategies from highly exaggerated television shows. Even subtle idiosyncrasies can mislead our intentions, focus, and results. Although these situations are exaggerated (or not) and reach beyond the scope of realism, all three have valuable lessons:

The job interview lesson from this video from Murphy Brown has several take-a-ways:

Too much information is an immediate turn-off
A cordial interviewer does not validate your interview performance
Emphasize skills and how you can serve the people who will work with you

This episode from Home Improvement has two major take-a-ways:

Don’t respond to your competition’s credentials hastily without researching the employer, and their expectations.
Creating assumptions in your mind about your employer is a lack of common sense.

Editor’s Note:

Please follow the below link to You Tube for the clip, the scene starts around the 2:15 mark.

http://youtu.be/2Xjyy7mg4v4

In this episode of the “Mary Tyler Moore” show, Mary moves to Minneapolis and interviews with Mr. Grant. Note the two main take-a-ways:

Notice that Mary was direct without being disrespectful when Mr. Grant asked several inappropriate questions
Always focus on giving positive answers and reactions to rude and obnoxious behaving employers. Sometimes employers will test of your character using inane antics

I’m sure you didn’t mind wading through the ridiculous situations to see the main lessons. For as many tools available on the web, there is no excuse for ignorance. Give interviewing 100% effort, to receive 100% rewards.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

The Wrong Way to Brown Nose Future Employers

I wonder about the department that hired Raheem. He didn’t possess the right skills for the position. But they hired him any way. When you can’t deliver a sustained competent job performance for your co-workers, it becomes ugly. Fast. Yeah, they fired Raheem.

Raheem got the job where he wanted through networking. He had a positive approach and landed a promotion. There. That would be the bottom-line, but he kissed up to his potential employer. Lots of kissing up. Sucking sounds as in suck-up. Sloppy sounding kissing-up.

Compliments.

“What can I do for you?”

He laughed at lame jokes.

Agreed with everything that was said.

Tried too hard to be friends with everyone in that department.

Once he sent a voicemail blast wishing everyone a great weekend. My friend thought it was great until you heard the quality of the recording, and the fact that he didn’t mention anybody by name. When she saw the light, the saw the forest and trees too.

None of his sucking up was authentic. When people see a fake, it becomes ugly. Fast.

The take-a-ways from this post:

It is never worth selling your soul for a position by being a “Yes” man or woman
Anyone who leaves his or her integrity at the front door, and leaves value. Be explicit in what you can and cannot deliver

He frequently visited our managers to ask how to do spreadsheets , powerpoint presentations, and other duties he did not have the skills for his new department. They helped him for a short time, but they too saw the light. Without going into great detail of how Rahiem was sucked up into a new job, he could not deliver the daily goods. But let me backup second to paint a picture of how I think the interview must have went. Check out this episode of That 70’s show where Eric Forman interviews for a Burger Place.

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The frequent calls to that department, asking to hang out was painful. This was not networking. This turned into shameless requests, and begging. Two years this lasted. The sound of slurping on the phone with them. You can mistaken a sucking sound of a lollipop for as much as talked to them. He unleashed flurries of complimentary adjectives to them, and about them daily. He had no shame. Everyone in the company knew he wanted a job with this one department.

He had lunch with them daily. Not anyone could have lunch with them daily. Nor can anyone infiltrate this department’s fraternal bond. He did.

Rahiem performed decently, as I was the one of the go-to guys in the department, I saw his work frequently. I had no reason to unfairly critique his work. I tried to treat everyone the same, even if he or she kissed-up as means of a promotion.

Rahiem started as a contract employee in the Customer Service Center. From day one, he had aspirations to go elsewhere. And there is nothing wrong with that. All of us knew that customer service was a temporary entry point for some, and a long tenure for others.

Rahiem is hard to dislike, but as a professional brown-noser he made my head hurt. I worked with Rahiem for a few years, and really, his approach was beyond the bounds of nepotism. He had one objective: to suck-up his way to a promotion. Maybe you know Rahiem. You may know Raher, Rahiem’s twin.

I told this story backwards. I found it more interesting to tell the ending first, so that people avoid being Raheim or Raher. Just be you!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

Forgivable and Unforgivable Job Interview Mistakes

Job interview mistakes are correctable, even if it feels that it’s the worst thing that could happen. Career consultants all over the U.S. are warning you not to fall through the trap door if there is a typo on your résumé. We have your best interest at hard, and I want to comfort you.

If you make a mistake, correct it, even if nothing will come of it. The main reason: doing a good job requires accepting responsibility, correcting the error, and not repeating the same error.

The Forgivable

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1. You’re late, you’re late, for a very important date. Again? Dang?

The Fix: Call and confirm that it matters that you come anyway. It would be tragic if you were late to the second interview, but mostly, it is a forgivable error.

If it is a habit, then you should read this article, “You’re Late—Again,” from Good Housekeeping, May 2008 where the writer, Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist says what lateness says to others:

“I feel anxious” Many people make themselves late, whether once or repeatedly, when heading to a job or to meet friends, because they feel apprehensive or stressed. It’s as if deep, unresolved emotions are acting as resistors in the mind’s circuitry, redirecting us away from the source of our discomfort.

“I’m showing who’s in power” It’s one thing to think, We’re good friends. If I’m a few minutes late it won’t matter. It’s quite another to think, She knows I’m busier than she is. It isn’t a big deal if she waits a few minutes for me to yet there. People who use lateness to signify they are special or more powerful than those they keep waiting may not plan to show up late, but there’s often a quiet running commentary at the back of their mind suggesting that others will–and really should–wait for them.

“I need to know I’m loved”

(Albrow, 2008)

2. Forget to bring your resume to the interview. And you forgot your brain too.

The Fix. By now if you don’t have a Dropbox, Linked In, or Google Docs account (there are others), then get one. You can park a copy of your résumé there. It is accessible from anywhere, and if the host has MS Word, it is easily downloadable, or at worst, email it to the interviewer. If not, ask if you can email a copy later that day.

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3. Rain, sleet, snow, hail arrived while you were on the way to the interview. Stain on your suit. Caught in a mudslide.

The Fix. Continue on your way, and call ahead to the employer informing them of what happened. Calling diffuses the possible tension of the situation, and you will be pleasantly surprised how positive the experience turns out.

4. You spilled water on the table, ran into an employee and spilled coffee all over their clothes, or farted during the meeting.

The Fix. Apologize, apologize and apologize profusely. Don’t be surprised that there is mirth found at your expense. A little self-deprecating humor would work, but just a little. Remember the best have made job interview mistakes. And they move on knowing the next opportunity erases the last mistake.

The Unforgivable

The egregious use of sarcasm, or a hint of profane language. This is a turn-off to people who influence hiring. What you say is everything in an interview, don’t blow it.
Talking negatively about your past employers, especially to make yourself look good. This tactic never has a positive outcome, even if the past job was the competition. It is better to show how bad you were at one time, and how you corrected your path to achieving desired results.
Any use of a cell, for any reason, at any time. No distractions needed at all, and even while waiting, show restraint.
You were caught in a lie. Oh, there are no words. You lose.

Are there mistakes that you made before, during, or after interviews that you regret? Were you forgiven? Comment below, and share them with the rest of the world!