Advice on how to handle a particular interview question - Urgent!!

theo2008

Hi everyone,

I have an interview tomorrow. This is my problem.

When in college I worked with two similar companies on work placement as part of my degree. I then applied to those companies for a job but was not even called forward for interview (which I was very surprised about because I know I worked well with both).

I had an interview with another similar company for a similar job, the interview went very well but I did not get it. They asked me in the interview was I going for interviews with the two I worked with and I had to admit I wasn't called forward for interview. I would imagine that this meant they couldn't offer me a job with them seeing as the companies I had worked for hadn't interiewed me (even though I'm pretty positive they would have hired me otherwise on the strength of my interview, my CV and my exam results).

Now, I have an interiew with a similar company in England. So, I'm going to have to face this question again of why am I not working for the two companies that I worked for in college.

Does anyone have any advice on how to handle the question? I'm half tempted to lie and say that I didn't apply to those firms for whatever reason and I wanted to work in England. ALthough, I know I absolutely shouldn't lie, I really don't want to screw this job up. Honesty is the best policy I know, but can anyone think of a way I can gloss over the fact that the people I worked for wouldn't employ me? Because I know it looks really bad. At the same time, I know (and I'm not just saying this) that I would be a great worker. My CV is quite substantial, I was very busy during college with societies etc, have gotten firsts and should get one in my final exams so I really don't want this to ruin it for me.

Sorry for the ramble. But I'd really appreciate any advice. And like I said, the interview is tomorrow so I need to start thinking now.

Thanks a mill guys!

Eoin

"Neither of the companies I had my placement with are hiring at the moment"

Or you could flatter them and say that their company is the first you wanted to apply to. Make sure you have valid reasons why you want to work for the company interviewing you.

I wouldn't have thought it was that big a deal not to end up working with a company you did your work experience with?

buynow

Well did you apply for an exact position related to your internship?

It sounds like you just applied through their website. In big companies this might as well be anyone.

Was the department or team you were an intern at hiring for graduates at that particular position? They probably were not at the time.

If your direct manager was looking for graduates to do what you did as an intern and passed you over it a different story to a faceless corporation's HR practices not giving you an interview.

AARRRGH

For all you know your e-mails to both companies got flagged by their junk mail system so they never knew you wanted to work there.

If I were you, I'd do somethink like what eoin recommended.

DadaKopf

You can't be held responsible for an economic decision made by a company. Presumably, for them, you were cheap/free labour and they didn't want to pay for you when the time came, no matter pleased they were with you. They just thought someone with more experience than you at the time was better value for money for them.

I'll tell you a personal story. I work in the charity sector, in research. I took a job in a small organisation for 6 months. It was then extended a further 6 months. Every performance review was the same: "excellent work, no complaints, very happy with your work and how you fit into the organisation". I knew a decision would have to come at some point as to whether I'd stay or the boss would keep me. In the end, the boss didn't keep me. Why? The true reasons are unknown, but part of it was (and it's partly true) that the funders needed the boss to immediately hire someone more senior than me - 5 years experience, PhD, that kind of thing.

Truth be told, I was happy to leave, but in interviews since, I've said "my performance reviews were very positive, but the funder demanded that a new staff member with more experience be hired immediately, and so my contract was not renewed".

I said that to an interview panel last week and, today, I found out that I've gone forward for a second phase interview in the Dept. of Foreign Affairs.

If you can demonstrate how happy your employer was with your work, but that there was a rational reason for them hiring someone else, you're absolutely fine. Tell them how you've still continued to gain experience/skills, how your skills can match their needs, how much you want to work with them and that you're eager to learn new skills and advance your career. If they like you, they may also want some signals of longer-term commitment - that way, they'll feel that it'll be worth their while investing in you, too.

cronos

You could also just say they are not located in the area you want to work, if your going to England you might say you are looking foward to getting some international experience.

Ellechim

I think Eoin's advice is the easiest shortest thing to say and the most understandable/that companies can relate to.

best of luck with the interview! Sock it to em!

theo2008

Thanks a million for your replies, I really should have gone to the Careers Service but I left it too late! Silly me!

I didn't want to give any details about the job due to a strange and paranoid fear. But the job for all is the exact same job - trainee solicitor with corporate law firms. The placement that I did was in that area as well. Because it's all the same job, I think it looks much worse for me

Hopefully, it won't come up and I think the economy thing could work in my favour and I'll emphasise that Irish law firms aren't hiring as much as they were and there are alot of voluntary redundancies being offered to people. Which is true.

I can't help but wonder about lying and wonder what would happen if they asked did I apply to those firms and I say no I didn't and that I wanted to go and work in London. Would they buy it, would they check up on it?? I would just die if I lied and then they came back to me and said "eh wait a minute love..!"

Tails142

When you said "I didnt get called for interview by them"...

the firm that was interviewing you thought, "Oh my god, this guy is so rubbish that after the placement the other crowd didnt even bother to bring him back in for an interview"

I think its fairly obvious that you should bend the truth in this case, I would say that you attended for an interview and you are waiting to hear, if they say "Oh, I had heard firm X werent hiring", then you say, "Well it was an privately arranged interview directly with my previous manager"... if they press on further, just spin them some crack about confidentiality and divert attention by saying that if they do make you an offer you will still consider THIS firm due to you wanting to move to england, chance of more money, whatever

this conveys that:

a. you are being considered for hire by a previous firm you worked for temporarily

b. that they were willing to consider hiring you

c. possibly that in a situation where they were not openly hiring, that they were still considering taking you back on due to your worth

and it avoids any doubts in your interviewers mind that the other places didnt want you - the other bonus is that if you do get an offer from the english firm, you can say that firm X offered you this and will you match it for me, etc

the_syco

theo2008 wrote: »

Honesty is the best policy I know

Not if it involves shooting yourself in the foot.

Eoin

theo2008 wrote: »

But the job for all is the exact same job - trainee solicitor with corporate law firms. The placement that I did was in that area as well. Because it's all the same job, I think it looks much worse for me

Hopefully, it won't come up and I think the economy thing could work in my favour and I'll emphasise that Irish law firms aren't hiring as much as they were and there are alot of voluntary redundancies being offered to people. Which is true.

So, you are one of the many solicitors that didn't get a job in the place you had your placement, and you are applying to a job in a different country?

I don't see any problem there at all, and you are being far too worried over nothing. First of all - the companies you applied to aren't hiring. Second, you are just one of many people in the profession who is finding it hard to find work. Thirdly, you want to live in London.

You have more than enough justification to give them without making yourself look bad.

PS - what's with all this honesty business anyway - you're a solicitor!