If you recall, last time I blogged about finding a job via teh internets.  I had remarked that getting a job had almost nothing to do with education, experience, good references, or the number of $20s you attach to your resume.  Instead, getting a job is very much based on bull shitting.  Now, applying to job ads is just one part of getting a job.  To get many (if not most) jobs, an interview is required.  Now you may be thinking that the interview involves being yourself and not bull shitting.  Well, isn’t that cute.  BUT IT’S WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The job interview requires even more bullshiting.  In my experience, there have been two main styles of job interviews, the group interview and the individual interview.  Both of which I will outline………..now.
The first major type of job interviews is the group interview.  As the name implies, this type of interview is done in a group setting.  This apparently saves the company the time to interview each of the applicants.  After all, time is money.  Many of these interviews consist of a sales pitch similar to those fund-raising presentations that are far too common in public school.  I’m sure many of you remember school fund-raisers.  Heck, some of you are probably still stuck having to do them.  Anyway, remember the sales pitch the companies would use to get you to participate?  IT was something along the lines of sell x products and get y prize!  So of course, you (read: your parents) sell useless crap that nobody really wants anyway in order to get a slinky that would’ve set you back a couple of bux at any general merchandiser store.  But that slinky is oh so special because you didn’t just buy it, you earned it.  Of course, you could earn a slinky by playing several rounds of Skee-Ball at the arcade, and given the choice between pestering my friends and family to buy useless crap that they don’t really want and will never use or playing in the arcade, I’d choose arcade 10 out of 10 times.  Anyway, the point is that many group interviews have the same feel as those fund-raising presentations.  Only, instead of slinkies that you’ll only play with a couple of times and never touch again, the prize involved is money.  You’ll hear of how all it takes is 15 sales a week to get a six figure income.  Of course, they’ll mention about this one guy in Bugtussle, Alabama who made 2 million bux just doing the “business” out of his house.  Oh yeah, they’ll talk about how it is not a job, but rather how it is “owning your own business”.  Now, if I wanted to own a business I sure as hell would not have a boss.  I mean, isn’t one of the reasons to start a business is to be one’s own boss?  Anyway, what they won’t tell you is that said “business opportunity” costs a lot of time and money to even break even, must less earn any money.  I mean, isn’t one of the reason to get a job is to make money?  The time spent at one of these “business opportunities” could be better spent playing Skee-Ball at the arcade.  At least you can get a slinky in the process.
The second type of job interview is the more traditional individual interview.  This is where a hiring manager asks the candidate questions to determine the candidate’s personality.  After all the interviews are over, the powers that be hire the candidate who was the best bull shitter.  Now, there are some questions that seem to be in all job interviews and there are no right answers.  However, there are plenty of wrong answers.  The first question that many interviewers seem to ask is “did you find the place alright?”  Usually the interviewer asks this question if the place is located in the middle of nowhere.  Sometimes the place can be hard to find if the directions are like “go down the road until you see a building.  Turn onto the paved road located near the building and go down the road until you spot some grass, then turn downed the paved road.  Follow that until you see a sign saying ‘speed limit 55’ and the place will be to the side of the road”.  Another question that interviewers tend to ask is “tell us about yourself”.  Now is not the time to mention that DUI you got on New Year’s Eve.  In fact, for this question you have to bullshit your way into thinking that you’re better than sliced bread.  Another question they may ask is “why did you leave your last position?”  Odds are, you were probably laid off so that the CEO would have enough money to give himself a bonus on top of his billions that he already has (God bless America).  However, that answer will guarantee that you remain unemployed and possibly impotent.  Instead, mention something about how you outgrew the old job or something of that nature.  Another question that the interviewer is likely to ask is “why are you interested in this position?”  Never say you want it for the money, even if the only reason you want the entry-level telemarketing job is because it actually pays American money as opposed to scrit.  Instead, you bullshit and say something like how telemarketing is your dream job.  And if telemarketing really is your dream job, more power to you.  Another question that you’ll be likely to hear in a job interview is “what are some of your strengths?”  They want the strengths to be relevant to the job.  You may be able to unlock the Top Secret Area in Super Mario World, but unless you’re applying to either a video game store that sells classic games or Nintendo of America in the early ’90’s, you don’t mention it as a strength.  And no being fashionably late is not a strength.  The next question will likely be “what are some of your weaknesses?”  Now, they don’t want to know your real weaknesses.  This is the biggest bullshit question in most job interviews, as it usually requires positive traits be spun to be negative.  Something like “I’m too punctual” would work.  Something like “I like to masturbate” doesn’t work, even if it is a true weakness.  The final question of almost all interviews is “do you have any questions?”  Every source of career advice says that you should never answer the question with “no”.  Actually, now would be the best time to ask more about the job you are applying to.  Just don’t ask how to unlock the Top Secret Area in Super Mario World.  Well, that’s all I have for today.  Until next time, I’ll be unlocking the Top Secret Area in Super Mario World.