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Posted By MickN
I recently had an interview. In the construction industry. 1st question? "How familiar are you with CDM?
What's so strange about that, then? Well I'm in the ROI, so was the job but not the person asking the question.
I have to admit to being a little thrown by this (at the time). The minor error was swiftly dealt with and we got on with the main body of the interview.
Thanks to this forum, I wasn't unfamiliar with the term (even mentioned RIDDOR at one point, seeing as we were on a roll) and ploughed on. But I shouldn't have had to, should I.
Chalk it up to experience, I suppose.
Mick
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Posted By Richard Altoft
Perhaps knowing about wider issues than the local compliance issues did you some good. Hope so.
R
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By MickN
Richard,
There's nothing "local" about national legislation. The fact that I was familiar with what the CDM regs were, wasn't relevant. My good fortune that I keep up with what goes on on this forum was what avoided a complete meltdown.
I'm simply saying that the person in question should have been professional enough to know what country they were in.
Mick
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Richard Altoft
Of course the interviewer should have been better prepared and should conduct the interview with the specific job and its parameters in mind. That is blindingly obvious.The parameters include International, national and activity specific legislation. But sometimes you get the odd curved ball and sometimes they are even deliberate ploys by interviewers to open up what you know.
Who knows perhaps they have in mind a career development in due course once they have taken on an applicant locally that will take applicants into a wider arena. Later this week I will be on the interview panels for new applicants for the judiciary. We use a wide variety of techniques to open up candidates and to reveal if they are flexible and adaptable or just rigid in their thinking.
Regardless of you bouncing back at me about my response I hope you get the job.
R
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By MickN
Richard,
Please don't be offended by my reponse, it's not meant that way.
Perhaps I'm sensitive, perhaps I'm wrong, but I still don't think it was a legitimate question. It may well have been covert questioning designed to examine my response capabilities, but I doubt it. The job was for a 6-12 month construction safety contract post, covert questioning isn't a skill that's required for such interviews. Can you really say, given your current position on an interview panel, that you would consider using a question which required knowledge outside the remit of the position?
I doubt that I've got the job anyway at this stage, things move fast in construction recruitment and I've not heard anything back yet.
Cracking on...
Mick
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Richard Altoft
I think it is more likely the interviewer just cocked it up but I have interviewed people for one job with a hope I would find someone who I could retain after that project and carry onwards. So I might ask a local applicant about his views on travelling next time or even overseas work.
I once got interviewed to be site manager for a glass factory near Liverpool that was to be built on a site of a power station I had demolished. Client was Irish and I was asked about Irish planning procedures and labour relations because they wanted me to kick off that job and then take over another identical one on a site in Ireland. So it does happen
R
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