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Subject:Re: Interviews & red flags From:mearro -at- msn -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 20 Oct 2004 10:20:41 -0600
> For example, I interviewed a candidate who included mensa membership on a
> resume. This seemed strange to me. I was concerned that the candidate
> might have issues dealing with tedious tasks or dealing with SMEs or
> developers who at times could be condescending.
Just wanted to clarify. In no way would I eliminate a candidate on the
basis of Mensa membership or the addition of this info on a resume.
However, I did consider this to be a red flag. If there was still a
position to fill, I would have followed up with the candidate accordingly.
Likely, I would have asked questions to verify that the candidate worked
well with others and was willing to perform all required tasks.
As another example, I worked with someone who on his first day of work
told me that he was a star at his last company and that our boss would be
grateful to have him on board. As I introduced him to other coworkers, he
repeated this statement. Not surprisingly, he ended up being highly
skilled at self-promotion but considerably less skilled at performing
basic tasks. A real headache - particularly for anyone taking over his
projects or who made the mistake of believing his estimates.
I didn't interview this guy. If I had & he had referred to himself as a
star - that would have raised a red flag. However, I wouldn't have
eliminated him solely for his self-promotion. I would have just made more
of an effort to verify that he could work as part of a team & had the
required ability/experience.
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