Monday, February 28, 2011

Giving a test and failing a test

One time I was interviewing at a hospital in Dallas. I was very conflicted. The technology was uber cool and I really, REALLY wanted to play with it, however the department manager was making quite a point about what a buttoned down formal place this was. I mean he was selling it, bragging about it and how great it was to work there because they had regular cubicle inspections and such. Wow.

Working with technology is the art of creative problem solving and creative people rarely do well in constrained formal work environments. Most technology firms understand this and in order to profit from their talents create work environments that fit them.

I am ex-military and I know I suffered there. "Don't think, follow the manual." is the rule. I once had an old master Sergent tell me that in wartime my solutions to problems would make me a hero but in peacetime they made me a pain in the ass.

So as much as I wanted to work in this hospital I did not think I would be happy there but I was not sure.  So while the department manager was taking me on a tour I had a sudden inspiration! A test! While we were in the cube farm area,  I said  in a moderately loud voice, "We are the knights who say ..." as I heard at least six discreet "Ni's" emanate from the cube farm I turned to the befuddled dept manager with a smile and said, "I think I will be happy here."

I never got an offer. In hindsight I am guessing my little test got me tagged as "pain in the ass" on the spot from his perspective.

Cest la vie.

7 comments:

jinksto said...

I feel sorry for the folks that DID work there. He probably throttled the life out of them in under six months.

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

No doubt 'cuz.

If his people were any good though they were gone in 6 months. In the 90's there was too many opportunities in IT to stay in an unpleasant work place.

That kind of place is the black hole of the incompetent. If your no good you have no choice but to stay there, there is no escape.

Therefore that kind of manager is self destructive, since he can not retain good people his department can not produce good work.

Erika said...

I think you should have joined on, and then promptly planted a shrubbery in your cubicle (C;

tammy said...

You, a pain in the ass? No way : )

Valerie at Home said...

I once interviewed with a principal who asked the most odd, convoluted, vague questions, then refused to explain them on the grounds that he wanted to see the way I interpreted them. He also made a huge point of how *formal* and *professional* all the teachers were at his school and how they all called each other by titles and last names. It was the absolute most uncomfortable interview ever. I did get the job (probably because I was available to start immediately and they were desperate) and discovered that the principal was obviously on another planet because it was in reality as chaotic as any high school.

NerdyRedneck Rob said...

@Erika - lol! {applause!}

@Tammy - Shocking I know!

@Valarie - Ugh! So know you got me to thinking, what is teachers job tittle? "Educator Johnson, could I see you in here a moment please?" :)

Laiey said...

hahahaha great test!