The Office Jester… every office needs one to enact the first job interview ever
Ah, job interviews. It’s a curse that never stops working against you unless, of course, you start sitting on the other side of the table. In fact, these days, a professional has to invariably switch jobs to rise up the ladder. Rising to be the top honcho in the same firm you began in is no longer as viable as it was a few decades ago.
Some businesses even value diversity of experience in their employees simply because it means a more elaborate set of skills. Unfortunately, this culture means that a professional has to go for interviews on quite a regular basis. Taking all this into account, when we came across the video we’re about to link out to, we immediately realised its relevance.
It made us think too, of course. What was the first job interview really like? Here’s a take from that treasure trove of good television – BBC.
The First Job Interview Ever!
This video is actually a part of a show called The Armstrong and Miller Show. Moreover, there are a series of these types of videos i.e. “the origin of…” in the show revolving around different subjects. Now, all of them will not be relevant to Office Hacks here, but we do recommend that you see them just for laughs.
This one, as you saw, describes the first job interview ever. The question, “what you do?” is simplistic but very similar to the modern day, “why should we hire you?” Have all of us not been asked that question in various forms. Other examples include “what will you bring to this company”, “what sets you apart from others”, “what are your favourite skills”, and of course the veiled but obvious “how okay are you about bringing coffee for your boss”. It’s illustrative how the “panel” of Neanderthals discounts the candidate’s first skill in this video of the first job interview. After all, isn’t it all a power game?
We also liked the bit where the candidate says “these days man need many skills”. Another element that is highly relevant in today’s world, especially with jobs disappearing to automation. Printing professionals, by the way, are soon going to be endangered in this Brave New World.
The danger question in the first job interview, however, comes after the clichéd “where do you see yourself in fifty moons time?” It, of course, made us wonder if women will say something to the tune of “not pregnant”. The danger question, though, was “why you leave last tribe” which resulted in the rehearsed answer that was quickly followed by hard cross questioning.
What we don’t understand is that why the first job interview candidate didn’t ask the most obvious question, “how much food you give?” The second candidate’s excuse for being late was a bit special and something that we all should be using in our next interview. “Sorry sir, I’m late because my CV broke”.
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