Published on 12, July, 2020
I thought others might be interested in sharing their experience of job interviews.
I am in the lucky position now of not having to work but I found it very hard in the past to get a job because I found the interviews so wholly traumatic.
In fact, the last years of my working life I worked for agencies because then I didn't need an interview.
Possibly the worst: I was being interviewed as a secretary for a Church of England Cathedral. I was asked 'what part do you believe that the Church of England plays in the lives of ordinary people today?'. My reply was that I feel it is irrelevant to the majority of people, who only really find it relevant at Easter, Christmas, Weddings and Funerals.
I knew immediately that although I spoke as I felt it was completely wrong and I should have lied. Their faces dropped and I think they would have liked me to leave the room immediately.
Now I understand why I spoke as I felt in the light of my autism diagnosis. I find saying what people expect/want me to say very difficult, despite many decades of 'masking'.
Job interviews (and jobs) are a huge test of a person's social skills and their ability to dissimulate, I think.
Does anyone else have a story to share?
I've had quite a few over the last year or so as I was thinking about leaving my current employer (i've since gained another position so will stay here), one company asked me why I wanted to leave and I just said I didn't specifically I was just looking, didn't get offered the job :)
I find that historically (before understanding Autism) I like to put myself in uncomfortable situations to try to get better socially so job interviews are a great way to do that especially over Teams. The interview process is an act, I also serve on our internal interview panel as a diverse panelist and see the other side which is just as scary as you have to try to pick the right person.