Mother Laura from over at Revgals offers us this Friday Five:
Songbird just had an interview for a "vague and interesting" possibility, and More Cows than People is doing campus visits for doctoral programs. So please keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for everyone facing such conversations, and share your thoughts on the wonderful world of interviews:
1. What was the most memorable interview you ever had?
There are two I can remember. One was my interview for my first call. The whole church interviewed me. I stood in front of the sanctuary, and anyone who wanted to asked a question. I don't believe that most of the questions were that difficult (someone may have asked about homosexuality, but I don't remember). The question I do remember is: "How do you think you will get along, out here on the prairie?"
The other memorable interview was my battery of interviews to be a missionary. This was partly because I went to New York City, where I had a physical, was evaluated by a psychologist, talked to the East Asia Secretary and then interviewed with the entire board. At the time, I found it fun.
2. Have you ever been the interviewer rather than the interviewee? If so, are you a tiger, a creampuff, or somewhere in between?
I haven't done it for awhile, but I think I am somewhere in between. A number of years ago I interviewed youth for summer jobs for a church's children's ministry. The youth were from various ethnic/cultural backgrounds, and it was fascinating to learn their different "interviewee" styles.
3. Do phone interviews make you more or less nervous than in-person ones?
I don't think phone interviews are the most effective. They are a necessary evil, if you can't travel. So much depends on body language and facial expressions for our impressions of one another. Of course, you still have the voice inflection...
4. What was the best advice you ever got to prepare for an interview? How about the worst?
"Just be yourself." Best and worst advice.
5. Do you have any pre-interview rituals that give you confidence?
Prayer. Having a cup of coffee.
10 comments:
It IS the best and worst advice!
Once upon a time I would have found your New York interview experience to be fun, too!
Great answer on #4!
Some people today said #4 is the worst and some the best--you're the first who said both!
It's more like, just be ALMOST yourself...
This- as always - is great!
Wow - I send you good thoughts on the teaching thing.
Anyway, thanks as always for a fun and interesting post.
oh, btw, it's Mother Laura's dream job. actually, you should check her out,fran. She's an independent catholic priest.
Grinning at mompriest. I totally forgot, but I also had the same experience as your question #1. The only question I remember is,
"What is your vision for this church?"
??
I answered something like, "I don't have one. I don't know this town, and I don't know all of you yet. This church will likely be here long after I am no longer the pastor. A more important thing to consider is what is the vision of the congregation, and do I fit it?"
I later found out that each of the previoous 3 pastors, none of whom had lasted over 2 years, had come with a "vision" of what that church needed to be.
I think my "I have no vision" probably won them over. LOL
#5, on prayer--thanks so much!
"Just be yourself." Best and worst advice.
Isn't that the truth!
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