It Seems Like This is Getting Weirder

Hi Gang,

As you know, this is a blog about job hunting.

Does it seem like job interviews are getting crazier and crazier?

Panels of 8 grilling one hapless soul who's wondering if he or she is going to get the job or be eaten. 

Endless questions about how you've failed in the past, how you've regretted your failings in the past and how you plan to fail in the future.

Here's my story of the week, following by a Tip from the Dark Side on the benefits of exercises like this.

The Interview: 3 Minutes Looking at a Lego Sculpture Then Telling How to Build it Without Using Your Arms

Stan applied for a job at Vestas, the wind turbine maker in Fort Collins, Colorado.  He doesn't want his last name used because he got the job and would like to keep it.

There was an application, phone interview, then a trip to the factory for a large group interview of 20 - 30 applicants. That's where it got unusual.

"The room was filled with evaluators," Stan said, "they broke us into small groups, did a couple ice-breaker exercises, then asked for a volunteer from each group to lead the next task."

Stan volunteered and was taken to a small room where there was a large model of a Lego wind turbine.  He was allowed one minute to look at it, then given a bag with the same Lego pieces and sent back to his group.

His task was to tell his team members on how to recreate the Lego sculpture without using his arms.

Things got wild.  "You could really tell who could handle stress and who would be awful on a team," he said.  "There were some pretty ugly meltdowns.  From my perspective it made sense because they could evaluate how you handled the situation and what you remembered as being important about a wind turbine.  It was really interesting to see how many interpretations there were."

Stan felt he did well because he has the verbal ability to describe spatial concepts.  "I would just say I needed two-inches of white around the bottom, then four grays above that, and so on."

Kudos to Stan for grace under pressure.

Now I see this as a model for all kinds of job interviews.  I'm thinking hospitals might have neurosurgeons do a couple of procedures using tongs and a hamster, while wearing a beer helmet loaded with two cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, but I'm sure human resources could come up with something more evil than this.

Tips From the Dark Side

Do those computer screens look like they're made of Legos? Just asking... 

Vestas is a huge, multinational company, so it's not particularly surprising that no one wanted their name to be associated with any tips they would give out.  But here's the insight I got from those who would speak with me:

Hands-on exercises give a company information about more than a candidate's verbal skills.  They can demonstrate abilities in organization, task completion, stress management and teamwork.

Exercises like this can also show creativity, like when a candidate doesn't remember exactly the design he or she saw, but actually comes up with a better one during the exercise. Vestas recruiters say they often get early indications of people who have potential for jobs beyond those for which they are applying.

If this sounds intriguing and you're good with Lincoln Logs, Legos, or Erector Sets check out Vestas website http://www.vestas.com/ - ! 

As of this morning the company has 243 jobs open around the world.

There are so many interesting interview stories.  If you have one, please drop me an email at tothepointcommunications@yahoo.com.

Have a successful week.  See you next Friday.

©  Ann Ervin Janitell

To the Point Communications