Posted February 2, 2011 Man I hate these things. You know the ones I mean. "Why do you want to work for this company?" I don't. It's minimum wage and I need to fund my alcohol habit, it's hardly a fucking career path. And the like. Anyway the reason for this thread is that I'm currently in the process of applying to Toys R Us for my year in industry, and the two questions between me and a completed apllication are: "Tell us more about yourself." "When have you been successful at something and what did that entail?" (250 word limit each) Now I'm sure I can cobble something together for the first one (guidance would be appreciated though). But the second one is just depressing. I'm starting to feel like a failure because I cannot for the life of me think of any time where I've been successful. So does anybody have any ideas of the sorts of thing to put in there? What's your own experience with these sorts of applications? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 Those kind of questions make me want to die. Human resources shite, the lot of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 The recent one that springs to mind is the one from allsaints, which I applied the other week: ''Who inspires you and why?'' I wrote about a tutor who used to work on wallace and gromit and creature comforts but now can't do claymation because of his jitters. I thought it was a good answer and I imagine they wanted someone from fashion, but I wasn't going to lie! They also asked, ''If you could dress a customer using are current stock, what would you choose and why?'' Which is fine and all as a question as some people do come into allsaints and the like looking for full outfits, I aced that and stuck quite closely to their styles, but I found it annoying that the answer could only be 3 lines long, when something like that requires some thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 If you could be an animal, what animal would you be? If you could be a colour, what colour would you be? If you could be a piece of Ikea furniture, what would it be? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 The "Rate the following from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)" - A smart appearance is important - "Borrowing" items indefinitely from work is fine - If a workmate does something wrong/illegal I would help them get away with it - I would gladly kill any annoying customers I doubt most of what you put even matters - when I was going through CVs/applications for a job at my workplace the majority of CVs were on my screen for a few seconds. A quick glance for what we needed (as well as anything that caught my eye) is all that I did. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 "When have you been successful at something and what did that entail?" "I passed an exam. I did so because I learned what was required and studied." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 Totally with you on this. A lot of app forms do this sort of thing now, and they apparently grade your response. They have a list of qualities they want you to have and you have to give examples of how you meet their criterion. Typical ones I've come across; - Good interpersonnel skills and effective communicator - A willingness to learn and welcome the challenge of change - Ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure - Able to work as part of a team - Able to work on own initiative ... I mean I can't just say "yep." They want specific examples. And in general job adverts are typically full of bullshit. This is a fantastic opportunity for the UK's fastest growing retail outlet. We are offering you a position in our vibrant, evolving, dynamic inner-city branch. You must be ambitious, hard-working, driven, cool and calm under pressure and full of confidence and always a smile on your face. Wage? £MEETSMINIMUMWAGE. it just sickens me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 And in general job adverts are typically full of bullshit. This is a fantastic opportunity for the UK's fastest growing retail outlet. We are offering you a position in our vibrant, evolving, dynamic inner-city branch. You must be ambitious, hard-working, driven, cool and calm under pressure and full of confidence and always a smile on your face. Wage? £MEETSMINIMUMWAGE. it just sickens me. Urgh, I hate that - just put "Checkout grunt, minimum wage". One thing I like about my new career is that for a job application the most abstract thing on it is to make something like this: It's pretty fun to make, though that particular one took about 7 takes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 One application my step dad is thinking about demands you fill in a portion handwritten only. I can only assume they're going to gauge your passion for the job from the caligraphy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 One application my step dad is thinking about demands you fill in a portion handwritten only. I can only assume they're going to gauge your passion for the job from the caligraphy. I think that's illegal - I could easily claim it was discriminatory against me, as a dyspraxic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 I think that's illegal - I could easily claim it was discriminatory against me, as a dyspraxic. Surely it wouldn't if the job required lots of handwriting? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 Surely it wouldn't if the job required lots of handwriting? Only if it couldn't reasonable be substituted for typing, the only thing I could think of that takes a lot of continuous hand writing would be minutes-taking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 Here's my new favourite one: application forms that include compulsory questions about employment history that take ages to fill in, then ask you for a C.V of employment and education history. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 Here's my new favourite one: application forms that include compulsory questions about employment history that take ages to fill in, then ask you for a C.V of employment and education history. I hate that as well. Why bother sending your C.V, which contains all relivent information about employment and education history, then ask for it all on the application form. And like many of you, i too also hate the question "Why do you want to work for us?". And the question "What can you bring to the company?" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 One I truly hate ''what is your biggest achievement and why?'', how in retail does that help understand how I'd serve a customer, argh. I'm sure there's good reasoning somewhere, but no, stfu and just ask for my qualifications. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 "What can you bring to the company?" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 I'd be the person to be like "That's such an annoying question to answer. Ask me something as though I'm a real person." or something of that vein. Can't stand shite. Reductive cog-in-the-workings bullshite. I got told I was quirky/eccentric last night. Felt like saying, "No, you're just fucking boring". [/poorly constructed post] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 One question I was given was a weird mental arithmetic question: "If I have 10 oranges and I sell 7 of them, how many oranges do you have?" Technically the answer could be 3 (assuming I wasn't the one who bought the 7) but it never said I had any oranges to begin with. So in theory I have none. I actually called them on that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Totally with you on this. A lot of app forms do this sort of thing now, and they apparently grade your response. They have a list of qualities they want you to have and you have to give examples of how you meet their criterion. Typical ones I've come across; - Good interpersonnel skills and effective communicator - A willingness to learn and welcome the challenge of change - Ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure - Able to work as part of a team - Able to work on own initiative ... I mean I can't just say "yep." They want specific examples. I work in the retail sector and have worked in recruiting before, this post is spot on. It's very easy to spot the blaggers and the not-worthy with the questions they ask One question I was given was a weird mental arithmetic question:"If I have 10 oranges and I sell 7 of them, how many oranges do you have?" Technically the answer could be 3 (assuming I wasn't the one who bought the 7) but it never said I had any oranges to begin with. So in theory I have none. I actually called them on that. It hyperphetically says that you actually had 10 oranges. Edited February 2, 2011 by AndyWylde Automerged Doublepost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) One question I was given was a weird mental arithmetic question:"If I have 10 oranges and I sell 7 of them, how many oranges do you have?" Technically the answer could be 3 (assuming I wasn't the one who bought the 7) but it never said I had any oranges to begin with. So in theory I have none. I actually called them on that. I fucking hate shit like that. I don't understand why everyone puts so much emphasis on arithmetic... It's so irrelevant in the grand scheme of things -- doubly so when we have a calculators and computers to do it for you... I just die a little inside when people are like "You do maths, you must be good with numbers." It's like saying "You do english, you must be good at reading!" Just the most "..." thing. Edited February 2, 2011 by chairdriver Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 It hyperphetically says that you actually had 10 oranges. "If I have 10 oranges and I sell 7 of them, how many oranges do you have?" But then whose citrus passion is it that we want to know about? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 But then whose citrus passion is it that we want to know about? Touche, Touche. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 It hyperphetically says that you actually had 10 oranges. It's actually a woman on a DVD holding oranges who says she has them. All I have is a pencil, some paper and a cup of water. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 To work in a nuke you have to take a yearly psyche test...It's full of off the wall questions (It's 500 true or false questions) stuff like "Have you ever wanted to be a florist" "Do you like Flowers" "If you were an artist would you paint a picture of flowers" "After pooping do you look at it". Ah, it's this test. The MMPI. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 2, 2011 the two questions between me and a completed apllication are: "Tell us more about yourself." "When have you been successful at something and what did that entail?" (250 word limit each) Now I'm sure I can cobble something together for the first one (guidance would be appreciated though). Sarcastic, bitter, charity hating () ginger who at times can be creepy. Done! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
