Job Interview!
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 12:56![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cookiecutterYesterday, I had an interview at 10am on the eastern side of Singapore. This meant getting up early to beat the traffic jam into singapore, which i was not looking forward to. The Malaysian govt made the new building seriously inconvenient for commuters - the old one was fast, quick, and straightforward... and this new 'flashy' building with all its shops - properly ensured that everyone who had to go to Singapore walked at least a mile through the shops upstairs and downstairs and all the way around to get the bus. Which is pretty retarded, IMHO.
Only my country's govt. will spend millions to make lives more inconvenient for people :(
Anyways, i left early; woke up at 6am and left the house by 7am. Which was a good thing - the queue for Bus 170 was horrendous on a monday morning, and apparently now there are TWO lines for the bus - one line for seats in the bus, the other line for standing. (Price of bus ride, however was still the same... come on this is seriously retarded). Got myself across the border as quickly as I could run across the customs, and took the MRT to my final destination.
When i arrived there, i was given a copy-edit test to do - which wasn't too hard. Drel saw me, waved and went back to her work. I secretly gave her my camera so she could extract my picts from Japan.
The interview itself was surprisingly well; like Drel, i also spent most of the interview making them laugh. There were 3 interviewers - GE, M, and S. M did most of the talking/conversation, and I just went along...
Them: So, what do you think are the responsibilities involved with the job?
Me: Assist the head Editor with proofreading, copy-editing, checking for plagiarism etc... and making coffee for you all
M : LOL, what can of coffee can you make?
Me: What kind do you want?
M: Cappuccino, Macchiato, the kinds with salt...
Me: 3-in-1 can?
Them: LOL
Me: With or without ice?
Them: LOLOL
On my journey to Singapore: past, present, & future
GE: So, you came all the way from JB this morning?
Me: Yeah. But I'm used to it, I've done that in Primary and Secondary school - going across the causeway in the mornings, and home to JB in the evenings. It was like going overseas everyday!
Them: LOL
S: So if you got the job, will you commute like this everyday:
Me: Maybe i will for the first month, but not after that. I still want to find a place to stay in Singapore. Ever since that new Casino opened, the traffic jams have gotten worse - all the Malaysians have been crossing the border to gamble...
Them: HAHAHA
Me: And Malaysia is in the process of building a casino too; so I want to get a place before it opens and the Singaporeans start cramming the causeway as well...
Them: LOLOLOL!
On Editing:
Them: So, what did you think of the test we gave you?
Me: Hmm. One article had no grammatical or spelling mistakes, but it was written very informally - lots of colloquial terms, emotional language, very convoluted sometimes, not specific enough ,needs more statistics. The other article was very formal, had good scientific language, well-organized - but riddled with grammar and spelling errors. I'd say they are opposites of each other.
S: Did you enjoy the process?
Me: Yeah. Actually I have done this in the past - when marking my students' assignments. I get to tell them what they did wrong, how they did wrong, and how it should be corrected. I liked bossing them around.
Them: LOLz
On my linguistic abilities:
M: So, you're a Malaysian, but you've lived in so many places, and you speak many languages! I see that you've got Spanish on your transcript!
Me: Oh, during my 4th year, I just needed one extra credit to graduate... and that course didn't have classes on Mondays, Fridays, or lectures at 9am in the morning...
Them: LOL
Me: And in Norway, I learnt Norwegian cause I couldn't stand not being able to read the labels on food packages at the grocery store. Before I took Norwegian class, I once bought Rum essence instead of Vanilla essence cause they had the same colour!
Them: HAHAHAHA
Me: Sadly Norwegian is not a very broadly used language; but it's still nice that I can potentially speak to an additional 4 million people in this world...
Them: LOL
Me: However I can understand written Swedish and Danish cause it is similar enough.
Them: Wow, that's interesting :)
Me: *on a roll* And, because of my husband, I also do speak some Japanese - you can throw me in Japan and I'd be able to get around. I can say "Hungry. Want This. 2 pieces. How much? Can give Discount?" Or I can say, "Help. Toilet. Where. REALLY. NEED. IT." and look panicky.
Them: LOLOL!!!
On my very international background:
Them: So, why do you want to live in Singapore, why not Canada or Norway?
Me: Cause I like Singapore the best!
Them: Why?
Me: For starters, there is no Char Kuey Tiao in North America or Europe...
Them: LOL
Me: But it's also too cold in Canada and Norway - about -20 right now over there! *inserts blahblah about winter + the lack of sunlight in winter/too much sun in summer* It snows right up to my waist, and unlike the westerners I'm really short, if i ever fell into a pile I'd need someone to dig me out...
Them: HAHAHA
Me: *gives serious answers about future, plans, being close to family and other plus points about Singapore*
M: I knew it, Char Kuey Tiao wasn't a enough reason on its own...
Me: Of course not. There's also mee pok, yong tau foo, orh luah and roti prata...
Them: LOLOLOL!!!
On my seriousness about this position
Them: How can we be sure that you really want to be an Editor, that you want THIS position, and not something else?
Me: I woke up at 6am, braved the traffic jam coming into Singapore, ran under the rain... and you still think I don't want this job?
Them: LOL
M: And you'll make us coffee too, eh?
Me: Yeah
M: ahahaha, you're desperate, eh?
Me: Not that bad. But if you want me too, i will!
Them: LOL.
Other things we talked about included the structure of the organization itself, potential duties, my future goals, why should they give me the job + other standard interview questions. But overall, it was probably the most fun interview I'd ever have. Very relaxed, and it was great to make good conversation with people who kept you on going :)
Later that day, i met an old friend SH from BP and we had lunch and chatted a bit, and puttered around ION Orchard. SH shopped around for his Chinese New Year clothes. At 6.30pm I met Drel for dinner and we decided to have dessert first - since i had a Swensen's voucher for 1-for-1 ice cream, we decided to feast on sundaes. Then we promptly exited Swensens, walked around a bit, and after 15 mins went BACK to Swensens to use another of my vouchers for 1-for-1 appetizers :P The head waiter, i think, was supremely amused at our kiasu-ness. (Who ask them to say that their vouchers 'cannot be combined with other offers'? Hah!)
Then came the traumatic traffic jam home to JB after that >_<
But overall, an eventful day. Hopefully I'll get called for the 2nd round of interview and be given a job soon. *crossed fingers*
Only my country's govt. will spend millions to make lives more inconvenient for people :(
Anyways, i left early; woke up at 6am and left the house by 7am. Which was a good thing - the queue for Bus 170 was horrendous on a monday morning, and apparently now there are TWO lines for the bus - one line for seats in the bus, the other line for standing. (Price of bus ride, however was still the same... come on this is seriously retarded). Got myself across the border as quickly as I could run across the customs, and took the MRT to my final destination.
When i arrived there, i was given a copy-edit test to do - which wasn't too hard. Drel saw me, waved and went back to her work. I secretly gave her my camera so she could extract my picts from Japan.
The interview itself was surprisingly well; like Drel, i also spent most of the interview making them laugh. There were 3 interviewers - GE, M, and S. M did most of the talking/conversation, and I just went along...
Them: So, what do you think are the responsibilities involved with the job?
Me: Assist the head Editor with proofreading, copy-editing, checking for plagiarism etc... and making coffee for you all
M : LOL, what can of coffee can you make?
Me: What kind do you want?
M: Cappuccino, Macchiato, the kinds with salt...
Me: 3-in-1 can?
Them: LOL
Me: With or without ice?
Them: LOLOL
On my journey to Singapore: past, present, & future
GE: So, you came all the way from JB this morning?
Me: Yeah. But I'm used to it, I've done that in Primary and Secondary school - going across the causeway in the mornings, and home to JB in the evenings. It was like going overseas everyday!
Them: LOL
S: So if you got the job, will you commute like this everyday:
Me: Maybe i will for the first month, but not after that. I still want to find a place to stay in Singapore. Ever since that new Casino opened, the traffic jams have gotten worse - all the Malaysians have been crossing the border to gamble...
Them: HAHAHA
Me: And Malaysia is in the process of building a casino too; so I want to get a place before it opens and the Singaporeans start cramming the causeway as well...
Them: LOLOLOL!
On Editing:
Them: So, what did you think of the test we gave you?
Me: Hmm. One article had no grammatical or spelling mistakes, but it was written very informally - lots of colloquial terms, emotional language, very convoluted sometimes, not specific enough ,needs more statistics. The other article was very formal, had good scientific language, well-organized - but riddled with grammar and spelling errors. I'd say they are opposites of each other.
S: Did you enjoy the process?
Me: Yeah. Actually I have done this in the past - when marking my students' assignments. I get to tell them what they did wrong, how they did wrong, and how it should be corrected. I liked bossing them around.
Them: LOLz
On my linguistic abilities:
M: So, you're a Malaysian, but you've lived in so many places, and you speak many languages! I see that you've got Spanish on your transcript!
Me: Oh, during my 4th year, I just needed one extra credit to graduate... and that course didn't have classes on Mondays, Fridays, or lectures at 9am in the morning...
Them: LOL
Me: And in Norway, I learnt Norwegian cause I couldn't stand not being able to read the labels on food packages at the grocery store. Before I took Norwegian class, I once bought Rum essence instead of Vanilla essence cause they had the same colour!
Them: HAHAHAHA
Me: Sadly Norwegian is not a very broadly used language; but it's still nice that I can potentially speak to an additional 4 million people in this world...
Them: LOL
Me: However I can understand written Swedish and Danish cause it is similar enough.
Them: Wow, that's interesting :)
Me: *on a roll* And, because of my husband, I also do speak some Japanese - you can throw me in Japan and I'd be able to get around. I can say "Hungry. Want This. 2 pieces. How much? Can give Discount?" Or I can say, "Help. Toilet. Where. REALLY. NEED. IT." and look panicky.
Them: LOLOL!!!
On my very international background:
Them: So, why do you want to live in Singapore, why not Canada or Norway?
Me: Cause I like Singapore the best!
Them: Why?
Me: For starters, there is no Char Kuey Tiao in North America or Europe...
Them: LOL
Me: But it's also too cold in Canada and Norway - about -20 right now over there! *inserts blahblah about winter + the lack of sunlight in winter/too much sun in summer* It snows right up to my waist, and unlike the westerners I'm really short, if i ever fell into a pile I'd need someone to dig me out...
Them: HAHAHA
Me: *gives serious answers about future, plans, being close to family and other plus points about Singapore*
M: I knew it, Char Kuey Tiao wasn't a enough reason on its own...
Me: Of course not. There's also mee pok, yong tau foo, orh luah and roti prata...
Them: LOLOLOL!!!
On my seriousness about this position
Them: How can we be sure that you really want to be an Editor, that you want THIS position, and not something else?
Me: I woke up at 6am, braved the traffic jam coming into Singapore, ran under the rain... and you still think I don't want this job?
Them: LOL
M: And you'll make us coffee too, eh?
Me: Yeah
M: ahahaha, you're desperate, eh?
Me: Not that bad. But if you want me too, i will!
Them: LOL.
Other things we talked about included the structure of the organization itself, potential duties, my future goals, why should they give me the job + other standard interview questions. But overall, it was probably the most fun interview I'd ever have. Very relaxed, and it was great to make good conversation with people who kept you on going :)
Later that day, i met an old friend SH from BP and we had lunch and chatted a bit, and puttered around ION Orchard. SH shopped around for his Chinese New Year clothes. At 6.30pm I met Drel for dinner and we decided to have dessert first - since i had a Swensen's voucher for 1-for-1 ice cream, we decided to feast on sundaes. Then we promptly exited Swensens, walked around a bit, and after 15 mins went BACK to Swensens to use another of my vouchers for 1-for-1 appetizers :P The head waiter, i think, was supremely amused at our kiasu-ness. (Who ask them to say that their vouchers 'cannot be combined with other offers'? Hah!)
Then came the traumatic traffic jam home to JB after that >_<
But overall, an eventful day. Hopefully I'll get called for the 2nd round of interview and be given a job soon. *crossed fingers*
