Latest exam question blunder

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would think that it would take a greater mental dexterity and dedication though, trying to balance out the day job and university studies at the same time. Although that said, I've spent a lot of time working in transport throughout the course of my degree programme, full time around my studies.

It’ll be the approach I take if I decide to do a masters at some point in the future as well.

This statement only bears out the difference between my days at University that ended in 1966, when I had to do was dedicate my time solely on my studies, without any external distractions. There was no need to have to seek part-time employment in those days. Life was just like one long continuation of the Sixth Form.

Yet you are holding down a position in transport with the responsibility that entails, that will take its toll on you, in addition to studying for your degree. Your terminology of mental dexterity shows the pressure that is required to do both your current pathways simultaneously.

I wish you well for the future, as your dedication does you credit.

 

[sprinterguy]

It's a situation that is familiar to plenty of other University students in the present day. I'm very lucky in that the jobs and work experience I've managed to attain over the last few years has been related to the subject of my course (Transport Management), which has helped me to be able to apply the theory of my lectures to the real world as well as to make me feel that the job I'm doing at the time is going to help me in the long run.

If on the other hand I'd ended up working some sort of bar job or similar with long hours, etc, and no relevance to the sort of long term career I'm aiming for, I'm sure it would be harder to maintain the enthusiasm to work and study.

 

[Mojo]

I do disagree with those that suggest it's who you know rather than what. My paid jobs have been through me applying for it, attending an interview and getting the job.

As to levels of qualifications, it depends on the company. My company for the last few years has only recruited graduates or apprentices, with the exception of those for whom they require a specialist skillset/experience and they are nearly always brought in on fixed-length contracts.

In the entry-level admin. job which I held before University, and the part time job I held whilst at Uni, I worked with plenty of graduates which certainly gives you something to think about!

 

[HST Power]

I do disagree with those that suggest it's who you know rather than what. My paid jobs have been through me applying for it, attending an interview and getting the job.

It's a balance though. Knowing an insider who already works at the company is a huge benefit, far more beneficial than any manual or interview guide.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's a balance though. Knowing an insider who already works at the company is a huge benefit, far more beneficial than any manual or interview guide.

It is only when you are established in the position that you have obtained will your employer see your true worth that will be based upon your ability to perform to the required standard. I have always conducted interviews with prospective staff based upon their aptitude, which reveals itself during the interview process.

 

[LE Greys]

It is only when you are established in the position that you have obtained will your employer see your true worth that will be based upon your ability to perform to the required standard. I have always conducted interviews with prospective staff based upon their aptitude, which reveals itself during the interview process.

Personally, I hate interviews. 90% of what is supposed to be good interview technique (confidence, self-assuredness and so on) I think would make either a bad employee, a bad scientist or a bad person. If people have too much confidence in their own ideas, how are they going to ask reasonable questions about them? If people take too much initiative for themselves, what's to stop them thinking they can do my job better than I can? Frankly, I don't like people who are full of themselves either. To me, the interview would be a formality, the decision would have been made before any of the candidates arrive by talking to their referees. However, if they showed "good interview technique", they would be ruled out on the spot.

I don't think I'd be a good person to work for.

 

[Hydro]

Personally, I hate interviews. 90% of what is supposed to be good interview technique (confidence, self-assuredness and so on) I think would make either a bad employee, a bad scientist or a bad person. If people have too much confidence in their own ideas, how are they going to ask reasonable questions about them? If people take too much initiative for themselves, what's to stop them thinking they can do my job better than I can? Frankly, I don't like people who are full of themselves either. To me, the interview would be a formality, the decision would have been made before any of the candidates arrive by talking to their referees. However, if they showed "good interview technique", they would be ruled out on the spot.

I don't think I'd be a good person to work for.

I think quite similarly. I despise interviews. Companies ask the same questions, interviewees give the same answers. Some folk I'm sure are under the impression that they have to come across as super confident, bordering on cocky, and make themselves out to be some kind of ultra worker. I'd want a human being working for me that has shown to be reliable, capable of questioning themselves and others, and delivering what they promise. Good references are a must. No one likes a cardboard cutout Apprentice wannabe who's prepared for the interview by reading "How to pass an interview by using too much hair gel".

All this talking of interviews has reminded me of a good Viz top tip I read once: Avoid hiring unlucky people by immediately throwing half the CV's in the bin.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Personally, I hate interviews. If people have too much confidence in their own ideas, how are they going to ask reasonable questions about them? If people take too much initiative for themselves, what's to stop them thinking they can do my job better than I can?

Frankly, I don't like people who are full of themselves either. I don't think I'd be a good person to work for.

If I had a candidate who was honest enough to admit to these views during the interview process, they would have betrayed a doubt as to their confidence in themselves.

My advice to you is to stop worrying about other people and their perceived abilities. You have your own strengths that you should work upon and it is these personal qualites that will see you through in life.

 

[strange6]

It is only when you are established in the position that you have obtained will your employer see your true worth that will be based upon your ability to perform to the required standard. I have always conducted interviews with prospective staff based upon their aptitude, which reveals itself during the interview process.

Can't disagree with that. The interview is only the first part of the process; the biggest part comes thereafter.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I'd want a human being working for me that has shown to be reliable, capable of questioning themselves and others, and delivering what they promise. Good references are a must.

We share the same sentiments on this matter. Please see how I replied to LE Greys recently.

 

[LE Greys]

If I had a candidate who was honest enough to admit to these views during the interview process, they would have betrayed a doubt as to their confidence in themselves.

To me, that might make me more likely to employ them. Not just because they're honest and deserve a chance, but because they're not going to try to undercut my authority, even if they know I'm wrong.

My advice to you is to stop worrying about other people and their perceived abilities. You have your own strengths that you should work upon and it is these personal qualites that will see you through in life.

I just don't like seeing *******s win because they're *******s. It's not so bad if they're good at what they do.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

To me, that might make me more likely to employ them. Not just because they're honest and deserve a chance, but because they're not going to try to undercut my authority, even if they know I'm wrong..

If they betray a lack of confidence in themselves, are you honestly saying that you would employ them in preference to someone with the will to succeed. This reflects badly on your ability as a manager, as you have to consider the good of the company. The directors or your senior managers will see this as a weakness in your own managerial skills.

You say that these qualities would be good in a candidate because they will not try to undercut your authority, even if you are wrong. Just what type of people are you hoping to recruit? If you are wrong, you are answerable to your directors or those in a managerial status above you, as it is these people who will judge your performance. The last thing that you will concern yourself about is a perceived weakness in yourself being viewed by those subserviant to you.

Obviously, I do not know your age, but I spent over forty years in the field of Senior Management before I retired, in which I learnt much about people. I will not lower myself to reply to the second part of your reply (which is not deserving of being shown here), by stating that if any manager employed by me gave what you said as a reason to be concerned, it would quickly convince me that your career would lie in another company, very quickly indeed.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

So LE Greys would hire people who wouldn't challenge his authority? Basically, he's just building up his own position. That's wrong - that's worse than hiring unsuitable candidates - that would be seen by a company as gross misconduct.

 

[LE Greys]

To explain, I'm not in business, I'm in academia. If I was likely to be in a position to interview people, it would most likely be to form a research team. Teams need a captain, and captains don't need mutineers, especially if they are concerned that they cannot manage them. Eliminating the arrogant candidates probably eliminates the majority of likely mutineers and thus projects my own position. Research takes a long time, and protecting your own position if one of the main ways to make sure you get to the end of the programme. In my experience, ability does not matter, unless it is the ability to manipulate those above you and exploit those below you. I've seen it for years, and been on the receiving end of it many times. There's no point trying to change it, so I might as well be good at it.

I'm afraid that's life.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

To explain, I'm not in business, I'm in academia. If I was likely to be in a position to interview people, it would most likely be to form a research team. Teams need a captain, and captains don't need mutineers, especially if they are concerned that they cannot manage them. Eliminating the arrogant candidates probably eliminates the majority of likely mutineers and thus projects my own position. Research takes a long time, and protecting your own position if one of the main ways to make sure you get to the end of the programme. In my experience, ability does not matter, unless it is the ability to manipulate those above you and exploit those below you. I've seen it for years, and been on the receiving end of it many times. There's no point trying to change it, so I might as well be good at it.

I'm afraid that's life.

Thank you for giving such a full and frank version of how the Research establishment functions. It is not in any way comparable to the pressures exerted on Senior Management in an industrial or commercial setting.

I realise that you must have read my earlier posting, that reflected my views that were formulated from over forty years of Senior Managerial experiance of life.

 

[LE Greys]

Thank you for giving such a full and frank version of how the Research establishment functions. It is not in any way comparable to the pressures exerted on Senior Management in an industrial or commercial setting.

I realise that you must have read my earlier posting, that reflected my views that were formulated from over forty years of Senior Managerial experiance of life.

To put a different spin on in, in my opinion, loyalty is one of the most important qualities in a person. I always look for it and always reward it, but if anyone breaks it, I would break them, or at least cut them dead. That probably makes me a bit of a Captain Bligh figure, although Bligh actually did fairly well in getting a ship's longboat from the middle of the Pacific back to Timor. Even so, it's probably a fault.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

To put a different spin on in, in my opinion, loyalty is one of the most important qualities in a person. I always look for it and always reward it, but if anyone breaks it, I would break them, or at least cut them dead. That probably makes me a bit of a Captain Bligh figure, although Bligh actually did fairly well in getting a ship's longboat from the middle of the Pacific back to Timor. Even so, it's probably a fault.

I like your use of a well-known historical nautical fact to draw a comparison to your feelings on teamwork, with a strong leader. I think that both of us has put our respective points forward to reflect two totally different scenarios.

 

[LE Greys]

I like your use of a well-known historical nautical fact to draw a comparison to your feelings on teamwork, with a strong leader. I think that both of us has put our respective points forward to reflect two totally different scenarios.

Glad you think so.

Shake hands?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Glad you think so.

Shake hands?

Of course....no hard feelings on my side, whatsoever.

 

[HST Power]

I'm confused, what has happened to the thread? I'm totally lost!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I'm confused, what has happened to the thread? I'm totally lost!

If I can remind you, the thread concerned examination questions being set incorrectly by the agencies responsible. The matter of these incorrect questions could had led to a candidate not obtaining a high a mark that an answer to a correctly worded question would have granted.

Examinations and success in these, all go towards part of the employment process eventually. Two such differing career opportunities that exist in the Research and the Financial/Commercial sectors by successful examination results were being discussed.

Examinations are not just the end of the school based academic learning process. They are the preamble to a career that will last very many years.

 

[Ferret]

Yes Paul, I completely agree with your last paragraph, and that's why the clowns that have fouled up so badly this year really need to get their house in order. How can it be possible to make so many mistakes in writing exams?! Ridiculous!