Got my first paycheck/I don't understand interviews
By Sissy15
@sissy15 (12269)
United States
November 24, 2021 3:06pm CST
I got my first work paycheck today and I have to say I like the feeling of earning my own money and contributing to the household. I don't make half as much as my husband but it helps.
I love working and I love my job. I am doing something I genuinely enjoy even on the hard days. I've been a stay-at-home mom for a long time and going back that first day was difficult but as soon as I started to understand my job more it got easier. I have some bad anxiety issues which have made getting a job difficult but I used people not wanting to work to my advantage. They used to make you jump through hoops to get a job and I never understood that for a lot of places. I'm not good at interviews and never have been but now that they are so desperate to get workers it made getting a job a lot easier. I just had to pass a background test which I knew I would.
I remember once trying to get a job at McDonald's and they asked why I wanted to work there and I have never understood the point of that question. I don't think anyone loves the idea of working at McDonald's it's about getting a paycheck. I always felt like interviews were just about who could lie the best. Just because a person is bad at interviews does not mean they'll be a bad worker and vice versa. My husband has been in interviews before where they had someone who interviewed amazingly well and they were horrible workers and they've taken a chance on one or two who didn't do well and they turned out to be great workers.
I think interviews should be about honesty. When they ask "why do you want this job?" They should expect an answer like "I need to feed my family and I'm willing to do whatever it takes" because I promise you someone who is there to take care of their family or to make ends meet is going to work harder than anyone else in most cases. Just because I don't do well in interviews doesn't mean I'm not willing to work because I am and always have been. I got a job cleaning and I worked harder than half of the young kids they hired. It took me longer but only because I was making sure it was done right the first time. I didn't have to interview for the cleaning job either. I just went and did my job and got out. I've done my best at every job I've done and I know so many people who pass interviews so easily who couldn't say the same.
8 people like this
8 responses
@lovebuglena (43048)
• Staten Island, New York
24 Nov 21
I am always thrown off by the questions "why do you want this job?" and "where do you see yourself in X years?" where X is whatever they decide it to be. Never know how to correctly answer those. I may want a certain job because it pays and I think I will do well in it and that's it. But is that a good enough answer? And I am not sure where I see myself in X amount of years. So how do I answer that? Do I say that I see myself working in the company I am interviewing at, even if I don't necessarily see myself still being there?
No matter how qualified a person may be, no matter how successful they may be in the position they are applying for, it doesn't matter if they are not great at interviews. And I don't think I am great at them. Always nervous. Sometimes not sure how to answer certain questions. Not sure what my facial expression is during an interview but I hope it doesn't show that I am scared.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12269)
• United States
25 Nov 21
Yeah, I always feel like it's them looking for a set answer and like telling them the real reason isn't going to get me a job. I'm so bad at interviews and have never passed one which is why it took me so long to get a job. I think interviews don't really tell you anything about a person other than they're good at lying or telling you what you want to hear. It doesn't show you their work. The only real way to find out how good of a worker someone is is to see them work. I don't think they'd like my honest answers which are pretty straight to the point I'm here to make money and in ten years I see myself still trying to get by whether that's here or not. I'm a realist I don't see things for how I'd like to see them but what the reality of the situation will probably be. Our economy is tanked so I'm sure I'll be happy to just have a job. I think they're looking for way too much. At the end of the day most people are just disposable to companies anyway they won't think twice about kicking you to the curb and replacing you no matter how hard of a worker you are if you don't like something about how they operate or are getting fed up with them treating you horribly like a lot of places do to their employees they won't think twice about finding a way to get rid of you. They expect a lot for the way they often get away with treating you and they somehow think the questions they ask are going to get the quality of worker they're looking for but it's not. If more places treated people like they're valuable they'd have better luck finding workers who stay and finding people who can honestly answer they'd like to be there in ten years and if they gave people who have issues interviewing an honest shot I think they'd be surprised.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43048)
• Staten Island, New York
26 Nov 21
@sissy15 Except maybe two jobs I've had the rest that I've gotten to work at was because of someone I know. Some of these I didn't even need to interview for or the interview didn't really matter because my brother was working at those places. That's rare. Even knowing someone doesn't guarantee you being hired. But at least it gives you a shot at an interview.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43048)
• Staten Island, New York
26 Nov 21
@sissy15 Some of the questions we get asked it's hard to know how to answer them. I remember at one of the interviews for a city job they asked me about my experience using a copy machine. I had no idea how the heck to answer that one. Can't just say I put the paper in the machine and pressed the button to make a copy... Don't even remember what I ended up saying.
1 person likes this
@florelway (23092)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
24 Nov 21
When I was young and have to go to this process it was hard to answer questions because it seems they have a set answer for specific questions. Young people also does the interview and asking you of what do you expect to become in 10 years time, when actually the purpose of why you're applying for the job is to earn a decent living and to contribute to the economy lol.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12269)
• United States
29 Nov 21
@florelway That's funny, I honestly don't know what they expect of people.
1 person likes this
@florelway (23092)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
25 Nov 21
@sissy15 Right. One schedule I had asked me why am joining the company, when I answered I believe the company is stable and can provide me an opportunity to grow with the company. The interviewer answered that some big companies are not assured of stability and some brilliant people fail. I just asked him why? do you consider me brilliant? 
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12269)
• United States
25 Nov 21
I always feel better about myself when I'm contributing. My husband would always tell me it's our money but I hated spending any of it. I only ever used his money to buy things that were needed or for our son. I almost never buy anything for myself and I don't want much anyway. Now I can actually buy some things without feeling like I'm just spending his money which is a nice feeling. We've been together for a long time but I still feel that way and not because he makes me feel that way just because that's how I am. He liked me being home because we never had to worry about finding someone to watch our son and when our son was sick on my second week of work he had to take a day off with him because I couldn't afford to take a day off and he had PTO he could use and right then he was like "this is why I liked you not working" but he is happy that I'm happy to be working he just appreciates what I did a little more now. Never having to worry about getting a sitter was nice. Now the only time we need someone is when he is sick basically because I work at his school so I have the same days off as he does.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12269)
• United States
29 Nov 21
I'm finding a lot of people do. Interviews really have nothing to do with how hard of a worker someone is or will be so they almost seem pointless. If you want to know if they have experience just ask that and ask what experience they have. There is no need to make a person jump through hoops for a job. I get not everyone is a right fit for every job but most of the time you're not going to know anyway until you give them a chance.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99410)
• Canada
24 Nov 21
You are so right, glad you are enjoying your job. I know at work when we hire new people it doesn't always work out. It's like you said they do well in the interview or look good on a resume but when it comes to working they don't really want to work. They want a paycheck but don't want to put the work into the job. I always hated interviews. Hpthablfully I never had to do many because I have been at my job for 37 years now. It's a long time since I went on an interview and I don't miss it.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12269)
• United States
25 Nov 21
Thanks, it's great that you've been somewhere that long. It's hard to find a place where anyone would want to work that long nowadays so it's great you've found a place you can stick with it. Too many places don't value their employees yet expect people to want to be there in ten years. Interviewing is difficult which is why I'm glad I've found a job that I can hopefully stick with. I guess we'll see but right now I like it. It can be challenging but I love it. Hopefully, you can just retire when it's time and not have to worry about another interview again.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99410)
• Canada
25 Nov 21
@sissy15 that is what I am hoping. Nice that you have found a job you like. Challenging is good.
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