Dogs and Ponies and Shows
I loathe interviews. And not for the reasons one might suspect. I do not get nervous with strangers; I suppose it's my own hubris that protects me from caring too much about what others think of me. I prefer to be liked, sure. But it is by no means a requirement, nor is it a reflection on me if they do not. It says more about them than it does me.
That said, I still loathe interviews. It seems an endless pretense, a monkey-see, monkey-do caricature. It would be so much more efficient to establish some ground rules and not require the interviewee to fawn and bob, wasting time and energy in a capricious and ultimately pointless fashion.
Ground Rule #1: I want the job. I wouldn't have agreed to the interview otherwise.
Ground Rule #2: I presume you've looked at what my job history suggests I can do. I've certainly done the homework on your company. Otherwise I would not be there, talking to you.
Ground Rule #3: You have a job you need done; presumably you think I might be able to do it. Shouldn't it matter more to YOU that I can do it than for ME to guess and gape about what you might need? My questions are infinitely less important than your questions.
Ground Rule #4: Have a fairly concrete idea of what the ideal candidate will look like, so that when I ask that you have a cogent answer.
Ground Rule #5: It's a job. Or call it a "career" if you must, but it does not complete me or hold the keys to my life's fulfillment or purpose. You will pay me money to do a task or collection of tasks. That is all.
What a flog.
In my industry, especially, personality is not valued. To effectively prepare numbers and push paper around ("count beans") for a living, one really only needs to be focused. Having a bit of previous exposure to the task at hand helps: running a 10-key, navigating an ERP system, doing account reconciliations, and so on. I check my mood, my creative impulses, and my coat at the door. That is what will be required of me when I return to punch the clock, so please -- PLEASE -- do not ask me to conjure, dance, sing or otherwise entertain you in an interview.