I feel bad/guilty

53% Normal
12 Comments

I'm currently jobless and need a job, but everytime I think about being in an interview, I feel really bad. I feel bad asking for a job and applying because I feel like I don't have anything good to offer them. I'm not confident, and I'm not good at talking with people. At my last job interview, the manager told me "give me a reason to hire you instead of the other applicants", I couldn't think of anything good so I told her "I'm taller than most people so I can reach things." or something like that. I don't have any skills. I wouldn't want to hire someone like me. I feel bad asking someone to pay me for being useless. Is this normal? Don't get me wrong, I do try working hard. I don't like the feeling of being paid while standing around. I went to talk to this job agency help thing and she asked me what my strengths are, and when I told her I'm hard working, she told me to pick something else because "EVERYONE is hard working". My last few job applications have been in sewing factories because my mom told me experience isn't required. I went to 3 different factories and they all rejected me. I tried applying as a waitress in a cafe and never got called. I can't even get a job in a crappy factory. My old co worker told me to stop putting myself down one time. It made me really sad because I can't help it. I got that job because the boss thought it was weird how a female would want a job in that industry. I'm going to be homeless when I grow up, I hate this.

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53% Normal
Based on 43 votes (23 yes)
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Comments ( 12 )
  • visualkeirockstar
    12 years ago

    I'm there with u, I only manage to get 2 jobs, the first one didn't really ask those kind of questions, the second one maybe I got lucky but I called every week to get it, but these jobs were temporary, I'm unemployed now, I've gone through like 15 interviews that I didn't get, I can't even get a fast food job, that's how bad I am at interviews, and yeah I get depress, and now days I just don't feel like looking for a job, but every once in while I try to force myself to

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  • SassyFrassyLassie_old
    12 years ago

    You'll be fine. You're stronger than you believe. You have to stop being so negative though, it's really repulsive, even just to read. I'm sure you're not like that all the time, but just so you know it's not very pleasant. Fake positivity until you make it.

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  • Ibelievethis
    12 years ago

    There are many people out there who are more than content on welfare and have got very little intentions of ever going out to work. At least you want a job that's a good start. On another note please don't feel guilty for applying for jobs er where's your crime in that please? Please stop being so negative about yourself. I hate anyone undermining themselves xxx

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  • joybird
    12 years ago

    You just need to pactise the type of questions they're likely to ask and have your answers ready. It is also useful to record yourself so that you can see your own body language. You may need to practise looking directly at the person or even stop fidgeting.

    Made me laugh thinking of an interview I went to once - where the interviewer wasn't interested. He swung his chair round so that the back faced me, put his feet up on the window sill and only half looked back at me when he stirred his coffee with his pen!

    haha. Guess he didn't want a female for that job! Soooo funny but not fair to waste my time!

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  • Wonderlost
    12 years ago

    I agree with Dappled 100%. Also, I'm a firm believer in input ant output type of thinking. Basically it's whatever you put out into the universe, you get back. So if you continue to release negative thoughts.....negative things will happen, vise versa. I really think you should do a 180 and stop putting yourself down.

    There are probably more things your good at then you realize.

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  • mumbum
    12 years ago

    Hey Dappled.. I am really curious to know how you answered the first question you stated, about one important person vs a group of unimportant people. I know how I would answer it, but I have had a minute to think it through... being put on the spot can make things tricky - especially if you are in a room of important people!

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    • dappled
      12 years ago

      The question you referred to is actually what got me the job. They caught me on something I'd never been asked before and I had to be honest about it in about zero time. I said that it's impossible to solve both problems at once as one person, but that I'd solve the most difficult problem and delegate someone else to the one that was less difficult.

      Sounds arrogant. Actually is arrogant. And arrogance is really not my thing. The man who took me on used the word "capable". I prefer that. :)

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  • dappled
    12 years ago

    You write, spell, and punctuate well. That alone is a bit of an achievement these days. I've never met you and I've already found one thing you're good at.

    Interviews can be tough if you don't prepare. If you do prepare, though, they're a breeze. I remember every difficult question I've been asked in interviews and I have my answers in advance.

    In the interview for my current job I did get asked one I've never had before. You have someone very important with a problem, and quite a lot of unimportant people with a problem. Which problem do you fix? The one for an important person or the one that'll help many people.

    I've also been put on the spot with "Tell us a joke in the next ten seconds". And "If you were me, why would you hire you?" And "What aspect of your role, if you were hired, would you least like?"

    If you want the answers I gave, I'm happy to share. But it might be useful to come up with your own.

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    • OliveOil
      12 years ago

      I would like to hear your answers for your last two questions actually, please. I've searched the internet for people's answers to the question "why would you hire you?", but none of them suited me. I've come up with answers to the questions, even though I think they're kind of lame, but I'm sure others want to know as well, like mumbum. I thank you and everyone for your answers, they're really helpful :)

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      • dappled
        12 years ago

        Interviews are a bit like first dates. You can never get all of your good points across but you try your best.

        For the "Why would you hire you" question, have a preprepared list of your positive traits. Don't be modest. Don't use any negatives like "I probably wouldn't hire me but I'd be making a mistake, as would you". That implies you're not hireable, that you make mistakes and that the interviewer makes mistakes. Very bad. Make the list as long as you can without it being overlong. Some of them won't stick with the interviewer, but some will.

        My answer would be: I'm reliable, trustworthy, work well with or without supervision, deal well with pressure, have a positive "can do" attitude, deliver to deadlines, can communicate at all levels, have great attention to detail, work well in a team or individually, and am prepared to put in extra to make sure a job is done well. One of those isn't even true (I miss deadlines). But the person I'm describing sounds like a better option than someone who answers the question with "I don't get ill much anymore". And, yes, I genuinely had someone say that to me in an interview. His CV was so negative too. He described his leaving one job as "Having contracted every single variant of the common cold while in this post, I felt I had no further scope for development". Wittyish, but not what we wanted to hear.

        "What aspect of your role would you least like" is a dreadful interview question because it traps people into being negative. This is where you first use damage limitation. Pick something very small and inconsequential; something the interviewer won't care about. Then twist it around by saying that you're looking forward to the challenge of getting better at whatever small thing you confessed to. The interviewer is prodding you to reveal something and not only are you not revealing much, you're showing you are astute enough to deal with difficult questions and the negativity of others (another positive trait).

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        • OliveOil
          12 years ago

          Thank you for your reply, I find it really interesting. I've read it multiple times today actually, lol!

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          • dappled
            12 years ago

            Ahh, you're more than welcome! :)

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