Insufficient dynamism

Bookworm55 · October 2009

I had a job interview last week, for a management accounts/finance graduate post in a medium-sized company. I got down to the last four in the selection process, but there was only one post and I didn't get it.

I asked for feedback, and had quite a long and detailed conversation with the HR person who was on the interview panel. Generally speaking I did well; especially on the aptitude tests and assessed exercise on the day. However, I choked on a question or two in the interview when I couldn't come up with good examples, my presentation had good points but suffered from a relative lack of marketing knowledge on my part (a fair comment I felt), I didn't draw enough on my university experience (as opposed to university knowledge).

Overall, it seemed like I was a good applicant, but they liked the other person more. Apparently the deciding factor was really that they felt the other person was more "dynamic" than I was. I asked what they meant by this but didn't really get a clear answer. I've been mulling it over for a couple of days now, and now I'm opening it to the group:

What would you understand as an applicant being dynamic? What would show dynamism, and would would go against it?

Any and all thoughts welcome. (Including "you're overthinking it again, Jamie, just move on")

Cullen · October 2009

Well I have just referred to my Funk and Wagnall and the synonyms for dynamism are:
Drive, energy,enterprise, forcefullness, initiative,livliness, pep, push, vigour, zap.

I strongly suspect that the interviewing panel just "connected" with the succesful applicant and used the first airy fairy fartarse phrase to justify their decision.

Or

Did you appear casual and laid back? Did the other applicant come over as dynamic because they were able to list examples of when they showed leadership and initiative?

The decision was probably made within a few seconds of meeting each applicant. There was probably nothing you could have done or said to change their opinion.

It may be worth researching interview techniques. There are loads of NLP books about this kind of thing.

Better luck next time, you did really well to have made it to the last 4.

blobbyh · October 2009

Qualities I would expect in a dynamic finance person (written with my old FD in mind):

Supremely motivated
Moderate to extremely outgoing
Extremely confident
Highly trained (and usually highly qualified)
Ability to interact with all parts of an organisation, lowest to highest
Highly fluid and able to adapt quickly to new or changing situations
Very intuitive
Generally early to late twenties with proven management experience

Often, these are the people that go on to become finance directors, earning close to £100k or above, way above mere mortals like me! :-(

mark130273 · October 2009

looking at it , and the other two have explained what it means and i sure you already knew what it meant and dont need me to explain it to. But its that little spark that you see in someone that just makes you feel like they will fit into the folds of the company and the staff. I had this one time in an intereview when i got there , it was only two left for the job and the interview was going fine until they said how do you think you will fit in working with 34 girls. as they only had 34 accounting staff and all were girls. the other applicant was a girl and she got the job . when i rang about feedback they basically told me it was a fitting in process and not about my lack of skills ??

Bookworm55 · October 2009

Did you appear casual and laid back? Did the other applicant come over as dynamic because they were able to list examples of when they showed leadership and initiative?

Actually they said my initiative and leadership replies were among my best, which is what confused me. Also the fact that I'm already CIMA-registered and studying towards the next exams (for May) shows quite a lot of drive, ambition and commitment.

I do think it's a lot of the first and what Mark said: some nebulous sense of the other applicant 'belonging' that they had to justify. Probably was some superficial detail I'd overlooked. I am overweight, which makes me look lazy, so I think that might have contributed.

CJC · October 2009

I'm reminded of a Dilbert cartoon which I wish I could find; he's at a job interview the dialogue goes something like...

Interviewer: What do you consider your biggest weakness?
Dilbert: Sometimes I work so hard I forget to eat and faint through hunger
Dilbert (later to co-worker): They said I wasn't motivated enough

I've a friend who up until a few years was earning in the region of 250k as an IT consultant in the City. He hated his job, never worked more than 9-5, five days a week unless he was getting overtime and retired when he figured he'd made enough money. Not exactly supremely motivated just in the right place at the right time with the right skills and experience.

mark130273 · October 2009

CJC wrote: »

I'm reminded of a Dilbert cartoon which I wish I could find; he's at a job interview the dialogue goes something like...

Interviewer: What do you consider your biggest weakness?
Dilbert: Sometimes I work so hard I forget to eat and faint through hunger
Dilbert (later to co-worker): They said I wasn't motivated enough

I've a friend who up until a few years was earning in the region of 250k as an IT consultant in the City. He hated his job, never worked more than 9-5, five days a week unless he was getting overtime and retired when he figured he'd made enough money. Not exactly supremely motivated just in the right place at the right time with the right skills and experience.

speaking about the right time right place. i spoke to someone at the MMU last week and they said they knew someone who with only a AAT backing qualifaction they got a management accounting role in a company and was earning 35K PLus beinfits !!!!!

Andypandy · October 2009

Some of the best & most respected accountants at my place seem to be verging on the aspergers/autistic spectrum - not very dynamic at all. If you're seen as 'too' much of a go-getter you're also risking giving the impression that as soon as something better comes along you'll be off, there's a very fine line there. Thanks for the post because you've really given me something to mull over. Best wishes for the next interview, Andrea.

Insufficient dynamism

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