being measured on my ability to pull distant memories

Just finished a 6th interview for a job for which I am an absolutely perfect fit. I feel that I was being measured more on my ability to pull distant memories out of my memory bank, rather than on my ability to make good decisions at the present time.

Measuring my ability to instantly pull perfect examples from memory to best answer the question being asked is a poor method for predicting my future behavior.

My father once pointed to a fellow walking down a sidewalk and said “if you ask him a question and demand an immediate answer, he will give you a very poor answer. But if you give him a day or two, he will give you the best answer you can find anywhere.”

I am more like this person than are most other people, and interviews like this do not accurately reflect my true experience, work history or present ability. (unless rapid recollection of past events is mission critical to the job, which in this case it is not)

It would have been more revealing to be asked to give answers to “what if” scenarios. Behavioral interviewing - isn't that what it is being called now? For example, “how would you handle it if……” Would it not be a better measurment for the interviewer to think back to the last 2 or 3 events that created some concern, and ask "What would you do ...." I am sure this would be a much better measure of my present ability.

The interview process most people use today is so full of holes and imperfect. In it’s present form, the candidate presents the best image possible, and then the interviewer prods and pokes and shakes, hoping to expose inadequacies.

Once found, the biggest or most recent inadequacy contributes disproportionately to the opinion formed by the interviewer about the candidate.

If the interviewer happens to be in a negative frame of mind, then the candidate gets a thumbs down.

If the interviewer is in a more positive frame of mind, then they tend to avoid asking questions that may uncover a significant deficiency, or do a poor job of remembering (documenting) a response that is unfavorable to the candidate. Either way, the resulting image is distorted.

What a system we are living in! I am delighted with it's imperfections, as they provide ample opportunity for the"wrong candidate" to get in and really shake up the system!