None

Wistron in Hsinchu Science Park gave me an extremely negative interview experience.

I had made my technology-related PM résumé available, but that company in Hsinchu Science Park proactively invited me to interview for an HR position.

I thought it might be because I had HR work experience, and I was also interested in applying for some HR-related positions, so I decided to attend the interview.

I arrived early that day, then went in for the interview earlier than scheduled, in a small, enclosed interview room with white walls.

At the beginning of the interview, their HR representative asked me about the characteristics of my hometown, which was fairly normal, and then asked me to introduce myself.

Many teachers and supervisors had reviewed my self-introduction, and I had delivered it fluently in dozens of interviews. It included three of my personality traits, specific work experience and accomplishments that demonstrated them, and finally the reason I wanted to join the company as an HR employee.

After I finished, the HR interviewer looked at me with a very smug expression and said he could not hear what my personality traits were. He asked me to talk about my family background, giving the example that if my parents had both been very busy when I was young and unable to take me to and from school, and I had walked home every day, that would show I had an independent personality.

I accepted his suggestion on this point and gave my own version of the self-introduction.

But he was still dissatisfied and angrily said many unpleasant things to me, such as:

“I graduated from 116 a long time ago. Every year, I invite some junior schoolmates over to chat.”

“Are you nervous? You must be very nervous, right?”

“What is your family background like? I don’t want to hear you talk about what you did at work again.” (I genuinely felt this was private.)

“I don’t think you’re the person I’m looking for.”

“You don’t look like someone from 116. Do you know Professor xxx? He provides so many great resources.” (Basically, that professor was not from our department.)

“Did you make use of Professor xxx’s resources? I’m invited back by him every year to share with the junior students!” (BTW, I had already explained at the very beginning of my self-introduction which resources from my department and university I had used in graduate school. Were you listening?)

In the end, I tactfully expressed that I accepted his advice and also told him, “If you feel that I’m not the person you’re looking for, then why do we need to continue talking?”

He then changed his tune and said, “I never said we wouldn’t hire you. We can still talk.”

Then, after giving me some more lectures,

he said that he worked in HR at a certain company in Hsinchu Science Park, had never worked overtime, and was unwilling to work overtime, saying it with a very proud expression.

I truly feel that he no longer understands what has changed in a certain department at 116. He had never even heard of many of the professors.

He probably just does roughly the same things every day with little change and wanted to bring someone in to lecture them, relying on his seniority to gain a sense of accomplishment.

This experience taught me what an unprofessional stress interview feels like.

It also wasted my transportation expenses and time.

You know, just because someone works hard to prepare for an interview and drives all the way to your company doesn’t mean you’re so impressive. You never know when the tables will turn and you’ll end up running into a tough situation!”