Mock Interview – Endia Beal

The Interview

Interviewer: Why do you people have such difficult names to pronounce? I’m sure I’m going to butcher this one. What’s your name?

Interviewee 1: My name’s Matt.

Interviewer: How old are you? 

Interviewee 2: I’m twenty-one years old.

Interviewer: What is your nationality?

Interviewee 3: I’m American

Interviewer: So… you’re an American citizen?

Interviewee 1: Yes, I am an American citizen.

Interviewer: Would you be willing to change your name for the job?

Interviewee 4: I don’t know if I’d be willing to change my name, I don’t know why that would be necessary.

Interviewer: We need to make sure our clients can pronounce your name. So… why won’t you change it? 

Interviewee 2: I take pride in my name. My parents took a long time figuring it out and it’s what I’ve gone by my entire life.

Interviewer: So, how many children do you have and how old are they?

Interviewee 5: Uh, I don’t have any children so, yeah. 

Interviewer 3 : Hm. Are you sure you don’t have any children?

Interviewee: I am sure.

Interviewer: When you have children or get married, would you be willing to come to work even if they are sick? I mean, we really want to make sure we can depend on you. 

Interviewee 2: I am a dependable person, but if my personal life becomes too much I would take care of my family first. 

Interviewer: Interesting…

Interviewer: So how do you deal with workplace drama?

Interviewee 4: What do you mean by workplace drama? 

Interviewer: You know, drama… In the workplace.

Interviewee 5 *Sigh* Uh, if there’s drama in the workplace I guess I’d try to talk about it with the people involved, but I try to keep conflict to a minimum.

Interviewer: Really?

Interviewee 5: Yes, that’s what I try to do.

Interviewer: Do you always wear your hair that way?

Interviewee 1: *Laughs” Yes, I always wear my hair like this. 

Interviewer: Could I buy that hair in the store?

Interviewee 1: Something like my hair, uh *laughs* I don’t know if you could buy it in the store, it’s pretty unique to me.

Interviewer: *Laughs” Would you be willing to change your hair for the job?

Interviewee 4: *Laughs uncomfortably* I don’t understand why that’s relevant.

Interviewer: So, throughout this interview you spoke so well. Can you tell me why you are so competent? 

Interviewee 5: Um, I don’t, I don’t know, I mean… I just try my best in the workplace I guess and uh, hope that people see me as competent. 

The Reactions

Interviewee 1: I thought the question about whether uh I was a parent or not was strange ‘cause I don’t understand why anybody would ever ask that during an interview. It just doesn’t seem relevant. And um, I dunno I also thought that um *pause* just like the education question really threw me off like, you speak so well. And also the question that really threw me was uh, can I buy your hair in a store. Um, that really dehumanizes somebody to ask that. Like, if you can purchase part of their personality? I dunno, it just didn’t seem right to me. And I can’t imagine like, getting asked these questions like in a real interview ‘cause… and especially in the tone *laughs* they were asked I would just feel so uncomfortable and if this were a real interview I definitely wouldn’t gotten the job ‘cause of how uncomfortable I felt. So, yeah. I’m definitely leaving this feeling more empathetic but also, I wonder how to change this. Yeah. 

Interviewee 2: Um, I think the question that surprised me the most was “Would I leave my job to take care of my family?” Which, I absolutely would. 

Interviewee 5: From the very get-go when you were like, “everyone has difficult names and I’m probably gonna butcher yours,” that kind of like set the tone of how difficult the interview would be. Yeah. 

Interviewee 3: It’s awful. It’s an awful experience. Like, in a sense of like, questioning identity and pushing of oneself to like conform oneself or also to be on like a…. Like I don’t feel that’s a… that didn’t feel like an interview. It felt like I was on the stand. It’s uncomfortable. Uh, I also laughed ‘cause I felt uncomfortable. I felt uh it just felt uncalled for. Hmm. Yeah. Like, I – I to some extent I knew what I expected but, yeah… I wasn’t fond of it. I’ll say that. 

Interviewee 4: Er – er like oh like, “is that your hair or not?” Like, who cares? Like, you know what I mean? That’s not really… ‘cause if this is a job interview it  doesn’t-shouldn’t have much to do with like how your hair is. It should be thatt you’re, you know, ready to do what you’re being asked – like, what you’re applying for. That’s what I would think.