Its Finally happened!!! My Dream Job interview.

mustangillusion

Founding Member
Jun 24, 2001
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Oklahoma
Like I said I have an interview with a company that i have been trying to get on with for the past 7 years. The company is oklahoma's #1 electricity provider and I have always dreamed of working for them for a long time. Great pay, awesome benefits, only one problem. Im so nervous and excited at the same time. I havent been in an interview in 7 years and never for a major corporation. Any tips to help me out???? The position is for a power plant mechanic.
 
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Yes its with OG&E at the Seminole plant. There was a guy in another department here at where I work now that got on with them for the same postition about 2 months ago. I thought about calling him up and asking him for advice since he's been through their process. I dont know if it would help me or hurt me. I just thought that if he could tell me somethings they might ask me I might be able to somewhat prepare for what to say. I wouldnt be nervous but im they are choosing between 4 and 5 people for the position.
 
i landed an awesome internship for this summer in november...all thanks to a document that i recieved from the career services here at my school- they have an amazing department. if you want, i can pm or post it to you when i get home...
its got expected interveiw questions (which were right on for me) and what to do pre and post interview...
 
i landed an awesome internship for this summer in november...all thanks to a document that i recieved from the career services here at my school- they have an amazing department. if you want, i can pm or post it to you when i get home...
its got expected interveiw questions (which were right on for me) and what to do pre and post interview...

That would be great, I would love to look at it. I know some people wouldnt think of a plant mechanic as a dream job. Its not necessarily the position itself, but mainly to work for the company. OG&E is a very solid company with very competitive starting pay and a mile long list of benefits. Right now im pretty much peaked the pay and promotions at my current job as an aviation machinist. I would think with a big company like OG&E the possibilities for advancement are endless.
 
here ya go man, i gotta copy and paste cuz its on a student page. kinda long, but it really helped me out a lot; its got everything you need to know. good luck man.
Interview Tips


Know yourself, what you want and how you will get there
Research the organization prior to the appointment
Know what the employer needs and match your strengths
Dress professionally
Bring resumes, references, and writing samples
Arrive on time . . . 10 minutes early
Make allies of everyone
Concentrate on the first impression, use direct eye contact and a firm handshake
Establish rapport, be optimistic, sincere, enthusiastic and open
Express your willingness to learn and enthusiasm for your profession
Discuss what YOU can offer them…not what THEY can do for you
Be yourself
!!!!Follow-up with a thank you letter!!!!!

Possible Interview Questions


Tell me about yourself.
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your weaknesses/areas you can improve upon?
What have you done in the past three months to improve in these areas?
Why are you interested in our organization?
What college courses did you enjoy the most? The least? Why?
What activities did you participate in during your college years?
Who influenced you to pursue a career in _____ (insert your chosen profession)?
What was the single greatest highlight of your college career?
How would a group of your closest friends describe you? Faculty?
What are some of the objectives you hope to achieve in your first year?
What do you consider to be some of the most worthwhile innovations presently taking place in _____?
(insert your of field of study/occupational interest in the blank)
What do you consider to be the ideal work environment?

Behavioral Interview Questions (STAR)

Situation: Pick the situation that best fits the focus of the question
Task: Explain the task you were trying to complete
Action: What action did you take to complete the task?
Result: What was the end result of your actions?

Give me an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a critical decision
Provide me with a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree
Tell me about a goal that you set for yourself and the steps you took to reach it
Describe the most significant report/presentation that you had to complete
Tell me about a time in which you had to build motivation in your co-workers or those you supervised
Explain a situation where you had to go “above and beyond the call of duty” to complete a task
Give me an example of a time where you disagreed with a policy/decision of your employer/supervisor
Describe a time where your work/performance was criticized by a supervisor
What was the situation and how did you respond?
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer or co-worker
Tell me about the most difficult assignment or responsibility you’ve been asked to take on

Questions You Can Ask an Employer


What are the primary goals for this position?
Where does this position fit in with the mission of the organization?
How long have you (the interviewer) been with the organization?
What types of internal/external training opportunities are available?
Has your organization hired Central graduates previously?
What is a typical day in this position?
What have you most/least liked about working for (name of employer)?
What are the advancements opportunities with (name of employer)?
Is this a newly created position or is someone being replaced?
What are the company goals for the upcoming year?
What are some of the typical problems I may encounter in this role?
How does the rest of the interview process work from here?
 
The list above is great. The only things I'd add (or expand upon):

Know the company, and the types of responsibilities you'd be expected to assume in the position. I interview people pretty frequently, and it's amazing how many people respond with a blank look when you ask "What makes you want to work here?" or "What are the biggest challenges you think this industry has to face in order to grow?" It's always a great idea to do some in-depth research on the company, find out what challenges they face, and then use that in your answer. For example, a quick Google search on "OG&E" yielded this article. Great opprtunity to talk about wind power, and the challenges in "going green."

Use eye contact, clear speech, and smile when appropriate. Remember, some of the people that are interviewing you will also work with you, and they are also evaluating your personality. Nobody wants to work with someone who has no sense of humor, mumbles, and won't look you in the eye.

Be honest. A lot of interviewers will ask you what your biggest weakness is (or some derivation of the question). Be upfront about this, and for God's sake don't use the old "I work too hard" answer. If you don't have 100% of the experience they're looking for you both already know it, so don't try and skate around the issue. Instead use an example from a previous job. For example, "In my last position with company X, I didn't have a great deal of experience dealing with widgets. To overcome this, I took widget night school. The end result was I became an expert in widgets, and everyone in the sales department looked to me to solve technical problems. I can do the same thing here."

Good luck with this. Interviews can be nerve wracking, but go in there believing you're the best person for the job, and that they'd be lucky to have you.
 
Wait ... it's an interview for your dream job, or it's your dream interview for a job? There's a difference.

I would post up my idea of a dream interview for a job, but in short it would read something like a really raunchy Hustler story involving a hot chick in executive attire bent over her desk, then at the conclusion she hands me a slice of delicious pizza and a beer as she says "We'll let you know when we've made a decision." :nice: