Getting a job and “fitting” in

Don’s boss Sarah said it best: if you get the interview, you’ve passed the qualifications test and now the interview is all about “fit.” Getting a job in a small town, and I would say even more specifically New Zealand, is less about qualifications as much as it is how you get on with co-workers and how you fit into the social fabric of an office.

There are so few people in Nelson qualified to do higher level jobs, that once you’ve made that cut, they call it being “short-listed,” you just need to see if the people are what you expect and if you can work well with potential co-workers. My boss Penny approached me several weeks ago about the opening in my office that I am currently filling. I asked her what she was looking for, cuz my history degree is a degree in history in every country; there ain’t no web design stuff in my education.

She was pretty candid with me that New Zealand educational institutions don’t really offer a degree in web design, per se. In fact, she knows the “fakers” who apply for jobs and say they are degreed and educated in web design work because it’s all blowing smoke, it isn’t offered. It’s more learning on the job. So, she said, we really want to see how candidates fit into the team and how well they would work with others. They’ll pay to train someone, it sounds like, as long as they meet those first-level criteria and have matching personalities.

The Nelson City Council even goes so far as to conduct personality tests on short-listed applicants. I kid you not, I’ve never heard this being done anywhere, but I suppose it must be. The NCC does one of those 4-quadrant personality tests and for other jobs, it tests decision making, and also basic computer skills. So when I go to apply for my job, I’ll find out, once again, that I’m an organized, aggressive, methodical, quiet-but-pensive, perfectionist introvert. Couldn’t I just save them the time?

It’s not just a key employer like the NCC. Don’s been approached by his 3-person office leader who is based out of Christchurch. The emphasis on those discussions is exactly the same: you have the basic skills, now how will you fit in an environment like ours.

I also interviewed for a part-time office manager job at an architecture firm. The principal didn’t want my CV in advance, so I brought it with me with some reference letters attached. He said he didn’t really want to look at any of that, with a glance at the first part of my resume it appears I was highly qualified (and I mean hardly a glance) and he just wanted to meet me—and the other 7 seven candidates—to know how we’d “get on.” Meaning, whether or not he liked us and the other people in the office would like us. I was there for 15 minutes, maybe. When I explained about providing reference letters so he wouldn’t have to call or email back to the States, he said “Oh I don’t call references, all I need is to meet you and I’ll know.”

But, it seems to be the way it’s done. I’m not sure if I feel comfortable taking a job meeting someone for that short of time. But kiwis must be!!