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February 12, 2004

Job Search: The Board Game

I've just been interviewing replacements for myself on one of my 12 jobs, and the fact is, I actually kind of enjoy job interviews when I'm being interviewed. It always seems like kind of a game, and I've pretty much always gotten a job if I get to that point -- I guess I've never been truly absolutely desperate, and all that time temping in SF helped my skills in fielding inane questions like, "describe yourself in three words" (which we actually asked, thanks to our human resources expert). I wish I could remember some of the worst job interview questions I've been asked, but I forget now.

Anyway, it occurred to me that for people like me, you could make a good party game out of job search rituals. Here's what I came up with so far:

First, during your turn, you would be the applicant, and the other players would be the hiring committee.

You'd have three stacks of cards:

1) Job (the job you're applying for. It would vary from academia to farming to engineering, etc.)
2) Your experience and education (You'd draw three of these. They would likewise vary from jail to Ph.D. to the army, etc.)
3) Keywords (words you MUST use during the interview).
4) (OK -- 4 stacks) Interview questions. Each committee member would draw one and they would include all the goofy HR type questions.

Then each committee person would ask a question and you'd be rated on your response according to some rubric we'd develop to go with the game. You would have to mention the information on each of the cards, or lose substantial points during the "reference check" period (when you'd show all your cards). Each card would mention how many points you'd gain or lose by mentioning it. You'd have to strategize about whether you would make more points from the rubric or from playing the card.

The other possible component, for the non-verbal, could be writing the cover letter. You'd have a timer and would draw from the same first three piles. But that would be pretty boring for the other players to watch, so maybe you'd all do it at once when the game began and then proceed from there. Or at the end. No, it would make more sense at the beginning.

This could be tailored to specific markets. It might actually *help* some people.

OK -- I know people will say this is a lot like "Careers" or even "Life" -- but it's not, really. I did find reference to a board game called interview challenge. But that doesn't seem to exist anywhere else on the internet, which is as good as not existing at all.

Posted by mary at February 12, 2004 6:17 PM

Comments

Posted by: Franklin Rubenstein at June 9, 2004 7:36 AM

Posted by: Tony at July 5, 2004 9:09 PM

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