Taking an object to an interview

[Stickseas0n]

Okay, where do I start
I've just had a job interview confirmed and they've asked me to bring an object that best reflects my personality 😂
Never heard of this before
What does one bring? 🤔
Not strictly an AIBU but can I have some ideas please!

How cringe.

I suppose, since it's a retail job, you could take something that they sell in the shop. To show alignment with the brand/passion for the product etc. etc.

But honestly - how much effort are they going to for a seasonal shop job?!?

Pair of slippers. Obviously, I would not be getting that job!

I know it was referenced earlier as a joke but I think a battery is quite a good idea.

It allows you to talk about up selling and to bring in your previous retail experience.

You also know that battery power can get low for retail workers at Christmas but the importance of maintaining it so every customer gets a special experience.

That you need to work together as a team to ensure you stay charged and focused.

That it's no use having lots of batteries if they aren't the right size for what you want to power and you think you'd be the right fit because.....

Play the stupid game if it's only seasonal.

They're looking for reasons to whittle people off their list so you want to stay on the list as long as possible.

Pick something that not too cringingly reflects what that company actually does/sells, and have a look at their mission, vision and values on their website. Then talk about yourself in their terms, what their customers want.

EG if it's a bookseller, take your childhood copy of your favourite book and talk about how it influenced the person you then became.

If it's a garden centre, take a photo of an inspiring garden or your favourite flowers and talk about why you love them - the environment wildlife etc.

If it's a food retailer take something tasty to share like biscuits or chocolate and then talk about the pleasures of cooking, eating, family, culture.

They want someone who'll be a good fit, who will align with themselves what they do, and what their customers want ... so you might as well do it.

And if it's seasonal, they'll be looking for someone with energy and enthusiasm and an upbeat can-do approach, so play that.

It would be a flat out no from me, I'd cancel.
A job interview is supposed to be for assessing your suitability to do the job and for you to decide whether you want to work with them.
Of this is the sort of rubbish they do for the interview, just imagine how awful it will be to work there.

Excellent idea. @brisedusoir - we're sorted if we ever need it!!!

😂😂

This. I think I'm going to be unemployed for a long time if this is the type of crap I'm going to have to go through to get a job!

Deleted as posted twice.

Yep this would put me off - gives a good indication of the culture tbh…

I like that 😁

Your idea of Lego with different colours describing different skills is a very good one and imo perfect, you are talking about you in the workplace, creatively. (and thanks as I may borrow this in the future if asked :))

@Stickseas0n “googled it and someone on a different forum said Lego bricks
And talk about how the different colours represent your skills“

not sure if someone has explained this to you but this is linked to a very corporate thing! When I was working at a big investment company they had us do this really long questionnaire about different scenarios and how we’d handle them, who was being reasonable and unreasonable in the situations, etc. It’s called and a SDI test (strength deployment inventory) and it comes back with a score and shows where you are placed on this pie chart (3 different colours for the sections of pie). Red (performance) was most of the bosses or more aggressive people in the office, green (process) was analytical and problem solving, blue (people) was helpful, empathetic (most of our customer facing roles scored higher into the blue). If you scored across all 3 and were towards the middle section of the pie you were a ‘hub’, all rounders but normally you’d be a hub with a sway towards one specific colour. I was a hub who was more in the green, then blue, then red. The person on our team that everyone struggled to get on with was just red (not our boss, an apprentice that was absolutely useless and spent most of his time on Snapchat telling girls he was working for this big company! He even filmed us all evacuating our building for a fire alarm once and made sure to get the CEO and big fancy office building in his video!). The test is also meant to help coworkers understand how you communicate with and address problems so meant to help people who may normally clash communicate better. It didn’t really work! I’d say only go down the Lego brick route if you want them to think you’re a bit corporate, stickler for the rules, etc, etc. if it’s a shop job over the Xmas season I’d say it’s not the best thing to take in!

I thought this as soon as I read this was a seasonal job!🎅

OP is going to ace this question because of this thread and then be stuck in some horrendous Christmas mascot outfit to greet customers. Admittedly a job is a job but enforced jollity and such sounds like just the team buildery thing that's company will want.

A can of silly string. Spray it in their faces while yelling a war cry.

That would break the ice.

If it's a clothing retailer, wear one of their outfits, that would say it all!!

This was my first thought.
I would be sceptical about this employer really.

I would bring my Jack and Sally or show off my tattoo's as that's me. It depends what the job is for.

Take a book, then however it goes, you have something to read on the way home. Unless, of course, you’re driving.

I'd take our massive dog.

I know someone who was asked ' if you were on a carousel horse going round and round, what song would you be singing' 🤣🤣🤣

A loo roll for this complete and utter shite

This would be an easy choice for me - I'd bring the scarf I knitted for myself. It has several interesting design features that would give me a lot to talk about.

A ball of string.
versatile, strong. Made of lots of smaller threads to create one strong piece. Always needed.