stazi said:
Conspirocy: if the bullshitting game isn't working for you, you're obviously not very good at it. A good bullshitter will make their bullshit sound genuine and truthful. That's basically how I got one of the few CommBank internships. I have no passion whatsoever about doing marketing with them, and want to work for a non-services company. However, based on all the answers I gave them, they thought that I loved service marketing> in fact, I even used facts and statistics to back up my responses as to why services is perfect for me.
I think you what you said sums up what I was trying to point out. You admit yourself you have no 'passion' for a role with that firm, yet that didn't show up in the interview. Obviously there is a quaility about you that appeals to an employer, and good on you for using that to your advantage.
But the fact of the matter is you did bullshit whoever was involved in the recruitment process. Or at least you think you did. I think I pointed out that you can do well bullshiting, I was just reflecting it doesn't really work for me. Whether I'm good at it or not isn't important, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I could have ethical issues about blatantly lying to get a job etc etc (not that I do).
My main point is that the firms are totally aware that you are to an extent bullshitting them, and they look for that quality. They are all as you said services firms, eventually somewhere down the track in your work you will be dealing with people, and you will need to bullshit people, clients or prospective clients. I think that fits in well with these larger firms, they want someone with the gift of the gab, and a good personality (but that second criteria re personality is very subjective and in most cases will depend on the interviewer). Again, I point out to you that these firms back themselves to take a whole bunch of people who are decent, but have excellent bullshitting skills and then go and train you up. As far as im concerned most people leaving uni are useless or close to it, as has been pointed out by people on this thread, and on other threads.
As for a good bullshitter will convince people. You may think that is true, but even you one day will get caught out bullshitting (if you havent already), everyone does. I would say that okay fair enough early stages bullshitting can get you so far (it will definetly get you a job). Eventually there will a day when you need something more, there will be people you cannot bullshit.
I think there is a difference between bullshitting, and selling yourself.
For bullshitting people are obviously doing this for things like why this firm why this division, what can you bring to the firm, how do you deal with this or that.
Then you can always sell yourself as well when answering these questions; I think this is slightly different. Stazi I'd say you are selling yourself, and bullshitting a bit. Again, you saying you have no passion totally fits into what I said. You totally see it as just a job, probably even only holiday pay to beef up your CV and since you are still in the running for other jobs, probably a nice safety net. To you its just a job or a stepping stone, and thats the truth for most people. Obviously you can never let the firm you are applying for known this. There is a bullshit approach, which as someone mentioned earlier becomes very generic; and there is a selling yourslf approach, which I personally think is what you are doing.