Just a brief overview until the entire call is transcribed.
File Name: kc92109.mp3
- Chris instantly starts talking about his friends in high school. He said his friends only would hang out with him at school, with the exception of his 18th birthday.
- Chris has his interview at Target tomorrow.
- Kacey talks about The Office (TV show), and Chris gets kind of pissy and says he's never seen it.
- Kacey asks where Chris sees himself in five years. Chris says he will be married and have a daughter. Kacey says that she was talking about a career, not his personal life.
- Chris says that he sees himself in a management position at Target in five years.
- Chris says he will tell Target that he was laid off from his last job for "personal differences".
- When asked about what his weakness in the workplace would be, Chris couldn't come up with an answer for three minutes. Eventually he said he needs to be told what to do.
- Kacey spend a while coaching Chris on his interview.
- Chris would be making $8.50 an hour.
- Kacey does a roleplay with Chris to see if he would be good at his job. This involves Kacey just screaming at Chris saying "I WANT A REFUND! I WANT TO TALK TO YOUR MANAGER!" until Chris says that he will give her money.
- Chris doesn't realize that Target and Walmart have different rules and regulations.
Transcript
Chris: Hello?
Kacey: Hey Chris, it's Kacey, how are ya?
Chris: Hi Kacey, I'm okay, how are you? [long pause] I said I'm okay, how are you? [audio is garbled]
Kacey: Um, I'm good, um, I didn't actually have work today, I just had school, so, you know, I just hung out with some friends because hanging out with friends is awesome.
Chris: Yeah, it is. Yeah, I hung out with my friends a lot back in high school as well, you know. I miss those days. Sometimes.
Kacey: What did you do with your friends back then?
Chris: Well, you know, we hung around- we hung around at school- we hung around during school time. I don't think we did much hanging outside of the school time, though, um… But, yeah, we enjoyed each others company, it was good. And then, and we all, and I also had my friend- I also had my- had all my friends over for my 18th birthday party, which was- which was- which is really nice
Kacey: Okay. I mean I miss high school, too, but um, you know, I grew up. I got better friends.
Chris: Yeah.
Kacey: So, tomorrow's the big day, I mean shouldn't uh- are you going to get lots of sleep?
Chris: Yeah, I'm gonna get- Yeah, I'm gonna get plenty of sleep that's no problem. That's no problem, I'm going to get plenty of sleep.
Kacey: Okay. So what are you gonna wear?
Chris: Yeah, I got my clothes picked out, I got a nice uh- I got my nice dress shirt uh, gonna wear t- a white t-shirt underneath it got my- got my black pants picked out and, uh, i got my blazer and I'm not wearing the medallion.
Kacey: Okay, but you're gonna wear a tie, right?
Chris: Yeah, I don't know where my tie is.
Kacey: Do you, uh, know how to tie a tie? I mean 'cause you should really go get one, I mean you should buy one if you can.
Chris: Hm. Well I'll think about that but anyway I do know how to tie a tie
Kacey: Well you should because studies show that, uh, having a tie gets you, um, points right off the bat.
Chris: Okay. Well if I can find my tie I will wear it.
Kacey: Okay, well you should because they make you look professional and you wanna give, um, you know, the best impression that you can.
Chris: Yep. Most certainly do, yep.
Kacey: I mean, I mean haven't you watched The Office? Everyone wears ties there.
Chris: Hm. Yeah, I think we've established that I haven't watched The Office.
Kacey: I thought you said you watched a couple episodes? Oh well! Must have misheard you! So… [Chris: "Yeah."] So, um, and remember breakfast is important, so what are you are you going to have before you go?
Chris: Yeah, I'm gonna- I'm gonna have a bowl of oatmeal. Some milk with that.
Kacey: You should, uh, definitely have some orange juice instead, you know, Vitamin C will perk you up.
Chris: Oh yeah, okay, I'll have some orange juice, we have some of that. Okay, yeah, so I'll have some oatmeal with orange juice.
Kacey: So, are you fully prepared, um, for the interview? Like, you know, um, certain questions they're going to ask, have you Googled any of this? [Chris: "Yeah."] 'Cause you have to be prepared for any question.
Chris: Yeah. I feel prepared.
Kacey: I mean, like… Okay. Um, let's do a sample question. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Chris: Hm, well. I'd like to think that- that in five years I'll be uh… I'll be happily married and have my- and will have our- with my wife and, uh, we'll have our daughter.
Kacey: Well, they're not gonna want to know about that, they're going to want to know about your professional life. I mean, that has nothing to do with the job, they don't care. Um, how do you see yourself in f- where do you see yourself in five years professionally? I mean, like they're going to want you to talk about a career or something.
Chris: I never know how to answer that question professionally. I mean- yeah- I mean my mind's blank.
Kacey: Well you're going to have to that's a common question they're going to ask that.
Chris: Yeah. That is a common question. Um…
Kacey: I mean, you could always go the "I think I want to be in management" you know, tell them you want to climb up the corporate ladder. Um, you could tell them that you are working on a degree or something or you're going to go back to school… I mean, you gotta have something.
Chris: Yeah, uh… Okay, well, yeah. Management that sounds good. Yeah, I see myself in a management position.
Kacey: Well, okay so how are you gonna phrase that to them? They're going to want you to elaborate on it. You can't be too wordy but you can't be too concise, either.
Chris: Uh, okay, well… Alright, well. I see myself in a management position and I'm doing- and I'm- and I'm doing a good job organizing it. Ugh…
Kacey: Well, just say that you want to see yourself progress in the company. I mean, you're going say something like, you know, I want to have more responsibility, I want to be able to do more, I feel that I can handle it.
Chris: Yeah, okay, I see myself, uh, handling the, uh, selfish responsibilities in a management job at this company.
Kacey: Yeah, 'cause I mean you don't want to suck up to them too much, but you gotta know something about it, you gotta know how things work.
Chris: Yeah.
Kacey: You just say I would like to see myself progress at this company, um, I can see myself doing good things in the future. You don't want to be too, um… You want to keep it general.
Chris: Yeah.
Kacey: You want to take on responsibilities and see yourself progress.
Chris: Yeah. Yeah. Okay, well I s-
Kacey: But you don't want to suck up and be like "oh I love Target and I've always wanted to work at Target," 'cause they're not going to believe you.
Chris: Yeah. Yeah, that's uh- that's uh, that's a given, that- that's uh- that would be a bad thing to say, yeah… at the time. Hm, so, yeah, I ap- I see myself, you know progressing, into like a management position
Kacey: No, no, no. Don't, don't, don't, uh, be general. Be vague. Be like "I want to see myself progress inside this company, uh where I can take on more responsibilities.
Chris: I wanna see myself progress in this company where I can take on more responsibilities.
Kacey: Yes. Um, okay now they're going to ask you something like "why'd you leave your last job?," what are you going to say for that?
Chris: Yeah. I was laid off for personal differences.
Kacey: Okay, that's right, Kim told you to say that, correct?
Chris: Yeah.
Kacey: Okay. Um, and remember if they ask you if you want this job or need this job, you want the job. You don't want to seem desperate.
Chris: Yeah, I want this job.
Kacey: Yes. Um, so they're going to ask you also, um, probably "what are your best skills that are going to apply to this job?"
Chris: Well, I feel like I have good social skills. I have, uh, good physical strength. I have- I can- I have, uh, experience in computer- in computer- in, uh, computer upgrading and maintenance.
Kacey: That's good, the computer would actually be good. You should definitely say that one.
Chris: Yeah, okay… I will say that one. The computer management, uh- the computer upgrade, yeah.
Kacey: Okay, but they're ask- they're also gonna ask what your major weakness is. So what are you gonna say with that? Because you want to be honest but you don't want to be too honest.
Chris: Yeah, ask me what my weaknesses
Kacey: Yes, what your weaknesses are?
Chris: Hm. [long pause as Chris is dumbfounded at the question] Yeah, that's a good question, uh, let me think further abou- let me think further about that. Um...
Kacey: Well, you're going to have to be quick on your feet in this interview, Chris, you don't want to act like everything's rehearsed.
Chris: Yeah. Well I'm not even sure what- Hm. Um… Weaknesses, weaknesses… Um… Okay, um… I guess thing like, you know… Hm. If th-there's a point in between the- there's a point where- I'm not where I'm not working I'm like static, um-
Kacey: -So, basically you're going to say sometimes you like routines?
Chris: Oh! Okay, yeah, that's yeah oh I never thought about that, yeah routines. Yeah, I'm a man of rou- I'm a ma- [while stuttering, Kacey begins talking]
Kacey: Okay, then say something like you like to stick to one routine, um, but then say but you would like to be more flexible.
Chris: Okay, yeah, I would like to stick to a routine
Kacey: You like to stick to routines, but you- no, no, no. You stick to routines too much, but you would like to learn to be flexible in the future.
Chris: Yeah, okay, that's my weakn- that's my weakness [speaking quickly, sounds like he says "witness"] I do tend to stick to routines
Kacey: Right, but you want to say you're willing to work on that. Um, let's see, another com-
Chris: -But I- But I want- But I'm willing to be more flexible… In the future.
Kacey: Yes, yes. You s- You wanna say you want to learn to, you wanna let them know that, um, you're- you know that you- that you need to learn things. But um, anyway, another common question is uh "do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?"
Chris: I am willing- I… Sometimes-sometimes I like working by myself but- but I like working with others as well.
Kacey: A good thing to say is you generally do very well working in a group, however, uh, you are very capable of taking on tasks by yourself.
Chris: Yeah, okay, I prefer working- okay, well generally I like working in a group but I prefer taking on tasks by myself.
Kacey: No, say you can work in a group. Say that you are very adapt [sic, presumedly "adept?"] in working in a group, but can also take on tasks by yourself.
Chris: I am adapt [again pronounced "adapt"] in working in a group, but I am capable of taking care of tasks by myself.
Kacey: Yeah. Okay and um, then they're going to ask you the most important thing "what salary are you expecting?"
Chris: … Well, they've already gave me the uh rate of 8.50 an hour.
Kacey: Oh, okay then you know that's already settled.
Chris: Yeah. [chuckling softly] That's already settled. Yeah-she-ye-they told me that-yeah, she told me that over the, uh, phone. You know, that uh they're going to pay me 8.50 an hour.
Kacey: Okay, well what hours are you gonna say that you're going to work, or did they already have that?
Chris: Yeah, they'd have been like six to eight hours in the day.
Kacey: Yep, that's a standard, uh, shift. So are you going part time or full time?
Chris: Yeah, they said they're starting me off part time.
Kacey: Okay, um, and so I guess you're going to definitely be doing some weekend work in there because normally they won't even hire people who won't work on the weekends or holidays.
Chris: Yeah. I'm going t-uh, yeah I will work on the weekends.
Kacey: Good.
Chris: Okay then. Alright, lemme see, um… Alright, in reference to the "in where do I see myself in five years…" Well, yeah. I'd like to think that I like to uh, I'd like to think that I am- I'd like to see myself uh, building up uh more- building up in… building up s-… in strength? And also taking in more responsibilities. [long pause] Uh… Is that right? I'm not sure it's right, the first half of that.
Kacey: Uh, say it again?
Chris: Yeah, I say- I-I see myself uh going- going up… in the company and taking in more responsibilities.
Kacey: If you say, uh, you're- you want to progress in the company, that's going to sound a lot more professional and it sounds like you know what you're talking about.
Chris: I want to- yeah, yeah I see myself progressing in the company [Kacey: "Yes."] taking more responsibilities.
Kacey: Yes. Yes, that's good. Um, let's see. The one thing they're gonna ask you is "what have you learned from your past jobs?"
Chris: [long pause] Mm. Yeah, I have learned, uh… I have learned some ins and out I- I've learned some socialization skills… Mm. I have learned uh, how much- I have learned uh, how much heavy weight I can take.
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