I just had an interview yesterday.

Anonymous

August 23,2022 at 12:48PM UTC

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I just had an interview yesterday. Thought it went well. But after my interview had finished, the interviewer started asking me a lot of questions about my masters degree in business. Asked why I wasn’t using it, how did I go from my undergrad in psychology to a business degree. And asked me again what did I do previously even though I had said several times during the interview what I did. Should I take this as offensive or simply someone wanting to get to know me more?

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AnonymousAugust 23,2022 at 1:01PM UTC
Hmmmm. Hard to say without hearing the tone of the convo, but the way you describe it, sounds more like they were curious and trying to get to know you better!
AnonymousAugust 23,2022 at 1:39PM UTC
Thank you so much for responding!
I tend to be an over thinker so, sometimes I don’t know wether or not to take something a different way then how they are really saying it.
AnonymousAugust 23,2022 at 1:58PM UTC
As a hiring manager I would say that they are just trying to get to know you. There are tons of people who have degrees in an industry they did not end up in. The journey told can be quite enlightening on a person's character. I wouldn't think too deep into it ;)
AnonymousAugust 24,2022 at 2:25AM UTC
They could also be sussing out the candidate's sincerity. Candidates who shotgun it are usually obvious, but in this case perhaps they weren't really sure what was going on.
AnonymousAugust 24,2022 at 10:11PM UTC
That's fair!
AnonymousAugust 23,2022 at 2:23PM UTC
I would not be terribly offended (perhaps confused, however). It's pretty common for people to obtain a different master's degree than their bachelor's. Perhaps this was asked to clarify (again) why you're interested in a position that doesn't (I'm just guessing here) require a master's. Or perhaps this person is forgetful or "checked out" during the interview? Another thing that came to mind was that maybe there was a concern (for lack of a better word) that you would take a position elsewhere that would pay you more and/or give you the opportunity to use your degree. I wouldn't worry about it, and good luck in getting this role (if you want it)! :)
Nicole DupuisAugust 23,2022 at 3:55PM UTC
I find that more and more, people are not engaging in active listening. So I have been in interviews and even networking opportunities and it becomes clear that someone is not fully listening.
I would keep this in the back of your mind as you consider the roel because if this is a commonly found trait at the company, you may want to look elsewhere.
AnonymousAugust 23,2022 at 10:45PM UTC
I would look at these additional questions as an opportunity to impress the interviewer and/or to clarify/reinforce what I had conveyed earlier.
The questions that you mention appear to be the interviewer’s attempt to clear up points that struck the interviewer as puzzling or as needing additional explanation. It is possible, for example, that the interviewer is used to people with narrower or more linear backgrounds than yours (e.g. undergraduate degree in a business discipline, followed by an MBA.)
Another possibility is that the interviewer wanted to pose less-traditional questions or questions that many candidates would find stressful to see how you responded.
In general, a good attitude toward almost any interview question (exception: questions considered illegal under employment laws) is: “Great question! Thanks for asking me that.”
AnonymousAugust 24,2022 at 2:24AM UTC
I wouldn't worry about it. It could just be that the interviewer realized they hadn't been taking notes while listening to you.
AnonymousAugust 24,2022 at 11:05PM UTC
Sounds like a prick, that would be a hard pass for me. If someone is a jackhole on an interview that lets me know they could be a super jackhole on a high stress day….don’t want it don’t need it
Tina AsherSeptember 1,2022 at 3:20PM UTC
You have some great advice from the answers in this thread. I too think they were most likely just trying to get to know you a bit more and discover your intentions for your career path so that it becomes a good fit mutually.
rgstaffing@bellsouth.netSeptember 15,2022 at 12:32PM UTC
i don't think this is an unreasonable question. Without knowing what the job is that you are interviewing for, client is probably trying to find out what you really want to do and what your long term goals are. And trying to see if you are a long term fit for the company. What you did previously, should be on your resume. I think a psychology degree is a good liberal arts education and is useful in any job situation. I would have further coached you to say that you have a passion for business thus leading to your business degree.