[anonseeker]

How do interview when this is your mindset?

I ask this sincerely because this is the mindset that I've noticed has made me the happiest and I'm currently looking for a new place that will pay me more. I've been happier when earning more and working less. I don't really care about what I do while at work or whether I'm using a hot technology or what the company does. This doesn't mean I care about what I'm doing. I do care and put effort in during the work day and I've always had high praise from managers.

Unfortunately, in order to distinguish themselves, pretty much every company wants to market themselves as such a great place to work and of course they ask the question "Why do you want to work here?" when for me the honest answer would be "I would want to work there if you pay the most and I can stick to a max office time of 8 hours per day." But I play along and say generic things about the product and people and show interest.

I find meaning in my life outside of work and more money helps me achieve my outside goals which makes me happy.

[ThomaszKrueger]

Oh you learn that "you just don't say things like that". Interviewing is a lot like sales, where you are the product. So it stands to reason that the "truth" is a movable entity. You build the truth your "client" is looking for, you enhance what would be pluses for them, and keep your real reasons for yourself. After all, they are your reasons and no one else's.

As you mention, I do care and put effort. I don't have things coming back to haunt me. I have quite a bit of experience. And I do things fast if I need to. I just don't do them fast just for the sake of it, so I try to be seen as "meeting the targets" as well as "meeting expectations". Because if you are exceeding expectations you are really being underpaid. Well that's my view and my opinion after quite a bit of decades.

[le-mark]

> I have quite a bit of experience. And I do things fast if I need to. I just don't do them fast just for the sake of it, so I try to be seen as "meeting the targets" as well as "meeting expectations".

Also meet targets your boss cares about. Don't be a miracle worker, you have to manage expectations. In large organizations I can always point to other teams shortcomings, or organizational inefficiencies as reasons for slow progress and delays.

[ThomaszKrueger]

Yes, absolutely do what your boss expects. But one can be a miracle worker just for so long. In reality you are moving your baseline upwards, and the day you stop being a miracle worker you become a slacker.

[BearGoesChirp]

The primary quality an interview tests for is your ability to lie to meet social expectations you do not personally believe in in such a way that it isn't apparent you are doing such.

[asragab]

Preach! As a close second..implementing and/or traversing some kind of tree structure.

[kazinator]

If a test looks for the presence of something which isn't apparent, how does any subject pass?

I don't think interviewers are specifically looking for fake in preference to genuine, but they perhaps tend to be satisfied with appearance as an estimator of substance.

[antisthenes]

Learn to be a convincing liar. Once you're "in", go back to your mindset.