When I interviewed for jobs before graduation I often got asked the question, “Are you detail oriented”? I always answered this question with a resounding yes! But now that I have a job and I find myself pretty busy at work I am realizing that I’m not really as detail oriented as I once thought.
For example, a few days ago I left the subject line blank in an email to a lot of important people. Which is fine, expect that people in my office don’t read emails without subject lines. It’s a stupid little mistake, but it’s sort of a big deal.
I forget subject lines often, but I am VERY fast at work, I am thoughtful in doing my work and I really care about what I’m doing. So why do I always forget the little things? I may not be detail oriented but I am working hard and doing the best I can to make sure I do everything right. And if that means that I’m not detail oriented than that is the truth.
In fact, I think asking people in an interview if they are detail oriented is stupid. What they should really ask is:
- Do I care about my work?
- Am I passionate about projects I am working on?
- Will I always do my best at the task at hand?
These would be questions that actually answered something important. Because if they asked me those questions I would tell them yes, but they asked me if I will always remember to put a subject line in an email, my answer would be a resounding NO.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I am absolutely the same way. I have forgotten a subject line in emails a few times and always felt a little stupid. But my work is always good. I always work my hardest at everything and often cover obscure details forgetting a basic one here and there. In interviews, I always replied “Yes, of course!” to this question as well knowing that my real work and the energy I put into it counts just that much more than those details. I just hoped my employers felt the same way…
Four thoughts…
First, being detail-oriented (or not) is not really a generational attribute.
Second, if “detail-oriented” is a task relevant competency for the position for which you applied, then it is a fair question – although I would ask it differently as in “What are some examples from your work where you needed to be detail-oriented?” As an interviewer, I might also ask the questions you suggest; however, would anyone answer them negatively?
Third, it is a little amusing (to some) that at the end of the first sentence in the second paragraph you misspelled “except” and got “expect” – an error which spell-check would not catch. I am thinking about a previous post you wrote about GenY and bad spelling.
Finally, regarding your ability to work FAST… as a principal in my own consulting firm for the past 18 years, I have sometimes told clients that, “I can do it well, I can do it fast, and I can do it cheap – you get to pick two of the above!”
Thanks!
Again, nice post Blake!
“Are you detail-oriented?” has become a haggard old interview question that needs to retire. Passion about one’s work and dedication to a job well done is far more important. I often wonder if the person asking the question has any clue what it even means! – In reality, it is entirely up to interpretation anyway. – Now that I’m thinking about it even more, one does not get a Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate Degree by overlooking details.
With regard to the email without a subject, simply re-send it with one. It’s awesome to be human, and make a mistake here and there.
Thanks for the good reading.
Thanks for your comment Kahnrad!
I agree that the question is outdated and doesn’t mean much anymore. I did resend the email, but I’m still annoyed at being human!
It was nice to read the comments from Dr. John. My first thought in reading your post was that being detail-oriented is not a generational thing, but a personality trait. It can be a learned behavior as well, but it’s not something that is just fitting or not to an entire generation. Additionally, detail-oriented is vastly important in certain jobs. I’m thankful that the bomb squad pays attention to detail. The people running the nuclear reactors on our Naval ships have to pay attention to detail. Sometimes not paying attention to detail is seen as not really caring about the job you are doing. I’m not saying this is always the case, but it definitely plays itself out often enough.
I’m glad you continue to make these posts regarding the observations you have in your daily life. They give me a chance to reflect on my own life and take a look at the very things you are questioning. Great job Blake!
Hey Chris,
Thanks for your comment! You are right that some jobs require an even greater attention to detail than other, I guess I am lucky that my job isn’t really one of them. But you make a great point!