BETA
Chapter 1
How Thomas Edison invented the interview
Chapter 2
Decoding the psychology of behavioral questions
Chapter 3
Unspoken social rules and cultural codes
Chapter 4
The rise of the digital and AI interviewer
YOUR GOAL
Master of The American job interview, decoded
Ch 1 · How Thomas Edison invented the interview
sloane Answer Edison's famous quiz questions to discover how the American job interview began.
sloane Edison's Interview Invention
Edison crafted questions, new and smart! (Oh-oh, right from the start!) For his company, playing a part! (Oh-oh, with a knowledge chart!)
sloane In the 1980s, industrial psychologists introduced standardized questions to eliminate human bias and improve hiring accuracy.
sloane The concept of a written resume dates back to Leonardo da Vinci in 1482, but it became a standard American job requirement only in the 1950s.
Fun Fact
Edison's test: Thomas Edison rejected applicant Albert Einstein's associate because he did not know the speed of sound, a fact easily looked up in textbooks.
Glossary
interview (noun)
A formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person. In 1921, Thomas Edison pioneered this evaluation method by administering a rigorous written test to job candidates.
A formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person. In 1921, Thomas Edison pioneered this evaluation method by administering a rigorous written test to job candidates.
Quiz
Who published the first scientific study on structured behavioral interviewing in 1980?
Quiz
What percentage of applicants successfully passed Thomas Edison's 1921 trivia screening test?
Quiz
When did paper resumes become a standard, mandatory requirement for American job seekers?
Quiz
In what year did Thomas Edison introduce his famous 150-question job applicant test?
Quiz
What did Thomas Edison's controversial 1921 applicant test primarily focus on assessing?
Quiz
In what year did white-collar workers first outnumber blue-collar workers in the United States?
Quiz
Before standardized interviews became popular, what was the primary way people secured corporate jobs?