Career Advising at EOU

Have you ever noticed the two different types of TV talk-show guests?

One type works hard concentrating on the interviewer's questions, then struggles to come up with entertaining replies. The other kind of guest may not be more intelligent, yet this person seems relaxed and is always ready with an interesting response.

At a job interview your goal is the same--to look relaxed and make the interviewer feel comfortable and glad to be with you. With that atmosphere you can go far toward convincing the job interviewer that you will fit the job and the company.

How do the relaxed TV guests manage it? They use a technique that you can use in your job interviews. They come prepared with ideas, anecdotes and information.

At a job interview you can't flout and ignore questions, but like the organized TV guest, you can turn difficult queries toward answers you've prepared.

You're prepared in the sense that you've thought through answers to the kinds of questions you can expect in an interview. By having answers for those questions, you'll be able to handle the unexpected ones.

Here are some of the most frequently asked job interview questions and answers interviewers are probably looking for:

What is your experience?

Really means: Tell me what you know and what you've done in previous jobs that will be useful in handling this job.

Everyone has a range of experience and knowledge. The approach here is to build on your preliminary research and stress the details of your experience that match the job's major needs. 

You'll also want to touch on all parts of your experience that seem necessary for the job. As you do, be alert for follow-up questions. When the interviewer asks, "What do you mean you've had client experience?" that's a hot clue. You're on to something important in the perspective job.

"What is your experience?"is an extremely valuable question for you. As soon as you tie your abilities to high-priority needs of the position you become a top candidate.

Why are you interested in this job?

Really means: If we hire you, will you be able to manage the problems involved? 

Again, draw on your research and your common sense understanding of what a job like this requires. Zero in on how you can contribute to the specific problems and goals.

One young woman who applied for a coveted advertising agency position as assistant to an account supervisor was offered the job after successfully answering only two questions at her job interview.

Tell me about yourself.

Really means: Tell me what you can do for this company and how well you'll fit in here if we hire you.

What image and skills do you need for this job? In any job, basic traits that are always useful to mention include: "I'm very healthy; rarely miss a day," and "I work well with a wide variety of people." Instead of an unbroken list of self-described talents, vary it with quotes from others. "My bosses always tell me I'm quick to learn/a very hard worker/good at delegating."

For traits that are extremely important to the job, be ready with some brief examples: "My boss asked me to analyze our high turnover. I did and recommended remedies that were adopted. Turnover dropped 60 percent." Be cautious about admitting that you're not good at something. What you consider below par may be a level of competence that the interviewer would have considered adequate.

What is your greatest strength?
Variation: What parts of your last jobs did you most enjoy?

Really means: Are you good at any of the things we have a problem with and/or are important to this job?

Again, through your research and through listening to the interviewer's reactions as you proceed, you should have an idea of what the company needs. Perhaps you've learned that the previous person in the job was fired for being disorganized. The interviewer is going to be impressed when you explain you're a very organized person who seems to find it easy to keep your own work and subordinates' work accurate and on schedule.

What is your greatest weakness?
Variation: What kinds of things have you been criticized for in previous jobs?

Really means: Don't tell me you're perfect, I won't believe it.

Do not confess your real problems. Choose a "weakness" or criticism that really is a strength that is needed for the job under discussion: Confess you never seem to tire with job tasks that involve communicating with others. Confess you have a "thing" about promptness in getting your assignment done on time.

Why do you want to change jobs?

Really means: Now I'm going to find out what kinds of trouble we can expect from you if we hire you.

Sometimes this is an easy question. Your company has been absorbed or gone out of business. Or the company is family-owned and no further promotions are open to outsiders. When there are touchy problems, never bad-mouth. It boomerangs and makes you look like a troublemaker. 

Disguise the sensitive difficulties of your present job in positive language. If the job is a stupid, repetitive dead-end position, say you've learned all that is possible from it and are looking for a chance to apply your abilities to greater challenges. Use the same reply to cover a situation when you're leaving because your boss is a foul-mouthed tyrant. If appropriate in the context of your conversation, move from a sanitized version of what's wrong with your present employment to what attracts you to this job.

What kinds of personal crises have forced you to miss work days?

Really means: This often is an attempt to circumvent the equal opportunity laws that forbid questions about marital status and children. Don't fall into the trap. Mention some one-time crisis not related to your children. Use something personal such as the day your tooth-filling fell out and you had to take two hours off to go to the dentist.

You are under no obligation to say whether you are married, single, divorced; or if you have children. But since they're probing, if you can give them a positive reply, do so.

What are your interests outside of work? Really means: Will your leisure activities embarrass us or interfere with your giving us your best? Choose the parts of your life the interviewer wants to hear about. This is not the place to say you spend every free moment building a network of political cronies in hopes of a political appointment. Neither is it the time to confess that wilderness mountain climbing is your most compelling leisure activity. Describe the interests that enhance your value to the company--you're active in the park redevelopment fund where you're on friendly terms with several of their good customers. At the very least, keep to something neutral such as you swim regularly to keep fit.

What salary do you expect?

Really means: Let's see if we can get you at rates very favorable to us? Also: Am I wasting my time interviewing someone who wants a salary far beyond what we're going to pay? Ideally, you'll respond to this question only after you've received a job offer. Lacking the ideal, put it off as long as possible.

If possible, have the interviewer suggest a salary. You always can negotiate for a very different amount if the suggestion is unacceptable. Parry it with the reply that you need to explore the responsibilities and opportunities of the job before you can know what salary to expect. The more committed the employer is to wanting you when you come to salary, the more flexibility there will be.

By prying a salary figure from the interviewer you are saved from asking for less than the company expected to pay.

Summary

If you do go back over the real meaning for each question, you'll see a common denominator. On the surface each question appears to be about you. In truth, each question is an attempt to discover what you can do for the employer.

Whatever the question, take a moment to think, "In the area they're asking about, what part of my life would be useful to them?" Discuss that part. You'll be giving the interviewers what they're seeking. Consequently, soon they will give you what you're seeking: an offer of a good job.

* Cam Report--Career Movement and Management Facts. March 1, 1986 East Lansing, Michigan Volume 9, No. 10

Table of Contents | Previous Page | Next Page