Back to basics - Interview 101

We are taking many, many calls from people who have been downsized in the current turmoil and who have not had to look for a job for many a long year. Counselling this type of client is a whole different ballgame from the bulk of our client base. Don't get me wrong, we always have a certain percentage who would fit this profile, but it seems to me that there are an awful lot of people who haven't had to face a modern selection process, spilling out onto the streets at the moment. So, it's back to basics ...

"Job-hunting? Noooooooo!"

Job interviews have long been compared to a first date. It is important to be ready to answer anything that is thrown at you - and that means anticipating the questions and doing your homework.

Here are a few of those 'chestnut' questions that interviewers always seem to ask. The key to success is understanding why they are asking the question. If you know what is in the interviewers' heads as they probe you on something, you can build an answer that will highlight your strong points, allay their concerns and hopefully, clinch the job for you ...

1. What They Ask: "Why have you applied for this job in this company?"
What They Really Mean: Why should we consider you for this position? (ie: Have you wandered in here off the street or have you actually given your next career move some serious thought?)

Building Your Answer: Do your homework! You wouldn't get married without knowing a great deal about your prospective spouse, why would you show up to an interview knowing next to nothing about your prospective employer? Mention some of the company's strengths/wins, or previous projects/clients that have interested you. Prove that you really want to work for them and that you haven't just applied on a whim, or because you are desperate.

2. What They Ask: "What are your weaknesses?" (Yes, many employers will still ask you this old one. They may dress it up differently - talking about failures, disappointments, references or training needs - but at its heart, it's still the old weakness question.)
What They Really Mean: Could you be a threat (or a chink in the armour) to our company? Do you really know who you are? Do you understand how you are perceived by others? Are you open to criticism? Have you taken remedial action on weak points in the past?

Building Your Answer: Avoid the jaded clichés ("I'm a perfectionist!") Instead, get some real feedback on what your current weaknesses are from colleagues, friends and family (an old boss can be useful for this too) and use that feedback as the basis of your answer - as long as it isn't too harsh. Most importantly, say what you are doing to improve on any little failings that you may have. You're not perfect, but you are working on it ... [full post on this here]

3. What They Ask: What can you bring to this company?
What They Really Mean: What are your strongest points? More importantly, have you considered how you might apply them on the job here? Bottom line, do you really think you deserve this job? (Because if you do, you will have already found out what you will need to succeed on the job and thought about how you are going to go about doing that).

Building Your Answer: On an ongoing basis [start today!] take note of your skills, experience, positive feedback, and things you love about your career. When you have an interview coming up, cherry-pick 3-5 'nuggets' from this list that are relevant to the new job and be ready to sell them as the interview unfolds.

4. What They Ask: Where do you see yourself in five years' time? (Ger-o-o-oan! Yes I know it's a hackneyed old saw, but they still ask it, in many shapes and forms)
What They Really Mean: Are you working to a plan for your career? They want to know this because studies consistently show that people who work to a plan succeed to a much greater extent that those who don't - and if you succeed, your employer succeeds ...

Building Your Answer: You need to be careful on this one - you don't want to seem either ruthlessly ambitious or lacking in drive. Look at the organisation chart - what role would you really like in the future? What do you need to graft on (experience, skills, training, qualifications) in order to fulfil that job? Then you can talk about making a meaningful contribution at your current level, proving your worth, garnering more experience, skills etc. and hopefully getting the opportunity to contribute at a more senior level going forward ... And please, please, do not say "I hope to be sitting in your chair in five years' time."

A group of the brightest thinkers in the job-hunting space put their thoughts together last year on a project we called "The Definitive Job Hunt." There's a large bunch of posts and links to everything from the 101 basics to PhD level job-hunting techniques. All for free. You can find the host post here.

There are also a series of radio interviews I did on the fundamentals of job-hunting here on the blog - Gearing up / The written stage / The interview stage. I hope you find them useful.