The Interview Skills Blog

I originally set this blog up to provide information on the area of Interview Skills, and getting the job you want. I have come to realisation over the past few weeks that this could probably do with a real life case study: Me!

I now realise that my job sucks (somewhat). I no longer have the passion for it that I used to. This is probably because the company is (trying) to embark on an ambitious expansion plan to grow the firm. In doing so, I am getting the growing realisation that the culture is changing, and it’s not what it used to be like when I first started.

The firm and me no longer fit, so it’s time to go.

Hence why I am writing this. It’ll be interesting to get back into job search mode, and I will do my damnedest to keep you all informed on how I’m going. Along the way, I’ll be including an expanded menu of stuff to look at - not merely confined to interview questions and interview skills alone. I now realise that a lot skills go to feed into Interview Skills, such as knowing and understanding the product (”you”), what you’re good at, what you like doing, what you want to do in work, and where and when you want to work. As you can see, without product knowledge, the sales meeting will be a disaster (to use a sales analogy).

That’s all for now. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

Cheers.

M. Marr

There are Equal Opportunity (EO) laws that limit the questions that can be asked in job interviews. By being aware of these EO considerations you can recognise possibly discriminatory questions when they are asked. If you are asked a question that you consider inappropriate or that you suspect may be the basis for discrimination, you are under no obligation to answer it.

However, there is a problem: not answering may prejudice the employer against you anyway.

For example, an employer may ask whether you have children and this could quite easily be as part of idle chatter. However, the questioner may be motivated by a prejudice that working mothers are not able to commit fully to a full-time position. An alternative strategy may be to ask about your childcare arrangements, and so they may for be trying to assess your level of preparation and professionalism.

If you are uncomfortable with any question, you are quite with your rights to politely and professionally refuse to answer it. An alternative (and perhaps better tactic) is to politely ask for clarification on the relevance to the position. Some suggestions are:

“While that issue might be important, I would rather focus on the issues relevant to the position and the requirements of your organisation.”

“I don’t really understand how this question is relevant to the position or my ability to perform in the role. Could you clarify for me why you think it might be important, so that I can try to provide you with the relevant information?”

The most important aspect to remember is to be polite and diplomatic. If you approach the issue from the position of being non-threatening and inquisitive so that you can get deeper understanding of what the interviewer really wants to know, you a far better placed to get past this roadblock.

Even an interviewer with an ulterior motive will be impressed when you handle the situation with grace and professionalism. While it’s not often called on, being able to deal with inappropriate questions is a key interview skill.

Solid Job Interview Skills are the key to getting better paying jobs and creating more opportunities for yourself. One of the key skills is in answering the interview question.

When you are asked to come in for an interview, it’s not so much because you are qualified for the job – there are likely to be at least 3 others who may be similarly qualified. So, the job is not automatically yours. What it does mean is that the employer is interested enough in your background (i.e. your resume) to want to see – an hear – more. This then is your time to shine.

While you can prepare in advance for the type of questions you can expect to have in the interview, be aware that each vocation will have its own specific set of related job questions. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to address all the possible questions that may arise.

Suffice it to say that if you make a list of the primary issues or other problems that are routinely addressed in the sort of job you will interview for, then create a specific list of solution strategies that answer those problems with practical remedies — and then have an example from your experience about how each remedy was implemented — you will move far ahead in your efforts to express yourself as a solutions-oriented job applicant.

Remember that an interview is a two-way street; not only answer the questions but show an interest about how the company operates. Asking questions pertinent to the business or industry is one way of showing this. Most importantly, try to take away their doubts about you. You don’t have to memorise answers from self-help books, you only need to be yourself and impress the interviewer with your skills. They want to get to know the real you, and if you will fit into in, just as much as if you are capable of doing the job.

One book I think that every job hunter should have in their arsenal is “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions”. Rather than getting out of the interview and coming up with what we could have - and should have - been said, this book makes it easy to answer questions the right way.

Sometimes interviewers do a poor job, and may even ask leading questions that are against the law. “301 Smart Answers” will help you build your interview skills stay on target and guide your answers to what is job related.

If you’ve ever been in an interview and been tongue-tied, struggling to formulate a clever response to a question intended to trip you up, you should definitely get 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions.