In an interview, there are always a few tough questions. Got answers?
In an interview, there are always a few tough questions. Got answers?
I don’t want to be asked why there are so many gaps in my résumé.
I don’t want to be asked why I went to a top school, got great grades and then spent the next three years in dead-end jobs.
I don’t want to be asked about my “five-year plan” because I don’t even have a one-year plan.
I don’t want to hear, “tell me about yourself,” because there’s nothing much to tell.
Interview questions that often stump interviewees typically ask about the whys and hows, not the whats and whens. They focus on demanding workplace issues, events and personalities, and the actions you took or didn’t take regarding them. When you do a good job responding to these questions, you show self-awareness and an ability to organize and articulate your thoughts in ways that are logical and understandable. You describe cause and effect and connect facts that may appear unrelated, yet are relevant to the challenge before you.
Here are three tough questions you’re likely to encounter and sample responses that make the case. I suggest that you ask yourself these questions and prepare responses that will make the case for you.
Have you ever fired anyone? Why and how?
I have, and it can be done fairly and respectfully. As a manager, I’m committed to providing consistent, timely, honest and constructive feedback to the people I manage and I ask them to do the same for me. That way we’re all aware of what each of us needs to be successful, we address issues as they occur and we identify root causes of problems so we don’t repeat mistakes.
Sometimes we place the right people in the wrong jobs. We all share responsibility for getting that figured out before damage is done to the individual, the team or the business. It’s my job to create and maintain a work environment that enables that level of trust and openness.
When employees get themselves in trouble for consistently failing to meet clearly stated expectations, I work with them on a development plan designed to address their specific performance issues. If their work product or behavior continues to be unacceptable, they know it and so do I. The only outcome that’s fair to everyone is that I ask the individual to leave the company.
Describe the worst boss you’ve ever had.
The worst boss I have ever had displayed the qualities I least admire. That didn’t make him a bad boss; he was just the wrong one for me. He was critical and sometimes tore people down more than he tried building them up. He was very intelligent but kept his employees in the dark regarding his vision and values. Although he was well-educated, he didn’t provide training or development for his employees. He was fiercely independent and trusted no one, but insisted that others trust him and remain totally dependent upon him.
What’s the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made and what did you learn from it?
Early in my career I paid more attention to what others wanted for me than what I wanted for myself. I spent several years pursuing approval and although I attained the goals others wanted for me, what I achieved held no meaning for me. I’ve learned to follow my own path. I’ve learned to draw out the best from others rather than impose my version of what’s best upon them. As a result, I’m happier and feel more successful.
•••
There are so many other challenging questions you possibly will be asked in an interview. To help you answer the questions that concern you most, get real about your obstacles and remove them.
One way to do that is by writing.
Write down the question that worries you, then write your response — and keep writing. Write for five minutes without pausing to think, check, correct or wonder what people would think if they read your rambling response. Just keep writing. Don’t censor yourself. At the end of this five-minute marathon you will most likely be able to see the obstacle and find the answer to the question. Take action on it and you’ll have the response you were seeking.
Here’s an example of how the writing exercise might go:
• The question that scares you:
Why are there so many gaps in your résumé ?
• Your written, uncensored response (obviously not intended to be your actual answer in an interview):
If you knew what I’ve been going through, you wouldn’t ask such a question. Do you think it’s fun to go from job to job, either getting fired or quitting because the people you’re working with are too stupid to recognize your intelligence or you scare the pants off yourself because you’re in a stupid job and you don’t know how to do it? Do you realize how frustrating it is to have this big-deal, costs-a-fortune, four-year degree and you’re working at something an idiot could do — and you’re the idiot who can’t do it?
I have these gaps in my résumé because I never sat down to figure out what I needed or wanted. I just believed that as smart as I am, everyone would immediately get it and hire me into this great job, and when that didn’t happen I lost all my confidence and now I’m back to square one, three years later, after my family thinks I’m a loser because I think I am, despite the fact I won’t admit that to anyone.
So how do I get out from under of this load? I have to sit down with someone smarter than me who gets me and who is willing to help me work my way out of it. That’s the biggest takeaway I’ve had from this insulting, ridiculous situation: I’m not the smartest person in the room, other people can help me and I need to ask for that help because I’m finally ready to listen.
I’m there. I know what I have to do. Now I have my answer.
• Your verbal, tactful interview answer:
“There are gaps in my résumé because until recently I had not taken the time I needed to figure out the direction in which I wanted to take my career. I’m doing that now and here’s what I’ve learned about myself and why I’m interviewing for this job ...”
Joyce Richman is a speaker and career coach conducting seminars and workshops throughout the United States, and the author of “Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” You can reach Richman by calling 288-1799 or e-mailing JERichman@aol.com. Watch her latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during “The Good Morning Show” on WFMY News 2.
Richman: Got answers?
