55-Interview-Traps

5555IINNTTEERRVVIIEEWWTTRRAAPPSS2222SmallTalkIsChitchat.2222NameIsOnlyaSymbol.2222MakeaPositiveOutofaWeakness.2222InterviewIsAllaboutSellingYourself.2222It’sNotWhatYouKnow;It’sWhoYouKnow.2222NowI’veBaggedtheJob,ICanTalkMyDream.CatherineL.LeeCatherineL.LeeCatherineL.LeeCatherineL.Lee“Jobofferbelongstocandidatewhoknowshowtoavoidinterviewtraps.”-MartinSpingarn,CareerCounselorUncoverthe“popularbeliefsandassumptions”Locateinterviewtraps,avoidthem,andlandyourdreamjob.aannddhhoowwttooaavvooiiddtthheemmCONTENTSIntroductioniChapter1.PopularBeliefs1CandidateWhoIsMostQualifiedandPreparedGetstheJob1InterviewIsAllaboutSellingYourself1NameIsOnlyaSymbol2TheMoreDetailed,theBettertheAnswerIs3It’sTimetoAnswer,NotTimetoAsk3There’sNothingtoLoseWhenYouAskQuestions4It’sNotWhatYouKnow;It’sWhoYouKnow6I’mExperienced;IDon’tNeedMuchPreparation7DressUpforEveryInterview7BeonYourBestBehavior8IllegalQuestionsShouldBeAnsweredTactfully9Chapter2.FalseAssumptions12TheyDon’tKnowaboutMyWork12SmallTalkIsChitchat12NowI’veBaggedtheJob,ICanTalkMyDream13It’sNotMyProblem14IHaveGoodReferences15I’veBeenFired.There’sNothingICanDo16TheyKnowWhatI’mDoingHere17EveryoneLikesSenseOfHumor17SheIgnoresMe!18InterviewIsaSolemnMeeting19Chapter3.WrongStrategies21InstantResponse21ClarifyAmbiguousQuestions22I’mCompetent;I’mHeretoLead23MakeAPositiveOutofaWeakness24KeepAnswersShort25NottothePoint27Thank-YouNote28iiChapter4.BadBehaviors33EatingInterview33SitClosertoMaketheConversationCordial34Can’tWaittoTalkOutMyQualifications35TakeControl35Chapter5.InappropriateMoves3630MinutesEarly36TheBillintheRestaurant36TheHandshake37TheCoffee38OvercomeBadImpressions39ProfessionalArgument39StrongEyeContact40EducationalPride40ILikeYourTie41Chapter6.PoorWording42“I’maPeoplePerson”42“I’maQuickLearner”42“JustGiveMeaChance…”43“ToBeHonest…”43I,MeandYou46Chapter7.DumbAnswers47I’mMr.Perfect47EveryoneLikesMe!47Exaggerating48DoesYourBossKnowIt?48BetterCommute49IDislike…49IWanttoGrow50Yes,I’maRisk-Taker51Secretiveness51Chapter8.TrapsandTips53iINTRODUCTIONHavingajobinterviewisamajorsteptowardsgettingyourdreamjob.Whenyouareintheracewith500applicantsforonejobposition,youcannotaffordtomakeanymistakesinyourjobinterview.Manyjobseekersfallpreytoatleastafewofmanyinterviewmistakesthattrapthemintolosingthechancetoadvancetheircareer.Jobseekers’“popularbeliefs”basedonfalseassumptionsarethemostdeadlyyetlatenttrapsblockingtheirwaytojoboffers.There’snothingeasier,morenatural–ormoredangerous–thantolatchontothose“popularbeliefs.”Jobseekersdoitallthetime,astheymistakenlybuildtheirinterviewphilosophiesonfoundationsofhalf-truthsandfalsehoods,suchascandidatewhoismostqualifiedgetsthejoborinterviewisallaboutsellingyourself.Therearequiteafewbooksaboutinterview.Whythisone?Becausetheothersstopatthecriticalpointwhenyouareabouttofallininterviewtraps.Theylackclearrecognitionofthetrapsandpracticaladvicesofhowtoavoidthem.Thisbookexploresthereasonsformanycandidates’failures,uncoversthe“popularbeliefsandassumptions”thatleadcandidatesastray,andhelpsyouavoidthetrapsandlandyourdreamjob.Thefocusofthisbookisonlocationofthetrapsandadvicesofavoidingthetraps.Thelanguageofthisbookisconciseandrighttothepoint.Overtheyears,bothasacorporateHumanResourcesprofessionalandnowasanExecutiveSearchConsultant,Ihavepersonallyinterviewedhundredsofcandidatesforvariouspositions.Thisinterviewexperiencehastaughtmeavaluablelesson:qualifiedcandidatedoesn’tnecessarilygetthejoboffer;jobofferbelongstocandidatewhoiswellpreparedandknowswheretheinterviewtrapsareandhowtoavoidthem.1Chapter1.POPULARBELIEFS“CandidateWhoIsMostQualifiedandPreparedGetstheJob”NineyearsagoIinterviewedformythirdjobasaHRGeneralist.Iwasthemostqualifiedcandidateandwascertainlyverywellpreparedfortheinterview,asrecalledbymyformerinterviewerJohnVeruskiwhoisnowmygoodfriend.Ididn’tgetthejobbecauseIfellintotheinterviewtrapsetbyapopularadvice–“youshouldalwaysmakeapositiveoutofaweakness.”Here’sthefailurepartofmyconversationwithJohn:-John:Tellmewhatyourgreatestweaknessis.-I:Often,Igetalittletoofocusonmywork.Myhusbandcomplainsaboutmynotgivingreasonableamountoftimetomyfamily.-John:Well,that’snotyou.That’syourcareercounselor.Iwascaught,recitingthecareercounselor’sadvice,atbest,orlyingaboutmyself,atworst.Ilostmycredibility.EverythingIsaidbeforeandafterwasdoubttotheinterviewer.Ididn’tgetthejobbecauseIfellintheinterviewtrap–“Youshouldalwaysmakeapositiveoutofaweakness.”Theinterviewerdidn’tsetthetrap;Idid.Yourpopularbelief“Candidatewhoismostqualifiedandwellpreparedgetsthejob”isatrapsetbyyourself.Thejobofferdoesn’tnecessarilybelongtothequalifiedcandidatewhoiswellpreparedfortheinterview.Candidatewhoknowshowtoavoidthoseinterviewtrapsgetstheoffer.“InterviewIsAllaboutSellingYourself”MDI,amajorInternetcompanyinLA,postedaDBApositionthatattractedmorethanonehundredapplicants.Havingbeeninterviewedbythehiringmanager,ourfriendPaulgotthejob.“Waytogo,Paul!”Iasked,“Howdidyoumarketyourselfinthefinal2interview?”“Ididn’tmarketmyselfmuch.”Paulsaid,“Mostofthetimethemanagertalkedabouthowhehandledhisjobandhowhegotpromoted.Iw