Chapter 18

Ten Great Answers for Your Interviewer

Some of your interviewers will be experienced and have developed a style to elicit the information they want to make a decision about you and this role. Others are newbies and base their questions on what they think they're supposed to ask. You'll want to be ready regardless of the interviewer's experience and skill.

This chapter presents the most common interview questions with an interpretation of what underlying information the interviewer is trying to gather. This English to interview-speak translation guide should help you prepare your answers. These prepared answers will be the most effective way to communicate your message — if you can deliver them in a way that sounds spontaneous.

In Chapter 16, we cover some of the types of interview you can expect to experience. Regardless of the interview type, keep in mind that you want to knit together a story that shows that you are qualified and a good personality fit. Having responses to the questions you will likely be asked will give you the tools necessary to knit that story into the job of your dreams.

Preparing for the Unprepared

Suppose that the HR department has scheduled an interview for two busy managers. They got the email with the job description and your resume yesterday. An alert pops up on their screen that the interview is in fifteen minutes. Just before you start the interview, they print out your resume and walk into the room.

The first thing one of them says as she starts looking at your resume for the first time is, “Tell me about yourself.”

Do not be offended. Use their unpreparedness as an opportunity to spin your story by going through your resume. Practice this one and remember to have a coherent theme. Don't make the following blunders:

Here are some things to do when answering this question:

Whacking Softball Question Number 2

The “Tell me about yourself” question is a softball question that you can take and suit to your needs. The only limitation is the time you have and your imagination. A similar softball question that gives you the opportunity to craft a clear and concise message typically comes at the end of the interview. It goes something like, “Why should we hire you?”

If you're unprepared, this direct question can seem confrontational. If you have your answer ready, however, you can bring to light clearly and concisely what you want them to remember. When they ask you this question, you have the opportunity to lay out one last time your unique combination of skills as well as let them know that you have researched the organization.

For example, the response “I am very skilled at managing the growth of networks, which would be of great help based on the industry forecasts and your company's expectations for growth.” This reply shows in one fell swoop that you have a skill that they want and why it applies to them.

This question also gives you the opportunity to work in a situation that you want to mention. Essentially, think of this question as an “insert good story here” opportunity.

Responding to the Tried-and-True Standard

The classic interview question is “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” It is as unimaginative as it is common.

Answer with three traits that relate to the job description, and then expand upon them. For example, “My strengths are that I have completed valuable training; I have significant experience in this industry; and I have exceptional listening skills.” Then provide examples that demonstrate your skills.

The biggest problem that some people have describing their strengths is the tendency to be modest or to imply that you were just part of a team. Under normal circumstances, this humility is a plus. In an interview, particularly when asked this question, it is a minus. Be direct and accurate, and don't be ashamed of taking credit for work done by a team.

Discussing your weaknesses requires more thought. Ideally, you want to come up with valid weaknesses that either have no relevance to this position or are really a positive. Some examples for a networking job follow:

Usually, you need to present only a single weakness. Have a second example ready just in case.

Outlining Soft Skills

Another common question is, “How do others view you?” This question gives you the opportunity to emphasize the soft skills that you bring to the job. Technical skills can be discerned by your education, training, and certifications. This question helps the interviewer anticipate your interactions with people in the company.

You should have a few soft skills that the company considers important, as detailed in the job description, such as loyal, a leader, and dependable. To find some of elements that would make you a star employee, check out Chapter 17.

Afterwards, write down what you said. If and when the company asks you for references, it will be helpful if you can ask your references to reiterate what you told the interviewer. References are only too happy to amplify a message that you want them to convey (assuming they are the right references!).

Explaining Your Motivation

Your interviewer may ask you the basic question, “Why do you want to work here?” This is not quite a softball question because your answer depends not so much on what you say as how you say it.

Put another way, the all-wrong answer is “I need a job.” The interviewer wants to hear your enthusiasm and understand how much research you've invested in understanding the company. Answering this question is easier if you understand the organization's mission.

You want to connect your attributes to the company mission. The more specific you can be, the better. For example, “I have had success in building resilient and reliable networks that would allow this organization to achieve its stated goal of uninterrupted service for clients.”

Determining Whether You Are Trouble

When asked, “Have you ever disagreed with your boss? If so, how did you handle it”? the dark, underlying meaning is “Are you a psychopath and do I need to fear for my safety if I hire you?”

The interviewer wants to hear about how respectful and resilient you are and that can you take direction. Sometimes, in spite of the emotional investment you have put into your work, you have to sacrifice your hard work and do something different.

Brittle people may quit on the spot if they have a disagreement with their boss. Marshmallows, those who don't have an opinion on anything, will simply follow along with whatever the boss says. Both approaches are undesirable in American businesses. Still other people nod politely, and prepare their resume so they can exit as quickly as possible.

The ideal answer from the point of view of the boss is that you respectfully expressed your concerns and then executed what the boss wanted with professionalism. Your answer to this line of questioning should reflect this ideal.

You should have at least one story where you had a difference of opinion with your boss and the boss learned you were right, with or without a positive outcome.

If you don't have one of these stories, you may be a marshmallow. There is a place in the world for marshmallows. Be upfront with your interviewers and tell them about your willingness to accept direction from management.

Predicting Your Future

Another favorite question is, “What are your goals?” This question may be phrased as, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” or “What do you see as your next job?”

What the interviewer wants to know is whether you have ambition, drive, and planning. Employers seek employees who are results oriented and know what they want.

These goals should not be self-serving. For example, “I want to earn enough money to buy a new Dodge Charger” does not inspire the interviewer to think about how well you fit in — even if the interviewer, too, would like a Dodge Charger.

You also don't want to make your goals too aggressive. Say something like “My first goal is to contribute to the success of the organization and company. I would certainly like the opportunity to grow technically and professionally with the company.” If you have a specific position in mind as a goal, such as CIO, you might add something like, “and someday, I would even like to become a CIO-level executive.” Employers typically don't want to hire people who come in the door looking too far past the job at hand.

Tie your career goals with the mission of the company. It also helps if you throw in a goal that is not a part of your professional life.

Not Looking like a Job Jumper

One concern companies have for technology employees is that they will come in, get all kinds of training, and then shop around for a job with a higher salary. This concern underlies the interview question, “Why do you want to leave your current job?”

You may be shopping around simply to get more money, but this should never be part of your answer. Make your answer pertain to personal and professional growth. Almost any other answer will send up a red flag.

If you indicate that you want more money, you play into the fear that you will become a serial job jumper. If you mention frustration with decision making, you come across as brittle. If you mention that your current employer has financial difficulties, you are sharing confidential information.

Talk about your aspirations to contribute to a company that is on a positive trajectory in an industry in which you have a sincere interest. Almost any other response is risky.

Describing Team Leadership Skills

We have all had the following experience. You're on a team and someone is not doing his or her share of the work. How you handle this situation is important. How you answer the questions, “Have you been on a team where someone was not pulling his or her weight? If so, what did you do about it?” is also important.

The ideal answer is that you focused on the task and worked with the team leader to make up the slack. Other scenarios are complicated. If you pulled aside and “worked” with the slacker, you might look like a bully or like you overstepped your role. You may have been unaware of the steps the team leader took with the slacker.

Another option is to say that you stepped up and organized the tasks and kept track of assignments and progress — with the consent of the team leader.

Note that this question typically asks if you are part of a team but not the team leader. If the question is asked with the assumption that you are the team leader, your response should be different. The team leader has responsibility for tracking objectives and sharing progress with management.

This tracking requires ongoing and consistent communication, which is a good habit to share with the interviewer.

Defusing the Financial Land Mine

The saying in price negotiations is that whoever mentions a price first loses. That is why interviewers often like to ask the question, “What are your salary requirements?”

This question is a good sign. If they weren't interested in you and were counting the minutes until you walked out the door, they would not ask this question. Instead, they like you enough to hear what you have to say and find out if you're in the salary range.

You can handle this question in a few ways. You could answer the question directly if you know where you stand. This approach works only if you have done your research and know the company's salary strategy.

A salary strategy is the general tendency of the firm to set salary ranges. Some firms like to pay a small premium above the going rate to keep employees. Others pay less, with the promise of an opportunity to get in the door and gain some experience. You can get a sense of the firm's approach on www.glassdoor.com.

Another approach is to tell them your current salary and that you are looking for an increase from 5 to 10 percent. An amount more than 10 percent will make you look greedy and unrealistic.

Note that you can pad your current income a little, but not too much. It is highly unlikely that the prospective employer could find your exact salary.

Finally, if you want to maximize your potential salary, avoid giving a number and indicate that you are open to a fair offer for the position with consideration for your experience and goals. Signal that the equation includes taking into consideration benefits and bonus opportunities. If pressed, you may try to say something like, “My last job was not indicative of a salary for this role.” However, you have to be careful because you don't want to come across as disrespectful. A good compromise answer when pressed may be, “In my current role, I am making X. But considering the responsibilities in this role, I would like to be able to move forward with my compensation.”

Every situation is different. You have to be prepared and be ready to think on your feet.