By Richard Kent Matthews - Coach | Author | Speaker
You and the person interviewing you are in two different worlds. Why?
You show up, ready with your resume' and/or CV, your best clothes, your sparkle. You've studied the company (You HAVE studied the company, right?), you know the in's and out's of the position you seek, and you've perfected your smile and best hand shake.
You want this job and you're Prepared with all the right answers to all the right questions. You read them in the books you found at the bookstore or library and you're going for broke. You got this nailed!
You want this job and you're Prepared with all the right answers to all the right questions. You read them in the books you found at the bookstore or library and you're going for broke. You got this nailed!
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Well, not so fast.
The interviewer comes at this from an entirely different perspective. Chances are, you're not the only person he/she has been chatting with this morning, or this week, or maybe all month. And she's tired of hearing the same old pat answers. No one seems to know what's she's really asking. At any rate, she's actually weeding out those who don't make an instant good first impression. But sometimes there is a saving grace. Most don't know what that even means.
Now you will.
James Reed wrote 101 Job Interview Questions You'll Never Fear Again in 2014 and in my humble view, it nails the interview process better than almost any other material I've read on the subject. (And I've read a lot!) He not only poses the questions they ask, but also the hidden questions, what they REALLY want to know. The Hidden Agenda.
I highly recommend the book and you can find it at Amazon by clicking on the title above. In the mean time, I will share with you just a few of the questions and REAL questions your interviewer is asking.
Ready?
"Tell me about yourself."
(Who do you think you are? And will you know what to leave in and what to leave out?)
"What is your greatest strength?"
(Do you really know yourself--and do you know what our problem is here?)
"What is your preferred management style?"
(Are you and I going to get along?)
"How do you deal with stress and failure?"
(When the pressure increases, will you turn into a monster, a useless blob of jelly, or someone who sets a good example?)
"How much money do you want?"
(Can we afford you? Are you value for the money?)
"Why do you want to leave your current job?"
(Do you know what this job is? And, to be a little paranoid, do you have some murky problem that I can't see now? Are you about to get fired? Help me out here.)
Finally,
"Talk me through the gaps in your resume'/career history."
(Did you stay at home watching TV for six months? Were you in jail? Is there something wrong with your mindset?)
Mr. Reed walks you through more than a hundred such questions and hidden questions. You won't know how valuable his information is until you've read it and absorbed it. He not only poses the hidden questions but gives you insights on how to deal with and answer them to the satisfaction of the interviewer.
So, there you have it. Now you know that the surface question is not necessarily the real question. Now you can be more prepared than your competition.
Dress your best, suck a mint before the meeting, and be prepared for the hidden agenda, the hidden questions.
You have an advantage now. Don't tell anyone!
Success to you!
Part 1, click here
Part 1, click here
