If you’ve ever been in a bad job situation, you have no desire to repeat it. And that’s understandable. However, you don’t want to ever, ever—and I mean NEVER—discuss it in an interview.
Think of it this way—when you’re on a first date with someone, do you want to hear about their past failed relationships? It’s irrelevant whether they were at fault or not. You don’t know enough about someone on a first date to assess who they are as a person and trust them.
It’s the same in an interview. Recently I heard an example of someone who had had several interviews with a major department store. Things seemed to be going very well. They liked him, he liked them. But he let his guard down and felt compelled to discuss a bad experience he had had at another employer. It probably didn’t help that the other employer was part of the same parent company of department stores.
I don’t know why he let the conversation go there, but in some cases it could be his own bravado, or desire to confide in who he thinks are future friends. Either way, it’s a bad move. It’s assuming a level of trust that isn’t there.
Everyone can relate to the feeling though, and that’s why it’s such a dangerous trap. It’s the gossip feeling. The rush when we divulge information that we know we probably shouldn’t and that the information we’re imparting will increase our standing in the interviewer’s eyes. It won’t.
Many of you will read this and think—well DUH! I’d NEVER do that—but it’s easier than you think. No matter how well you’re getting along with the interviewers, no matter how much you want to establish rapport and have them see you as a fit with the company. No matter how much you want them to like you—don’t talk about past jobs in an unfavorable light.
If you must talk about where you used to work, admit responsibility for whatever happened, and what you learned from the situation and move on. Never pin all of the blame on a former employer.
Many people get very self-conscious when asked in an interview about their greatest strengths. But if you were an interviewer, and were trying to decide between a host of qualified, good people, wouldn’t you love it if just one of those people could clearly and succinctly tell you what they were good at? What would they bring to your company if you hired them?
So YOU want to be that person.
Before you walk into that interview, when you’re psychin’ yourself up, think about why you are the perfect person for this job.
And that does NOT mean you’re the perfect person because you’ve always wanted to work there!
Your strengths are the benefits that you bring to the company. What do you specifically do, what experiences have you had, that prove to an employer that you’re the right person.
Don’t be shy. They need to know this stuff.
If you were an interviewer, you would need to hire someone whom you knew would do a good job. They would make good decisions; they would see problems coming down the road and help to prevent a catastrophe. They were always on time and trustworthy. They would make an effort to learn the job.
These are qualities that every interviewer wants to see in a candidate. And while you can just sit there and tell them that you have all of those qualities, isn’t it more believable when you confidently and boldly describe times when you demonstrated those qualities. In a strong voice with direct eye contact with the interviewer, you describe these times when you were a great employee or volunteer. Wouldn’t you as an interviewer give serious consideration to hiring that person? How about if another person had similar experience, but wasn’t as confident in describing their strengths—would you BELIEVE that those were their strengths, or something they read out of a book.
You need to sell yourself, and as much as some people get uncomfortable with the fact that that is what happens in an interview, that’s what you need to do. Being confident about your strengths demonstrates that they are true strengths, and you’re not just repeating something you read in a book.
The strengths and weaknesses topic is universally the one that most interviewees are afraid of being asked, and the question that most interviewers are most likely to ask. Therefore there is no reason not to have an excellent answer to this question.
Let’s start with the more difficult question first—your weaknesses. No one likes to admit that they have a weakness, whether it be for chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate, or procrastinating until the very last minute before an important project is due.
The key to answering this question correctly is to provide a weakness, and discuss how you have overcome it, or are working to overcome it. An example I always use is that unless I’m constantly vigilant, my desk can turn into an absolute hovel of papers. I have a tendency to let things pile up even after I’ve completed a project, thinking that I’ll still need to refer to my notes in the future. It’s only after a few weeks have snuck by and I make a desperate attempt to find the desktop again, that I realize that I didn’t need to save as much paperwork as I did. I now make sure that I set aside time when I come into the office on Friday morning to clear off my desk and prioritize my projects for the day. I have found that it makes me feel much more sane, and keeps me productive.
Note in the above example how I discussed my weakness: that it’s always been a problem, and how I work to overcome it on a weekly basis. Also note that admitting this specific weakness probably won’t keep me from getting the job—unless the hiring manager is a compulsive neat freak (in which case it’s probably best that I not work for them). Avoid weaknesses that could seriously cast doubt on your work ethic or personality. Never discuss coming into work late, personality conflicts, or the quintessential “I work too hard” as a weakness. First, nobody wants to take a chance on you if you have the first two weaknesses, and nobody actually believes the third one. Acceptable weaknesses are a fear of public speaking, drinking too much coffee in the morning, or the constant battle to stop smoking, and others that are not typically job-threatening. Don’t forget to show how you are working to overcome these weaknesses.
In discussing your strengths—your best bet is to identify a strength that you know is a quality they are looking for in a job applicant. If it’s a customer service position, emphasize how much you like to help people, and although they can be challenging at times, you enjoy being able to make someone else’s life easier. Just don’t get too sappy here or it will seem fake, but if possible take this opportunity to further show them that you are the perfect applicant for the job.
