Which interview questions do you dread the most: why did you leave your last job? Tell me about yourself (e.g., is there a logical thread in your work history?). What about this gap in your work history, and what about that gap? You only stayed in your last few jobs for a few months. What can you tell me about your longevity? Where do you want to be five years from now? And, the ever delightful, tell me your salary requirements along with telling me your salary history for the last ten years.
Gulp.
Do you ever ask yourself how any self-respecting person with a less than linear or stellar past keeps a straight face at an interview? You don’t know whether to cry or laugh. Perhaps the honest part of you wants to simply say- hey, I haven’t always known what I wanted to do with my life. I’m still trying to figure out my life purpose. What’s the shame in that?
But most likely you have to work and earn a living, and as important, you want to do work that fulfills you and gives you a sense of purpose even if it doesn’t exactly hit all the bells and whistles of your true deep down life purpose. You don’t want to keep looking for a job and answering stupid interview questions. You want to get to work.
How then do you answer these dreaded questions honestly, authentically and effectively?!
By starting with the question to yourself: what makes you a good fit for the job they’re interviewing you for? – and working backwards. After you’ve done the work described below, then you are ready to answer the dreaded questions. This blog post focuses
Let me explain. When you’re pursuing a job, you need to know what it takes to do that job well, really well, and what it takes to succeed in the specific organization you’d be working in. You have to know the job-doing skills, the organizational culture and what it will take to fit in, and you have to know how you can contribute to making that organization or program or project successful. So, study the job description and the company and get clear about what’s important to them- their values, vision, and mission.
Next, ask yourself: what is it that makes me a good fit for this position and this organization? Look at your work history and your non-work history (all the stuff you’ve done since you were old enough to read). What are the skills that I’ve used in my life? What have I accomplished? What does my work style look like- am I a loner or a team builder, am I someone who gets great ideas and gets other people to turn them into something real? Make notes and write down specific examples of skills you used, where and the impact you had. Line up as many stories as you can with your work and volunteer history.
Next, learn about the company or field where you want to work. This part of the homework helps you learn their language, their values and the context that you’d be working in. You want to know their focus and what they consider important. If you don’t understand terms they use, find out what they mean. If you don’t know the landscape they’re working in, find out what’s challenging them, where they have competition, and where they have opportunities.
Now let’s look at you! Write a paragraph making a case for what makes you a good fit for the job. Start with the words “I am a great fit for this position because I can… “
That paragraph is the foundation for all your interviews and introductions. It contains your strengths and assets. It’s what says “I am what I am” and I’m a great fit.
As for answering the dreaded questions, let’s start with job gaps and transitions. What do you say about those job gaps and the years you bounced and leapfrogged from one thing to the next? To answer these questions, I’m going to coach you a bit. What did you learn about yourself at each of those jobs: what did you learn about what you do well and what doesn’t work for you? And, what did you accomplish? Is there one thing that you can name that says you made a difference. (You may know that I’ve been fired and laid off… and I can tell you that when I was a grant administrator I learned that I thrive when I’m managing programs not taking care of paperwork and files. I contributed to the vision of where to allocate fund but did not keep up with the administrative details.)
For each job you’ve had, come up with one line to communicate what you learned and how it informs what you are doing/pursuing now.
Make a list of statements that convey what you learned about yourself. This also feeds into your “no, these are skills I do not want to use” column. Where there are “yes’s” and accomplishments, add them to your inventory of what you have to offer an employer.
For each gap, make notes about what you have done in those interim periods and how you used your time.
And now to prepare for answering the question, why did you leave your last job… what about those career gaps? Remember that the employer wants to know that you are reliable and you’re a good fit.
So, here’s the chance to say honestly- well, the last job wasn’t a good fit because … but here’s what makes me a good fit. And here’s what I learned that informs what I will do to be successful in your company.
As you know, answering such questions takes practice not only in what to say but in the delivery. That’s where the all-important work with body language and the nervous system comes in. And that’s where having someone else listen and give you feedback is very helpful.
That’s often where I come in. Contact me and I’ll help you find your honest voice and make the case that you’re the perfect fit for the job you want.
Lparadise.coach@gmail.com