05.18.09
Why Do I Have to Answer That?
I was recently looking over a handout given to college students on Effective Interviewing and Salary Negotiation. It listed a series of sample questions ranging from tell-me-about-yourself to why-should-I-hire-you to where-do-you-see-yourself-in-five-years?
Highly experienced people tend to cringe when they find themselves answering the kinds of questions they answered, 10, 15, 20 years ago or more. But in these challenging economic times, many people are finding they have to answer those questions from prospective employers who want positive, upbeat responses that tell them they are hiring people who are still eager to work and will show up with a positive attitude.
That’s hard work for some folks. If you love your job, like your bosses and co-workers and only recently had to think about what to do if that job disappeared, the idea of talking about where you see yourself in five years doesn’t sit well.
In 1981, the newspaper I worked for folded. Fortunately, it was a well-respected publication and dozens of editors from other newspapers showed up in its offices to recruit its employees. True to form, the recruiters asked all the questions you get under normal job-hunting circumstances.
What do you know about our paper/town? Are you looking to settle down in (name of city) or are you looking for a short-term position? Where do you see yourself in five years?
As I met with each prospective employer, I started out pretty upbeat. After meeting with several in one day, fielding a ton of questions and not knowing if I were any closer to finding a job before the paper’s last edition went to print, I lost it with one employer when he asked where I saw myself in five years and was I committed to the area in which his newspaper was based (which was two time zones away). I broke it down to a basic summary: I was where I wanted to be and was taken by surprise by the announcement the paper was folding; in five years I expected to still be working as a reporter; I was a single parent with a 6-year-old boy to raise and needed a job; hire me and I’ll show you commitment.
Clearly, that was the wrong response. No matter how much an employer encourages you to be frank, you usually ought to keep those kinds of feelings to yourself.
What you want to emphasize is that you are smart, capable, hard-working and willing to be the best employee you can be. Even if you’re being pulled away from the job/town/friends & family you love, employers want to believe that you want to work for them. Loyalty is a valued premium. Do your homework about the job and show the bosses what you know about the firm, that you share its mission or values, tell them what added value you bring to the table and tell them that you can be a team player. If you can do that you are in a much better position to snag the job.
Make a list of the kinds of questions you expect — good, bad and downright silly (Why are you leaving your current position? Yes, it has been asked of those laid off or bought out.) — and have someone practice with you before you go on the interview. Better yet, if you can, videotape yourself and watch your body language and how you respond to questions. Do your interview clothes fit well? Do you need to update your look? You want to look like a fit, confident, poised candidate, even if deep down you just want to scream and pound the desk.
This is also an opportunity for you to make sure you are matching up with the kind of company for which you want to work. Ask questions of the interviewer that show you have thought a lot about that particular company and that will tell you whether the organizational culture will be a good fit for you. Once you get an offer, take a day or two to think things over and be sure this is a place you really want to work. You don’t want to take a job because you feel desperate instead of confident.
Times may be tight, but that’s no reason to make a bad decision. In fact, it is more important than ever to make the move that best serves you not only now but in the future.
