Yesterday I was asked, “The interview seemed to go very well, why didn’t I get the job?”
Often it is because an interview question was answered wrong.
The most common questions are:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Will you work hard?
- Can you do this job?
- Will you make the team better?
- Do you want this job?
Only the first question is usually asked straight out. The rest are so obvious that interviewers don’t want to ask them plainly. They figure you will lie. (I’ll deal with those tomorrow) So let’s deal with
Tell me about yourself
When an interviewer can’t figure out what to ask next, they say, “Tell me about yourself.”
You now get to tell them what to ask next.
Spend the next minute or two preparing the interviewer to ask about your greatest accomplishments and your job progression. They don’t need to know about your dog, fishing, or your marital problems. Set them up to ask about how you can help them.
Tell about your last two jobs or positions. What were you recognized for doing very well? Why did you get your next job or promotion? What have you been doing well in your latest job?
Remember to keep your answer short. 60 seconds is fine. You are setting up your interviewer to ask questions. A 20 minute speech on your part is not going to help.
Practice answering, “Tell me about yourself.” Each interview is different. Make sure you briefly mention the things that are most important for THIS job.
Tomorrow we’ll start dealing with the other questions. The ones they won’t ask directly.
Something To Do Today
Write down the two most important things you have done as far as your interviewers are concerned. Practice working those accomplishments into an answer to “Tell me about yourself.”