The following article is by Mark Stevens, as seen on his LinkedIn blog.
A job interview is not really a job interview. It’s a cat and mouse game designed to lure you into traps of self revelation.
The way it is commonly structured, the interviewer does not conduct an investigative background search but instead gets you to shed an unattractive light on yourself.
Why would you do that? Well, you wouldn’t consciously, but the way the system often works, you are lulled into sense of comfort and trust and thus fail to see the “tricks” in the trick questions.
With the goal of being forewarned and thus hopefully prepared, let’s see how this works. We’ll start with trick question 1:
*Tee Up Your Proudest Moment:
Interviewer: I see you were varsity basketball in college.
Applicant: Yes. The practice was tough — what with a full academic schedule and all — but I loved it.
Interviewer: Highly competitive, I bet.
Applicant: Always and so intense. But if you can’t compete you, just can’t make the cut. I’m sure the same is true here.
Interviewer: How does that jell with the need to collaborate, which is a hallmark of our culture.
Applicant: Well, I mean, I guess –well, I don’t plan to step over other people, if that’s what you mean.
(Do you hear the gong? Believe me, I have been to these movies many times. You will be checked off this interview as too aggressive for the team.)
*Get You To Out Yourself:
Interviewer: I have to say, you appear to be a honest person. Very much so. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.
Applicant: Thank you. I pride myself on that.
Interviewer: As you should. Allow me to ask: if there’s one thing you’ve done in you life that you could take back, what would it be?
Applicant: Hmmm. Well, I don’t like to talk about it, but I married someone I didn’t really love. Hoped it would somehow work out. But I guess hope springs eternal. For awhile, it seemed like I ruined his life but I think he’s okay now. And I’m living with someone new and quite happy.
(A perfectly normal human story but a sure thing that the position will go to someone else.)
*Painting You As Desperate:
Interviewer: I see you haven’t been working for nearly a year. My guess is that you wanted to put your feet up for awhile. Nothing wrong with that.
Applicant: I wish. No, I’ve been networking, interviewing nonstop. At my age, it’s not easy.
(You took the bait. Now you revealed your age bracket and the deadly fact that no one else seems to want you. Gong!)
*Showcase Your Inexperience:
Interviewer: So this would be your first full time job, correct! No bad habits. Just a great ambition? There”s always something exciting about that.
Applicant: Exactly. Do you know how great it feels to finally be out of school. Yes!
Interviewer: I do. I do. But you really know nothing about the work ahead of you, do you?
Applicant: Well, I’ve read a lot about it.
Interviewer: I don’t see any internships on your resume.
Applicant: Wish I had but..
Interviewer: But?
Applicant: I went to this great summer camp as a kid and I just hated letting go. So I took counselor jobs every year. They barely paid anything but hey, it was like extending my childhood for four years.
Interviewers set the traps. People really do say/admit these things. Which leads to three nevers and a final piece of advice:
1. Look hungry
2. Reveal your age group
3. Say a single negative word about yourself
4. Most important, turn the tables on the interviewer, telling him what you think he wants to hear. Period.
All is fair in love, war and job hunting.
A job interview is not really a job interview. It’s a cat and mouse game designed to lure you into traps of self revelation.
The way it is commonly structured, the interviewer does not conduct an investigative background search but instead gets you to shed an unattractive light on yourself.
Why would you do that? Well, you wouldn’t consciously, but the way the system often works, you are lulled into sense of comfort and trust and thus fail to see the “tricks” in the trick questions.
With the goal of being forewarned and thus hopefully prepared, let’s see how this works. We’ll start with trick question 1:
*Tee Up Your Proudest Moment:
Interviewer: I see you were varsity basketball in college.
Applicant: Yes. The practice was tough — what with a full academic schedule and all — but I loved it.
Interviewer: Highly competitive, I bet.
Applicant: Always and so intense. But if you can’t compete you, just can’t make the cut. I’m sure the same is true here.
Interviewer: How does that jell with the need to collaborate, which is a hallmark of our culture.
Applicant: Well, I mean, I guess –well, I don’t plan to step over other people, if that’s what you mean.
(Do you hear the gong? Believe me, I have been to these movies many times. You will be checked off this interview as too aggressive for the team.)
*Get You To Out Yourself:
Interviewer: I have to say, you appear to be a honest person. Very much so. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.
Applicant: Thank you. I pride myself on that.
Interviewer: As you should. Allow me to ask: if there’s one thing you’ve done in you life that you could take back, what would it be?
Applicant: Hmmm. Well, I don’t like to talk about it, but I married someone I didn’t really love. Hoped it would somehow work out. But I guess hope springs eternal. For awhile, it seemed like I ruined his life but I think he’s okay now. And I’m living with someone new and quite happy.
(A perfectly normal human story but a sure thing that the position will go to someone else.)
*Painting You As Desperate:
Interviewer: I see you haven’t been working for nearly a year. My guess is that you wanted to put your feet up for awhile. Nothing wrong with that.
Applicant: I wish. No, I’ve been networking, interviewing nonstop. At my age, it’s not easy.
(You took the bait. Now you revealed your age bracket and the deadly fact that no one else seems to want you. Gong!)
*Showcase Your Inexperience:
Interviewer: So this would be your first full time job, correct! No bad habits. Just a great ambition? There”s always something exciting about that.
Applicant: Exactly. Do you know how great it feels to finally be out of school. Yes!
Interviewer: I do. I do. But you really know nothing about the work ahead of you, do you?
Applicant: Well, I’ve read a lot about it.
Interviewer: I don’t see any internships on your resume.
Applicant: Wish I had but..
Interviewer: But?
Applicant: I went to this great summer camp as a kid and I just hated letting go. So I took counselor jobs every year. They barely paid anything but hey, it was like extending my childhood for four years.
Interviewers set the traps. People really do say/admit these things. Which leads to three nevers and a final piece of advice:
1. Look hungry
2. Reveal your age group
3. Say a single negative word about yourself
4. Most important, turn the tables on the interviewer, telling him what you think he wants to hear. Period.
All is fair in love, war and job hunting.
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