Have you ever been on a date where you had nothing in common so you spent your time asking questions about the other person's past?
"Where did you work before that? Where did you grow up? Where did you move to after that? How many brothers do you have?"
You get the idea. Your brain is in escape mode and your mouth is simply buying time until you can leave.
Many people find themselves in the same situation at interviews and spend all their time talking about the past, trying to defend their resume. This a really bad sign and if you find it happening to you then you're probably not going to get the job.
But there is a devastatingly simple way you can turn the interview around.
What if you asked this question instead:
"You want to hire someone to make something *happen* - so what is it you want to have happen from this job?"
Asking an employer what outcome or what they want to happen from this job completely turns the interview around and an interviewer or employer will start to tell you what they want... Now you can give them examples from your PAST (your resume) that demonstrate you can deliver the outcomes the employer is looking for.
Now instead of talking about your past, you can now talk about your potential.
Now instead of giving the usual staid examples of how you handled a bad situation with a customer, you can talk about the job itself, and the challenges these guys are trying to overcome. You can then take them by the hand and reassure them that not only is your past not your potential but you'll show them how your talents, skills and experience can deliver all they're looking for and MORE.
Not bad, eh?
There's one caveat on this approach though. When you ask the "what do you want to have happen" question of the interviewer, they may not know the answer!
This can be especially true of HR people who spend their days thinking up hard interview questions and have NO idea that the people they hire are the fuel for their company's growth and innovation. If you were to ask the manager of a hotel restaurant what they want to happen when they hire a waiter you'll get a totally different response than if you ask the same question to the HR manager of the hotel.
Nonetheless, asking "What do you want to have happen if you hire me for this job?" gives you a fantastic opportunity to talk about the job and the challenges they're facing.
Hopefully the person you will be working for will be in the interview as well, but if it's just the HR people then ask the question and explore their answers. More than likely there will be a second interview in which case you'll most probably be interviewed by your potential manager. Make sure you ask them what THEY want to have happen and explore the answer with them.
So, before you head off to your next interview, make sure you print a piece of paper with the question "What do you want to make happen" printed on it and space to make notes underneath. (Yes! You are allowed to take notes in with you and to ask questions! Hard to believe I know!)
This simple thing will turn you into a candidate that stands apart and commands respect.
Hi - I'm a marketing junkie who gets off on helping job seekers find their talent at my site http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com. I'm also a paraglider pilot to which people suggest I have a death wish but to me it's more of a life wish.
![]() Google News Updated : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:51:23 GMT First Second-Generation Astronaut, Richard Garriott, Launched Into ... - AHN
AHN - Vienna, VA (AHN)-Space Adventures, Ltd, a company that provides space missions to the global community, announced that client Richard Garriott and his crew successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space ... Video: Raw Video: US space tourist begins journey US game designer blasts into space with DNA cargo Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:28:36 GMT Mighty Chihuahuas Eclipse DiCaprio and Crowe in Test of Star Power - New York Times New York Times - By BROOKS BARNES LOS ANGELES - This is how far movie stars have fallen in their ability to pull audiences into theaters, at least when the story revolves around Iraq and the messiness of the Middle East: A picture about talking dogs, “Beverly Hills ... Dogs rule: 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' No. 1 again 'Chihuahua' fetches $17.5M, remains top movie dog Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:18:44 GMT Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Cancer survivor shares her story - Naples Daily News
Naples Daily News - By LIANE SMITH (Contact) She felt pain in her breasts. One of her aunt’s died in February from breast cancer. Another aunt, in her 60s now, has battled it on and off for more than a dozen years. Pink And Purple Join To Help Women Breast Cancer Awareness Month Should Be Prevention Month! Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:31:44 GMT Tigers still seeking QB to turn season around - SportingNews.com
SportingNews.com - AP Sports Wri AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- The Auburn Tigers didn't figure they'd be in this position: Unranked, desperately trying to salvage a once-promising season and still seeking a quarterback solution seven games into the season. Tuberville And Tigers Trying To Regroup A Pig Sooie Shocker in Auburn Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:13:08 GMT Palin talks economic worries in Appalachian Ohio - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (AP) - Sarah Palin told voters in southeastern Ohio on Sunday that she and running mate John McCain would bring jobs back to this economically depressed piece of Appalachia. John McCain and Sarah Palin try new tactics US-POLITICS Summary Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:11:58 GMT UPDATE 1-Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic - Reuters Reuters - MIAMI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Nana, the 14th of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean islands, the US National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters: Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic Tropical Storm Nana Forms Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:29:57 GMT Falcons' Ryan is not your typical rookie QB - FOXSports.com
FOXSports.com - by Alex Marvez Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Falcons missed chances in red zone Bears rally late, fall to Falcons on last-second FG Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:14:27 GMT Amazon Associate Store |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Whether you are networking to find a new job opportunity,... Read More A recent poll conducted by Yahoo! Small Business showed that... Read More Competency based interviews are intended to get the best from... Read More In the current climate, many people are looking away from... Read More Job searching alone is like hitchhiking a scary ride with... Read More Anyone reading this article and hassuffered a job loss recently... Read More Today, it isn't that uncommon for some children and teenagers... Read More Interviewing Tips for the Older Job-seeking PopulationA red alert is... Read More Fluffy clouds. Chirping birds. Green trees. Colorful flowers. It's springtime!... Read More Everyone dreams of a life full of love and adventure.... Read More An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is... Read More May I clarify in this article what I believe to... Read More Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for... Read More "Stop being such a Pollyanna," a trusted, more experienced colleague... Read More We naturally hesitate to tell our boss when we can't... Read More Many job seekers miss a golden opportunity when they are... Read More Yes I know that we usually think of interviews as... Read More Freshly qualified accounting graduates when asked by the interviewer "Are... Read More Is your working life in the doldrums? Do you feel... Read More Like all new innovations, technology in the work environment can... Read More Mystery shoppers. For some it conjures up images of private... Read More Good question, considering that nowadays you can find many useful... Read More How would you know if your resume did or didn't... Read More A raise in your base salary is a permanent source... Read More Whether you are looking for a job, new clients or... Read More
Adsense
websites
Top Ten Networking Strategies To Get A Job, A Promotion, Or Make A Sale
Are You Suited for Self-employment?
Competency Based Interviews - 6 Steps to Success!
Finding Your Ideal Career
Use Job Search Hacks to Get Hired Faster
Taking Job Loss Seriously
Children At Work: Looking at Child Labor in the Victorian Age
Alert! An Over-50 Jobseeker Has Just Entered the Building
Five Fabulous Resume Tips for College Grads (or Anybody)
Do What You Love, Love What You Do
Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates
Fuzzy Headed Job Goals Lead to a Fuzzy Headed Life!
Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active
A Bit of Pollyanna
When and How to Say I Just Cant Do It!
Four Important Questions to Ask Your Interviewer; Do You Really Want to Work for This Person?
Listening for Interview Success
What Do Accountants And Doctors Have In Common?
Are You Bored By What You Do?
Technology in the Workplace - Boon or Curse?
Put Some Mystery in Your Life
Why Choose A Professionally Written Resume?
Auto-Disqualification - When Your Resume Never Reaches the Decision Maker
How To Power Negotiate Your Next Bonus
Rev-Up Your Network!
Good News for Employers wishing to change the terms of... Read More
Every great resume deserves a great cover letter.A cover letter... Read More
You've probably been taught not to stereotype people based on... Read More
Question: How do I market myself online?Answer: With a stellar... Read More
Have you ever been to a networking event that was... Read More
You wake up in the morning, head to work, and... Read More
You have to ask --- IS a FRANCHISE FOR YOU?There... Read More
Learning how to type a resume may feel like a... Read More
There is an end to the job search tunnel!It has... Read More
I spend a bit of time on airplanes. So, I... Read More
Dubai is home to an exciting, diverse, multi-cultural blend of... Read More
It's amazing how we fool ourselves... while at the same... Read More
Do you dislike making decisions and avoid the challenge whenever... Read More
So that you can decide just how critical your job... Read More
Do you want to continue your costly, time-consuming and exhausting... Read More
Best Strategy using Internet Job Search EnginesThere are hundreds of... Read More
Chuck was the best of the twenty-four candidates. Still, he... Read More
Networking is still known as a great job-search strategy, yet... Read More
More and more people are calling it quits to successful... Read More
You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your... Read More
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me" is... Read More
Complacency damages your career more than lack of qualifications. The... Read More
The "hard" skills necessary for an executive protection specialist (EPS)... Read More
It takes between seven and seventeen seconds for a person... Read More
If you want a drink of water, do you hire... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |