Saturday, July 02, 2005
Tips For When And If You Land An Interview
Despite the positive job growth for the past couple of months, there are still way too many of us unable to find suitable work and now General Motors and Ford Motor Car are planning gigantic layoffs. That old 8-ball keeps on popping up in front of us. Just in case you do manage to land an interview, here's a tip for you:
What Is Your Main Strength?
Such a trite interview question but it arises so often. Sometimes you are asked to give only your number one choice, others may ask for a list of three or more.
Listing your strengths is seldom difficult. Regardless of our work background and history, we can usually reel off such time-honored characteristics as reliable, dependable, honest, on time, flexible, respectful, friendly, etc. etc. etc. An even more effective presentation is to quantify and illustrate those qualities, if you can. See if you can recall such specifics as:
Being called in to work on your day off to fill in for an absent coworker. ("My foreman used to call me Old Faithful").
Working long hours to ensure that you could deliver a rush job on time. ("The team called it a miracle but it was just hard work").
A history of consistently showing up early, or right on time, for work. ("My boss joked that the company set its clocks by my schedule").
Any detail you can add supports the notion that you are not just mouthing words you think the interviewer wants to hear but that you actually live those values, something any employer is actively seeking.
What Is Your Main Strength?
Such a trite interview question but it arises so often. Sometimes you are asked to give only your number one choice, others may ask for a list of three or more.
Listing your strengths is seldom difficult. Regardless of our work background and history, we can usually reel off such time-honored characteristics as reliable, dependable, honest, on time, flexible, respectful, friendly, etc. etc. etc. An even more effective presentation is to quantify and illustrate those qualities, if you can. See if you can recall such specifics as:
Being called in to work on your day off to fill in for an absent coworker. ("My foreman used to call me Old Faithful").
Working long hours to ensure that you could deliver a rush job on time. ("The team called it a miracle but it was just hard work").
A history of consistently showing up early, or right on time, for work. ("My boss joked that the company set its clocks by my schedule").
Any detail you can add supports the notion that you are not just mouthing words you think the interviewer wants to hear but that you actually live those values, something any employer is actively seeking.
