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The Job Interview

Job interviews can be challenging on both sides of the table. I have failed more of them than I have passed. But I’ve learned a lot from those failures. In retrospect I should have been better prepared to answer the really “big” question thrown at me. It’s this one: “Why should we hire you?” A variation on that question could be “We already have one (accountant, attorney, programmer, security guard). Why do we need another?” Even if you are not asked this question, you can use the response below to the final question "Is there anything else you would like to say?"

Here is an answer that contains enough sizzle to dazzle the most seasoned interviewer:

A. The same question could--and probably should--be asked of every candidate for every position in this company. My answer is this: If this company seeks highly skilled, highly intelligent employees, I meet the most demanding standards. If this company wants to be represented by highly articulate employees who can think on their feet, that is my strong suit. If this company values results-oriented employees, that is also my focus. If this company encourages highly reliable employees who can be counted on to bring mature judgment to every task, I am already that person. If this company strives to deliver high quality service, that is also my goal. If this company seeks to persevere in good times or bad, so do I. If this company wants to project good citizenship, I am a stellar citizen. If this company already has all those attributes in every employee such that there is no room for more, then we probably have little need for each other. That’s because neither of us can grow or prosper if we are all alike. Still, when an emergency hits and there is no time for sub standard results, or business as usual will not suffice, who do you want to fall back on? I am not perfect, but I have been tested many times in many places. I know my limitations, but I also know my strengths, and I know how to use them. I don’t need the limelight, but I thrive when the going gets tough. I love being the “go to” guy. The question is not whether I need you or you need me. The real questions are “Do we need each other, and are we a good match in our values and expectations?” I say the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

This answer can be shortened. It was put to me this way once: “I’m a wealthy man. Why should I hire you?” I replied: “Before I’m done here, I intend to make you the richest son-of-a-bitch in the state.”

I was hired on the spot.

P.S. Beware: This relationship ultimately became too poisonous and ended in disaster.