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The Job Interview, Part II

Here are a couple of interview issues that I have never heard anyone raise, either as a candidate or as a counselor. They are important nonetheless.

First, remember you are being interviewed because you are a finalist for the position. All the key people in the company or organization have read and like your resume. They probably have also checked your credentials and have spoken with your references. You passed with flying colors! That’s why you are here. Do not dwell on your qualifications during the interview. When you do, you are preaching to the choir. That could get boring fast. Now they want to know if you are likeable, trustworthy, and a good personality fit among your new colleagues.

Be well prepared with lots of good questions. It does more than show you have done your homework; it shifts most of the talking onto the interviewer(s). If they do most of the talking they will almost certainly walk away from your interview with the feeling that it was a roaring success. Yes, they will! You will have given them the chance to shine, to show how much they know, and to help them feel better about themselves. All psychologists and psychiatrists know this aspect of human nature. That’s why they let their patients do all the talking. After 20 minutes in one of their sessions you always feel better knowing someone has listened to you without making judgments about you. It’s also great therapy during interviews, and it could help you land the job.

Also keep this issue in mind: It may sound counter to logic or intuition, but I know it is always there. Again, ask any psychologist “what is the most important element in any relationship?” and he/she will tell you “trust.” At school, at work, among friends, and especially in marriage, trust is the key that makes relationships work. Trust is the key to a good society or to peace and harmony among nations. But here is a twist on the trust issue:

A few interviewers will cringe when they discover that you are better qualified than they are, that you are congenial, and attractive. And that often means they will perceive you as a “super star” and a threat to them and to their own potential for moving up in the organization. I have had quite a few associates convey this fear in a dozen different ways. They are called “back stabbers” and less. They are difficult enough to deal with on the job, but they can stop you from ever landing the job if you let them. Here is one question they will drop on you: “Where do you see yourself with this company in five years?” It’s a clever way of trying to find out if you intend to soar past them in the “pecking order.” Don’t take the bait. A good response is this: “This company owes me nothing more than a fair salary, challenging work, and the opportunity to grow. Part of my responsibility is also to help my colleagues achieve their potential. Once I have earned their trust and we are achieving our goals, the rest is up to others. In my personal life I am accountable to a higher authority, and that is where I set my goals.” If they don’t appear to be satisfied, add “that higher authority is my wife (husband).”