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Don’t be rattled(使慌乱) by your next job interview. It’s possible to answer any question that comes your way. How? By preparing and knowing how to direct the conversation to the topics you want to cover.
To start, take a tip from consultants(顾问、咨询员) who coach executives and politicians on how to handle media interviews. These trainers say you can deliver the message you want to an employer, regardless of the question you’re asked.
“Most people don’t realize that their purpose isn’t to sit there and hope the right questions will be asked,” says Aileen Pincus, president of the Pincus Group, a media interview-training firm(企业) in Silver Spring, Md. “They need to develop two or three key messages and make sure their point is delivered.”
Unlike some politicians who ignore press questions and immediately introduce a different topic in response, job candidates must respect and directly answer employer’s queries(质疑). However, you can quickly make the transition(转移、过渡) from your answer to the important points you want to convey about your qualifications(资格).
When answering job-interview queries applying the formula(公式) Q = A + 1:
Q is the question;
A is the answer;
+ is the bridge to the message you want to deliver;
1 is the point you want to make.
Diligent(勤勉的) preparation also is necessary to effectively answer any interview question, say senior executives. Theirs and media trainers’ tips follow:
Study hard. Learn as much as you can about the job, the employer and its executives beforehand. Use this information to answer direct questions and then to lead into a discussion about your qualifications and fit.
If you’re working with a recruiter, ask him or her about what the company is seeking and its key challenges.
Have anecdotes(轶事、奇闻) ready. Many interviewers ask questions that require candidates to provide examples of how they handled a difficult challenge or other work situation. Such questions often start with a phrase such as, “Tell me about a time when you faced....”
These questions require a story in response, but it’s unlikely you have a story that fits every conceivable(可预料到的) query. But the task of preparing becomes easier when you realize that interviewers typically are interested in only five or six general categories, says Mr. Braun. Instead of trying to be ready for every potential(潜在的) question, come up with stories to fit these general issues, such as how you handled conflict or a difficult challenge.
It may help to think of each issue as a bucket and mentally place a story or two in each one, says Mr. Braun. “Be more generic(普通的) in your approach,” he suggests. “When asked a question along one of those lines, you can move to the story you have in one of those buckets.”
Ms. Baier left Chicago-based Whitehall in December after it accepted an agreement with an investor to become private. She left Sears in April 2004 when the credit and financial products division she headed was sold to Citibank.
When asked to tell interviewers about herself, she determines how much time she should use and then tries to describe her specific qualifications that fit the company’s key issues.
“If you know what challenges the company is facing, you can tailor(适应) your response to what the company is dealing with and how you can help,” she says.
Be positive about the negative. Count on being asked about a past mistake or blemish(缺点) on your career record, and don’t try to dodge(躲开，搪塞) the issue.
When discussing a mistake, be ready to say how you learned or benefited from it. “You learn as much by dropping the ball as you do by catching it,” says Mr. Herzog. When interviewing for his current job, which he started in August, Mr. Herzog says he mentioned he had been involved in successful turnarounds(思想等的转变) and one that failed. “And I said what I learned from it,” he says. |
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发表于 2008-1-30 19:06:37
