tips on interviewing [View all]

I haven't interviewed for many jobs but the few times I interviewed I have always gotten the job.


I taught my daughters my technique and both of them have also been very successful. Recently my youngest daughter who decided not to go to college but work first got a job as an assistant office manager beating out 60 other applicants even though she had no relevant experience.


While I haven't had that much experience being interviewed I have interviewed thousands of people and hired hundreds over the last 30 years.


Working from the assumption that all bureaucracies are problem solving organizations I see the interview process not as 'matching' applicants' skill sets with established needs but rather part of the problem solving process of the organization.


My tip is this. Turn the interview around. After you have answered some of the key questions start asking the interviewer questions, in fact turn the interview around 180 degrees. Basically you want to start asking questions like;

What are the biggest challenges that the company faces in the future?

What are the biggest problems that the interviewer has found with past occupants of that position?

and so on.

You will be surprised to find that often times they will come out and tell you that they aren't looking for someone who can do skill X but someone who can take better care of their suppliers or some other organizational problem. It is then your chance to take from your life experience and relate how in a similar situation you handled that very problem.

They will tell you why they want to hire you.

Out of the three interviews I had, I ended up talking them into hiring me for a job that they didn't even have because I was able to get them to open up about what was bothering them.

Even if it doesn't create the same opportunity as it has for me by asking good questions and interviewing the interviewer you will appear to be more connected and a better listener than the other applicants.


This is free advice so you know its market value!!