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The Stress Interview
Your worst nightmare can come true at a stress interview, but once you learn that these questions are just amplified versions of much simpler ones, you'll remain cool and calm.
1. Would you like to have your boss's job?
It is a rare boss who wants his or her livelihood taken away. On my own very first job interview, my future boss said, " It has been a pleasure to meet you. However, until you walked in my door, I wasn't out on the street looking for a new job." The interviewer wants to know if you are the type of person who will be confrontational, challenging, undermining, or too ambitious or arrogant. He also seeks to determine how goal-oriented and motivated you are in your work life, so you may also want to comment on your sense of direction. But remember that while ambition is admired, it is admired most by the ambitious. Be cautiously optimistic; perhaps, "Well, if my boss were promoted over the coming years, I would hope to have made a consistent enough contribution to warrant his recommendation. It is not that I am looking to take anyone's job; rather, I am looking for a manager who will help me develop my capabilities and grow with him."
2. See this pen I'm holding? Sell it to me.
Not a request, as you might think, that would be asked only of a salesperson. In today's business world, everyone is required to sell - sometimes products, but more often ideas, approaches, and concepts. As such, you are being tested to see whether you understand the basic concepts of features-and-benefits selling, how quickly you think on your feet, and how effective your verbal communication is. For example, the interviewer holds up a broad-tip yellow highlighter. You say calmly, "Let me tell you about the special features of this product. First of all, it's a highlighter that will emphasise important points in reports or articles, and that will save you time in recalling the important features. The casing is wide enough to enable you to use it comfortably at your desk or on a flip chart. It has a flat base you can stand it up on. At one dollar, it is disposable and affordable enough for you to have a handful for your desk, briefcase, car, and at home. And the bright yellow color means you'll never lose it." Then close with a smile and a question of your own that will bring a smile to your interviewer's face: "How many gross shall we deliver?"
3. Why should I hire an outsider when I could fill the job with someone inside the company?
The question isn't as stupid as it sounds. Obviously, the interviewer has examined existing employees with an eye toward their promotion or reassignment. Just as obviously, the job cannot be filled from within the company. If it could be, it would be, and for two very good reasons: It is cheaper for the company to promote from within, and it is good for employee morale. Hiding behind this intimidating question is actually a pleasant invitation: "Tell me why I should hire you." Your answer should include two steps. The first is a simple recitation of your skills and personality profile strengths, tailored to the specific requirements of the job. For the second step, realise first that whenever a manager is filling a position, he or she is looking not only for someone who can do the job but also for someone who can benefit the department in a larger sense. No department is as good as it could be - each has weaknesses that need strengthening. So in the second part of your answer, include a question of your own: "Those are my general attributes. However, if no one is promotable from inside the company, that means you are looking to add strength to your team in a special way. In what ways do you hope the final candidate will be able to benefit our department?" The answer to this is your cue to sell your applicable qualities.
4. Why were you out of work for so long?
You must have a sound explanation for any and all gaps in your employment history. If not, you are unlikely to receive a job offer. Emphasise that you were not just looking for another paycheck - you were looking for a company with which to settle and to which to make a long-term contribution. "I made a decision that I enjoy my work too much just to accept another paycheck. So I determined that the next job I took would be one where I could settle down and do my best to make a solid contribution. From everything I have heard about this company, you are a group that expects people to pull their weight, because you've got a real job to do. I like that, and I would like to be a part of the team. What have I got to do to get the job?"
You answer the question, compliment the interviewer, and shift the emphasis from you being unemployed to how you can get the job offer.
5. Your application shows you have been with one company a long time without any appreciable increase in rank or salary. Tell me about this.
Ugh. A toughie. To start with, you should analyse why this state of affairs does exist (assuming the interviewer's assessment is accurate). Then, when you have determined the cause, practice saying it out loud to yourself as you would say it during an actual interview. It may take a few tries. Chances are that no matter how valid your explanation really is, it will come off sounding a little tinny or vindictive without some polishing. Avoid the sour-grapes syndrome at all costs.
Here are some tactics you can use. First of all, try to avoid putting your salary history on application forms. No one is going to deny you an interview for lack of a salary history if your skills match those the job requires. Of course, you should never put such trivia on your resume.
Now then. Next, we'll address the delicate matter of "hey-wait-a-minute-why-no-promotions?" This is one case where saying the wrong thing can get you in just as much trouble as failing to say the right thing. The interviewer has posed a truly negative inquiry; the more time either of you spend on it, the more time the interviewer gets to devote to concentrating on negative aspects of your candidacy. Make your answer short and sweet, then shut up. For instance, "My current employer is a stable company with a good working environment, but there's minimal growth there in my area - in fact, there hasn't been any promotion in my area since 1998. Your question is the reason I am meeting here with you; I have the skills and ability to take on more responsibility and I'm looking for a place to do that."