Facing an Interview

Some interviews are more difficult than others. In large measure, the degree of difficulty depends on the questions your prospective boss asks you. Some questions are genuinely tough. Tough enough to upset you and develop a sense of strain between yourself and your interviewer. Given below are a few basic questions. The answers given here aren't necessarily the only ones. But they work. They've been tried. They can make what could be a difficult moment during an interview a whole lot easier on you

What are your greatest strengths?

For some people this is an easy question. They know precisely their strengths and have examples at their fingertips to support each. But for many interviewees the question comes as a bit of a shock. And they seem flustered for a few moments while they collect their thoughts. It would be presumptuous of anyone to tell you your own greatest strengths. Only you know them. But there are a few strengths that, if they are yours, are worth mentioning. Why? Because they are the most wanted strengths in the business world.

• INTELLIGENCE
  

Some people call it intellect. Some say they're smart enough to handle the situation. Others prefer, "I have enough brains." Businesses need intelligent people-intelligent enough to know they have brains-and brains enough to let prospective bosses know this fact when they are asked.

• COMMON SENSE
  

While there is no doubt you have to be smart to succeed in business, not every intelligent person does succeed. Why? Because some people don't use their brains well. Common sense is the ability to nose out the core problem and to tackle it, to avoid the peripheral aspects of the business, to go right to the heart of the matter. If you have this ability, your prospective boss should know about it.

• DRIVE
  

Or the ability to work long and hard, not only when the chips are down, but as a general rule. Some people become so involved with their professions that they think about them twenty-four hours a day. If you're the sort of person who can't leave the office at the office, let your prospective boss know. You are worth two people who quit thinking at five.

• MATURITY
  

Two things stand out as examples of maturity: first, the ability to establish work priorities, to know where to place your effort when all of a sudden many things must be done at once; second, the ability to assess not only business problems but the relationships of people to these business problems. It's an asset to recognize how those with whom you work react to their problems and to one another.

• ABILITY TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE
  

The smartest people are not necessarily the most successful people. The ability to relate to people, to encourage people, and to need people can sometimes overcome brains and common sense. If you have a natural talent in this area, let your prospective boss know.

• KNOW LEDGEABILITY
  

Obviously, prospective bosses look for people with industry experience similar to that of their own business. At the very least, they expect to hire someone with functional experience that reasonably matches the demands of the job to be filled. They know it is easier to train a person who already knows their business. If you and your competition have almost equal knowledge, however, then your other strengths-brains, maturity, etc. -is much more important than your knowledge.

In highlighting the most wanted strengths, again a caution: Flaunt them only if you have them. Do not mention them just because they're listed here. And be prepared to back up all your strengths with worth-points that support the assessment of your strong points.

What do you consider to be your greatest weaknesses?

This is one of the toughest questions faced by job interviewees, and particularly if you're unprepared for it. Yet it is a question that does come up, and you should have an answer that helps to sell you. Typically, unprepared job candidates answer this question in a way that hurts their chances. For example, a job-seeker might say, "I'm not good with figures." Or, "I sometimes have difficulty with people." Or, "Sometimes I tense up under pressure." Each of these answers makes you look less desirable in the eyes of your prospective boss. So the secret of answering this question is to find negative traits your boss would like you to have. Here are some "positive weaknesses" that you can talk about- if you have them. They cannot be faked.

• IMPATIENCE
  

Impatience with other people, impatience with yourself, impatience to get the job done. There's no question that impatience is a weakness. But it's a great one to have. You're impatient with other people because they don't get their part of the job done on time. Putting it another way, you want to see the whole job done when it's due. You're impatient with yourself because you're not growing fast enough. Putting it another way, you are ambitious. You want to grow in knowledgeability and in maturity. What boss could be disappointed with a person who is striving to improve himself? You're impatient to see the job done. Loosely translated, you have a sense of urgency about your job, a sense of concern about moving the corporation ahead. A fault your prospective boss by all rights should admire.

• OVERDRIVE
  

This weakness is closely related to impatience. Perhaps one leads to the other. You drive yourself hard, perhaps overly hard. Your spouse tells you, you don't know when to stop. Sometimes you drive others the way you drive yourself. You push yourself to the extent of your own capacity, and sometimes even more. While overdrive is a fault, particularly when your own overdrive leads to pushing others, it is certainly an admirable fault. Why? Because it can only lead to moving the business ahead. What boss wouldn't like a person working for him who does the work of two, because he drives himself so hard?

• TENDENCY TO OVERVIEW
  

Given a choice, you prefer to try to put all the pieces together, rather than to look at any particular piece. You prefer an assignment involving a broad analysis of a problem, rather than detailed administrative duties. This is a most acceptable weakness, since it makes you a prime candidate for a leadership position with your prospective company. Most top-echelon executives do seek out the big picture and leave minutiae to smaller minds. Even if over viewing is a fault of yours, don't say you can't handle details, because even when you get to the top, you have to handle some details-just different ones. Rather, tell your boss you prefer to consider big concepts rather than minute specifics.

• YOU'RE HARD TO PLEASE
  

The status quo doesn't necessarily satisfy you. You sometimes question the world about you. You don't satisfy as easily as the next person. While no one likes a totally negative employee, you'll probably agree that the person who challenges what is going on about him is better than the person who accepts everything blindly and without question. Because the executive who sees what's wrong has the opportunity to correct and amend it. The person who doesn't consider the alternatives can make no changes at all. Don't be afraid to say that you are hard to please. Most top executives are. Probably your prospective boss is, too.

• STUBBORNNESS WHEN YOU'RE RIGHT
  

There are no two ways about it. When you have the facts, you stick to your guns. You don't give in. This doesn't make you the most popular person on campus, but you don't mind running the risk of upsetting a few people. It's a lot easier to say "Yes." People like it better, and life is simpler. But you prefer to make your life a little more difficult when you are convinced you have the facts on your side. You will give in. But you don't like to let go until you're absolutely sure that the alternative is more correct than your own idea. Stubbornness is a genuinely undesirable trait, since others may resent it. But if you have to have a weakness, stubbornness isn't a bad one to have, since the opposite of stubbornness is a lack of conviction. The person who sticks to his guns has to have guts. He is never wishy-washy on the job.

Before leaving the question of your greatest weaknesses, there are several points that should be made. First, you don't necessarily have to discuss them all. If you get asked about your weaknesses, cite one or two. Second, if you don't fall heir to the weaknesses described above, by all means, don't mention them. But if some of these faults are really you, don't be ashamed of them. There's good in each. Third, keep in mind a positive illustration of each weakness. For example, the executive who is stubborn might have saved his company one hundred thousand dollars by refusing to buy a piece of equipment when alternative equipment would have been superior. He may have fought with middle-level management-even with top management-because of this conviction. The proof of the pudding is the results of his stubbornness. His machine outperforms the other machine by a wide margin and saves a hundred thousand dollars. A strong worthpoint related to your greatest weakness can turn a minus into a plus for you.