The idea that you have a Business Valuation/Lit Support career can get lost in the…
John Borrowman, CPC
Borrowman Baker, LLC
Gallatin, TN
Few things are tougher in an interview than pulling yourself out of the hole you just dug while answering a question. It was a fair question; one you could have anticipated. You went off the rails, though, and it was downhill from there.
Inoculation against foot-in-mouth disease is mostly a matter of preparation. It’s not merely about short answers; it’s knowing when a longer answer might be the right approach.
Questions from an interviewer about your skills, experience, and/or leadership competencies are opportunities for you to shine. They cry out for longer answers to make your case more fully. Don’t rely only on a bullet-point recitation of skills.
Elaborate with examples of where and how those skills came into play. Did you help find an answer to a particular problem in an engagement? Did you do something that improved efficiency or productivity?
On the other hand, questions about weaknesses, personal beliefs, and past decisions – including reasons why you left previous jobs – are like invitations to walk through a cow pasture. The further you go, the higher the likelihood that you’ll put your foot right in it.
If you have interviewed at all, you know the questions to expect. (And if you don’t, Google “tough interview questions.”) Plan your answers. Make them short, simple, and to the point. If possible, include a brief comment about something you learned from the experience. Making mistakes is common. Showing that you have learned from them makes you stand out.
Nobody likes the taste of shoe leather. You can avoid it with the proper interview prep.
John Borrowman
