Get the Job You Want, Even If No One Is Hiring

Rihanna: In any job interview you are likely to be asked at least one trap question, and with the current job market we certainly can't afford to fall in the trap. Here to help you ace your interview and land the job is career expert and author of “Get the job you want even when no one’s hiring” Ford R. Myers. Hello. Ford R. Myers: Hi Rihanna, and thanks for having me. Rihanna: Well, thank you for coming. Today, we’re going to do something a little bit different, we’re going to role play. I'm going to be the interviewer and I'm going to ask you some questions and I'm not even going to tell you what order I'm asking and I may even throw in some of my own questions. Ford R. Myers: Okay, it’s a deal. Rihanna: Are you ready for that? Ford R. Myers: I'm ready. Rihanna: Okay, so you're going to give us—tell us how people should respond to this trap questions. Ford R. Myers: I sure will. Rihanna: So question number one, what changes would you make to our company if you came on board? Ford R. Myers: Well, what I would not do is pronounce all the sweeping changes that I'm going to make the very first day of the job. Instead what I would do Rihanna in this, I would think about what kind of things the company is doing currently, what has been working, what hasn’t been working. I would solicit advice and information from other team members and especially from my boss. I would then slowly begin to formulate some ideas for improvements. And then finally I would reaffirm what the company’s greatest needs and problems and challenges are and then tell some accomplishment stories that directly relate to those needs. Rihanna: Okay, so you’d want to use a little bit attack is the bottom line of that. Ford R. Myers: Oh yes, you’ve got to tactful, you don’t want to come in there like a bull in a China shop, you’ve got to take it slow and steady. Rihanna: I would change this and this and this, yeah. Ford R. Myers: Exactly, take it slow and steady. Rihanna: Next question. What did you like best and least about your last job? Ford R. Myers: Okay. Well again, never say anything negative so you don’t want to complain about your last boss or you last company. What you want to do is say that actually you did like some things about the job and state exactly what those things were. And then say something like although no job is perfect and every job has it challenges you were very well positioned in your last position. You enjoyed it, you contributed a great deal to the company and you're overall quite satisfied. Rihanna: Okay, so be positive that’s a good— Ford R. Myers: Always positive. Rihanna: It’s probably easy to jump in to all the negative things about the company. Next question, everyone has pet peeves what are yours? Ford R. Myers: All right, in terms of pet peeves I would turn this around and focus on your own very, very high standards. So, talk about how you are very hard on yourself, you’re always trying to improve your performance and reach your full potential and how you may have had some minor challenges in the past you’ve addressed them successfully and they’re no longer a problem. So, pet peeves again, never say anything negative, focus it back on yourself instead of complaining about other people. Rihanna: Okay, so in your opinion, your expert opinion that doesn’t sound a little fake to say something like that that is really how you should response? Ford R. Myers: Well, I understand your question, it’s a good question but you have to understand that the employer, the interviewer is trying to hang you, they are trying to eliminate you. Don’t give them the rope to hang you. You can only keep it positive, never say anything negative even if it seems a little bit too contrive or Pollyannaish. Rihanna: Okay, people like being around positive, people that’s true. Ford R. Myers: That’s right. Rihanna: Okay next question. I love this question. Tell me about the best and worst boss you’ve had. Ford R. Myers: Well again, never, never say anything negative about any prior bosses, what you want to say in this case is that you’ve had a lot of different kind of bosses they’ve had different kinds of style, different kinds of approaches but the fact is that you’ve been fortunate to learn and grow from each boss and work productively with each of your bosses. Rihanna: Because certainly the one thing you mentioned you don’t like will turn out to be the boss you have that’s— Ford R. Myers: Of course, they might even be related to the fellow. Rihanna: Okay, here's the next question for you. At your previous job, what did you think management could have done to make you function more affectively? Ford R. Myers: Okay, now you hear how that’s a trap question too? Rihanna: Yes. Ford R. Myers: Trying to put you into a corner. Rihanna: They were all trying to put on a corner. Ford R. Myers: They're all. So again, never say anything negative. Here what you want you want to talk about is the fact that your previous employers have always given you the resources and the support you needed to do a great job. And just stop it there. There's no reason to go any further. Rihanna: And then, are they always trying to make you say something wrong? Ford R. Myers: Yes. Rihanna: That’s what this trap questions are for? Ford R. Myers: Oh yes, look at the current job market with thousands of applicants for every position, they're trying very hard to eliminate candidates. The fastest where they're going to eliminate you is if you say something very negative. Rihanna: So, turn everything into a positive. Ford R. Myers: Everything exactly right. Rihanna: Okay, thank you so much Ford. I would hire you, you're hired on the spot. Ford R. Myers: Thanks Rihanna. Rihanna: Right here. Ford R. Myers: Thank you so much. Rihanna: Okay, thank you so much and for lots of other tips and specific examples of how you should and should not respond to the job interview, pick up a copy of Get the job you want even when no one’s hiring, that is available now.