Dear Matt: When it comes to interviewing, I know the questions I will be asked — but I never seem to answer them the right way. How can I prepare in advance?
Matt says: Don't worry about how you'll answer the oddball question you don't know is coming. Focus on giving extraordinary responses to ordinary interview questions.
Here are some common interview scenarios — and the right way to answer them, according to Frances Cole Jones (francescolejones.com), author of the book "Wow Your Way into the Job of Your Dreams!"
You're asked to "tell me about yourself." Nobody wants to hear, "I was born in Maple Grove/I'm the youngest of six children/I went to Winona State." Instead talk about what you will be contributing to the company once hired. Say something like, "Your job description states you are looking for someone who can do X and Y. Not only can I do X and Y, I can also do Z."
If they ask about a skill set you don't have, say: "I know your job description asks for X, and that's not on my résumé. Here is how I plan to get up to speed by the time I start working at your company." Have a plan and explain it. If they ask about a gap in your résumé, say: "I spent that time doing X, which has given me Y skills that will transfer well to this new position."
If you're asked "what's your greatest strength?", the critical thing is to tell a story. Do not fall back on useless phrases like,"I'm a really great leader" that tell your interviewer nothing. Instead, you need to say, "At my last position I led a team where [insert example] occurred. We were faced with X and Y challenges and Z was the positive result."
So what's your greatest weakness? It is any strength you have taken to an extreme: "I tend to be very passionate about my presentations, which means I sometimes offer too much information. What I've learned to do is edit myself down to what's most important and offer to follow up with additional material if needed."
Interviewers know you are likely to have prepped an answer for this question so as soon as you finish they might say, "Great. Tell me another." You must have a second answer prepared.
If you're asked a question you don't know the answer to, don't wing it — and don't say "good question." Interviewers know that's a filler. Say, "Give me a moment to think about it because I want to be sure to give you the best answer possible." This works for three reasons: You've remained confident by not apologizing. Requesting time to think about it will help you calm down. And who can object when you're trying to give the best answer possible?
Interviews are stressful, so prepare in advance by mastering the basics.
Contact Matt at jobslink@startribune.com.