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I just want to say that if you're getting interviews and making it to the final round, it's not your fault and don't be too hard on yourself.
One of the sad things about the current economic state in America is that people always blame the job applicants for a certain outcome and we have a tendency to beat ourselves up when we fail to receive a job offer. Obviously nothing's wrong with your resume if you're landing interviews, and you must interview well if you make it through multiple rounds. At a certain point, it's out of your hands.
You simply can't control if the company goes on a hiring freeze, if you're competing with candidates who have more experience/education, if you're competing against internal candidates, if the boss' cousin / nephew / brother / son needs a job, if they discriminate against you based on location, if the hiring manager dislikes your accent, etc.
I always try to state that I am proactive and a leader who enjoys being hands on. I try to also state that I believe in holding my team accountable. I believe in aiming to exceed goals and also rewarding my team as well. I have 2nd round interviews coming up Wednesday. I am hoping to nail it and get the offer.
Perhaps you already do this, but the important thing is be able to show how you're proactive and a leader. When I'm interviewing people, I look for examples of what someone has done appropriate to the level they are coming from.
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Originally Posted by kaceyellis
I have a couple thoughts (not being an expert at all but having seen my fair share of hiring, as a supervisor).
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Secondly is something my ex son in law told my daughter when she was job hunting after being laid off. He said that interviewers try and get at the nitty gritty truth - BUT they also try and 'trip' you up. So they will ask questions like 'what do you consider your strengths' and 'what do you consider your weaknesses' (or greatest weakness) DONT BE FOOLED into answering 'my weakness is .. that I care to much' or... ANYTHING - turn ANYTHING with a negative connotation around to a positive. "What is your greatest weakness?"
Answer: "One challenge I am/have overcome' (and give an example of a 'challenge' and how you overcame it). That answers the question but puts it in a positive light.
I dont know if that helps any... but hopefully at least give you food for thought
Good Luck!
Kacey
The "greatest weakness" question is such a gimmick, I wonder why anyone asks it anymore. Job applicants know to not give an honest answers and interviewers know they're getting a planned "turn a negative into a positive" response. It's the point I've considered almost asking it as a joke just to see what answers I do get. Who knows, maybe I should hire the person who says CA jones to say her greatest weakness is eating fig newtons. Now that would be an answer I could understand.
The "greatest weakness" question is such a gimmick, I wonder why anyone asks it anymore.
And yet it's an interview staple...and many of the examples people give (to that and other tell me about a time when questions.....) may not have ever happened. They're not necessarily the truth....just good answers that sound good. But if they get the person the job...they accomplished what they were meant to do.
And yet it's an interview staple...and many of the examples people give (to that and other tell me about a time when questions.....) may not have ever happened. They're not necessarily the truth....just good answers that sound good. But if they get the person the job...they accomplished what they were meant to do.
Yes, the answers may do what they were meant to do, but the question doesn't. Since, as you noted, the answers aren't necessarily true, just good stories, it doesn't provide useful information about the candidate.
Business owner and who gets hired has to pass me. If they get to me, they have went to 2 other stages. Certain candidates get run by people who work in those departments.
ASK FOR THE JOB! Ask if they have any hesitations about hiring you.
When I worked for others, I rarely didn't get the job.
I was assertive but not aggressive. Many times, like in all areas of life. It's not you, it's them.
We hired a guy once for inside sales who many wouldn't touch with a ten ft pole. A white collar felon. Hubs tried him on the phone, said he's incredible! I said OK, he doesn't have access to accounting computer. He was not computer literate in anyway. He's here only when we are here. Our products are warehoused in a different state. Let's try him. He was retirement age, looking for part time. We never had an issue with him. He was with us for 4 years. Had a real rapport with the customers we let him handle. He should write a book about his life.
The bolded may work for sales jobs (where your earnings are based on commission and not a fixed salary / wage) and it may have even worked for some non-sales jobs decades ago, but the advice isn't necessarily applicable to most jobs today. For the typical job, there are multiple "stakeholders" involved in the decision to hire an individual, and putting someone on the spot by asking them for the job can easily back fire.
As far as asking if they have any hesitations about hiring you, I would avoid using those exact words as well because you don't want to give the interviewer(s) any other reasons to reject you by asking them to highlight your negative qualities. I would phrase it a different way by asking "Is there anything else regarding my education and experience that you would like for me to expand upon?"
As someone that spent most of my career in management, and have read many thousands of resumes over the years, and what it sounds like is you build a resume for that particular company, but when you are interviewed it shows you are not able to back up your resume. You are saying one thing in the resume, but in real life you cannot back up what you are saying.
If I am wrong, you would get one of those jobs you apply for. That is the big test. You are applying for jobs that you want to move up to, but in the interview you are not able to show a reason to hire you.
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