Page 116 - Fearless Interviewing How To Win The Job By Communicating With Confidence
P. 116

Answering Interview Questions
                   Or . . .
                                My company reduced its labor force to accommodate
                   ANSWER:
                                a major shift in business. My function in the compa-
                                ny was moved to a site 1000 miles away, where I
                                chose not to relocate. I’m eager to pursue other posi-
                                tions in the local area.
                   If you were fired, you have no legal obligation to reveal it. Many
                   highly talented people get fired incidentally. It’s nothing to be
                   ashamed of. At the same time, it’s not something to talk about in
                   front of a prospective new employer.
                       Your ex-employer cannot legally release the informa-
                   tion that you were fired or say anything negative or  positive
                   about your performance, for that matter. The only information
                   an employer can legally reveal about an ex-employee is the
                   following:

                       1.  His or her start date

                       2.  His or her title at the time of leaving the company
                       3.  His or her last day with the company


                   You now have a strategy for answering some of these questions in
                   an optimal way. Keep the interview like a first date—memorable,
                   fun, and not too heavy. Don’t get into personal details that may
                   end up backfiring on you.


                   What-If Questions
                   Questions behind questions often come in the form of what-if
                   questions:

                   QUESTION: What would you do if you discovered that another employee
                                was stealing from the company?

                   The real concern behind this question is not what you would do
                   if someone were stealing. It’s more about loyalty and whether
                   you have good judgment. See if you can guess which of these
                   answers would be the best for this problem:



                                                   105
   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121