Page 101 - 101 Dynamite Answers to Interview Questions

94 Nail the Job Interview!

another. Among these objections are questions relating to your bona fide
qualifications - education, experience, and slulls.
If you are weak in any of the qualification areas, you may not be able
to overcome the objections unless you acquire the necessary qualifica-
tions. But chances are these qualifications have been screened prior to the
interview and thus will not be enough to automatically preclude you from
consideration. If your education, experience, and skull level pose any
objections to the interviewer, stress again your strengths in a positive and
enthusiastic manner. Objections to your educational background will be
the easiest to deal with if your experience and slulls demonstrate your
value.
On the other hand, one objection individuals increasingly encounter
today from employers is being over-qualified. More and more people by
choice are moving down in their careers rather than up. Given the desire
for and ease of higher education, more and more people appear over-
educated for many jobs today.
Employers’ objections to candidates being over-qualified are a legiti-
mate concern. From the perspective of employers, the over-qualified
individual may quicldy become a liability. Becoming unhappy with the
job, they leave after a short period of time. Other individuals may have
an unrealistic ambition of quicldy moving up the organizational ladder.
In either case, the over-qualified individual may cost an employer more
than he or she is worth.
The over-qualified candidate may think he or she is doing the
employer a favor - the company is getting more for their money. If this
is your perception of your value, you need to change it immediately.
Unless you are prepared to tale a position which is beneath your
qualifications and can clearly communicate your desire to the employer
so as to lessen his or her fears, you will most likely not get the job. In the
interview you must convince the employer that you understand his
apprehension about you, but you are willing, able, and eager to do the
job.
While you want to communicate your strengths, employers want to
lmow your weaknesses. There are several ways to handle questions that
try to get at your wealu-tesses. If the interviewer franldy asks you ‘‘What
are some ofyour weaknesses?,” be prepared to give him or her positive
responses. You can do this in any of four different ways: