Page 153 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

138 Reading Between the Signs

Scenario 3
Hearing Interviewer: Do you have any experience with the XYZ
software?
Deaf Applicant: No. None at all.
A direct, honest, negative response will not win many
points in a job interview. Applicants are expected to try
to turn any question into a chance to laud themselves.
The interviewer will be surprised if the applicant does
not attempt to dress up a negative answer, as in the
following response: “Not with the XYZ software specifi-
cally, but I do have five years’ experience with the ABC
software, which, I believe, is quite similar. And I am
sure I could pick it up very easily. I’m a fast learner.”

Scenario 4
Hearing Interviewer: Since I just asked you about your strengths,
I need to ask also about your weaknesses. What are some of
them as they relate to this job?
The classic trick question. The employer does not ex-
pect a full disclosure of the applicant’s shortcomings,
foibles, and bad habits. Instead, he or she wants to see
how the applicant can turn this tough question into
another positive statement.
Deaf Applicant: Well, I guess I haven’t used that accounting
software before, and my last accounting class was ten years
ago in college, and sometimes it takes me a little while to catch
on to a new program…. Is that what you mean?
Advice commonly given to job seekers encountering this
question is to cite a positive trait in disguise. Two ex-
amples of traditional answers to the classic trick ques-
tion are these: (1) I get so wrapped up in my work that
sometimes I forget to take a break or (2) I tend to ex-
pect everyone to work as hard as I do. If the Deaf appli-
cants are not aware that they are participating in the
“job interview game” with all the rules this implies, it is
not surprising that they answer the question literally.

06 MINDESS PMKR 138 10/18/04, 12:01 PM