Job Hunting: Surviving the Firing Squad of Questions

This article is one in a series on job hunting. In particular, it’s the second in a series of dedicated solely to the in-person interview process. That sounds like a lot of information, but when you consider that recruiters say many candidates lose the job during this interview process, it bears taking the time to know all you can know.

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I’ve made my living most of my life selling article ideas to strangers. I have had to convince someone, via a piece of paper, that I have a great idea, and that I have an expertise in the field. In essence, it has been one job interview after another.

What I thought before, and know for sure know, is I’d rather be on the asking end of a question any day of the week. Almost invariably, the first question you will be asked will also be one of the most difficult to answer: So, can you tell me about yourself?

Sigh. When I write an article, I’m asked to provide a two- to three-sentence bio to be tacked onto the end of the piece to reflect a bit about me and why I’m writing the article. The writing of that bio is more of a brain drain than the writing of the article itself.
It gets even more dicey in a job interview. Your first instinct will be to review verbally your resume to the interviewer. Generally, the interviewer is really asking about you, as a human. So, what - -and how much - -do you tell?

Women with small children may be reluctant to state that they have small children at home for fear it will be flagged by the company. Legally, you can’t be discriminated against for these sorts of personal reasons. Employers cannot ask that question directly, so most women will leave it out. Still, that’s a big part of your personal life, right? How can you describe you without saying you have a family? You can say simply that you live with your family in “x” part of town. Don’t sound like you are evading an issue. Smile, look the person in the eye and answer the question briefly.