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WHY CANDIDATES DO NOT GET HIRED 49

, Provide relevant examples. Answer the questions asked, not the ones
you thought you heard. For example, when asked, “Tell me about a time
when you acted as a leader,” you may be tempted to say, “I am not ready
to manage people.” However, though this may be accurate, you should
provide the information that was requested, not your impression of the
question.

Remember, in this example, the interviewer did not ask if the in-
terviewee had experience as a manager but, rather, what his experience
was as a leader. A leader comes in many forms. Being in charge of a de-
partment is one example of being a leader, but so is taking charge of a
team project. You need to focus your response on the experience, not
your shortcomings or seeming lack of direct experience. You don’t want
to leave the interviewer with a negative impression.

A Negative Mind-Set

If you have a downbeat attitude regarding the job search, that attitude
seeps into your interviews and minimizes your appeal. Before the inter-
view, make a conscious decision to think positively, no matter what di-
rection the meeting takes.

Your mind-set or attitude shows up in a number of ways. For exam-
ple, appearing to give up in the middle of the interview will show you as
weak, a quitter. Suppose you determine midstream during the interview
that the examples you have given are poor; you surrender to a loss. But, re-
member: it is not up to you to disqualify your candidacy—that is up to the
interviewer, so do not do his job for him. Instead, concentrate on your job,
which is to do the best you can in the interview. When you answer a ques-
tion poorly, let go of your disappointment and start fresh with the next
question. Interviewers recognize that a candidate’s apprehension is part of
the process and are willing to overlook one or two weakly worded answers.

Another way that a negative mind-set is revealed is if you take a de-
fensive stance, especially in response to the interviewer’s reactions to your
examples. Follow-up questions are part of the competency-based inter-
view, so expect to hear questions like, “What happened next?” or, “Can
you explain your thought process?” The follow-up questions are a sin-
cere attempt to clarify your experiences and uncover the depth of your
knowledge.

American Management Association
www.amanet.org