In my new book, Master the Interview, I discuss the importance of recognizing the questions “behind the questions.” If you want results in your job interviews, this is a crucial point.
As I mentioned in my prior post, there are the questions that your interviewer asks, and there are often other questions that he/she really wants answered:
Interviewers ask other questions – such as “what is your ideal job?” – that approximate what they want to discover about the candidate, knowing that many of these questions are poor proxies for what they really want to know yet hoping that the questions they do ask get them there.
When interviewers ask “how you overcame a setback in your professional career,” for example, they are asking for about problem-solving skills and resilience.
As you are preparing for an interview, don’t miss the obvious points. At the same time, look behind the obvious. Instead of simply reacting quickly to a question asked – with all of your adrenalin pumping and your mind on high alert – take a mental step back (a quick one, truth be told) and allow the underlying theme of the question to sink in. Then, you will know that your answer is not only authentic, but also relevant to the job.
If you can not only answer the question asked but also address the underlying theme of the question, you set yourself up for job interview success.
Please follow up for more details at my prior post.
Anne Marie Segal is a career and leadership coach, author and resume writer for attorneys, executives and entrepreneurs. Her new book, Master the Interview, is available on Amazon.com. For more information about Anne Marie’s coaching and resume writing work or to request a potential speaking engagement in the New York area, please visit www.segalcoaching.com.
Segal Coaching LLC 