Military Careers, Second Careers - Marine Corps Times

8 interview questions to ask yourself

What do they want to hear? The “they” is the prospective employer, and the question is the wrong one to pose.

The real question you should be asking is: What is it about you that an employer needs to know to form a crystal-clear picture of why you’re the most qualified for the position? The person the company can’t live without.

Here’s what to ask yourself in order to figure that out:

• What do I do so well that can help this company meet its goals? What skills have I honed that they can rely on?

• What knowledge do I have that this company can depend on to meet its goals?

• What is it about my personality that leads to more productivity and cooperation with others?

• What type of reputation have I developed that makes others want me around?

• What do I do to stay in tune with the problems of this industry?

• What have I done in the past year to go beyond what’s expected of me?

• What’s my philosophy about the work I do?

• Why am I interested in possibly working at this company?

No matter what question you hear, if you can discuss those things, don’t you think an interviewer would get a pretty good picture of why you are a strong contender? Wouldn’t you feel more confident about yourself and prepared for the interview?

Your goal isn’t to regurgitate a bunch of canned, made-for-interviewing responses. It’s to be real and share information relevant to the interviewer. Quit fretting about “what they want to hear.” Make them awestruck by sharing what you want them to know. You’ll be prepared to tackle any question with measured bravado.