Career path – tapping into old skills
Q: I’m traveling down an old road, back to direct sales, where my career path started 20 years ago. In the interim, I have taken up some management roles, but I miss the independence of being a salesperson. However, I fear the interviewers will believe I no longer have the hunger for sales? How do […]
How to maintain focus as a job interview approaches
Q: I applied for the job yesterday, they rang first thing this morning and want to interview me on Friday. Can I therefore take it that they are very keen to hire me? (DL, email) A: Well, the scenario you describe is infinitely preferable to several alternative ones that could include them not getting back […]
How to avoid getting pipped at the post
Q: I’m in an unusual position. A job has come up in the place where I’ve been freelancing / working on a temporary basis for several years. The reality is that I am the leading contender. But there are several others who have also been freelancing here. They haven’t as much experience as me and […]
How to make your career history work with – not against – you
Q: I’ve got past the first two interviews for a major post I am chasing in a new company, and now, as I get ready for the third, they’ve insisted that they want to talk to the general manager of the company where I worked prior to my current role. This causes me a big […]
I chanced my arm – and got caught
Q: I was poorly prepared for the interview. I chanced my arm. I hadn’t practiced my answers, and I got thrown off by some easy questions. For example, I struggled on what I knew about the company (little or nothing); why I was leaving my current job (my time there is done, and this was […]
How to make your ‘dream job’ work for you
Q: I am going for an interview in a company next week. A friend of mine went for an interview there about a year ago and a question that really threw her was “identify your dream job – and why?” She reckons she made a complete mess of it. How can I get my head […]
Stressful situations at work, how I learned from the tough days
Q: I was surprised when one of the interviewers asked me how I handled stressful situations at work. I tried to tell her that I didn’t really feel stress on the job, but she didn’t buy it. I mumbled something about a time when our main suppliers had a major supply line issue, but the […]
How to show you’ve learned from the bad day in your career
Q: In the interview, they asked me to outline a scenario where I had a problem in my workplace. I tried to fudge it but they were very keen to get a hard-and-fast example. I told them about an error which halted production for a few hours. But I didn’t really elaborate, and I don’t […]
Seven errors you need to avoid in a job interview
Showing lack of interest. Going through the motions is a no-no. You simply must display enthusiasm for the role, no matter how good you are at your job, or how mundane you think it is. If you can’t muster enthusiasm for the interview, they will likely conclude you won’t bring a great deal of life […]
How you can get into your stride at interviews
Q: After perhaps ten seconds of niceties at the start of the interview, the lead interviewer asked me why they should hire me. She said that I had as much time as I needed for the answer. This really threw me. I mumbled a few things about my strengths and experience, but I know I […]