During every job interview, there are certain questions that employers can’t ask (although most of the time, they wish they could.) These questions can include information about the applicant’s character, personal information about past employment, or how the individual might deal with a crisis. As the hopeful applicant, it’s your job to do the research beforehand, and come prepared with the answers to these unaskable questions:
- Are you dependable?
- Are you creative?
- Can you plan and schedule effectively?
- Are you ambitious?
- Can you delegate?
- Can you work well with others?
- Do you need to be told something only once?
- Are you skilled in written and oral communication? Do you speak and write multiple languages?
- Do you complete all assignments with excellence?
- Can you coach and mentor others?
- Are you enthusiastic?
- Are you easy to correct and instruct?
- How will you fit into the organization’s culture?
- Will you have a strong commitment to your job?
- How will you increase the organization’s success and profits?
Perhaps one of the best ways to demonstrate that you are capable of the job is by telling a story—everybody loves a good tale. If you are applying for an executive position in accounting, for instance, an employer will undoubtedly want to ask the question: “Why should I trust you with the company’s money?”
Case Study #1
Recently, a junior accountant who grew up and trained in Russia sought resume advice from Fast and Focused Resume Service. When asked if she was honest and trustworthy, the woman replied with a fascinating story. She said: “In my first job in Russia, each month on first of the month I would go to the bank, take out payroll in cash, then go to the airport, fly to Siberia and deliver payroll to 700 men in five work camps.” The client’s intuition was spot-on: unprovoked, she understood the deeper meaning of the question, and respond in a way that proved her integrity.
Case Study #2
Another case study client recounted a more complex situation. A veteran project manager and technical executive applying to a C-level opening at a large Canadian company, he came to me looking for ways to make his resume stand out.
This time, I asked a different question: “Have you ever had to take charge and fix a major crisis for your employers?” As it happened, he had: in his previous job, a subcontractor had called mere days before a critical engineering project deadline with the news that an essential component could not be delivered. Without that component, the new system wouldn’t work, so my client had to design and build the component on very short notice. The result? “We met our deadline: the system integrated perfectly with the old system. As a result, my employer won additional contracts worth hundreds of millions.”
Three days after submitting his resume, he was called in for an interview.
Before your interview, put yourself above your competitors by imagining which unaskable questions might arise in the minds of potential employers. These questions are specific to the profession you are applying to, so be sure you have an arsenal of relevant stories before the interview.
If you need help deciphering the unaskable questions before your upcoming interview, contact Fast and Focused Resume Service today.
To Your Success!
Tim
Your Vancouver Resume Writer