Getting a Networking Job For Dummies

Chapter 18

Ten Great Answers for Your Interviewer

In This Chapter

• Thinking about the question behind the question
• Knowing your story and how to tell it
• Breezing through tough, open-ended questions

Some of your interviewers will be experienced and have developed a style to elicit the information they want to make a decision about you and this role. Others are newbies and base their questions on what they think they're supposed to ask. You'll want to be ready regardless of the interviewer's experience and skill.

This chapter presents the most common interview questions with an interpretation of what underlying information the interviewer is trying to gather. This English to interview-speak translation guide should help you prepare your answers. These prepared answers will be the most effective way to communicate your message — if you can deliver them in a way that sounds spontaneous.

In Chapter 16, we cover some of the types of interview you can expect to experience. Regardless of the interview type, keep in mind that you want to knit together a story that shows that you are qualified and a good personality fit. Having responses to the questions you will likely be asked will give you the tools necessary to knit that story into the job of your dreams.

Preparing for the Unprepared

Suppose that the HR department has scheduled an interview for two busy managers. They got the email with the job description and your resume yesterday. An alert pops up on their screen that the interview ...