Powerful Phrases for Successful Interviews

by Tony Beshara

  That is the very reason you should hire me!

  For instance, if the hiring or interviewing authority expresses a concern about you having three jobs in three years, a powerful phrase would be:

  That’s the very reason that you should hire me; I can’t afford to have another short stint on my résumé. Two of the last three firms that I worked for, unfortunately, have gone out of business. I’d still be there if they hadn’t. As long as you will stay in business, I’ll be the first one here every day and the last one to leave. I need to stay with you for many years.

  Notice here that we turned a perceived negative into a positive. We changed the “base” to a positive. Let’s get started. Once in a while, I’m going to offer you more than one phrase for certain critical, difficult questions.

  COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON WHETHER YOU ARE A RISK

  Q. Why do you want to leave where you are? . . . or . . . Why did you leave your last position? (Remember. Employers identify with other employers. Saying anything negative or disparaging about the company that you are presently with, or are leaving, is not going to do you well. Let me repeat: Saying anything negative about the people that you are working for or have worked for will be disastrous.)

  I really love my job, I like the people I work with, and I appreciate everything the organization has done for me. However, the company is in the process of being sold (or under new management or has been contracting for the past few years and so on), and I am personally stymied in my professional challenge and personal growth.

  Now that you’ve laid the groundwork, you want to explain your move in a way the hiring authority will understand. You’re not being negative about your current (or previous) company; you’re just looking for a better position.

  I can stay in the position that I am in, but for the next several years I’m not going to be able to grow beyond the job I’m in now. Since my growth is limited, both personally and professionally, everything else, including my earnings, will stagnate. I owe it to myself and my family to seek a new opportunity where I can grow and be challenged beyond the position that I have now.

  You can also describe the job for which you’re interviewing as an advancement over the job you have now and mention how much you will contribute to their company if they hire you.

  This particular position that I’m interviewing for will give me the opportunity to_____________________________, as well as really contribute to the growth of your organization. I’m just not able to do that where I am now. It isn’t anybody’s fault. It’s the nature of what we do and the size of our organization.

  Q. You’ve stayed short periods of time in your last three jobs. What’s wrong? (The obvious fear behind this question is that, if you are hired, you will only stay at that job for a short period of time.)

  While you are correct that I’ve had three very short stints in my employment, there are two things that are very important. First of all, I don’t like it better than anyone else; in fact, it has really concerned me. I made mistakes in taking a couple of those positions, and if knew then what I know now, I would never have done that.

  Now you must turn the negative into a positive:

  The fact that I’ve had three relatively short positions is one of the very reasons I can guarantee stability. I cannot afford another short stint at a job, so I am being very careful about the next job I take. Whoever hires me is going to get a passionate, committed employee for at least several years.

  Then explain what a hard-working, committed employee they’ll be getting if they hire you.

  Even though the opportunities did not last very long, I worked hard while I was there. The references I have from those organizations will substantiate how hard I worked and how much I contributed.

  It does not do any good at all to try to justify two or three short jobs that appear on your résumé. That is a road to disaster.

  Q. You’ve been the president of a firm or the owner of your own firm. How do we know that you can work for someone else . . . or that you will take direction? (You’ll first need to deflect the assumption that you won’t be comfortable answering to someone else after running your own show.)

  As president of an organization (or owner of a firm) I answered to customers, employees, the government, the IRS, my attorneys, my CPAs, insurance companies, vendors . . . and very often, my spouse. We all answer to someone.

  Then explain how you recognize that the responsibility is on you to be a good employee.

  I have never met a good leader who couldn’t work within any organization, and be part of a team, as well as a good follower. In this opportunity, I may not lead the organization, but I still work for myself. My future earnings will be dependent upon how I perform. The only difference is that someone else will sign the paycheck.

  Next, you must present the positive aspects you’ll bring to the organization:

  One great advantage in hiring me is that because I have been president of my own firm (or owned my own company), I understand how hard it is to run a business. More than anyone else you will interview, I will treat your money like my money because I really understand how that works.

  Finish strong to allay the lingering fears of the hiring authority:

  This all means that I’m going to work just as hard for you as I worked for myself. I take direction just as well as I give it, I follow just as well as lead, and I do what needs to be done. My ego is in check. I’m interested in the opportunity because I know I can do a good job for a very good company.

  Q. You have been out of work for six months (or eight months or one year to two years or . . . ). What’s wrong? Why haven’t you been able to find a job?

  As you know with this economy, it’s been a difficult market. I didn’t realize what a challenge it would be. I’ve worked hard to get a few interviews, and I came close to getting an offer twice. The competition is stiffer than I thought it would be, and the opportunities are fewer. I have been an excellent employee in the past, and I will be again.

  Q. This position with our company requires a college degree, and I noticed on your résumé you state only that you attended college, but it didn’t say you graduated? Why did you quit?

  I didn’t get a chance to complete my degree because . . . (and it better be a good reason, like a death in the family . . . I was married with a kid and I had to go to work . . . I was putting myself through college and the money ran out, so I had to go to work.)

  Do not say things like: “I was bored . . . college and I didn’t get along . . . I didn’t value the chance I had enough and I regret it.” Even things like, “I just wasn’t mature enough for college and didn’t appreciate it,” won’t work. You must have a good, palatable reason for not completing your degree.

  Then finish with this powerful phrase:

  I do wish I’d finished, but every job I’ve ever had has required a degree on paper. I have performed well at all of them. In fact, when you analyze my background and check my references, you will find that my not having a degree has never affected my performance.

  Q. This position is one or two levels below the jobs you’ve had in the past. How do we know we won’t hire you, and then in six or seven months someone calls you with a position like that and you leave? (This is one of the biggest fears that any hiring manager or hiring authority has. To hire somebody and then have them leave, for whatever reason, is a big risk.)

  In every company where I’ve worked, I’ve started out at a position one or two levels below what I eventually attained. I have no intention of wasting anyone’s time, money, or effort, especially mine or yours; I wouldn’t be trying to get this position if I didn’t think that it would be challenging, gratifying work and I wouldn’t have a really good future with this organization.

  Expand your answer by reassuring the hiring authority that you won’t just jump at the next chance that comes your way.

  In the past, I would get calls from time to time about interviewing at other organizations or other com
panies for higher- level positions. But I was very happy where I was. I enjoyed the work, I was challenged, and, frankly, the compensation followed my being happy, content, and challenged in the job.

  Finally, zero in on what a great opportunity this is and say that you’re sure they won’t be disappointed.

  If we can make this opportunity happen, I assure you I know exactly what I’m getting into and the idea of leaving, or being recruited away for another position, just isn’t realistic for me. I like the job, the people, the company, and if we can work out the compensation, I am more than confident that I will make you an excellent employee for a long, long time.

  Q. Why did you leave your last job so abruptly? . . . or . . . Why do you want to leave your current job? How do I know you won’t do the same here? (This is one of the most difficult and treacherous questions you’re going to be asked. The biggest mistake candidates make when it comes to this question is that they, first, don’t mention how much they appreciate the job they had or presently have and then, secondly, they talk about self-centered reasons for either leaving or changing jobs.)

  You know, I really loved that job for_____________, and really appreciated all of the people whom I was working with. Unfortunately, the company had to downsize because of the economy and since I was one of the last hired, I was one of the first to go.

  Another powerful phrase you can use in this situation is:

  I really love my job and I love the people with whom I worked. But I’ve reached a point where the opportunity for me to grow both personally and professionally just isn’t there. They are good people and have been good to me. I will certainly miss them, and I’m sure that they will miss me, but I am capable of greater responsibility and authority and the odds of me getting that where I am just aren’t very great.

  Never criticize, denigrate, bad-mouth, or in any way speak poorly of your present or past employer.

  Q. Were you fired? And why were you fired? (I don’t recommend that you answer this question with something like, “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me . . . it was a blessing in disguise . . . the job wasn’t working out, anyhow . . . the job just wasn’t for me.” These kinds of answers have a tendency to come across as flippant and arrogant.)

  I really loved that job and the opportunity it afforded me. I learned a lot from those people, and the time I spent there was gratifying. Unfortunately, because of management changes and economic issues, we had to go through a layoff, and I happened to be one of the ones who was affected.

  Now, if you were fired for any cause, even if you don’t agree with it, you need to use this phrase:

  I really loved that company. I performed well, but there came a time for us, the company and me, to make a change.

  Then smile in a very friendly way, stop talking, and keep looking the interviewer in the eye. You can follow up with:

  And before that, I was at_____________________ (company), where I performed very well.

  If the cause of your dismissal was an external one, like going through a divorce, an illness, an illness in the family—something that is now behind you—you should use a phrase like:

  Unfortunately I was going through a difficult divorce (or illness of my parents, spouse, and so forth), and I was terribly distracted from my work. I missed a lot of work and wasn’t very focused when I was there. We had to part ways, and I understand the reasons.

  Fortunately, I have emotionally recovered from the divorce and am ready to focus 100 percent on my new job. I have been an excellent employee before and will be one for you.

  Answering this question, when you have no other choice but to admit you were fired, even for cause, takes more practice than probably any answer you will ever give in an interviewing situation. Practice! Practice! Practice!

  Q. Where do you see yourself five years from now . . . or how does this job fit into your career goals? (If you answer anything along the lines of, “I have no idea,” you’re dead in the water. If you are too audacious and say something like, “I want be the president of this company,” you’ll appear foolish.)

  I’m not sure of exactly what kind of position I will have in five years, but my goal is to be performing in a challenging position where my company feels like I’m contributing to its success, taking advantage of every attribute that I have. I feel that if I do the very best I can every day, push myself to the limit, grow personally and professionally, then tomorrow, as well as five years from now, will take care of itself.

  Q. How much time did you take off last year? (Be truthful about this answer. After all, if a company checks your previous employment reference, one question they might ask will be about an excessive number of absences. So, if you were absent from work an inordinate amount of time in the past year, be sure to communicate that the circumstances were out of the ordinary and that being absent from work is not a habit for you.)

  I’m a stickler for punctuality and being at work every day. In the last two years, there’s been a lot of illness in our family, which caused me to be out more than normal. The situation has been rectified, and there’s no reason that I wouldn’t be at work every day.

  Q. Have you ever had personal financial difficulties? (If you have had personal credit challenges caused by a bankruptcy, divorce, being out of work for so long, or any other less than positive circumstance, the best thing to do it is to admit that your credit has been “bruised” and enumerate the circumstances that caused the issue. If you think that a rough credit history may be an issue for a prospective employer, don’t let him or her find out about it when they do a credit check.)

  Unfortunately, in this last recession, I had some real problems with my credit. It has been bruised. But I have recovered and repaired the damage.

  If you had to file bankruptcy, the phrase to use is:

  You need to know that I have filed bankruptcy. However, I have repaired the damage and have had no challenges recently.

  Q. If you inherited a lot of money, say $2 or $3 million, what would you do?

  I worked all my life and no matter how much money I might have in the bank, I would foresee continuing to work.

  No one really knows what they would do if they inherited a lot of money, so this really is a silly question. However, the hiring authority is afraid of hiring someone and then having that person soon quit, whatever the reason.

  Q. This job pays $10,000 a year less than what you’ve been making. How do we know that you won’t take the job and then keep looking to try to make up for that difference?

  I see this as a career move. To me, money is not the primary reason for accepting or rejecting an offer. In fact, the last two jobs I accepted were at salaries that were less than other offers I had. I am motivated by my career, the challenge of the job, and the intrinsic value of doing well. If I do a good job, the money takes care of itself.

  Q. If a personal commitment conflicts with a business emergency, what do you do? (This is a somewhat loaded question.)

  Fortunately, I’ve never been caught in that bind. I’ve always been able to make sure that unexpected personal commitments have been taken care of by someone else. Because of my personal situation, I doubt that I would have to make that choice.

  Q. If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently? (This is kind of a trick question. Whatever you do, don’t go overboard about all the mistakes you’ve made and what you would have done differently.)

  You know, I’ve been fortunate; I haven’t made too many mistakes in my career, and I’ve sure learned a lot from the ones that I made. There aren’t very many career choices or decisions that I would change.

  Q. How long will you stay with us if you are hired or How do I know that you will stay with us for a reasonable period of time to be effective?

  As you can see, I’ve been very stable in the positions I’ve had before, and I would expect that as long as the opportunity is fulfilling and the company is pleased with my work, I will stay just as long here. I have nev
er really left my jobs so much as the jobs have left me for one reason or another.

  Or you can use this powerful phrase:

  My experience has been that as long as I’m challenged and the company I work for is pleased with my work, we both grow. As long as both of us are growing, there’s no real need for either one of us to make a change.

  Q. Have you ever been asked in any of your jobs to do something unethical? How did you handle it? (Tell the truth. In rare instances, candidates leave companies because they’re asked to do unethical things. If you did leave because you were asked to do something unethical, don’t make a big, long emotional harangue about how somebody asked you to “cheat” and you wouldn’t do it. Simply use the following phrase.)

  A few years ago, I was asked to account for an expense that really wasn’t for a client. It made me uncomfortable enough to where I left the company within a few months. I considered it crossing the line, and the folks I worked directly for didn’t see it that way.

  You don’t want to come across as “holier than thou” and show contempt for people who might ask you to do something out of line. Likewise, you need to make it clear that you didn’t agree with what you were asked to do, so you refused to do it.

  Q. You are awfully young for this position, aren’t you? I’m afraid that, in building your career, you would only stay with us for a short period of time.

  I know that I’m a bit young to have accomplished what I have, but I find that maturity is more an issue of experience and being able to perform than it is one of age. As long as I am contributing to the business endeavor of the organization and personally growing, there is no reason for me to leave.