I love my job. Of course I love my job.

But we are doing the “big move” (more on that in the next articles) and so I have to take another look at a job market somewhere and of course, that means stress and interviews and begging (but trying not to look it) to get hired.

In the book Congratulations… You’re Hired by Patricia D. Sadar, SPHR, CHRE, MBA, the job-seeker is encouraged to do a SWOT analysis. That stands for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats, and even provides a table:

SWOT ANALYSIS
INTERNAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES (What you can control)	Strengths you have: Knowledge, skills, abilities Job experience Competencies and characteristics	Weaknesses you have: Knowledge, skills, abilities Job experience Competencies and characteristics
EXTERNAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES (What you can not control)	Opportunities in your industry: Industry is growing Target position is in demand Job opportunities are available in the location you are seeking	Threats in your industry Industry is shrinking Target position is not in demand Job opportunities are not available in the location you are seeking

Okay, okay, I’m analyzing, and thinking, and weighing.

I also started looking at how interview questions are shaped now. And here is what I found in – of all things – Glimpses of Canada: A Pre-departure Guide for Migrants to Canada. Let’s see you take a crack at these interview questions:

1. Do you consider yourself successful?
2. What do co-workers say about you?
3. Are you applying for other jobs?
4. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
5. Tell me about your dream job.

Thankfully, the guide gives suggested answers (whew):

1. Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer YES and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

2. What do co-workers say about you?

Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest worker she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

3. Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

4. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: “I would like it to be a long time. Or as long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.”

5. Tell me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay generic and say something like: “A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and cannot wait to get to work.”

Really? Really? Obviously, I have a lot of work to do. And if you are in the same boat, good luck to you too.

Article by Issa.
Website: www.YouWantToBeRich.com
Email: [email protected]

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