3 Things Your Interviewer Doesn’t Need to Know (Unless You’re Asked)
Posted January 6, 2015 & filed under Interviewing
A job interview is a delicate thing. It’s a rope bridge linking two Himalayan peaks. You can make it across but every step is taken with great care. Often, what tips people over the edge isn’t a slight to a former boss or an oddball response that freaks out the manager. One of these 3 well-intentioned responses causes many job seekers to lose their footing.
Getting Specific about Your Salary
It’s putting the cart before the ox. Your interviewer needs to be convinced of your value before you ever talk compensation. Salary negotiations are a closer (after hiring you is a foregone conclusion).
However, if you are put on the spot with a question about your desired salary, keep it vague. Tell them that you are more focused on finding the right opportunity. If they press further, give a range but convey that you are negotiable.
Justifying Gaps On a Resume
When you think there’s a 300 lb. gorilla in the room, it can seem counterintuitive to ignore it. Yet that can sometimes work while handling employment gaps.
Leave the discussion in the hands of your interviewer. There’s no point in bringing up an employment gap if he or she doesn’t ask. Always have an explanation prepared, but know that sometimes, it’s not even an issue. So why make it one?
Unloading Personal Information
Most people know not to divulge embarrassing personal stories or instances of family dysfunction. As a rule of thumb, you keep the interview as professional as possible. However, certain topics are like fool’s gold (they only appear to be a golden idea).
One thing hiring managers don’t need to know in the first interview is your upcoming need for time off. Often, if it’s medical related (i.e. an important medical procedure or need to spend time with a terminally ill family member) or a pre-planned vacation, you can get it cleared, but you should wait until later in the process.
In the first 90 days, you want to keep these requests to a minimum. Interviewers tend to think, “This person hasn’t even started and is already asking for time off? So always broach this topic carefully.
It’s important to be honest, but you don’t want to hurt your own chances. Your personal information should be treated like a time-release capsule: there’s a right time for certain information, and it isn’t at the beginning.
by James Walsh
