By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter explains how to respond when an interviewer says, “Gee, you don’t seem to have a lot of experience with . . . “
Today, I’m going to talk with you about one of those tough interview questions designed to actually rescue you. And the question basically, it’s more of a statement than a question. And it goes something like they’re staring at your resume, they’re looking very serious and they go, gee, you don’t seem to have a lot of experience with whatever it is.
Now, if it’s something specific, like a technology background or some aspect of accounting and engineering, you can kind of hit a slam. In tennis, if you hit an overhead and you just defeat your opponent on the hit, there’s no retaliation for it, no response to it. And that’s really what they’re begging you for at this point.
If you go, it’s true, I don’t really have a lot of experience. Well, basically, you just shot yourself in the foot and you can kiss the interview goodbye. You’re not getting this job.
It’s kind of like I did an earlier video about the two dirty words in interviewing, like two dirty words in job search and job interviews. And the two dirty words are only as in I’ve only done this or I’ve only done that and life like I have light experience with this and that because it says, I don’t really know anything about this. Could we go on to something else? Here, they’re giving you the opportunity.
Take it. Tell them exactly what you know, what you’ve done, why you claim the experience. So, for example, I’m going to use an IT example.
Gee, you don’t seem to have a lot of experience with C sharp. It’s not important what the technology is. It’s just that it’s something that you don’t seem to have a lot of experience with.
Now, at this point, you talk about how you got your training in C sharp, how at previous jobs, you did work with C sharp, you work very closely with the manager you reported to, so you got very good insights. So, even though it’s not 10 years of experience with the technology, you have a good underpinning, a solid experience with it. You talk with them about what you’ve done, yada, yada, yada.
If you’re in accounting, you talk about how you work with your manager on certain functions and were able to deliver things on time and within budget. And, yes, you had a little bit of support, but it wasn’t a lot of support. So, basically, what you’re doing is taking the opportunity to talk about your training, talk about your experience, to speak with confidence and certainty about what you’ve done, looking them square in the eye, not backing down and just hitting that overhead back and winning the point.
So that’s today’s show. I hope you found it helpful. And if you do, I want to encourage you to come join me at JobSearchCoachingHQ.com. That’s my site with curated information from around the web that I’ve developed in podcast, video, articles, all my books and guides to job hunting appear on the site, all for one price.
And I also want to encourage you, give the show five stars in iTunes, please. I have a link in the show notes. It’s going to help other people discover the show and help them anymore.
So, I’ll be back tomorrow with more. In the meantime, have a great day. Take care.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS job search coaching and career advice globally because he makes job search and succeeding in your career easier.
You will find great info and job search coaching to help with your job search at JobSearch.Community
Reverse Engineering the ATS for Results
Schedule a discovery call to speak with me about one-on-one or group coaching during your job search at www.TheBigGameHunter.us.
Stupid Networking Mistakes: No Patience
We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to www.TheBigGameHunter.us and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator. Not acknowledging his work or providing a backlink to www.TheBigGameHunter.us makes you subject to a $1000 penalty which you proactively agree to pay. Please contact us to negotiate the use of our content as training data.
