Interview Question: Why did you leave your last job?
Don't say: "Gee, there were so many reasons I got out of that hellhole."
Instead: Take your time to answer this question, Dattner says. "If the interviewer thinks you are rushing through it, there's a problem."
Why: This is your chance to talk about your experience and your career goals. Don't badmouth a former boss or explain why you were just too good to stay at such a menial job. Instead, focus on what you learned in your previous position and how you are ready to use those skills in a new position. Detail the path you want your career to follow while illustrating how this job is right for you and how you're right for the company.
Why do you want to work here?
Question: Why do you want to work here?
Don't say: "I've maxed out three credit cards and need a paycheck ASAP."
Instead: Articulate why you want the job and why you're a good fit for the company.
Why: A chief mistake job seekers make is focusing on selling themselves to the company and failing to prove why the job is right for them. It sounds narcissistic, but it's not. Dattner suggests asking yourself: "Why is the job right for you and why are you right for the job?" The question helps you give the right answer because you prove that you're in this for more than the paycheck.
Question: How would others describe you?
Don't say: "They would say I'm the best you'll meet and you'd be stupid not to hire me."
Instead: Answer honestly.
Why: "With regard to what others say about you, this gives a lens for the interviewer to use to see characteristics and attributes that the individual being interviewed may not be aware of," Flagg says.
What will do if the employer ask for credit report?
I have answered many help wanted ads and have gotten very little response. Some of the responses are questions regarding my credit score. Is this something new? I did talk to a friend of mine and she told me her previous employer asked before continuing the application/interview process. I don't feel that that has any bearing on my qualifications, experience and education. Is it legal for employers to ask this information of people applying for work?
Alas, it's entirely legal for a prospective employer to request your credit report. But they can't do that without your explicit permission.
If you refuse to give the hiring manager authority to pull your report because there's stuff on it you don't want them to see, or you just think it's an invasion of privacy, you have every right to do that.
Unfortunately, the employer also has every right not to give you a job.
If you do agree to let them see the report, and they base their decision not to hire you on something in it, you have the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to see it, says EFL's Meschke. This will give you an opportunity to try to explain or rectify any issues or errors that may be on there.
The best thing to do is to get a copy of your credit report right now and make sure there's nothing on it that could derail your chances of landing a gig.
Under the Act, the credit reporting firms – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian – are required to give you a copy of your report for free once a year.
Also, if you do have stuff on there that may make an employer nervous, tell them upfront so there are no surprises when they see it, says Tim Mohr, a certified fraud examiner and partner with BDO Consulting.
Interview Question, Why did you leave your last job
Don't say: "Gee, there were so many reasons I got out of that hellhole."
Instead: Take your time to answer this question, Dattner says. "If the interviewer thinks you are rushing through it, there's a problem."
Why: This is your chance to talk about your experience and your career goals. Don't badmouth a former boss or explain why you were just too good to stay at such a menial job. Instead, focus on what you learned in your previous position and how you are ready to use those skills in a new position. Detail the path you want your career to follow while illustrating how this job is right for you and how you're right for the company.
