Tackling concerns in a job interview

Personal interviews are often about winning the personal side of the hiring process – since most of a jobseeker’s experience and background often is already screened and reviewed ahead. But they also are a great opportunity to ensure that you eliminate any concerns the hiring manager may have, or any question marks that remain after the screening process. That is why when you go to a job interview you should be fully prepared with a present mind to respond quickly and tactfully to the interviewer’s direct or indirect concerns.

Although there is no way you will be able to predict every single issue or concern that might be brought up during an interview, there are many guesses you can make if you put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes and go through your own resume. Here are a few red flags that, if you have any or all on your resume, you should be prepared to provide some explanations.

Hops

Even though employers typically aren’t looking to hire someone for life, they still are interested in having as much stability as possible. Seeing a pattern of changing jobs frequently can be a major concern. While you don’t need to raise the issue, you should be prepared with reasonable arguments if the question comes up. For example, in case of having changed several jobs in the past couple of years, try to demonstrate how this is not a pattern but a result of, for example, your relocation along with your family, a personal circumstance, your realization that you’ve taken a wrong move, etc. While you need to be honest, make sure your answers don’t add to the employer’s concerns by presenting yourself as unreliable, impulsive or unclear about your career goals.

Gaps

Whenever you discuss employment gaps, you also need to provide reasonable explanations. If a big gap – more than six months – occurred between two jobs, be sure to provide the overall picture like what you were doing to find a job, or whether you decided to take your time to pursue a particular position, for example. It is critical that you focus on the end result rather than the struggle you went through. No one wants to hire a victim, so even though the economy was the culprit in your long unemployment, putting all the blame on it isn’t the solution.

Lack of experience

Early in the process, a hiring manager may see a candidate who doesn’t fully have the required experience or education. If you made it to one of these interviews and you know of your shortcoming, you need to be prepared to capitalize on the positive aspects that led the hiring manager to see your potential. These points of strength can be a relevant experience that you’ve acquired, or just a hunch from the hiring manager that you can do the job. With that in mind, you may still be pretty far from scoring the job, particularly if you’re competing against others who have better experience and credentials. To make sure that you proceed, try your best to know what areas of strength that the hiring manager is considering and play them up. In the meantime, don’t deny your lack of experience. Instead take a constructive approach in explaining how you will make up for it. Specify tangible steps that you’re planning to take, and add to the mix any relevant experience that can help you get started on the right track.

Age

Because most companies are committed to fair employment practices, they are unlikely to drop a qualified candidate for age-related concerns. However, if you’re aware that the team that you’re aspiring to join is significantly older or younger in age, you may be better prepared to tackle the issue – apparently without an argument. The way to eliminate any fears is by presenting yourself correctly and making sure that you address the professional implication of the problem. For example, if you’re joining a team that is older, you may need to emphasize how your relevant experience is focused on the requirement of the job, and how you accumulated this experience in a relatively short time. Stress your willingness to continue your pursue of learning and benefiting from training and team members, alike. Joining a younger team may be equally tricky. But the concerns often are solved if you present yourself as someone who doesn’t plan to boss others around and whose long experience is along up-to-date.

Rania Oteify, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is currently an editor based in Seattle.