Instrumentos financieros

There are many questions asked in an interview that are designed to trick you or to put you on the defensive. Here are some samples and some suggestions about handling them.

What do you know about our company? If you've done your home- work, you can come up with some discussion of products produced, company size and income, company reputation, and its image. Whether or not the question comes up, be prepared to answer it. You want to send out a knowledgeable subtext. Whatever you

do, don't try the "I don't know much, but I'd like to learn" approach It won't get you brownie points. Dig into your research beforehand and if that fails try to find someone who works for the company who'll talk to you about it.

Why do you want to leave your present job? This presumes that you are still working when you are interviewed. The best answer is that there was no place you could go in the company. Upward mobility is limited, or the work isn't challenging. Perhaps you want a more dynamic company. Another answer might be your salary isn't good enough, and you're after more demanding work with better opportunities.

A good answer here could be that you are after a line job instead of a staff job. Line is sales, marketing, production. Every- thing else is staff. Line jobs affect profits directly; staff jobs contrib- ute to profits indirectly. They are company overhead and are usually the first area where layoffs occur.

Why did you leave your last job? This question is almost a must for interviews. If possible, try to give a group answer. Some exam- ples: "Our entire division was let go." "After the buyout our territory was cut." "The major suppliers left town."

Defend yourself without being too defensive. A good answer is "I planned for the time to look for a new position and I've put away enough to tide me over."

If you were fired, unless it was for insubordination, nonperfor- mance, or embezzlement, it's not something to be ashamed of, nor is it something that will be held against you. Most people get fired because of a clash in personalities, new management who bring their own people with them, or a cutback that eliminates their job. Whatever the reason, don't be negative about your last

boss or company. Try to find an explanation that takes the blame away from you. A few examples: "I went as far as I could go, and there was nothing else open." "My job has been eliminated, and no one is filling it." "They discovered that I was looking outside, and they asked me to leave." The trick is to turn a negative subtext into a positive one.

An important point in answering this question is to know what your references have said about you. One good way to check this out is to have a friend call up your old company, say you are applying for a job, and ask for references. If there are negative elements in your references, try to talk them over with your ex- boss and see if they can be softened. But the best thing to do is to give, as references, people you know will speak well of you.

Your resume is good, but aren't you overqualified for this job? Don't deny it. You can use this gambit to really sell yourself. Explain that your overqualifications are your employer's good luck. You can do this in a number of ways. One is to show the similarities between your last job and this one, or how your past experience, even if it's from a different field, can be of great value in this job. A point here: every industry has its own lingo. Know the terminology of the business and use it.

What didn't you like about your last job? Give an honest answer to this one, but in a positive sense. Once again, do not speak negatively about your last employer. The subtext you want to send out is that you had more to give to your company than they cared to use. One ploy is that at your last job, seniority meant more than hard work in terms of promotion. You like to work hard.

Another possible answer is that meeting deadlines and schedules is important to you, and you don't think the last job used your

strengths, or promotions were too slow and weren't based on perfor- mance. Try to answer any question in an interview with a response that sends out a positive subtext, but do it subtly!

What are your strong points? Know at least seven, and try to

relate each to the job you are after. The subtext you want to send is: "I am organized, goal oriented, persevering, not rigid and able to manage and motivate a staff. I work well by myself or as a team member. Before the interview, prepare a list of your strengths. Don't be taken by surprise.

What are your weak points? All of us have them, but in a job

interview, while you should be honest about some minor ones, there is no need to give away the store. The point here is to try to make a weakness a plus without being obvious. Send out conflict- ing subtexts with the positive one the stronger. Here are a few examples: "I'm impatient. By that I mean I'm very result oriented." "I tend to get in and work with my subordinates. It may not be great management, but I like important work done on time." "I hate to do detail work, but I do it thoroughly." You get the point?

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