Blog

How Identifying the Interviewer’s Concerns can Help You Snag the Job

Have you gone through several interviews and not gotten a job, despite having flawless credentials, glowing references and a sparkling interview personality? It’s possible the interviewers have some concerns about you they’re not bringing up.

For example, have you been unemployed for a long time? Does your resume make you look like a job hopper? One a more personal level, do you skew a little older—or younger—than the typical applicant for these types of positions?

You have a choice: you can allow a potential employer to make assumptions about you, or you can take control of the issue by telling the employer what you want known.

First, let’s address the obvious: Why doesn’t the interviewer want to raise certain concerns? Usually, they’re afraid of asking the wrong questions and opening themselves up to legal liability.

When it’s your turn to ask questions during the interview, you can be the one to bring up the sticky issues. Here are a few examples of how to answer unspoken questions about certain topics:

If you have young children:

Mention what your childcare plans are—how your children are cared for during the day, and how you will handle the situation if they become ill or if school is canceled.

If you’ve been unemployed for awhile:

Mention what you’ve done during unemployment to maintain your skills, such as volunteer work you’ve done where you used your skills, professional conferences you attended or trade journals that you’ve read to stay current on developments in your field.

If you’ve had a series of short-term jobs:

How you handle this one depends on your circumstances. If you left any of the jobs because you were unhappy, be honest but professional. For example, you could say, “In all honesty, I accepted jobs that I found out weren’t a good fit for my skill set or work style. I now know that it’s important to determine whether the company is a good place for me instead of accepting just any job offer.” Be sure to mention if you left the job on good terms.

If you’ve changed jobs frequently due to circumstances like relocation or family issues, be honest—but make sure you don’t present yourself as someone who is unreliable, impulsive or without career goals.

If you’re older or younger than the typical applicant:

If you’re looking to join a team or department that is older, you’ll want to emphasize how your relevant experience is focused on the requirements of the job. If you’re older than most others on the team, present yourself as someone who doesn’t plan to boss others around—and whose long experience is up-to-date.

Although there’s no way to know every single issue or concern an interviewer might be having about you, if any of these situations apply to you, addressing them head-on might be just what you need to get that job offer. If you have more questions about how to handle interviews, call or contact the IT hiring experts at Triumph—any time.

Topics:

By Jason Williams: Partner, Triumph Services. As head of the Sales Division of Triumph, he has helped hundreds of clients find the best talent.