How to deal with the tough questions
We’ve all reached the same stage in a job interview. Things are swimming along, you feel like the interviewer is impressed with your background, and you’ve settled into a relaxed and free-flowing conversation. Then the bubble bursts when the inevitable question comes: “And what are your salary expectations for this position?” You swallow hard and jump in with your best hopes.
“You might be tempted to give a number, but don’t do it,” says Arthur, a career counsellor with the Toronto Centre for Employment and Training (TCET). I had the good fortune to work with Arthur for a couple of months in the fall of 2009 and learned a great deal from watching him interact with job seekers. “With so many good and qualified candidates out there, all interviewers are looking for a quick way to eliminate a prospect,” he says. “One of the best ways to do that is to trip you up with a difficult question.”
There are more than a few that could put you into the squirm zone. The money question is the worst, but it’s closely followed by “So, where do you see yourself in 5 years?” My friend Rob, laid off from a longtime sales and marketing position with a car company, came into the career centre one day and sat down with Arthur and myself. He had recently fallen on his sword with both those questions.
Rob was already on his third interview for a job in the automotive field and prospects were bright. He knew the salary was lower than what he was making in the previous position, but he was resigned to that. Things were going so well, he decided to tell the truth when asked about his future vision for himself with the company. “I told them that I saw myself in a senior role with definitely 4 or 5 people reporting to me,” he says. Sadly, the job offer never materialized.
There is nothing wrong with having lofty aspirations, but the job interview may not be the best place to lay them on the table. “The company is looking for someone to fill that job now – that is their immediate concern,” says Arthur. “With this question they might be testing your potential as a flight risk.” The last thing an employer wants is someone who is ambitious and will jump as soon as the economy gets a lift.
A better way to answer that question is to say, “I’m interested in learning this job, learning the culture of the company and doing the best job now. Five years is a long time and we’ll see where the company is at that time…” or “My 5-year plan is very tied in with where this company is going, so we’ll have to wait and see.” The answer is vague but specific enough.
On the money question, Arthur is firm – get it off the table as quickly as possible. You don’t want that question interfering with, or possibly destroying, your chances of success. It will come up at some point and the best way to handle it is to be prepared. According to Arthur, you have two options – to say that your research and experience has shown that this is the range for a position of this nature, and that you’re confident you can both work within that range.
Your second option is to say, well, are you offering me the job? If so, then we can start to talk about money and you’re into the negotiation process. However, if the offer is not there yet, do not get drawn into this discussion.
The money question is important, no doubt, but it also gives you the opportunity to highlight some of the other, more important reasons you’re interested in the job. Happiness and career satisfaction are in fact, rarely equated with money and have much more to do with good colleagues, a positive corporate culture, recognition and a supportive work environment. Why not use the tough money or 5-year plan questions as a bridge to more meaningful questions such as: “Why is this a good place to work?”, “How does the leadership team motivate employees?” or “What are the continuous learning opportunities?”
Those few minutes with Arthur provided a valuable lesson on the importance of being prepared for the tough questions – they will come up – and arriving at an interview with a few of your own.