Interview Expectations
If you were interviewing for the position you currently have, would you have some new questions to ask when invited to do so? Most job descriptions are written in corporate generic speak so that the employer can cover future potential task changes. This doesn’t usually really give a clear idea about the daily job duties, may not sound like anything you know how to do or relate to the skills listed as required. Some description may be added about how upper management views their culture and a range of salary and benefits are tacked on to let you know if you qualify from an economic standpoint. We are trained to self-identify our financial status through the positions we apply for. Descriptions don’t address your full value; your ability is what they are bartering for,
Interview Inversion
When workers are in supply, the interview can be inverted. Are you ready to interview a company about whether they meet your expectations? Your value, monetarily and culturally, can be added into that resume of solid skills that you have been saving up to enhance someone else’s workplace. If you know your worth, the questions will be easy. But most interviewees are still following the old model and just sit quietly while a checklist of questions are read. If your answer seems acceptable and does not contrast with the others too much, you have placed yourself in the running. It’s time to turn the tables and switch hats.
List of Reasons
You should first determine what your top three reasons for working are. Making money means that you can pay for the physical needs of yourself and anyone else you choose to support. Benefits tend to be generic and without many surprises. If a company does offer something out of the ordinary, it would be good to ask why they feel the need to do so. Carrots and sticks are used for motivation regularly but aren’t always apparent in job descriptions. Your other reasons for working should be personal. If you understand your own value system, you can equip yourself with questions that let the interview partner provide the way the company lives up to those. If you want to advance certain skills or work on giant projects or get the chance to work in collaboration with a group, it would be great to know if that is the way this job is set up. Working remotely has permitted us to better understand that the best physical environment for everyone is not the best for anyone in particular.
So Where Do You See Yourself
If you go shopping, you don’t buy something that you definitely don’t want. You may never use it and there are so many choices in the market, you don’t even need to accept anything that doesn’t fit your criteria. Get it? It won’t work for you. You spend many precious hours of your life working. If you can steer these hours toward being more fulfilling, you will find it easier to serve your purpose. You may even be more satisfied and perform better. Back to my original question for a minute. Should you have asked some questions about your job when you were originally interviewed? That’s a great baseline to start with to put together your list. Don’t be intimidated by the old ways. Turn the desk around.
Would you accept the job you currently have if you knew what it really entailed? Can you think of how you want to feel about your work in the world? Can you be brave enough to update your old beliefs on interviewing?
