A Fine Whine

Just quit yer Whinin’!

Yet another in a long line of things that amaze me….The Fine Interview Whine.

Think back….have you ever caught yourself whining in an interview? Complaining about your old company or boss? How well did that interview go? Did you ever get a job by whining?

Face the facts, managers consider whiners as emotional cancer within their departments. Not every decision made at your new company is going to go your way. Most hiring managers want team players that will support them politically and support their decisions.

We all know better, but yet job seekers still obliterate their chances by whining in an interview. Savvy managers bait job seekers to whine, by asking what they liked and didn’t like about an old job, how they got along with their boss, or why they left a past job. These managers just want to see if the job seeker will disqualify themselves by whining.

Some candidates may refrain from whining in an interview, but whine to a recruiter, believing them to be more of a “friend”. A recruiter is interviewing the job seeker just like a hiring manager, because the recruiters’ impressions of your soft skills will determine if they present you to hiring managers to interview. If you whine to a recruiter, they can be concerned that you may whine to the hiring manager.

So how do you express yourself in an interview without whining?

First, you’ve got to know when you’re whining. Practice your interview with a friend, or better yet, video yourself. Have your friend ask you the bait questions you’ll get from interviewers (Why did you leave? How did you like your last company? Last boss?). Watch the video and have someone else watch it too.
So you’re a whiner….how do you stop?

A strong strategy is to develop and practice strong, positive answers to the bait questions interviewers ask most.

- “The company changed its strategy, and I don’t see it fitting my long term goals” instead of “No one at my last company had a clue“
- “My boss’s tactics aren’t consistent with my family values”, instead of “My slavedriver boss kept me at work until 9:00 each night”.
- “I’m seeking a new challenge where my efforts can make a difference”, instead of “I got fired because my company didn’t appreciate my work”

Wow! You just went from sniveling whiner to strategic genius in 10 seconds!

If you’d like more information, a free 30 minute resume consultation, or some advice about your career transition, just email your resume to reCareered at phil.rainmakers@gmail.com, and we'll schedule a time to talk.