"We'll get back to you" is just one of the things interviewers tell job candidates that can turn out to be lies, according to this post by Alison Green at USNews.com. Green's list of doozies includes "We'll keep your resumé on file," "We were really impressed with you," and "We offer excellent benefits." Regarding resumés kept on file, Green says employers are required by law to keep them, at least for a while, before disposal. "In reality, it usually just means that their application materials will be filed away, not that they'll be looked at again in the future," Green writes.
Tough questions such as "Why should I hire you?" are par for the course at a serious job interview. The Hcareers.com job site carries a list of "toughest job interview questions" - and suggestions for how to answer them - from author Barry Golds. One toughie: "What did you not like about your last employer?" Golds says: "The interviewer has asked you to say something negative about your ex-employer. You need to turn this around so that it makes it sound like the negative is in fact a positive!" But how? "Start with, 'Actually there are a lot of good things to say about my ex-employer, however if I need to highlight one area. . . .' "
More interview questions, and good answers, are compiled at the job-searching area on About.com. A possible stumper: "Have you worked with someone who didn't like your work?" You either have a pristine record, or you don't. If the latter, "the first step is to avoid making any negative or condescending comments about your past supervisors, since employers will tend to side with past managers, and may perceive you as a troublemaker or malcontent." Give an honest answer while extending yourself the benefit of the doubt, then say something positive about past supervisors, and suggest references.
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