Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter explains how to respond when an interviewer says, “Gee, you don’t seem to have a lot of experience with . . . “
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Today, I’m going to talk with you about 1 of those tough interview that is actually designed to rescue you. The question is (it’s actually more of a statement, then the question) goes something like this… They are staring at your resume, looking very seriously at it and say
Gee. You don’t seem to have a lot of experience with…
If it is something specific like a specific type of technology or some aspect of accounting or engineering. You can kind of get slammed. For example, in tennis, you can hit an overhead and immediately defeat your opponent. There’s no retaliation for it. That’s what they’re really begging you for at this point. If you respond by saying, “It’s true. I don’t have a lot of experience with…” You’ve shot yourself in the foot and can kiss the interview goodbye. You’re not getting the job.
It is like an earlier video that I did about the 2 dirty words of job interviewing. The 2 dirty words are “only,” (as in ‘I’ve only done this’) and “light”(as in,’ I have laid experience with…’). It says, “I don’t know anything about this. Can we go on to something else?”
Here, with this question, they’re giving you an opportunity. Take it. Tell them exactly what you know and what you’ve done. Why you claim the experience. For example, a movie using IT example, “Gee, you don’t seem to have a lot of experience with C#.” At this point, you would talk about how you got your training C#, how in previous jobs. You did work with C#, you work very closely with the manager you reported to so that you have very good insights. So, even though it’s not 10 years of experience with the technology, you have good underpinnings and solid experience with it. You talk with him about what you’ve done. Yada yada yada.
If you are in accounting, you talk about how you work with your manager on certain functions and were able to deliver things on time and within budget. And, yes, you had some support, but, there was a lot of support.
Basically, what you are doing is taking the opportunity to talk about what your training is, talk about your experience, speak with confidence and certainty about what you’ve done, looking him square in the eye, not backing down and hitting that overhead slam back at them and winning the point.
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