by Beverly Aarons
31. July 2009 08:47
As the competition for jobs becomes fierce, many job candidates are faced with increasingly difficult interview questions. In the first part of our series we asked "Why do you think YOU were chosen for layoffs?" Now we want to tackle another question that catches almost all candidates by surprise.
Difficult Question #2: A year from now, what is going to keep you at this company?
Let's admit it, many job candidates make the mistake of thinking very short-term when faced with a difficult job search. After sending out 100 resumes, sitting through 20 interviews and failing to land a job after a year or so, many job candidates, because of desperation, take positions that will only keep them interested for a year, at the most. Hiring is a huge investment, in good-times and bad, that's why employers want to avoid candidates who will bail before they can get their return on investment. Your job is to let them know you're in it for the long haul.
The first step to tackling this difficult interview question is to ask yourself this question BEFORE you apply for the job. Is this job the type of job that can hold your interest for years? What are the qualities that make this job appealing for the long-term? To answer these questions honestly you need to have a clear long-term vision. Does the job help you achieve your long-term career goals? Maybe it offers the chance for advancement, training or the opportunity to be mentored by the best in the business.
Here's what you might say:
"This position offers me the opportunity to achieve my long-term goal of ___________ by offering excellent training and hands on experience in __________________."
"The opportunity for advancement in the company makes this position very attractive because I'm interested in becoming _____________________ eventually."
What you don't want to say:
"I don't know," or any clever variations on "I don't know."