Play the Game of Life
Ryan Petersen's Blog

Notes from a session with Elliot Chase at Columbia Business School.

1.) Tell me about yourself
2.) Why are you looking for a job? / Why did you go to B-School? (Implying: Why did you leave your old job?)
3.) a) Why should we hire you?
b) What are your weaknesses?
4.) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
5.) How much do you expect to make?

How to answer them

1.) Tell me about yourself

Deliver your 2-minute pitch
– Positioning statement (label / what are you?)
– 2 or 3 important skill areas (adapt to interview) describe on of the skill areas in detail
– Unique selling proposition (USP) (What is unusual about you? What separates you from the competition?)
– Settings you have worked in (Describe company or position that will help market you)
– Sum it up (Repeat most important points)

2.) Why are you looking for a job? / Why did you go to B-School? (Implying: Why did you leave your old job?)

– NEVER trash a former employer
– NEVER say you did not get along with your boss
– ALWAYS come up with a positive explanation (e.g. Went to B-School because I wanted to complete my skill set (be specific about which skills))

3 a) Why should we hire you?
Tell war stories (have at least 5 prepared for every interview) CAR-Structure
a. Context (What was the situation?)
b. Action (What skills could you apply?)
c. Result (What was your achievement?)

3 b) What are your weaknesses?

– NEVER give them an actual weakness
– Talk about weaknesses that you had 3-5 years ago and then explain in detail how you overcame them and what skills you used to overcome them

4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

– The question really is: How well have you planned through your career?
– Tell a consistent story about how your skills and your prior experience all point to the single direction of the future job you like to have

5. How much do you expect to make?

– Defer the issue as long as possible. The longer you can defer it the more you are going to make.
– Answer: “Money is very important to me but right now fit is the critical issue.”
– Or ask back: “Could you tell me what your range is?”


Other questions that can be pretty mean if you’re unprepared

– What issues did you and your last boss disagree on? (Answer: “We generally agreed on most issues but there was one issue where we disagreed and this is how I handled it very skillfully.”)
– Tell me about your first love.(Talk about a subject you feel passionate about and that makes you look good. E.g. “My first love was soccer. I started playing at the age of eight and trained very hard to become a good soccer player and team captain.”)

General advice

– Be specific about your skills and successes (tell stories, give examples)
– Do not name other companies you are interviewing with
– Do not tell interviewer what stage of the interviewing process you are in at other companies (“Well, I’m in the early stage at some companies and in a later stage at others…”)

Labels: business, Columbia Business School, Interview, job search, questions, Strange Questions