How to Handle When a Job Interviewer Points out Your Flaws

How to Handle When a Job Interviewer Points out Your FlawsHow to Handle When a Job Interviewer Points out Your Flaws4You made great introductory small talk and aced the first three questions, but then the job interviewer hits you with a whammy about your educational background elend matching the qualifications listed in the job ad. Dont panic If a hiring manager bothered to bring you in, he must have found something attractive in your application. Handle conversations about your flaws with poise through unterstellung strategies.Here are a few tips to handle a conversation about your flaws with a job interviewer1. Remain calm.Dont blame the employer for probing. The person is not trying to anger you. Shes simply doing her job- looking for the best fit for the position.First, and most important, never disagree with yourinterviewer, says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professionals Survival Guide. When you dont match the job specs line by line, they have a respons ibility to assess whether you are qualified to perform successfully in the job. It is up to you to respectfully demonstrate that you bring a unique and alternative skill set that will offset any perceived deficits.2. Refocus the discussion.Instinct may rouse your defenses, but a better tactic is briefly acknowledging the issue and moving on. Youll demonstrate honesty and respect for their concern without dwelling on negatives.When a perceived flaw gets brought up, Cohen suggests saying something such as, Yes, I can see how someone might form that impression. With your permission, may I offer you additional background and detail to demonstrate how I am, in fact, a perfect candidate for this position?3. Shine.Finally, realize that an employer often views a job ad as the starting point for evaluating a candidate, not the be-all and end-all for a decision. Use that wiggle room to your advantage.There is an old maxim in business of the 80-20 rule. It says that 20 percent of your employee s do 80 percent of the work. While this may not be true in every situation, most managers believe it and they hope that every one of their new hires will be in that top 20 percent percent. If they are interviewing you, they are hoping you are that person, says Duncan Mathison, career coach and co-author of Unlock the Hidden Job Market 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough.Mathison urges smart job seekers to take stock of the gaps between their background and the job they are applying for, and find examples in their background to demonstrate they not only understand the gap buthow they will still be a top 20 percent performer.Some ways to show youll be a top performer includeBe direct and ask about it. Try saying, I have been told that having a degree or a certain number of years experience is no guarantee that someone will become a top performer in a job. What do you think are the most essential skills or knowledge that make someone a top performer in this job here ?If you have been a manager, take the interviewers perspective and use a story from your own background in hiring. I know as a manager it is helpful to ask for 5-6 years of experience over, say, 2-3 when making hiring decisions. But I have to tell you, one of the best hires I made welches someone who only had six months experience. She was motivated and dedicated. I think this is the right job for me. I want to be one of your best hires.Did you go to college but never got a degree? If you want to be a pilot and dont have a pilots license, this is a problem. But many times these requirements are not essential to perform a job well. Use a compelling story backed up by past job performance to diffuse the requirement. You might say, I got good grades in school, but the cost was hard on my parents. Besides, I always preferred practical on-the-job learning. In every position, my managers have found me to be a dedicated employee and a quick study who stays current in the profession. Every time I thought about going back to school, I would get promoted. I decided it was not worth the financial commitment and the time away from family.Show your potential to be that top 20 percent hire, and your flaws may be reconsidered or actually seen as unique assetsReaders, have you ever had a job interviewer point out your flaws? How did you, or would you, handle it?