The
Good Answer
Blog
It's pretty common to hear the phrase "good question." It happens in conversations all the time. As a reporter, I never liked hearing that. Because I consider ALL my interview questions to be good questions.
You don't hear the phrase Good Answer as much. Unless you're watching Family Feud.
I like to explore the skills involved in crafting a "Good Answer."
Obviously, a Good Answer must answer the question posed. And there's more than one good answer. But let's go deeper. In a job interview setting for example, A good answer isn't extemporaneous. You don't just "wing it" and hope it sounds like a good answer. It takes preparation.
In fact, it takes some reverse engineering to fashion a Good Answer to a Good Question. A Good Answer is your unique blend of honesty, humility and understanding in anticipation of a question. And it better not sound memorized.
In my career, I've interviewed thousands of people. I've heard good answers and crummy ones. Here's some advice on composing a compelling and credible Good Answer.
Do your Homework
Just because you graduated from college and you're in the "real world" doesn't mean you're finished with homework. In fact, if you want to land a good job, your homework is more important than ever.
Statistics show the job market is fierce. For every 250 corporate jobs, hiring managers grant 4-6 interviews. That's all for one job. The stakes are high. If you are one of the lucky ones to get a job interview, you better make it count.
As an interview coach, one of the areas I cover is Research. As in, researching your prospective company. If you don't do your homework before your interview, it shows. Hiring managers say one of their biggest pet peeves is when candidates ask questions that are clearly on the company website.
Ed Huerta-Margotta, Director of Recruiting at Carmichael Lynch Creative Ad Agency, says if you ask him what clients he has, your interview is essentially dead in the water. Every company has a website. He says, "If you're passionate about working with us, you should pore over our website and work to learn as much as you can about us."
The candidates that shine are the ones who can talk intelligently about the company. Being unprepared looks unprofessional. In a situation where you need every advantage, thoroughly researching the company is mandatory.
Gone are the days of cramming for tests, but homework is here to stay. In order to be in the running for your ideal job, you better be able to prove to hiring managers that you've done your research.