I Just Watched A Job Candidate Ace Her Interview: Listen In

Background:

• Venue: A high-end customer service environment.
• Position title: I’m guessing an entry- level customer service job.

Immediate signs that this candidate was a winner:

• Completely focused on the person talking to her.
• Outfit was neutral and professional: tailored shirt and slacks.
• Grooming was excellent: hair pulled back so her full face was visible; makeup unobtrusive.

Questions and answers as I heard them (I walked in in the middle):

Question: Tell me about a time you handled a difficult colleague.

Answer: A colleague was talking too much and I asked her to help me take care of the guests by not talking to me so much during my shifts.

Question: Tell me about a time you went out of your way to make a customer happy.

Answer: I worked at [name redacted] and a customer was upset that we were out of a certain kind of cake. I ended up baking one myself because the store on the other side of town was out of them.

Question: You are studying to be a [professional in a different industry]. Why do you want to work here?

Answer: I believe that working here will teach me the skills I need to be successful in my career: customer service and how to run a business.

Question: Any other questions for us?

Answer: Do I have the job?

By Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal. All opinions are the author’s own.