Travelling around the world with my possessions on my back has instigated an over-vigilance to know where my things are always. Perhaps not enough vigilance, one may say, when I tell you that I am about six weeks into a four-month trip and I have already lost a kindle and a fit-bit. But I have not lost a passport, wallet or phone, which in my opinion are very important stuff, i.e. you can’t live without it and will cause a lot of issues to get them replaced.
I am much less worried about the big backpacks filled with toiletries, clothes and shoes. When you lose your baggage while travelling, there is a time you are separated from your belongings after which the insurance company will pay you money to replace the “essentials” until your bags are found. I discovered this when I was a backpacker in 2000 and my bags were lost on a flight from London to New York City. At that point, the prospect of getting US$1000 to go shopping in the outlet stores was motivation to make it a bit difficult for the airline to find us!
Losing your baggage can be a positive experience and not only when you are hoping for an insurance payout. It is even more valuable when you are selling yourself in a job interview. There are several questions that can be raised in a job interview where your first reaction may be to reveal some of the emotional baggage you have from previous employers or colleagues.
Why did you leave that position?
What do you think makes a positive work environment?
Give me an example of a time you encountered a difficult colleague and how did you handle the situation?
How would your previous boss describe you?
How do you like to be managed to be the most productive?
An interview is not the time to be negative about previous work environments. The people who are interviewing do not know you yet, and the first impression of someone who focused on bad experiences is that they might be difficult to work with.
Let me be clear, I am not advocating lying; I am suggesting that you take the time to be prepared for the difficult questions and know what your response will be or what angle you will take in providing the answer so it will serve and not harm your chances of securing the job.
I was coaching a client in interview techniques, and I asked him to describe his management style. He said he was like a bulldozer (not a great impression to be giving to a potential employer). When I dug a little deeper, it was simply that he can act like a bulldozer in a project management environment in order to get things done. It was clear from the conversation that this was not his preferred style and after some questioning about how he really led people, I asked him if he could think of another metaphor. He came up with 'a father'...much better, keep people under a watchful eye, make sure that they are behaving in a productive way and give them guidance when they go off track. Sure, he could be a bulldozer, but the number of times he had to use that approach were minimal compared to the father approach. It was not only more accurate, it also painted him in a better light. It turns out he resented the fact that he had to be the bulldozer to rectify other people’s mistakes and keep the project on track and because his baggage was still with him, this was the first thing that came to mind.
You can prepare very well for an interview if you have clarity on the story you want to convey and consider how your responses will be viewed.
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