Twenty Lies You'll Hear on a Job Interview

Twenty Lies You'll Hear on a Job Interview

1. "We Want to Make the Hiring Decision Quickly"
As my husband says, people in hell want ice water. Wanting something and doing it are two different things. Every hiring manager intends to hire someone quickly, but the typical process drags on for weeks. Give this tossed-off remark no credence whatsoever to save yourself weeks of sitting-by-the-phone angst. After the interview, go home and put a few more irons in the fire


2. "You're the First Candidate We're Talking To"
This might be true, or it might be a way of saying "Don’t expect things to move quickly." If you hear this on a job interview, jump in with "So, as you begin this interview process, what is the biggest problem you’re hoping to solve?" Your leverage on a job hunt is your ability to zero in on, and talk knowledgeably about, the dragon(s) the employer is hoping to slay.

3. "We're Going to Hire Someone to Help You, Next Quarter"
Hiring managers often blurt this one out when, halfway through the interview, they realize the opportunity they’re describing equates to three or four full-time jobs rather than just one. They’re embarrassed at the way they’ve laden a poor, not-yet-hired person like you with the work of multiple highly trained professionals, so they say they’re planning to hire you some help down the road. Maybe they will. I wouldn’t bet on it. In the interview, get a bead on the most important problems that need solving—the rest can wait (they’ve most likely waited years to address them already).


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