An email landed in my Inbox this morning. The title of this blog showed up in the marketing email that came to me.

This email grabbed my attention not because I am looking for interview question advice but because it bothers me. When I talk to prospective clients about resume coaching, I am sure to tell them that I’m not going to teach them anything that is slick, fancy or gimmicky. What I do coach my resume clients on is how to build a resume that is clean, clear and logical.

When I coach candidates on interviewing, I do not coach anybody to deliver slick, fancy or gimmicky answers. I coach candidates to be brutally honest and to not embellish.

This morning, one of my career coaching clients called and we talked through his upcoming interview. He told me that he was a bit nervous about not having everything the employer was asking for in the job description. He told me that he didn’t have GLBA and HIPAA compliance background for example. However, he did have PCI compliance background.

My suggestion was for the candidate to focus on what he has that is similar to GLBA and HIPAA and to also know where the gaps exist between what he has and what GLBA and HIPAA require him to know. Be proactive in telling the prospective employer that you know what you don't yet know. Give examples of how you have addressed learning curves in the past and demonstrate to the employer that you've already started thinking about how you'll address the learning curve you'll face if they were to hire you.

So what do I think a perfect answer is to an interview question? An answer that demonstrates clearly and concisely what one’s experience is and is not. Most employers want the truth, not some kind of contrived answer. Contrived answers given to a highly intelligent hiring decision maker will get you introduced to the exit door very quickly.

Jeff Snyder’s, Jeff Snyder Coaching Blog, 719.686.8810