How can I best ace a job interview?
March 5th, 2019 Posted by Susan Lapin Ask the Rabbi 7 commentsHi Rabbi Lapin and Susan Lapin,
I am a great follower of TCT ancient Jewish wisdom. It is a great show and most importantly inspiring for life. I have a quick question.
I have graduated with my MS in mechanical engineering, but still I am facing difficulties in finding a job. Could you please give some useful tips on how to sell.
All the best for your works. God bless your family,
A. J.
Dear A. J.,
Congratulations on earning your MS in engineering. Unlike a degree in gender discrimination in Russian literature, your degree is a real accomplishment. But, and it’s a big but, a company is not hiring your degree, it is hiring a complete person who possesses a degree.
Potential employers want to know much more than merely that you can solve differential equations. They want to know about your integrity, your intelligence, your persistence and grit, your resilience and optimism, and they want to know your loyalty. A piece of paper proves your degree but these other equally important characteristics can only be sensed by an interview. Therein lies the importance of the interview and in being really thoroughly prepared for that interview. It is in the hope of discovering these qualities that your interviewer will ask you many questions that seem to be quite disconnected from engineering. It is your total demeanor that will offer the interviewer clues to your entire personality.
So we agree, indeed you do have a quick question; unfortunately, we don’t have a quick answer. But we will try to guide you towards a path to the answer.