When I was working on my Master’s degree at the University of San Francisco, one of my professors told us a story about a Korean man who had applied for an open position at the university. The interview went great, my professor said. The candidate was knowledgeable and pleasant to talk to; he answered all questions and everything was leading toward him getting an offer. But at the last moment, just before the young man was about to leave, he turned to the professor and said, “See you later, alligator.” The professor was stunned. Needless to say, the man didn’t get the job.
When it comes to job interviews, being able to fit in culturally is as important (and sometimes more important) as being professionally qualified for the position. Apparently, someone had told this man that Americans are more informal than Koreans, but he didn’t know how informal he can actually be. This particular situation was not appropriate for that kind of word exchange and hence it seemed quite awkward. And despite his great qualifications and otherwise pleasant demeaner, he wasn’t hired because he didn’t fit culturally.
When you prepare for a job interview in the US, it’s important to consider not only your professional experience, but also what is appropriate within the culture.
Questions you can expect during a job interview in the US
Below are some questions you might be asked when you interview for a job in the US. You will also find hints on how to answer them and what the interviewer might be looking for.
1. Tell me about yourself
This is a common question/request and can also be asked in a variety of ways, such as “Walk me through your resume,” “Tell me/us a little bit about you and why you are interested in this position,” etc. During my research, I’ve watched some videos and have read articles where different people give advice to not talk about your personal life and just concentrate on your professional achievements. However, from my personal experience and conversations with friends who have interviewed and hired people here, I can tell you that showing some personality is a big plus.
So, of course, first start with your most important professional achievements, but always pay attention to the interviewer and try to feel if they are open to hearing something more from you. Actually, many interviewers here ask a separate question, such as, “What do you like doing besides work?” They want to see that you have a life other than work and you have other passions.
2. What are your strengths?
Here you have the opportunity to shine and tell the interviewer your strongest work qualities. For example: “I am a fast learner,” “I work great in teams,” “I’m loyal,” etc. Whatever good things you can say about yourself professionally. But remember, always give an example. Everyone says that they are a fast learner. In order to stand out, think of a situation in your life where you actually had to learn something very quickly and tell the story. Anything you say lands better with people if there is a story behind it.
3. What is your biggest weakness?
This one could be tricky. The best way to answer it is to say something that had been your weakness, but you worked hard to overcome it. They want to see that you are honest and you understand your weaknesses, and you took some actions toward fixing them. For example, “I felt that my English was not good enough, but I took a course and have been working on it. Now I feel way more comfortable.” Or “I had a hard time relaxing and detaching myself from work, but I’ve started meditating and now I have improved a lot.”
Of course, you don’t have to give these exact answers (especially if they are not true in your case 😉), but try to say something that shows your progress. Stay away from answers like, “I’m disorganized and don’t know how to prioritize,” because these are traits that are hard to overcome and might scare away the employer. And please, don’t say “I’m a perfectionist.” So many people give this answer to brag about how hard they work that it’s become a predictable and boring cliche.
4. How did you handle a difficult situation at work?
The interviewer may ask you to give an example when you had to deal with a difficult/challenging situation at work and to explain how you handled it. Here they want a specific example. Think of something that had gone wrong during one of your previous job assignments and explain how you fixed it. Don’t be afraid to share. We are all human and we make mistakes. Be honest, but pick a situation where you really went above and beyond to fix it.
I can give you an example from my experience when I worked for Marriott. Once we had a guest and something was wrong with his room. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but it was our fault. It was serious and the guest was really angry, screaming and threatening never to stay with us again. It was late at night and he was tired and hungry. We knew that it was a business trip for him and he had to work. Because he had stayed with us before, we knew what he liked to order from the hotel restaurant. We went through all receipts from the restaurant from the past few weeks and we found his. He always ordered the same dish. We had the restaurant cook his favorite food and we sent it to his room. After dinner, he came down happy, saying that this is the best customer service and apologized for getting so angry.
So we had made a mistake, but we fixed it. What the interviewer wants to see is that you are a real person and although you occasionally make mistakes, you take responsibility, you don’t panic, and you are able to come up with a proper solution.
5. Why did you leave your previous company?
The most important thing here is not to say anything bad about your previous employer. If you were laid off, just say that the company was downsizing and your position had been eliminated. If you left because you didn’t like the direction the company was going in, say that you really enjoyed working there, but you are ready for something new because you would like to evolve your career.
6. Why do you want to work with/for us?
Do your research. Find out as much as possible about the company you are applying to. They want to see that you are really interested in this particular company and you are not just applying for anything and everything you can find on the market. Say something about how you appreciate the values of the company or something good you’ve heard about the company and/or the people who work there. To find out more about the company’s values, you can go through some reviews or testimonials that some of their clients have written. What other people are saying about a certain business can tell you more about it than just reading the “our values” section on their website. Be honest and specific. They will appreciate it.
7. Why are you the best candidate? (or why should we hire you?)
Not everyone asks this question, but some do. You can reiterate some of the things from the “Tell me about yourself” section and stress on a few of your best qualities: passionate, hard-working, fast learner, team player, loyal, creative, deals well with stress, etc. If you know that you lack experience and other candidates might be more qualified, talk about why you are so passionate about it and how fast you will learn. You can say something like “while I know that you only interview top candidates and I have no doubt that the other applicants are absolutely qualified for the position, what sets me apart is ________.” You can fill in the blank with some of your personal qualities and reiterate why you are so passionate about being a part of this team.
8. How do you see yourself in five years?
To answer this question best, you really have to know the company you are applying for. During my research, I read and heard opinions of how the interviewer wants to hear that you are planning to still be there. However, in my own experience in Silicon Valley, this is not the case. Here many people switch jobs as frequently as every 2-3 years. You would even sound suspicious to some companies here if you tell them that you want to work there for many years. Of course, even in Silicon Valley there are companies that appreciate a long-term commitment from their employees. But regardless of that, the employer just wants to see what direction you wish to evolve personally and professionally, and how your future goals align with the company’s vision at the moment.
9. Do you have any questions?
At the end of the interview, it’s very common for the interviewer to ask you if you have any questions for him/her/them. I advise you to prepare for this one well because here is the time to show that you have done your research. What the employer wants to know is how much time you have invested into learning about the company. Stay away from questions about the salary, bonuses, and free time. You can negotiate later in the process, but for now only ask questions about your potential new employer. To learn more about the company, go to the website, read about its products or services, and read testimonials if you can find any. Come up with a few questions around the information you have found. Have at least two or three questions prepared, but don’t ask more than five. You can always ask later. Remember, this is just the time to show that you are really interested in this particular employer and you have invested your time and effort to learn more about them.
10. Beyond the words
Going back to the story from my professor, it’s also important to remember that what you say (verbal communication) is just a part of your interview. Americans always strive to hire someone who fits into the company’s culture because they want both sides – the new hire and the rest of the team – to be happy. To make sure they hire well, they will be also evaluating non-verbal communication like body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, etc. This might be tricky sometimes because every culture is different. Americans tend to be a bit more informal than some other cultures. Of course, this is not always the case, but overall I can say that they appear to be less stiff than some other cultures. But make sure you find the right balance so that your way of communication is compatible with the situation.
Americans love small talk, especially in the beginning of the conversation. Some common icebreakers are: weather (warm, cold, sunny, rainy) and traffic (“How was your drive here?”, “Was it easy for you to find us?”, “It is easy to park,” etc.)
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Have you ever been interviewed by an American company? What are your impressions about the process? Share your experience in the comments section below or just shoot me an email. Remember, sharing is caring. 😉
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