Entering the world of work, especially for young people, brings with it questions, expectations and performance anxieties. Yet, with the right information, it is possible to learn the knowledge and tricks to get off to a good start right from the conception of the curriculum, passing through the much-feared job interview and arriving in the company, a completely new ecosystem.
He thinks about giving the right tips Fabiana Andreanialias @fabianamanagerwho has been talking to the under 35s on social networks for some time (on TikTok with over 200,000 followers and on Instagram with 130,000 followers) thanks to his ability to explain friendly and the world of work is conversational, with the preparation and skills of a senior training manager. Advice that Fabiana has enclosed in Work great (Gribaudo), an agile and clear manual that goes straight to the point on those questions that every young person, sooner or later, has asked himself, starting from the curriculum and the many questions that precede it.
“This book talks about work and career”, Fabiana explains, “But not that” Mad Men “or” founder & CEO “executive stuff that every LinkedIn influencer presents in its headline. I focus on the first steps, the ones that take place when you leave your studies to look for a job. Basic questions such as: How should I move immediately after school or university, how to search and find work effectively, how can I best prepare the resume, what are the ways to optimally face the interview (and afterwards)? To all these questions I try to give answers with one goal in mind: to normalize once and for all the 25-30 years, an age in which it is okay to be uncertain, bewildered and still confused ».
They also exist questions now explicitly prohibited, but which in any case are often placed at job interviews. “Some may seem harmless while concealing cognitive biases, others may be unsettling, but we can learn to prepare and respond. What we can no longer tolerate is that they are above all target of female candidates: but this is another (bad) story », Andreani explains.
Below are 6 forbidden questions, which the interviewer should avoid, with as many answers as possible. Two variants, one lightmore diplomatic, and one strong, to leave nothing implied. Fabiana exposes them to us:
1.Why did it take so long to graduate?
Here the trick is to shift the focus to other activities that have been done and the skills they have left us. Do not mention problems with theses, exams and professors, as much as possible but rather emphasize the complexity of the work and any results obtained.
Light: «Because to tell the truth the university didn’t give me the right amount of practice. I therefore preferred to combine this with a job to make myself economically independent ». Or: «I tried to enrich my path with training experiences beyond that of studying, in fact, as you can see, I was on Erasmus and / or volunteered abroad. This is why I have solid English and Spanish skills ». Or: «The first year I must say I did not understand what it meant to be at university. I got a little lost on the road and devote myself to personal projects. The right awareness came later, in fact, as you can see, I graduated in time from the master’s degree ».
Strong: “I had some fairly serious health (or family) problems but which are now completely resolved”; “I did a very complex experimental thesis on … and it took me six months for the bibliographic collection alone.”
2. Have you never had experience?
Password: never point out this aspect first, as if to put your hands on or show feelings of guilt. The right attitude is to focus on what we have done, not on our real or alleged shortcomings. Another point is to cite experiences that can give depth to my candidacy.
Light: «No, because I preferred to concentrate on my studies, finishing on time. In any case, I dedicated myself to participating in the activities of university associations. “,” Not precisely in this field. But I took care of… ».
Strong: “I was in a hurry to finish university, perhaps I gave less weight to grades, but because I wanted to finish it as soon as possible”; «No, maybe in this field, however, I have carried out activities of…. Test me! ” (I recommend this last statement only if you have a good dose of self-esteem).
3. Is she married? Are you planning to have children?
The non plus ultra of forbidden and unjust questions. Often asked nonchalantly, and I myself have at least heard it in three of the last five interviews I have had. In addition to being discriminatory, it is a very useless question: it has nothing to do with the skills of a candidate for a particular job position. Even if you are right, an answer such as “these are forbidden questions” could generate closure and cause the interview to go wrong. I would tell you you decide on the basis of how much you care about the position and, more importantly, how much you believe it is worthwhile to move forward after the company has shown you that it is not quite fully aligned in terms of diversity and inclusion.
Soft: Remembering that the choice to have children is yours alone and lying here would create no problem other than taking the retrograde breeder by the nose, I would advise you to deny the will to have children. “Yes, I am married but having children is not my priority” or “No, not this desire at the moment, it is not one of my goals” and drop it there.
Strong: Point out the inadequacy of the answer and its discriminatory nature, but without being too abrupt – respect first of all even if certainly on the other side – I suggest you answer with: “Excuse me, what has to do with the selection ? ” Or “I don’t think I have to answer. They are not aspects that are the subject of today’s meeting “, or alternatively” I think they are aspects too personal to be investigated during the interview “.
4. What do your parents do? And her husband?
Yet another question with an innocuous appearance but which, like the previous one, invades personal spaces: those of one’s own socio-economic context of birth or current. The answer I recommend giving it as vague as possible, without too many details. By dropping the answer, they won’t press. In the strong answer, possibly, a little irony can be added.
Soft: «My husband works in the sector…» or «Professionals in the sector…. (Indicate the macro sector) “; “They both worked and gave me a strong professional ethic.”
Strong: “Why are you asking me?” , “I do not grasp the connection with my selection: then who is it that will be hired?”.
5. Who do you live with?
While the question “Where do you live?” It is permissible to allow the recruiter to understand how long it will take us to reach the office, to ask “with whom” is indiscreet because it could investigate the economic condition or even the sexual orientation of the candidate. Better to be vague and leave our interlocutor without further connections.
Soft: «I live in a shared flat near…», «I rented a room in…», «I commute with… where I was born».
Strong: «For the moment the goal is to live well with myself».
6. How much do you expect to earn?
Usually at a selection, the expected salary is quoted at the time of the offer, which usually comes on the phone and catches you off guard. This lack of transparency plays first of all on the candidate’s inexperience and on his ability to sell himself, allowing the company to give very variable salaries for the same role. Obvious tip: first find out about the average salary levels for that position and arrive prepared. Such as? By asking or consulting sites like jobbydoo.com or Indeed that report a large collection of salaries by profession. Then, when asked “how much do you expect to earn”, answer not with a figure but with a range: “Something that is between … and …” and put the roughly expected figure in the lower value. The company, to make its interest, will certainly aim for the latter sum and will evaluate your skills in order to decide if you are actually worth the investment.
Other Vanity Fair stories that may interest you:
The dark side of puzzle questions in job interviews
The 8 Weirdest Questions Really Asked in Job Interviews
From university to the world of work, how to face the transition
Source: Vanity Fair
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