Rita Ashley, Career Coach. Field tested advice for executives.

Most of my clients are driven, successful and highly competitive executives and technology leaders.  During their job search, they are compelled to ask employers with whom they have interviewed how they compare to the competition.

• Am I in the running for this job?
• Where do I stand in the ranking?
• How do my credentials stack up compared to the others?

If asked directly, most people will tell you what you want to hear.  The data is corrupt.  Does knowing where the competition excels change your credentials?   Does knowing change your behavior?  You can’t change your own credentials and worrying about what others bring to the party is useless and demoralizing.  Your self confidence is one of your biggest job search assets. Don’t damage it by asking questions that could hurt; don’t damage your chances by making the interviewer ‘take care’ of you.

Asking ‘how am I doing’ puts the interviewer on notice you are insecure.  Why waste your precious interview questions conveying you are needy?  Why not ask instead:

• What part of your background is the most compelling for this spot?
• What are the top priorities for hiring?  Offer an example of how you have accomplished something similar.
• What do you need to know about my background to consider me for this job?

It is not always the person with the best resume who gets the job.  It is the person who conducts a good interview, shows they are enthusiastic about the company, the products and the challenges and the person the interviewers feel is the best fit.  Best fit often means, someone with whom I am comfortable.  Don’t make the interviewer uncomfortable by asking questions that put them on the spot.

You can’t know what the interviewers are thinking and you can’t know how other candidates interview. Without that data, you are stressing about intangibles.  Focus on you and why you believe you are the right person for the job.  Help the employer know what you know and that is more than enough.

Read about more deal killers.

• Need to deconstruct your job search for more effective outcomes?

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• Hitting a wall and need to see what others see?

• Have an issue that is becoming an obstacle?
  

• Need to get more interviews and offers from your efforts?

Read Job Search Debugged.

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