Get prepared for your next interview with the Toughest Interview Question of the Week.
It's that time again. Time for the Toughest Interview Question of the Week!
When you are looking for a new job, getting prepared for your interview is key for making yourself stand out from the crowd. So, to help you get ready, each week we take a typical interview question and break it down to make it easier to come up with an answer.
So, here it is, the Toughest Interview Question of the Week.
Question:
What are your career options right now?
Why it's a trap:
This question is simply a way for the interviewer to gauge your “desperation factor”. The tricky thing with this question is that you don't want to appear to not have many options, but at the same time, you don't want the interviewer to come away with the impression that you are simply “job shopping” or that you are more interested in another job offer.
Best Answer:
If you currently have a job, then this question is a bit easier. Talk about your current position, and share some of the possibilites and opportunities available with your employer. The idea is to paint yourself as an appreciated and valued employee. Then, say that although there are opportunities there, that you are looking for something different, (more money, more responsibility, a new challenge). You can even mention that you are exploring your options with a couple other companies.
If you don't have a job right now, then the question gets a bit trickier. You should mention one or two other job options you are currently exploring. Make sure that the examples you use are in the same related field as the interviewing company. If you were to say something like, “Well, I am seriously exploring my options with (Firm A) and I am thinking that maybe I would be happier working in (unrelated field) or, I may decide to open my own bakery.” it will make you appear unfocused and unsure about the position. So, be brief and only mention one or two positions, in the same general field, that you are exploring.
What do you think about this questions? Would you answer it differently? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for LogisticsJobsiteBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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