To Be Asked or Not To Be Asked: These are the Questions
by Laura Gassner Otting, President, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

(This article is reprinted with the permission of www.ExecSearches.com, for whom it was originally written.)

     Before you step over the threshold of an interviewer’s office door, you had better be prepared to impress them with well thought out answers to questions you haven’t even heard yet. Most of their questions can be anticipated, but you should always be prepared for the unexpected.

The Good...

     "So, why do you want to work for us?" (Note to self: Don't start this answer with, "Well, I haven't really thought about it that much.")
     By the time you step into the interviewer’s office, he or she has probably already decided that your work history as presented on your resume at least minimally qualifies you for the job. Questions thrown at you will focus both on the projects and programs you have managed as well as your hopes, dreams, and desires. Employers are as much interested in what you have accomplished as they are in what it will be like to work with you on a daily basis.
     Answer questions thoroughly, but succinctly, through stories that detail both your experience and your personal style. You should always answer the interviewer’s questions, but the direction you take your answers is up to you. Make a list of the points you want to get across in the interview – how you originally got interested in the field, how your background and specific projects have prepared you for the position, how your passion is in line with the organization’s mission, and how this position fits into your future career goals – and thread them throughout the answers you give to questions.

The Bad...

     "So, you weren't in your last job for very long. What went wrong?" Remember, as much as you are tempted, jokes about poisoning your last boss aren't really that funny, especially to someone who might be your next one.
     Invariably, the interviewer will roll around to a question that you feel a bit timid about answering. It could be because you were fired, had a bad relationship with your boss, or just didn’t quite succeed in a job. Everyone has spots on their resume that don’t shine as brightly as others. Don’t attempt to cover them up. Making jokes or floundering through a long story will only make you look nervous, or worse, like you are lying. Follow George Washington’s cherry tree example: when confronted with a failure or a firing, just come clean.
     Hit the incident head on. Tell your interviewer that you are glad that he or she brought it up. Tell them that it was a difficult situation and stick to the facts when describing it. Give an accurate but overall positive assessment of what went wrong and what you learned from the situation. Never ever bad mouth your former boss or old coworkers.

And The Ugly.

     "So, are you a native New Yorker or are you not from around here?" Does this sound like an illegal question to you? Technically, it is.
     Every so often an interviewer will stumble, whether intentionally or not, into illegal territory. Illegal questions are questions related to your birthplace, nationality, native language or the ancestry of you, your spouse, or your parents; your age; your sexual orientation or marital status; your race or color; your religion or the religious days you observe; any physical disabilities or handicaps you might have; an arrest record; your health or medical history; or the pregnancy, birth control, and child care of you or your significant other.
     While you aren't bound to answer these questions, you also do yourself a disservice by telling the interviewer to jump off of a bridge. Use your judgment before riding the politically correct bus out of town, and from your chances at a second interview. Remember that most interviewers asking these questions are inexperienced and mean no harm by them; a lecture from you would only make you appear rigid. Instead, change the subject and your green interviewer will get the picture. But if you sense that your interviewer is being blatantly discriminating, you have every right to call the interview to an end.

Laura Gassner Otting is founder and president of Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, a niche consulting firm dedicated to strengthening the capacity of nonprofits and their staff, and is available to discuss individual resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies.

Increasing the capacity of nonprofits and their staff.