No lies here: tackling tough interview questions truthfully

Earlier this week, I was meeting with a candidate to prep for their first interview in many years. Along with the natural nerves that accompany most people to an interview, they were specifically worried about how to navigate questions around leaving their role relatively soon after joining. Their reasons for this were clear - a hostile work environment - but their worry was in how to explain this in a way that didn't come across as unprofessional or disrespectful. In talking to them , I was reminded of an article I wrote back in November 2020 for Chartered Accountants Ireland student publication Accountancy Ireland Extra (now 'The Bottom Line') that imagined a number of these scenarios and provided ways to navigate them that were both honest and positive. I hope the below proves helpful in supporting your interview prep.

Writing a CV, attending interviews and applying for promotions are all very easy when you have enjoyed a perfectly linear career with no gaps, no stumbles, no fumbles or no fails to account for. However, in reality, careers are rarely linear.

Much like in life, most of us will be faced with the odd hiccup that we have to overcome. Some of these will be small blemishes on a largely perfect canvass whereas others may be a glaringly obvious series of unfortunate events that are out of our control.

Big or small, it is likely that you will have to address these inconsistencies at many stages throughout your career and it is crucial to determine the right language, messaging and tone to ensure that an oddity doesn’t have an excessive impact on your professional path.

Accept the negatives - and move on!

No one likes to revisit old wounds. It is contrary to every single one of our self-preservation responses to stare the thing that hurt you in the face and acknowledge it.? However, whether you failed an exam, fell foul of redundancy or made a few ill-advised career moves, you must accept those things for what they are and be prepared to discuss them without allowing emotion to negatively influence your message.

You can’t un-fail the exam and you can’t un-accept that terrible job but, you can own that it happened and look for ways to present it to prospective employers that ensure that they understand that it was an anomaly and not indicative of you as a person or as an employee. ?

It is what it is.

Don’t lie, don’t overshare

As tempting as it may be to obfuscate the truth by extending a date here or erasing a role there, do not do it. It will catch up with you and it will instantly cast doubt on your trustworthiness and your intentions. Be honest but, don’t overshare. For instance, if you had to re-sit your FAEs or did poorly in your Leaving Cert, you don’t need to draw undue attention to it on your CV. Be prepared to answer questions about exams and results during interview but, there is nothing to gain by explicitly highlighting less than amazing outcomes unless asked.

Reframe the narrative

The language we use influences how the message is received. If you present a career blip or a failed exam as an out-and-out negative, you give other people permission to view it that way. With this in mind, it is important to learn to control the narrative and reframe it in a way that reflects positively, or at least neutrally, on you. On a CV, this can be as simple as addressing any gaps in education or employment rather than leaving a tranche of time unaccounted for.

For example, if there was an unusual or unexpected break in your training due to illness, bereavement or other, note this down rather than leave it open to interpretation. Addressing it removes the question mark and ensures that no unfair assumptions will be made about why you have taken longer than usual to complete your training contract. It can be presented as clearly and as simply as the below:

ABC & Co, Dublin

April 2018 – June 2019: Audit Trainee

June 2019 – December 2019: Career break due to illness

December 2019 – Date: Audit Senior

You can also control the messaging in an interview setting by using language that frames the situation in a way that gives a negative experience a positive outcome. For instance, in the example above, you could say “I fell ill during my first year with ABC & Co and had to take a career break to receive treatment. I have been back at work since December 2019 and still passed all of my exams on schedule.” This response acknowledges the negative experience without divulging too much, demonstrates tenacity and ends on a hugely positive note.

Sometimes, people will leave a role due to an untenable work environment, which can prompt questions that are hard to answer in a politically correct way. However, a response like, ?“unfortunately, the role didn’t transpire as was promised at interview and, after exploring all options internally, I felt it was better for my career to look for a role more suited to my experience...” communicates a number of things.

It shows that you were merely unlucky in the role that you chose; that you didn’t make a rash decision; that you took control of the situation to protect your career. Crucially, what it doesn’t do, is smear a previous employer, speak negatively about the workplace or suggest flippant decision-making.

Regardless of the situation, there are always ways to say what needs to be said whilst still leaving a positive impression.

This article first appeared in the November 2020 issue of Accountancy Ireland Extra with the title 'How to turn a career negative into a job positive'

?

?