At JobInterviewTools.com, we help job hunters solve their job interviewing problems and answer their interview questions no matter what they are.
You’ll not only find self-help interview training tips you can use, but you’ll read about real people and the questions they have about their job interviews.
Let’s look at Diane’s interviewing questions, for example.
She has a unique situation. Diane has over 15 years of experience, but it’s with her husbands construction business.
She’s worried that when she goes for an interview and they call her past employer for a reference check, they’ll find out that her boss is her husband.
Her husband will undoubtedly give any employer and outstanding reference for his wife, but consequently his opinion will carry little to no weight in the eyes of an employer.
Diane’s Question:
I have been applying for jobs as a Office Manager. I have no college education but have 15 plus years experience in this field.
I feel the problem I am going to have is that my boss was my husband. I don’t know what I should say or not say in my resume or interview.
My husband has had a successful construction company for over 20 years and I have played a large part of it’s success. How do I handle this situation?
Don’s Answer:
On your resume, just say that you were the Office Manager for the [XYZ Construction Company]. Don’t put your boss’s name or husband name on your resume.
Personally, I think your situation is a non-issue anyway and I would treat like such.
During the interview, just treat your position like any other job and don’t volunteer that you are related to your boss. Also, don’t try to hide it either, but make them figure it out.
I can’t see how this will even come up during the interview. During the interview, I doubt they are going to say, “What is your bosses name? Is that your husband? Sorry we’re not interested in you.”
They are going to be focused on whether they think you can do the job.
In the end, 15 years as an Office Manager is 15 solid years of experience. Since this was your husbands business, I would assume that you even worked harder for him by putting in longer hours than you would have for someone else.
Being self employed takes a lot of discipline and hard work and interviewers know this. Companies often like to snatch up people like this because they figure if this person has the mental stamina to work for themselves, that that person will work just as hard for someone else.
So my advice to you would be not hide this, but also not volunteer it. At one point during the first or second interview, if they ask if you are related to your boss, then just say, “yes, I worked for my husband.”
I’m very confident that your true colors will shine through during the interview and any interviewer will quickly be able to see the kind of hard working person you really are.
You have just read a transcript of Diane’s interviewing questions. She is not very good at job interviewing and needs help improving her skills before she goes on her first interview.
The Complete Interview Answer Guide is the perfect interview training resource. Inside, Don shows job seekers how to answer interview questions. The 201+ sample answers in the guide will quickly help you craft your own professional answers for ALL types of interview questions for any occupation.
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