Interviewing Skills: Presentation of Your Work History

Your work history becomes a key focus in a job interview,
usually right after the requisite pleasantries of whether
you had difficulty finding your way, comments about the
traffic and weather, and an offer of coffee or water.

As you settle back in your chair, trying to look a lot
more relaxed than you feel, the interviewer picks up your
resume or application and starts to ask for details about
your prior experience.

If you have a resume that specifies quantifiable results,
now is your chance to expand on that. If you increased
sales by 20% per quarter or completed a departmental
reorganization that resulted in a budget reduction of 10%,
you are on your way. Obviously such achievements outlined
in your resume impressed the potential employer enough to
call you in for an interview, so your amplification of the
details of actions you took will be eagerly welcomed.

Unfortunately, most of us perform work where the results
are less obvious. If you have worked in production or
customer service or retail, it is very difficult to tie
your efforts directly to company results. In such a case,
try to highlight any personal successes or management
recognition that demonstrates your competence.

Any promotion is excellent, even if only to a lead
position or being put in charge of a special project.
Describe what you did so that the interviewer can
appreciate your prior employer’s belief in your ability to
take on new responsibilities.

If no promotions were made (often none are readily
available), identify any situations where you were singled
out for recognition. That may range from being employee of
the month to being asked to train new coworkers or
receiving a written or verbal recommendation from a
customer you assisted. If you received positive feedback
from supervisors, describe the details.

While each job applicant tries to represent themselves as
a super-achiever, the fact remains that many of us work
quite competently for years without ever receiving a
genuine promotion or even much recognition. Employers are
aware of that. In fact, if the position is routine without
much room for upward mobility, they may be wary of an over-
achiever who is going to chaff against the lack of
promotional opportunities. One of “The Apprentice”
applicants looking for work in a manufacturing environment
would be viewed with more than a dose of suspicion.

If such is your case – a good solid worker (or even
somewhat marginal), find some personal strengths to
describe. If you seldom take sick leave or have a
reputation for always being on time, now is the time to
focus on that. Perhaps you take off time whenever you can
and run perennially late, bring up another aspect of your
character such as an ability to work as part of a team or
outstanding relationships with coworkers (those jawfests
around the water cooler or the three beers after work with
your cronies, complaining about the management monkeys you
have to tolerate, are finally a positive reflection on you!)

If you have worked for one employer for an extended period
of time, you don’t have to stress your stability, the
interviewer already knows that. Instead, concentrate on
answering the unasked questions in his mind, his fear that
you are set in your ways. Stress your flexibility and
desire to learn new skills and procedures. If you changed
departments or job title or responsibilities during your
long tenure, give the details and how well you adapted to
change.

If your work history is varied with many jobs for short
periods of time, explain how much you learned from each
separate job and stress your current desire to blend your
experiences into a long-term, stable career. Describe how
you are looking for a company where you can hunker down and
commit for the long haul.

It may take you some time and self-exploration to identify
it, but there are always some aspects of your work history
that carry a positive spin. Don’t be afraid to dwell on
your strong points no matter how unimpressive you fear your
prior jobs may seem.

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