Chapter 22

Special cases: from school leavers to retirees

School leavers

If you’re a recent school leaver then you definitely qualify as a special case, primarily because you will have little or possibly no previous work experience. You may think this will rule out a number of classic questions interviewers like to pose. However, skilled interviewers will normally be able to rephrase their questions to probe not your work experience but your school record.

‘How would your colleagues describe you?’ can be turned into ‘How would your teachers describe you?’

By switching one word, ‘Can you tell me about a major problem at work that you’ve had to deal with?’ becomes ‘Can you tell me about a major problem at school that you’ve had to deal with?’

And ‘Can you tell me about the best boss you’ve ever had?’ translates easily to ‘Can you tell me about your favourite teacher?’

Whilst these types of questions need a little adaptation, you will find that many of the classic questions can just as easily apply to school life as they can to working life.

• Do you work well on your own initiative?
• How do you handle pressure and stress?
• Can you tell me about a time when you have failed to achieve a goal?

There are also a number of questions which are only ever likely to be asked of a recent school leaver.

• What subjects did you most enjoy at school?
• What subjects did you least enjoy?
• How were your final exams?
• What did you normally do during the school holidays?
• Why haven’t you decided to continue your education?
• Wouldn’t you like to go/shouldn’t you have gone to university?

You need to be prepared for these and to have thought through and perfected your answers just as you would when preparing for any other interview question.

If you don’t have any work experience, then the interviewer will be aware of this and if it was a major obstacle to your performing the job they wouldn’t be bothering to interview you. If they are taking the time to interview you, then it’s because they believe you may have something to offer, and you should draw on your school experiences to help make a compelling case that you do indeed have something to offer.

Recent graduates

Recent graduates are also a special case because they are also likely to be lacking in practical work experience, and because they are likely to be subjected to detailed questioning about their time at university.

As with school leavers, most of the standard interview questions can be adapted or rephrased to cope with the fact that you will have little or no work experience. You need to be just as prepared for all the most common questions as any other candidate needs to be. You may have very little in the way of work experience so you will have to construct your answers in light of your university experiences. This isn’t a problem, though, as a graduate you have a lot to offer an employer even if you don’t yet have any relevant work experience. Is successfully completing a degree course really that different from ‘working’? Besides the generic questions, there are many other questions specific to recent graduates that an interviewer may decide to pose.

In the next chapter we mention the question, ‘In what ways is your degree relevant to the work you are now doing?’ This could be asked of someone who graduated a year ago or ten years ago. However, for someone who has only just graduated, an interviewer will probably rephrase this along the lines of, ‘In what ways is your degree relevant to your ability to do this job?’ It’s vital to give careful thought to your answer in advance because this one is a favourite among interviewers.

Other popular questions for graduates include:

• Why did you decide to go to this university?
• Why did you decide to read this particular subject?
• What class of degree are you expecting/did you achieve?
• What aspects of going to university did you enjoy the most?
• Which module/course/project did you most enjoy?
• What extracurricular activities did you engage in?
• How has life at university prepared you for the workplace?

I can’t answer these questions for you. It’s up to you to apply the principles we have covered so far in this book and produce your own answers. But remember to bear in mind that the interviewer will be assessing your answers in the context of the job for which you are applying. Be positive in your answers demonstrate the drive and enthusiasm which led you to the successful completion of your degree. Your lack of practical experience may be a small disadvantage, but your degree is a powerful selling point.

Changing career path

If you have decided to change your career path, then the main obstacle you face will be your lack of relevant experience. You may have a wealth of experience in the workplace but if it’s not directly relevant to the job for which you are applying this will certainly present you with a challenge.

When formulating your answers you should ensure that your comments remain relevant, and try to focus on the transferable skills and abilities that you have developed.

Interviewers are always going to be curious about a candidate whose career hasn’t followed a straight path. You can expect to be questioned on this in a variety of different ways, including:

• Why have you decided to change your career path?
• What difficulties do you perceive in changing your career path?
• How will you be able to compensate for your lack of relevant experience?
• What are your key transferable skills and abilities?
• Would you say that you’re a quick learner?
• Why didn’t you want to remain in your previous line of work?
• What makes you think this line of work will be right for you?

Returning to work after a career break

If you’re returning to work after a career break, then this is always going to raise some questions in an interviewer’s mind.

We have already discussed sexual discrimination in the previous chapter and established that an interviewer should not be asking you questions about your married life, your children or your future family plans. However, there will be no avoiding the fact that there is a large hole in your CV, which you will be expected to account for (and should already have accounted for within your CV). You may also be affected by other prejudices, most notably ageism.

The main question the interviewer will be asking themselves is why they should be hiring you, rather than someone who is perhaps younger and possesses more recent qualifications and experience. I’m not saying this is fair; I’m simply saying it’s important to know that this is what they’re thinking because it will help you when phrasing your answers (and even when writing your CV) to know what you’re up against.

They may also be worried about the possibility that your family commitments will have a detrimental effect on your work.

• Will your working overtime be a problem for your family?
• Is it going to be difficult for your family if you have to travel?
• How reliable are your childcare arrangements?

They’re not really permitted to ask you such questions but, again, you need to keep in mind that this is what they will be thinking and that these are the sorts of objections you are going to need to overcome. By identifying your interviewer’s concerns, you are better able to find ways to address these, but make sure you don’t come across as being defensive.

Questions they are more likely to ask, and for which you need to be prepared, include:

• Why have you decided now is the right time to return to the workplace?
• Are you sure a full-time role is the right choice for you?
• How do you think the industry/sector has changed since you were last in work?

Of course, there are many other reasons for a career break, including:

• Further training/education.
• Caring for a family member or close friend.
• Travel.
• Inability to find a suitable position.
• Ill health.
• Imprisonment.

For the full story on how to handle these circumstances, please take a look at question 29, ‘Why is there a gap in your CV?’ in Chapter 20: Forty classic questions you must be prepared for.

Retirees and those approaching retirement

We discussed age discrimination in the previous chapter and established that it is totally unacceptable for interviewers to ask, ‘How old are you?’

However, this isn’t necessarily going to stop them thinking along the lines of:

• Aren’t you perhaps a little old to cope with this job?
• Are you too old to keep up with such a fast-paced role?

They’re certainly not allowed to ask such questions, but they may ask you with a variety of other questions, which you need to be prepared to handle.

• Have you given any thought to your retirement plans?
• At what age are you planning to retire?
• Why have you decided to work on past normal retirement age?

The important thing for you to bear in mind is that your age is not a relevant factor; it is your skills and experience that count. Demonstrate these effectively to the interviewer and the ‘age factor’ will hopefully be forgotten.