Getting an interview is an exciting moment in a job search. It means the hiring managers see potential in you and want to further assess how you might fit into the organization. You want to take this opportunity to be prepared to speak to your strengths, using specific examples from your past experience, and why you would be the best person to hire for this position. Preparation is one of the best ways to make a great impression on whomever you're meeting with. It's also a great way to avoid accidental disclosure when navigating a job search with a cancer diagnosis.
Thinking through potential questions that may be asked and coming up with answers for them will not only make you sound intelligent and eloquent, it also offers you ways to be able to take control about the conversation. If a question comes up that you're not able to answer, or don't want to answer because it may disclose your diagnosis, you can address the question and then swivel it around to something you would like to highlight or talk about. So for example if someone says, "I see you have a gap on your resume, can you tell me about that?" You can reply with something like "Yes, I was dealing with some urgent family issues, but those are all settled now and I am ready to get back working with a team because collaboration is one of my biggest strengths. At my last job I worked with a team of 6 people to..."
To help practice, a recent article on The Muse made a list of 50+ Top Interview Questions. Their list includes:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want to work at this company?
- What can you bring to the company?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
- What is your greatest professional achievement?
Click here to read their full list of questions to practice.
Find someone you trust to practice with you. It can be a family member, a friend, a professional mentor, etc. Have them ask you a question and practice your response to it. You want to be mindful not to give the same word for word answer each time because you want the interview to feel natural and spontaneous like a conversation. But practicing beforehand will make you more comfortable and will hopefully save you from any moments of panic over a curveball question you're not sure how to answer.
For more resources on interviews and job search, make sure to check out: