By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
This is one of those fun and tricky interview questions that can be asked in one of two ways. The question I used in the title is a very simple question. Ten is number one in the world and worthless.
This is a variation of the same question, but with an extra twist. Rate yourself and your abilities from one to ten. Ten is the best in the world. . . .But you can’t use the number eight.
Why would anyone do this? Simple. Most people default to number eight. So the way a problem works is not the problem itself, but the aftermath of the problem.
So, for example, in the first version, you might say, “I’d say eight and a half, maybe nine.”
“Why did you choose this number?”
“Well, I’m not the best in the world. I know I’m pretty good, and I haven’t met more than a hundred guys who do what I do. So, from those guys, I can see that I rank pretty high. But, we’re talking about the whole world, so I’m going to cut it back a little bit and say eight and a half, maybe nine.”
Do you know what you’re going to do about it? What follows is designed to allow you to explain what will get you to a specific nine. What would make you a seven? They may investigate this.
“What’s the difference between these rankings” and your ability to confidently soar through your background without giving up some secrets about your experience becomes important here.
Now, when you can’t use the number “8,” pause, say “oh oh,” and then you sigh, because that suggests you would choose “8.” It doesn’t matter.
“Well, if I can’t choose eight, I’m going to choose nine.”
“Well, why did you do that?”
“Because I’m definitely not a Seven. A Seven is…” And then you start making disparaging remarks about people who aren’t high enough.
“9, that suits me better than 7.”
You do more than just answer questions. You’re showing confidence in yourself, which is the other part. This question can be Ask anyone looking for a job. The tricky one is question 8, because that’s the question people default to. Don’t be fooled, choose 7. False humility only shows a lack of confidence in them.
Ⓒ Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2020
About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
Jeff Altman, “The Big Game Hunter,” is a coach and has been a recruiter for a hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the producer and former host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 job search podcast on iTunes with over 3,000 episodes.
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