18plus: The Christian job interview guide
4th August 2011 by Jarrod Newton
Here’s a typical job interview guide:
Put on your classiest clothes. Make sure your hair is perfect. Remember to research first. And don’t forget the breath mints.
Then exaggerate your strengths. Take some creative freedom with stories of past projects. Only list your references of people who worship you, not those who really know you. And dodge questions about your weaknesses like a seasoned politician.
The reality is, most stuff we read about getting a job is selfish (self-centred, self-promoting, self-congratulating) and completely opposes the Christian faith in so many ways. So without further ado, here are three things I think should definitely be included in “The Christian’s supplement to secular job interview guides”.
Remember who controls your future
If you’re a Christian, you’ve aligned yourself with God’s promises. Firstly that he has purpose and a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11) and that God knows and responds to all our needs (Luke 12:22-34).
Yet the massive temptation in a job interview is to feel like you need to take your destiny into your own hands. We so easily get caught up in thinking that our future completely depends on how we’re able to perform in a 60-minute period. That’s the earthly perspective, not the heavenly one.
Whether you absolutely nail a job interview or completely humiliate yourself, God’s promise is that he can and will use the situation for our good (Romans 8:28). No matter what happens, your future is in good hands – but we need to continually choose to live by his way rather than ours!
Don’t sell out
They have a job opening. I want it. My task is to convince them beyond any reasonable doubt that I am the best person for the job. Right?
I’m not so sure.
In my interview for my first full-time job, the interviewers told me there was some routine, repetitive work involved and asked me how I thought I would handle that. I knew I wasn’t really much of a routine person but figured I would be able to handle a bit of that kind of work and so I told them that wouldn’t be a problem.
It turns out that the entire job was routine, repetitive, same-task-over-and-over stuff – eight hours a day, five days a week. I loved the organisation I worked for and the people I worked with, but I just couldn’t handle the job I was doing and so I left after eight months.
Sure they could accept a bit of responsibility for not being really specific about what the job involved, but the main responsibility was mine for not being really direct about who I was and what things I was best suited to. My “sell out” was minor, but neither side ended up being very happy! (Note this doesn’t supersede #1 – God still had a plan and worked good in the situation!)
So, don’t say you’re an “I stay at work until the job is finished” type person if you have a life outside of work that you’re not willing to compromise.
Don’t say you’re a great team player if you know you do your best work alone.
Don’t say you’re a great organiser if you know you spend much more time flying by the seat of your pants! The truth will eventually be exposed, your credibility will take a hit and your witness for the Gospel will be compromised.
Your job isn’t to convince the interviewer that they need to hire you. They know what skills, passions, and personalities are going to be the best fit, so show them the real “you”. If the real you is the best person for the job you’ll have a great, rewarding time in your new job. If you get the job by selling out though, be prepared for some frustration and pain!
The 'Weakness' question
In every job interview, you’ll most likely get asked to share about your weaknesses. And every job interview guide will share basically the same advice. Here are some examples:
- Career One: “The dreaded question, which is best handled by picking something that you have made positive steps to redress.”
- Jobsearch.about.com: “When you're asked what your greatest weakness is, try to turn a negative into a positive. For example, a sense of urgency to get projects completed or wanting to triple-check every item in a spreadsheet can be turned into a strength ...”
- Careerfaqs.com.au: “Remember, the same ‘negative’ trait can be turned into a positive depending on how you present it.”
To be honest, all this kind of advice makes me uncomfortable! The whole world is convinced that weaknesses are completely unacceptable. So we train, coach and teach people to coat their weaknesses in so much sugar that they actually sound like strengths!
Weakness, however is one of the things every Christian must completely embrace. One of the core messages of our faith is that it’s OK to be weak – to not have it all together, to not get it right all the time, to not be perfect. In fact it’s totally OK to be completely messed up!
We’re encouraged to boast and brag and confess our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:5, James 5:16, Romans 3:23-24) and enjoy the love of a magnificent God who doesn’t require us to sugar-coat our weaknesses in order to be acceptable.
How does this translate into a job interview? Well, I’m not saying we should deliberately sabotage ourselves by unloading all our baggage on the panel. But is it really so bad to answer the weakness question with a “Well I kind of suck in this area...” response?
(Combine this with #1 and remind yourself that your future is in good hands regardless!)
They’re my three entries into “The Christian’s supplement to secular job interview guides”. Anyone have any more to add?
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Comments
Hey Jarrod,
As a guy whose been for a lot of interviews in the last couple of months and many more in the last year and a half, i totally agree with what you are saying! In particular, with the weakness question, I've found that when I'm honest about my weaknesses with them they look at me different and I think respect you more because your willing to admit that your not perfect. Anywho, I thought this was a great article especially for those gearing up to start the process of being interviewed.
Cheers
Hi Jarrod,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful article! I had an interview this morning for a teaching job and I came out feeling sad because I felt I didn't perform to my very best and it didn't reach my expectations on how I want to "sell" myself. Basically, like what you've mentioned - trying to take control of the situation. I was very honest throughout, sharing my thoughts and feelings instead of being politically correct and impressing the panel of interviewers. I just couldn't do it. Your article has motivated, assured and reminded me that be it good or bad, humiliated myself or not, everything is in God's hands and He will open the door if this is what He has planned for me.. and He has the power to turn situations around!
Blessings
Just an update, I've got the job! PTL((:
@Joy:
Congrats Joy, that's awesome!