Interview Guide

This story about Ken is continued from the previous section. He had questions that were not directly answered in my interview guide. To start reading Ken's question from the beginning visit the Job Interview Preparation.

Question summary: Ken, is having a difficult time getting hired for a management position because he has not worked in management for the past nine years. He is also looking for sample interview questions and answers to help him on is up comming job interview.

Don's Answer to Ken - Part 2 of 4

I understand your position having been there myself. I have been a part owner of a company and also wondered if I should disclose that to potential employer. I have also combined years at past jobs to mask the fact that I worked somewhere else.

It's very difficult to find stuff like this in a background check because background checks are usually related to: criminal, drug tests, driving, and contacting your past employer where they merely verify your time of service plus a few other things.

But in your case, but I don't see them going back 10 years to contacting Advanced Phone. Usually they only contact recent employers.

When I was the Vice President of a company that went under, I put it on my resume as just a Technical Consultant, which is really what I did though my title was VP. When you run a small business, the VP does everything from empty trash to taking care of business. There is no glamour in small business ownership; it's all hard work.

Which brings me to you. Having been the hard working owner of two successful businesses is something to bring up in an interview, not hide. You are an entrepreneur and a rare and hard working breed of individual. There is nothing better you can say than to tell them exactly what you did.

Be proud of yourself for leaving your job and starting two successful businesses. It's a very difficult and noble thing to do and takes a lot of guts. People who want to work for themselves are very hard workers and will work hard for others. You did what most people will never do.

I remember interviewing a guy who had his own business, but his business did not make it. He had to close his business and needed a job. We could not wait to hire this guy and hoped he would not change his mind after we gave him the offer.

He saw himself as failure and could not figure out why someone would want to hire a failure. We saw things a little differently. We figured, if he was willing to work 12-16 hour days for himself, just imagine what he would do for us in 8 hours a day. If everyone were like him, we could have cut our staff in half.

Entrepreneurs are some of the best, brightest and most hard working people there are. Even though your business did not last, be proud of your accomplishments. You learned in your business ventures what can never be taught in college.

As I say in my interview guide, don't let the lack of a college education hurt you, your business experience is priceless. One of my friends never had a college education, but that never bothered him nor stopped him. He always interviewed in old worn out clothes and had a pony tail, but companies liked him and always hired him. Today he is the Director of Business development at Level 3 Communications. Continued ...

To read the rest of Don's answer comments to Ken, visit Preparing for a Job Interview.

You have just read a transcript of real problem posed by Ken, who is having a difficult time getting hired for a management position because he has not worked in management for the past nine years.

Get sample interview questions and answers from The Complete Interview Answer Guide. Don shows job seekers how to answer interview questions. The 201+ sample answers in the guide will quickly help you craft your own professional answers for ALL types of interview questions for any occupation.

Interview Guide - Sample Interview Questions and Answers:

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