Job Interview

Hacking
Secrets

Ches Roldan

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I’m an HR major who never had an HR job.

Weird?

Let me explain:

My internship made me realize that I don’t want to work in HR. I

knew I wasn’t the man for the job, so I spent my time looking for
jobs that don’t involve HR.

This gave me a unique perspective:

I’m a job hunter who knows how the whole recruitment

and selection game works.

All those case studies we’ve presented throughout college, all

those interview simulations, and the whole time I’m interning in
an HR department armed me well enough to game the process.

Here are the things I’ve learned:

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Dominate The Early Game: Own the
Interview With This Trick
Before the interview starts, ask the interviewer, ​‘​Why did you
decide to interview me?’

This question tilts the interviewer.

Instead of the interviewer assessing you objectively, ​the

question you asked ​forces the interviewer​ to think of you
positively.

The interviewer will then start mentioning your credentials and

other stuff that got you on the shortlist.

See, ​the interviewer is ​praising you​ even before the

interview begins!

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Be Better Than The 80%: How to
Answer Interviews
Most people buckle under the pressure of interviews.

Don’t.

Job hunting is a refined numbers game, treat it as such. Don’t

invest emotions in it. ​There’s no ROI for that.

Most people will give boring interviews.

They’ll spout nonsense they found on the internet or outdated

stuff their good-willed parents taught them.

Imagine for a moment that you’re an interviewer who goes

through hundreds of boring interview sessions like this on a daily
basis, won’t you root for a person with refreshing answers?

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Interviewer​: “What’s your greatest weakness?”

Boring Candidate​: “I’m a perfectionist.”/ “I work too hard”

Interviewer:​ ​**Internally screaming ‘WTF!’**

If you’re like me, you won’t go to an interview fully prepared.

You’ve read the job description 10 times, at the very least.

You need this kind of preparation for the standard questions.

When an interviewer asks you about your weakness, tell them a

candid one—​but make sure it’s irrelevant to the job.

Interviewer for an advertising job:​ “What’s your greatest

weakness?”

You:​ “I suck at Calculus.”

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Interviewer for an advertising job:​ “Haha! Don’t we all?”

When an interviewer asks you about your strengths, don’t just

give them keywords. Give them the full info. Give. It.

Interviewer​: “What are your strengths?”

Boring Candidate​: “I’m a leader, I’m a team player….”

Interviewer:​ ​**Couldn’t believe that he/she heard

another run of the mill answer** ​“Nice!”

Don’t be that person. Take charge. Be like this:

Interviewer​: “What are your strengths?”

You​: “First, I’m highly observant. In my previous job, I analyzed

every shipment route and found that this particular route is
relatively fog-free and rarely gets congested. I told the shipping
team about this and as a result, our delivery time for

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mass-produced items is now 30 days earlier than expected. Maybe
this kind of thinking is a result of winning chess tournaments and
playing too much Dota 2 with high-ranked players.”

Interviewer:​ ​**Damn!** ​“Damn!”

Lastly, ​be better than the 80% by taking a pause.

Just. Pause.

When a question is asked, listen closely. Let it sink in for a few

seconds, then answer.

Show the interviewer that you actually thought about your

answer.

Show them that you’re deliberate with your actions.

It shows maturity and confidence.

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The uninformed ones will jump with an answer like a crazy
chicken even before the interview is done with the question.

Don’t be that person.

They blurt out answers. It gives off the impression that they
weren’t thinking, that their answer is memorized, canned.

Whether you actually thought about your answer, whether you

didn’t memorize your answer, the point is the impression you’re
giving to the interviewer is the exact opposite.

Don’t be that person.

Be Better Than the 95%: Have a

Portfolio and a Proposal Ready
Being better than the 80% is all about being better than the
average. That is easy.

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Being better than the 95% is a different ball game. You have to
outplay the best of the best.

Portfolios are a game-changer, especially when the interviewer

doesn’t expect it. Make sure to bring one to an interview.

Your portfolio should be relevant, interesting, and has figures in

it.

When I was applying for an analyst job, I brought with me a

printout of the answer I wrote on Quora. I believe the question is
whether Pacquiao faked his shoulder injury in his fight against
Mayweather.

This is an exciting analysis for me because I love boxing and the

question is compelling.

The answer is Pacquiao’s right shoulder was actually injured.

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He basically fought one-handed. His performance that night was
worse than lesser-tiered fighters who went against Mayweather.

Here’s the funny thing: My analysis is correct but the math is

wrong. The calculations are way off.

The interviewer shrugged off my math like it’s a minor mistake

(I’m applying for an analyst position!) and was impressed that I
actually spent my time doing stuff like this and had the initiative
to bring one to an interview.

And yes, I got the analyst job.

Now, for the next trick is the proposal.

Here’s where everything gets more serious:

You’re actually going to pinpoint the mistakes and

weaknesses of the company—and show them how you’re
going to fix it.

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It’s a bold, strategic move. If the interviewer gets turned off by
this, good for you. You wouldn’t want to work for a company that
doesn’t admit their mistakes and weaknesses.

Sane interviewers will love this. They’ll get wet dreams over this.
You’ll become a prime candidate in an instant.

Now, you’re better than the 95%.

Make a Lasting Impression: Your

Interview Should Sound Like a Story
Stories are the best way to have a lasting impression on
anyone.

Did you ever forget the story of Cinderella, Harry Potter, or

Batman? ​No.

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It’s because stories have a structure that makes it easier for people
to follow. Sprinkle in a few moments of heart-tugging and the
story won’t be easy to forget.

Think about this: most interviews have standard questions.

You should be able to prepare a story structure for the whole

interview process. Then you sprinkle in personal stories that the
interviewer will have a hard time forgetting.

Save Everybody’s Time: Ask About

The Team
This will save your working life.

Ask the interviewer to be brutally honest about the team you’re

going to work with.

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Most of the time they’ll tell you directly what’s up. ​They’re
relieved that they didn’t make a dick move on their own​.
You asked them to spill the beans, they merely obliged.

This question shows the interviewer 2 things: you actually want

the job and you’re mature enough to adjust to the team.

But the beauty of the question lies in this: ​It gives you a good
look at how bad this job can get.

If you think the team’s bad side, working style, or environment

isn’t something you can tolerate, then ​you’ve just saved
yourself from corporate hell.

You’re still being interviewed.

You still have time to say ‘No’ and walk away.

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Now you’re more than ready to ace interviews left and right!

Have fun job hunting!

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