RE: Preparation for a phone screen interview

[John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com>]

Let me pose a question.

During the interview, you are aware that the company is very TOOLS oriented
(based on their description of the position) and are asked if you can create
flow charts using ABC Flowcharter, which you've never used. You are a wiz
with Visio and you heard from someone you respect that "If you know Visio,
ABC Flowcharter is similar". 

So...when you are asked "Can create flow charts using ABC Flowcharter", do
you say"

1) Yes
2) I don't know
3) I've never used ABC flowcharter, but I'm good at learning tools and I
think I can pick it up quickly.

Now...my take on honesty is to pick #1, even though I'm thinking #3. I know
I can do it, even though I haven't before. Am I lying? I don't think so...in
fact, I think I'm being honest. The question wasn't "Have I used it.", even
though I kinda know what they mean. OTOH, the honesty purist might take door
#3 and hope that the interviewer hasn't heard this explanation before and
the person they hired fell on their face. 

------

>Here is where the apparent dispute lies: Sean Brierley
>asked, "in an interview, don't both sides have an
>obligation to be honest?" You and John Posada have
>been addressing the related but separate issue of
>whether or not you can *expect* both sides to be
>honest.
>
>The way I see it, both viewpoints are correct: both
>sides *do* have an obligation to be honest, but
>expecting that obligation to be respected 100% is unrealistic.

--------------------
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com
jposada -at- book -dot- com
212-414-6656
icq: 178047452
aim: jposada1
  "When you only have two minutes to do 
  something that takes three, wait until you have three"

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