RE: Preparation for a phone screen interview

[Tom Storer <tstorer_tw -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

If I were an interviewer, and you answered "Yes" when
asked if you could do a task you had in fact never
attempted, I would consider that a fib. As an
interviewer, answer 3 is what I would hope to hear if
it were the truth. On the other hand, I would not be
surprised to learn it was a fib, and if you got the
job and were in fact able to do good work with ABC
Flowcharter very quickly, I wouldn't much care. Your
bluff would have worked and everyone would be happy.
But if it didn't work, you'd have egg on your face.

To answer "Yes," you'd have to have enough trust in
both the person who gave you his or her opinion of ABC
Flowcharter, and in your own ability to wing it if in
fact it's not as similar to Visio as all that--for
example, you arrive on the job to find that they're
using the brand-new release of ABC Flowcharter, a
revolutionary advance that leaves Visio in the dust
with its innovative and difficult-to-master new
features. Unfortunately your first task is to whip up
some flowcharts for an executive presentation that
very afternoon, and there's no time for any learning
curve at all. (Not a terribly likely scenario for
humble flowcharts, but you get my drift.)

I wouldn't think you're a horrible person who should
burn in hell if you answered "Yes," but on the other
hand I don't consider it scrupulously honest. Answer 3
is what I would give in such a situation. But I don't
like to bluff. Everybody's different.

--- John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com> wrote:
> 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 you 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. 


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