Why Do You Want to Work Here?

A few weeks ago, my 19-year-old son had an interview at a local ice cream shop. He was asked, [“Why do you want to work here?” He gave the generic teenage reply, “I just need a job.” Beeeeeep. Wrong Answer. You lose.

You want to know the honest truth? This kid would shovel manure for 12 hours a day in chains under the hot summer sun for minimum wage. He is that desperate to find a job.

But like a good soldier, he is coming up with a good answer to this question. He now is practicing the saying, “I really love your product and I want to help your customers have a great experience when they come into your shop.” Job search is such a game.

It is forbidden to simply say, “I just need a job.” We have to pretend that we really truly want to do x, y, or z. We are told to lie through our teeth, and then in the next breath we are told to relax and be our authentic selves during the interview. “Well, I’d really prefer not to work but I have no other way to pay my rent or put food on the table.”

It is all such a game. And the winner is…the candidate who knows how to tell the best lies.

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