Man shares three-word answer that landed him dream job on the spot

20 November 2023 , 10:33

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The online community has offered advice on how to bag your dream job (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/Westend61)

When it comes to interviewing for a new job, most people spend hours prepping answers to commonly asked questions to impress their interviewer. But one candidate managed to impress his prospective employer by admitting he 'didn't know' the answer to the question being asked.

Sharing how being honest helped him secure his dream job, he said on Quora: “[The interviewer] said he must've had two dozen other applicants attempt to convince him how it all worked, but being able to admit I didn't know something landed me the job. I learnt how knowing one's limitations is so important.”

Another reader said they believed taking a pen with them to take notes during the interview helped them seal the deal. “I was called two days after the interview and offered the job. I am sure it was because I came prepared with a pen and showed how serious I was taking things. Take a pen with you!” they urged.

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Another interviewee used a simple sales strategy to win their potential boss over. “At the end of the interview I said, ‘A good salesman never leaves without asking for the sale, so…do I have the job?’ When they hired me, I was told it was because I had enough confidence to ask for the job at the end of the interview. No other candidate did that. Since I went first, I had planted the expectation that any good salesman would do what I did and everyone else failed,” they said.

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Another reader told how their daughter had been offered the job after some simple truths ensured she stood out from the rest. “She applied for a job as a model for a tanning product. There was a line of prospective models there. When they went in for the interview, they each said some version of “You should hire me because I’m fun, funny and like to have fun.” Not her; she said: “I really like your product. I use it often and would love to help you sell it.”

Emma Rowbottom