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What, you didn't get "Why do you want this job?" :-)
I don't know about you, but this question is always a temptation to
sarcasm for me. The only real answer is, "Because I need the money,
and working at your company is marginally better than selling my
body on the street," but, of course, I can't say that in case I
sound cynical.
On the other hand, if I say something that suggests that working at
the company will help me achieve my goal of having three verified
miracles and qualifying for sainthood while still alive, I'll simply
sound sucky.
Usually, I try to use the question to show that I've researched the
company, saying that I'm interested in the company's technology, or
that it has the reputation of having a good team or a bright future,
or something like that. But to my ears, even these answers sound so
lame that they need bedrest and a wheelchair, and I usually trail
off muttering or try to divert attention from the inadequacy of my
answer (faking a heart attack will usually do it, I find; it can
also get you the sympathy vote if you're being interviewed by a
committee. But you've got to be careful; it will backfire if the
interviewers think that you're too sickly to be a good peon).
--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Contributing Editor, Maximum Linux
604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
"Her father came of tinker stock, baptized by flowing water,
Old Jack, he was disposed to roam and so his only daughter,
And me a lad of seventeen, I left my parent's home,
For Jenny Byrce, Jack the Rover's daughter."
-James Keelaghan, "Jenny Byrce"
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Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001
Conference East, June 4-5, Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. http://www.pdfconference.com or toll-free 877/278-2131.
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