I once was asked by a hiring manager if I could change my past what would I do?
I think you know the answer if you read this regularly. I told him that I wouldn’t change my past. Not because there aren’t things that I could improve, but because it made me who I am today and I am content with that.
That apparently wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear because I didn’t get the job. It was the truth however, and that ok if that answer cost me the opportunity.
The safe answer is that you would have learned from your mistakes sooner and that you would have worked harder to achieve your goals. Hiring managers like to pretend that you are going to be a superstar in their organization and if you show lots of ambition you might have a better chance.
Does this mean I am sabotaging interviews? Not at all. However just be clear that if you don’t give the expected answers, you probably won’t get the job. Although I have given the expected answers and the hiring manager told me that I did, but didn’t like me anyway. There is no guarantee that any job interview will be fair. Expect it to be unfair.
Why am i saying that job interviews are unfair? You have someone who probably doesn’t have any psychological training trying to determine someones character. If they do have psychological training, there is no way that in an hour or even a series of interviews you find it. If someone is so simple that they can be understood in an hour, its probably someone who doesn’t have much depth to offer the organization.
Other people are like onions. They have contractions, quirks and things that don’t make sense. However what they can offer is a different point of view, but not everyone wants that.
Companies say they want culture and character but don’t be mislead. They want conformity and fear. That will always get you a job.