If you say
“yes” and elaborate enthusiastically, you could be perceived as loose cannon in
a larger company, too entrepreneurial to make a good team player…or someone who
had to settle for the corporate life because you couldn’t make a go of your own
business.
Also too much
enthusiasm in answering “yes” could rouse the paranoia of a small company
indicating that you may plan to go out on your own soon, perhaps taking some
key accounts or trade secrets with you.
On the other
hand, if you answer “no, never” you could be perceived as a security-minded
drone who never dreamed a big dream.
ANSWER: Again it’s best to:
Gauge this
company’s corporate culture before answering and…
Be honest
(which doesn’t mean you have to vividly share your fantasy of the franchise or
bed-and-breakfast you someday plan to open).
In general,
if the corporate culture is that of a large, formal, military-style structure,
minimize any indication that you’d love to have your own business. You might say, “Oh, I may have given it a
thought once or twice, but my whole career has been in larger
organizations. That’s where I have
excelled and where I want to be.”
If the
corporate culture is closer to the free-wheeling, everybody’s-a-deal-maker
variety, then emphasize that in a firm like this, you can virtually get the
best of all worlds, the excitement of seeing your own ideas and plans take
shape…combined with the resources and stability of a well-established
organization. Sounds like the perfect
environment to you.
In any case,
no matter what the corporate culture, be sure to indicate that any desires
about running your own show are part of your past, not you’re present or
future.
The last
thing you want to project is an image of either a dreamer who failed and is now
settling for the corporate cocoon…or the restless maverick who will fly out the
door with key accounts, contacts and trade secrets under his arms just as soon
as his bankroll has gotten rebuilt.
Always
remember: Match what you want with what the position offers. The more information you’ve uncovered about
the position, the more believable you can make your case.
0 కామెంట్లు:
కామెంట్ను పోస్ట్ చేయండి