When you finally score a job interview, it can feel like a huge deal. And to you, it is. It’s the first big step toward finally getting the job of your dreams. To recruiters, however, it’s all just a part of the daily grind. After all, professional recruiters often conduct hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews per year.
得到面试机会是件非常重要的事情,这意味着向着理想工作迈出了重要的第一步。但是对于面试官来说,这只是他们日常繁杂事务中的一部分工作。事实上,职业面试官每年都要面试几百个人

Now, that’s not to discourage you or suggest recruiters don’t care about you. The point is, though, they go through the interview process a lot more often than you do — so when you give what you think seems like a well-thought-out, unique, and interesting response, they might have already heard it a few times that week alone. If you truly want to stand out in their eyes, you need to avoid these cliché answers and dig deeper into what kind of information they’re really looking for.
提到这一点并不是为了打击你,或者说面试官不在意你,而是想强调这样一个事实:面试官经历的面试次数比你多很多,所以当你自认为给出了得体、独特又有趣的答案时,他们这周已经听过几次相同的答案了。所以,如果想要在面试中脱颖而出,你不能再使用这些陈词滥调的回答,而要深入了解面试官需求,给出更有深度的回答。
 
But which interview responses are the worst offenders, and what should you say instead? We reached out to a number of recruiters, HR professionals, career coaches, and other experts to hear their thoughts. These are the seven answers they advised job seekers to avoid at all costs.
那么,哪些回答是最应该避免的、哪些又是应该采取的呢?在采访了多位面试官、人力资源官、职业导师以及各位专家后,我们总结出了七种最应该避免的回答。
 
Q: Tell me about yourself.
A: Details of your family life, medical history, or professional flaws
问:介绍一下你自己。
答:介绍家庭生活、健康史或者职业缺陷
Why it’s bad: Avoid anything personal that will be held against you in the interview. There are topics, such as health and family, that the employer should not bring up (because it’s illegal). You should avoid these things, too. Also, don’t bring up your shortcomings. If you are invited to interview, the interviewers believe you can do the job. Be confident, and believe in yourself.
为什么:在面试时不要谈论会对你不利的任何私人话题。老板不能问及你的家庭、健康状况等(这是违法的),所以你也不应该谈论这些话题。还有,不要讲自己的缺点。接到面试邀请意味着面试官认为你可以胜任这份工作。要相信自己,自信满满地去面试。
 
What to say instead: Give a narrative that outlines your work experience thus far, why it’s relevant to the current position, where you want it to take you, and, if you have time left, a couple short details that shed light on who you are as a person, such as interests and hobbies.
正确回答:采用叙事性的方法讲述自己的工作经历、为什么想得到这个职位、想在这个职位上获得哪些成就等,如果还有时间的话,可以简单讲一下你的兴趣爱好等。
 
Q: Tell me what you know about the company.
A: Very obvious details, such as the industry, or avoiding a straight answer completely
问:关于我们公司,你都有哪些了解?
答:回答一些简单的、表面上的细节,比如公司所在行业等信息,或者不直接回答这个问题
Why it’s bad: Failing to research the company you’re applying to suggests to the interviewer you either don’t truly take it seriously, are lazy, or just don’t have common sense. If candidates are unprepared to answer this question, the likelihood of them securing a position with a company shrinks dramatically.
 
为什么:如果对应聘公司没有很好的了解的话,这样的回答可能会让面试官觉得你没有认真看待这次面试或者你并不是一个勤奋的人、没有常识等等。如果应试者没有很好地回答这个问题,他们得到这份工作的机率会大大降低。
 
What to say instead: Describe things, such as the product/service the company provides, its target market, and its business model, among other publicly available, business-critical information.
正确回答:描述公司产品、服务、目标市场、商业模式等公开的关键业务信息。
 
Q: What’s your greatest strength?
A: I’m a team player.
问:你最大的优点是什么?
答:我擅长团队合作。
Why it’s bad: The answer is too broad — no specifics about your unique qualities. Everyone should be a ‘team player,’ so what makes you special? It feels forced and inauthentic — like you’re just spouting a phrase you think HR wants to hear.
为什么:这个回答太宽泛了,并没有明确说明你的个人优点。每个人都应该擅长团队合作,你的特别之处又在哪里呢?这个回答听起来比较生硬,似乎你是为了迎合HR才脱口而出这个回答。
 
What to say instead: Be specific about how you collaborate with co-workers and connect with other departments to produce the best product and why you think it’s crucial to develop these connections and develop relationships. Give examples from previous work experience.
正确回答:阐述你是如何与同事共事、与其他部门合作来取得成功的,结合工作经验来谈谈为什么你认为建立联系和合作非常重要。
 
Q: What’s your greatest weakness?
A: I work too hard/I’m a perfectionist.
问:你最大的缺点是什么?
答:我太过努力/我是一个完美主义者。
Why it’s bad: This answer comes from candidates who are trying to share something they perceive as a strength, cloaked as a weakness. Who wouldn’t want an employee whose biggest flaw is being too driven or striving for perfection? The problem is that the candidates who provide this answer are unwilling to admit to their real areas of development.
为什么:这样回答的应聘者其实想要利用这个问题讲述自己的优点。哪个企业会不想聘用太过努力或者追求完美的员工呢?问题是,这么回答的员工其实不愿意承认他们真正的短板。
 
What to say instead: Candidates should be honest. By the time we’ve had a few jobs, and each of us knows what we need to work on. Be ready to honestly share something you need to develop, how you know/who’s given you feedback, and what you’re doing to get better. The ideal answer demonstrates a willingness to be self-aware and also that you’re a continuous learner.
正确回答:其实,应聘者应该诚实回答这个问题。每个人都有过工作经历,也都了解自己的短处。这时我们可以真诚地说出自己的缺点,讲一下自己是如何发现这个缺点的、有没有人提醒了你、你都做了哪些努力来克服弱点等。最好的回答应该是表示自己愿意承认自己的缺点,同时表示自己正在积极改善。
 
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: I see myself doing this job still.
问:你觉得5年后你会做什么?
答:我还在这个工作岗位上工作。
Why it’s bad: A lot of interviewees say this because they believe it shows a great deal of loyalty and commitment to the company. However, what this actually does is suggest a lack of ambition. Employers don’t want to know that you will want to be in the same position five years later. They want to know what you will do to develop yourself and the company. This is your opportunity to showcase your ambition and drive. Five years is a long time, and to suggest to a potential boss that you don’t see yourself progressing at all in that time shows a distinct absence of zeal.
为什么:很多受访者这么回答是因为他们认为这种回答表现了他们对公司的忠心。但其实这是一种缺乏理想和野心的回答。雇主不想听到五年后你还想呆在这个职位上的答案,他们相知道你会如何提升自己、给公司带来哪些好处。这是你展示自己野心和动力的好机会。五年的时间并不短,对未来的老板说未来五年你都不会进步,显然是缺乏热情的表现。
 
What to say instead: Candidates who truly want the job will know a natural progression … can occur in that role, but a bit of extra research couldn’t hurt. Research the various departments within the company, and see where there may be opportunity to branch out. Explain to the interviewer your goals.
正确回答:诚心的应聘者会知道在这个岗位上如何发展,多做些功课是有好处的。可以研究一下公司内部的各个部门,看看是否有机会取得更好的发展。在这个回答中,需要向雇主表明你的目标。
 
How would you like to grow within the department? More to the point, ultimately, how would you like to help grow the department and indeed the business? What skills do you possess that help you to achieve this? Naturally, you want your employer to believe you will be a loyal worker who won’t jump ship in the next couple of years. At the same time, though, you should be giving them an explanation as to why you are worth keeping for five years in the first place.
如何在部门内成长?最终如何帮助部门甚至公司发展?要达到这个目标需要哪些技能?应聘者希望雇主相信自己是忠诚度较高的员工,短期内不会跳槽,这一点需要应聘者做出声明,但是首先应聘者应该阐释自己在这五年里会为公司创造什么价值。
 
Q: Why do you want to work here?
A: Because I need a job.
问:你为什么想在这里工作?
答:因为我需要一份工作。
Why it’s bad: You might think this candid answer could come off as funny or refreshingly honest, but make no mistake: If you don’t give a real reason why a company should hire you, it won’t. There are almost always plenty of other candidates for it to choose from.
为什么:或许你认为这样的回答很有趣,或者表现了你的诚实。但是,事实上,如果你不能说出公司聘用你的理由,公司真的不会雇用你。来应聘的人有很多,公司的选择范围非常广。
 
What to say instead: To answer this correctly, you must do research on the company and have an answer about the things they believe in, new products or initiatives, or where they are going. “A few better answers? ‘You are a leader in the _____ industry, and I want to be aligned with an organization that’s on the cutting edge and leading the pack,’ ‘Your mission of ______ is aligned with my personal values,’ or ‘I am excited that you … just introduced ______ to the market. You are doing great things, and I am certain I can learn and grow here.
正确回答:回答这个问题,应聘者需要好好了解这家公司,对自己职位相关的信息有所了解,比如新产品、新计划、公司未来发展方向等。具体回答如下:贵公司在XX领域中是佼佼者,我希望能够在一家顶尖公司里工作;贵公司的XX项目非常适合我;我很激动能通过贵公司接触到XX行业,非常感谢你们给我这个机会,我相信我一定会在这里快速成长。
 
Q: Why should I hire you for this position?
A: Because I’m passionate about it.
问:为什么我们要录取你?
答:因为我对这份工作很有激情。
Why it’s bad: Being passionate does not help you stand out from other candidates. A more unique, appropriate response would be to specifically align your background with that of the organization.
为什么:激情不能令你脱颖而出。你需要一个更加独特、更合适的回答,要根据自己的经历解释自己适合这个岗位的原因。
 
What to say instead: Demonstrate your ‘passion’ by discussing quantifiable results you’ve obtained for other organizations. How active are you in industry trade organizations? What measures do you take to develop yourself outside of the workplace?
正确回答:通过在其他公司的量化成果来展示你的激情,比如你在公司里是否积极,职场之外你是如何提高自己的。