Nov 17

"What's your favorite food?"

Things we talked about --

• similar question - What's your favorite TV show?
• unrelated question, but related concept - What style will you wear your hair for your interview?

You create an image. Questions might be designed for them to find out "hidden details" about you, or you might tell them things that talk about you in ways you didn't think about. You want to think about what image you are creating. So we practice answers to all kinds of questions, so we can think about what message we are sending with our words.

What image do you want to create? Do you want to be sophisticated, or more like a "common man"? Will the City of Daegu want to hire someone who is rich and snobby? Probably not. Do you want to seem like an EWHA Women's University girl, or a farm girl, or somewhere in between? Decide this before you walk in to an interview.

What does your food say about you? Spaghetti is sloppy, that's the problem. Steak is a "real man's food." Big, strong, and a little expensive. Lobster sounds sophisticated (but is often very expensive). But you can talk about it so that it doesn't sound like you are a snob. Something like

Lobster is my first choice when I get to choose dinner. Lobster is a great
health food. High in protein, and if you don't use a lot of butter, low in
fats. It goes well with other healthy foods, like rice and fresh
vegetables. It also tastes great. I try to get out for lobster at
least once per month, but the problem is that it is a little expensive!

What am I trying to say here? I'm health concious, I understand that expensive things are not for everyday. "When I get to choose" means that I also don't expect to be the one who chooses all the time, I can accept other people as leaders too.

Use the same ideas for any question.

Don't lie, but choose the best answer for the question based on the image you want to create. You can talk about your second-most favorite, or third-most (don't tell them it's not your most-most favorite).

You should look for interview questions to practice. Maybe buy a book for jobs related to the field you want to work. I'll try to find a list for you too. Don't worry about the answers in a book, or a recording... you need to develop your own true answers.

By the way, I mentioned in class that you might try to tie your favorites to the company, but don't be too obvious. It is true that one of my favorite foods is McDonalds cheeseburgers. And that I really like 돼지국밥, which can make me look like a very common man. And while 골든벨 (Golden Bell) is one of my favorite TV shows in Korea, what makes Golden Bell especially good for an interview is the idea that

1. I watch it with my wife, children, and in-laws when we are all sitting around in-laws house relaxing
2. We enjoy the competition, especially when I, a foreigner, get one right
3. We love to cheer on the students who are trying for scholarships

These are all "good images."

INTERVIEW QUESTION TO PREPARE for next meeting --

Why should we hire YOU?