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Stability has no place in an Interview

pile of stones |  Tjook  -  Foter  -  CC BY-ND
pile of stones | Tjook - Foter - CC BY-ND

There has been a recurring theme in interviews this week. People are looking for jobs for the rest of their lives. “I just want somewhere I can settle in and work until retirement”.

Guess what?

Employers don’t care about that. They want to know what you are going to do for them, not what you want them to do for you.

There is no problem with wanting stability and a place to grow and develop. But keep that to yourself. When a hiring manager hears the word stability, they jump right to complacency and obligation.

You want to describe what you bring to the role, your energy, your desire. That’s what they are interested in.

It is fine for stability to be on your list of job criteria; but when you are interviewing with a name brand company and you are asked why you want to work there, stability is not the best answer. You want to talk about their top ranking, out pacing the competition, innovative facilities. That’s the good stuff.

You might even want to re-calibrate your definition of stability. If you have just finished at a high growth company or an organization going through big changes, starting at a “stable” company may be the worst thing for you. When you are still on-boarding four weeks in, you might be ready to poke your eyes out with a fork.

So think carefully about what you are really looking for in your next role. Then think equally carefully about the things that make you so well suited to that role. That list is interview gold.