Whether you’ve interviewed over one million times or can count on one hand how many times you’ve been face-to-face with a hiring manager, the process is always stressful. Not only are you trying your hardest to present the very best version of yourself, you’re also attempting to read your audience and gather as much information as you can about the role, the company culture, and the organization itself. No pressure.

无论你是面试已超一百万次，还是与招聘经理面对面的经历寥寥可数，面试过程总是充满压力。你不仅要全力展现最好的自己，还得试着揣测“观众”的心思，并且尽可能地收集应聘职位、公司文化和机构本身的信息。别有压力。

Ask any manager what it’s like to make a hiring decision and she’ll most likely tell you that it’s no easy task for her, either. Making the right choice can be difficult–especially when she’s choosing from a group of well-qualified applicants¹. So how can you tip the scales in your favor? In addition to coming to each and every interview well-prepared, try putting yourself in the shoes of the person sitting across from you.

询问任何可能决定招聘结果的经理，她很可能会告诉你：这事儿对她也不简单。做出正确选择可能很难——尤其是从一群高素质应聘者中挑选。那么，怎样使得形势对你有利呢？除了每次面试都精心准备外，你还要试着从招聘方的角度思考问题。

We can get pretty close by addressing the five common thoughts almost every hiring manager probably has during your interview.

我们可以通过研究面试时几乎每个招聘经理都会考虑的五个问题来了解他们的心理。

1. Can I Manage This Person?

1. 这人我能共事吗？

A supervisor² isn’t going to hire someone that he doesn’t believe he can work with. Managers come in all shapes and sizes–some are hands-off and expect their employees to do what they need to do with little or no supervision³. Others like to receive daily updates, religiously review timecards, and schedule regular check-in meetings with their staff. If you like to get regular feedback and crave⁴ facetime with your supervisor, a laid-back person may not be the best fit for you. Conversely, if you’re an independent operator who relishes⁵ autonomy, a hands-on supervisor probably isn’t a great match for your work style.

管理者不会招聘他认为无法共事的人。经理们各自的行事风格多种多样——有些是自由放任型，希望下属做好本职工作而几乎不去监督。另外一些喜欢收到每日汇报，认真查看考勤表，安排和员工的例会。如果你喜欢得到经常性反馈，渴望和上级会面，一个懒散的管理者大概不是你的最佳选择。反之，如果你是个热爱自主权的独立工作者，一个事必躬亲的上级很可能不是你工作风格的“良配”。

So when your potential future boss begins thinking about your match as manager and employee during your interview, what can you do? To start, you can show that you are a great listener by making eye contact, taking notes, asking questions, and giving thoughtful answers. Mention that you pride yourself on taking accountability for your workplace contributions, appreciate constructive⁶ feedback, and are excited about continuing to grow your skill set. Demonstrating a willingness to own your work, listen, and learn will definitely score a few points in your favor.

当你潜在的未来老板在面试时开始考虑你俩作为管理者和下属是否合得来时，你该怎么做呢？首先，可以通过眼神交流、做笔记、问问题和给出贴切回答来表现你是个很好的倾听者。你可以说自己以能为公司做出贡献而骄傲，你欣赏建设性的反馈，并对持续增长技能一事感到兴奋。展现乐于工作、倾听和学习的态度，绝对会为你加分。

At some point during the meeting, you should also get an opportunity to pose a few questions. Try asking your potential supervisor how she would describe her management style. If her answer is in line with your preferences, say, “That sounds great! I find that I work really well with managers who are hands on and provide lots of detailed⁷ feedback,” or “That is very much in line with my work style. Having a certain degree of autonomy to get my work done helps me to maximize my productivity.”

面试中的某个时候，你也有机会提问。试着问问你的潜在上级，她如何描述自己的管理风格。如果她的回答符合你的喜好，可以回应：“听起来好极了！我觉得自己和参与型的管理者共事非常愉快，他们会提供详尽的反馈”，或者“这和我的工作风格太相符啦。有适度的工作自主权能让我的效率达到最高”。

If you discover that your future boss’ leadership style isn’t one that works for you, it may be time to evaluate whether or not this is the job for you.

如果你发现未来老板的领导风格跟你不搭，或许该考虑下这份工作是否适合你了。

2. Does This Person Truly Understand This Role?

2.这人真正了解这份工作吗？

Interviewers want to be sure that you not only know what you’d be getting yourself into, but that you’ve done your homework. Be sure that you’ve thoroughly⁸ reviewed the job description before your interview, and make an effort to relate your existing experience back to the responsibilities you would have in the role you’re being considered for.

面试官想要确认你不仅明白自己将从事什么工作，并且你已经为此做好功课了。确保你在面试前已彻底阅读职位说明，并努力将自己的现有经验同应聘岗位所需承担的责任联系起来。

Most hiring managers typically start off with a couple of simple questions like,“Can you tell me about yourself?” and “Why are you interested in this position?” These are perfect opportunities to demonstrate your understanding of the role. Say something that indicates you get what the job entails⁹ and why your background is a solid match, “I have four years of production management experience and specialize in vendor¹⁰ relations. I know vendor management would be an important component¹¹ of this role, which is why I am particularly excited about this opportunity,” or “I am passionate¹² about social media and am specifically targeting opportunities that will allow me to grow my expertise¹³ in this area. I know one of my primary responsibilities in this role would be writing and scheduling tweets for the company’s Twitter account, and I have some great ideas for how I can help you to grow your followers¹⁴.”

大多数招聘经理通常以这些简单问题作为开场——“能介绍下你自己么？”或“你为什么对这个职位感兴趣？”这些都是展示你对职位理解程度的绝好机会。你的回答要能表明你了解岗位所需承担的责任，以及你的背景与之相配的原因——“我有四年生产管理的经验且专长是厂商关系。我知道厂商管理是这个岗位的重要责任，因此我对这次的应聘机会感到尤其兴奋。”或者“我对社交媒体充满热情，一直以能使我增长该领域专业知识的工作机会为目标。我了解到这一职位的主要责任就是公司推特账号的推文写作和安排，我有一些特别棒的点子能帮你们涨粉。”

Another great way to show that you understand what you’re interviewing for is to ask questions about the role once you’ve demonstrated that you’ve done more than just read the job description. Saying, “What kind of traffic goals do you have for Twitter, and what resources do you think will help you reach that goal?”

一旦证明你所做的功课不止于读读岗位描述后，另一个显示你对面试职位了解程度的好方法是问些岗位相关的问题。比如，“你们有怎样的推特流量目标呢？您觉得哪些资源能帮助达成这个目标？”

Whenever you can go beyond the job listing to show an impressive grasp of the role’s responsibilities, you should do so. It’s a waste of both your and the recruiter’s time to only rehash what’s involved in the position.

不论何时，当你能展示职责清单以外对岗位责任的深刻理解时，你就该展示出来。只是重复谈论岗位职责是在浪费你和招聘官的时间。

3. Is This Person Actually Excited About Working Here?

3. 这人真为在这儿工作感到激动吗？

Similar to having an in-depth understanding of the potential opportunity, it’s important to show that you are genuinely excited about the organization as a whole. Of course, not every interview is going to be with your dream company, but try your best to find something that is interesting to you.

和深入理解潜在岗位类似，显示你真的为公司感到激动也很重要。当然，不是每次面试的都是理想的公司，但至少尽力找到你的兴趣点。

Was the company recently named one of the best places to work in your area? Is the department you’d be working in creating innovative¹⁵ new products? Was the CEO recently mentioned in a well-respected publication? Spend some time researching and reading any recent, relevant articles that you can reference during the interview.

这家公司最近被评为你所在领域内的最佳工作地之一了吗？你要工作的这个部门正在研发创新产品吗？这家的首席执行官最近出现在权威出版物里了吗？花些时间搜寻并阅读你可以在面试中提到的近期相关文章。

Along with wondering if you’re truly excited about the opportunity, an interviewer will want to gauge¹⁶ whether you’re a good fit. During the meeting, take the opportunity to ask about the team, their work style, and the company culture. Not only will this show that you are genuinely engrossed¹⁷ in learning about the organization as a whole and not just focused on the position you’re applying for, but it will demonstrate that you, too, care about being the right person for the job.

除了好奇你是否真为这次机会而兴奋，面试官还想衡量你是否合适。面试中，找个机会问问团队相关的问题，他们的工作方式和公司文化。这不仅显示你真的注重了解公司整体而不仅仅是你申请的岗位，还证明了你也在意自己是否是这份工作的合适人选。

4. Will This Person Make Me Look Good?

4. 这人会让我面上有光吗？

To a certain degree, an employee’s performance is a reflection on her supervisor. Your potential future boss wants to be sure that if she takes a day off or can’t make it to a meeting, you’ll still be on top of your game. If you do superb work and present yourself well, she looks good too. If you’re goofing¹⁸ off while the boss is on vacation or don’t proofread¹⁹ that super important email, the person she reports to probably won’t be too happy with either of you.

某种程度上，下属的表现也是上级工作的反映。你潜在的未来老板希望确认，即使她休了一天假或没能赶上一次会议，你还能表现出色。如果你工作完美，表现上佳，他也会面上有光。如果你在上级休假或没有核查一封极其重要的邮件时未能尽职，恐怕她的上级对你俩的印象都会大打折扣。

What is the best way to assure your future manager that you are totally trustworthy? Find out what she values in a team member. Try asking, “What traits are most important to you in an employee?” or “What are your expectations of the person who steps into this role?” If her answers line up with your work style, be sure to tell her that. For example, if your interviewer says she values clear communication above all else, say, “I couldn’t agree more. I am always striving to keep my team and my manager looped in on my progress, workload²⁰, and availability. I’ve found that maintaining open lines of communication goes a long way toward optimizing²¹ productivity and teamwork.”

向未来领导保证自己绝对靠谱的最好方式是什么？找到她在团队成员身上最看重的东西。试着询问：“您认为员工最重要的品质是什么？”或者“您对这个岗位的员工有怎样的期待？”如果她的回答符合你的工作风格，一定要告诉她。比如，要是面试官说她最为重视清晰的沟通，你可以说：“我完全同意。我一直努力让团队和上级清楚我的进度、工作量和时间安排。我发现保持开放的交流大大有助于提高工作效率，优化团队合作。”

At the end of your interview, when your future supervisor asks if you have anything to add, try leading with, “I really appreciate all of the information you’ve shared with me about what it’s like to work here and your expectations for this role. I think that my experience and work style would be a great fit for this team. I want you to know that as an employee, you can expect me to be proactive, responsive, and deadline-oriented.”

面试的最后，当你未来的上级问你还有什么要补充时，试着以这些为回答重点——“非常感谢您和我分享的工作体验和您对这个职位的期待。我想我的经验和工作风格会很适合你们的团队。我希望您了解，我会是一个积极主动、响应迅速、在规定期限前完成任务的员工。”

This type of response shows that you’ve been paying attention and is a good indication of your professional demeanor²².

这类回答表示你一直在认真倾听，同时很好地展现了你的职业风范。

5. When’s Lunch?

5. 饭点到了没？

Interviewing can be grueling for the people on the other side of the desk, too—especially if the hiring manager is meeting with multiple candidates back-to-back. This doesn’t happen during every interview, but sometimes an interviewer’s mind will wander. He might be hungry, he might be tired, or he might be distracted by a looming²³ deadline, but regardless of the reason for the distraction²⁴, it does happen.

坐你对面的人也会觉得面试极其累人——尤其当招聘经理接连面试多个候选人时。这种情况不会出现在每场面试中，但有时，招聘官也会走神。他也许饿了或是疲倦了，又或者因一个迫近的截止期限而分神。无论是怎样的原因，走神的确时有发生。

Obviously you can’t control the external factors that may be affecting your interviewer’s state of mind, but you can work on becoming the most interesting and engaging interviewee you can be. Recruit a friend to help you practice some commonly asked interview questions and ask for feedback on your body language, eye contact, tone of voice, and the content of your answers. Are you looking down when you talk or speaking in a dull, monotone voice? If you don’t seem interested in your own answers, you can’t expect anyone else to be either.

显然，你不能控制影响面试官思想状态的外在因素，但你可以尽可能地成为最有趣、最有魅力的面试者。找一个朋友帮你练习一些面试中最有可能问到的问题，得到他对你肢体语言、眼神交流、声调和回答内容的反馈。你说话时眼睛是向下看的吗？或者你讲话的声音无聊又单调？如果你自己都对自己的回答不感兴趣，也不用指望别人感兴趣了。

Another key trick to remember? Keep your answers short and sweet. A lot of people tend to ramble²⁵ when they’re nervous and that can make this meeting feel like it’s dragging on and on. Try crafting exceptional responses using this simple formula: answer + example + result. For example, in response to, “How do you manage your time?” say, “I manage my time by prioritizing my responsibilities. For example, if I’m working on two projects simultaneously²⁶, I will always tackle the one that is more complex or due sooner first. This has helped me to be very effective in my past roles. In fact, I regularly get compliments on my ability to juggle²⁷ a large workload without missing deadlines.”

另一个要谨记的妙招？回答始终简洁明了。许多人紧张时往往变得絮叨，这会有拖延面试的感觉。试着遵循这一简单公式组织独特的回答：答案+例子+结果。比如回答“你怎样安排时间？”，可以说：“我通过任务的优先排序来安排时间。举个例子，假如我同时负责两个项目，我总会先处理更复杂或者截止期限更近的那个。这一方法帮助我在过去的职位上高效地工作。实际上，我经常因为处理大量工作却从不超过截止日期受到赞扬。”

Keep in mind that the goal here isn’t to simply tell your interviewer what you think she wants to hear. The goal is to proactively address questions she’s probably asking herself during your meeting. The purpose of an interview isn’t to land a job, it’s for you and your potential future employer to assess whether or not you’re a fit for each other. Coming well-prepared and playing an active role in your interview will serve this purpose while making you look like an all-star in the process.

记住，简洁明了的目标并不是简单告诉面试官你认为她想听到的回答，而是主动回答在面试你时他可能会问他自己的问题。面试的目的不是谋得一份工作，而是让你和你的潜在雇主评估彼此是否合适。充分做好准备并在面试中表现积极将有助于达成这一目的，同时也会让你在整个过程中光芒闪耀。