Finding the right holes
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2005-03-21 18:42:33 - Graham EllisNothing to do with my usual writing here, but a piece I wrote as someone who very occasionally interviews, and is sometimes asked for my comments on CV and the like
At an interview, you have an exploration of both how person "x" can be useful to company "y", and also how company "y" can provide the work, environment and package that suits person "x".  It's a two way street, and it works best if both sides give full and honest details.
By giving full information at or beyond what's the minimum needed and showing an openness to discuss these things, prospective employees can show
a) A desire to help the prospective employer make the truly correct choice
b) That they have thought things through on a personal level - especially important if you've got a relocation and family involved.
c) How they may fit into the actual job / skills you wouldn't have considered.
By showing the desire to work with (perhaps even giving information that won't effect the job and is personal), you're showing a level of trust, and that you're less likely to become a high maintenance "but my rights are xxxx" employee.
Interestingly, things that you consider could be a negative may in fact be a positive anyway for a prospective employer. It's a case of fitting square pegs into square holes, and round pegs into round holes.