In a YouTube interview with Stephen Curry, Bill Gates talks about the secondary problems created in the United States by the coronavirus. One of these is of course unemployment. The two men kick off the interview with perhaps the three most frequently asked questions during a job interview. Why they should hire you, what your good and bad qualities are and what the expectations are about your salary.
In the video, Bill Gates applies for the role of a junior software engineer at Microsoft. Are you a viewer and not a reader? You will find the video at the bottom of the article.
1: “Why should we hire you?”
This question is not asked in every interview. But even if they don’t ask this question quite literally, you can bet that they hope to have it answered by the end of the conversation.
Bill Gates answers:
“You should look at the code I wrote. I have written software programs that go far beyond what I learned in college. I have also improved myself enormously, so be sure to see how ambitious I have been in this.
“I think I can work well with people. Yes, I may occasionally criticize their code, but overall I enjoy working in a team. I also like ambitious goals. I like to think about how we can anticipate the future. Software is cool and I want to be part of the company. ”
In his answer Bill Gates shares that he is confident in his ability. He also shows that he has improved himself: he is eager to learn and ambitious. He also shows that he works well with others, but is not afraid to give feedback if it benefits the process.
2: “What are your strengths and bad qualities?”
This question is asked in almost every job interview and it is a tricky one for many people. You want to sound confident when you share your good qualities, but not show too much. And you don’t want to answer your bad qualities so that you are no longer accepted.
Fortunately, this question is not so much about what you answer exactly (unless they are completely wrong for the position you are applying for), but more about how you answer them. The person on the other side of the table wants to see if you are honest, have self-insight, and fit well into the team.
Bill Gates answers:
“Well, I’m not someone who knows a lot about marketing. I wouldn’t enjoy being a salesperson either. Previously, I am fascinated by the functions in which you actually create the products and think about what the features should be. I have followed the history of the industry and read about the mistakes that have been made. I am very strong in the field of product definition and product creation. ”
“If you are looking for someone who understands the customers and does the sales and marketing, then I am not the person for the job. I would love to work with them. ”
In this answer, Bill Gates makes it clear that he is here to develop products, not be a salesperson. He knows where his passion lies and what he is and is not good at.
3: “What are your salary expectations?”
Sometimes there is already a salary indication in the vacancy, sometimes the subject of money only comes up when both parties are interested in each other. But from time to time during a job interview, you can expect questions like “How much do you want to earn?” And “What did you earn at your previous employer?”. How the hell do you answer this?
Bill Gates answers:
“I hope the option package is good. I can take the risk and I think the company has a great future, so I’d rather get stock options than cash compensation. I hear some other companies pay a lot, but I’m more interested in fair treatment and options. ”
While the answer shows that you believe in the company, this is obviously not realistic for most people. The rent has to be paid anyway. Incidentally, it is not abnormal for American start-ups to offer shares instead of salary. Still, most people would rather get money than shares with the hope that one day the company will grow to be as big as Microsoft, Tesla, or Amazon.
Sources:
Manners, & Ham, T. (2020, November the 10th). Bill Gates beantwoordt de drie meest gestelde sollicitatievragen. Manners Magazine. https://www.manners.nl/bill-gates-beantwoordt-sollicitatievragen/
Stephen Curry. (2020, October the 13th). Bill Gates best job interview answers and COVID-19 update | State of Inspiration w/ Stephen Curry [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dQ6t7g5Vpo&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=StephenCurry
