Job Interview Answers for Seniors

Things change when you are old.

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Some year ago, I saw a McDonald’s commercial which featured an old employee. Said employee was happily slinging fries or doing some other McDonald’s task. The idea McDonald’s was trying to convey was they hired seniors, and the seniors were happy. Actually, I found the idea depressing. I’m sure it’s possible for a senior to be happy working at McDonald’s just not probable.

I mentioned McDonald’s but it could be any other menial job with repetitive work and low pay. I’ve interviewed for many such “survival jobs” and occasionally directness got the better of me. Here are a couple of examples.

When interviewing for a telemarketing job I was asked, “What makes you like telemarketing?”

My reply was” Like is a strong word. I just have a higher tolerance for it than most.

I was once filling out an application for a job at a particularly wretched place to work and was asked, “What made you apply here? My one-word answer was, “desperation.” I never heard back from them.

Of course, our answers to job interview questions will naturally change as we get older if we are honest. Here are some examples:

1: Where do you see yourself in five years?