When Karen Oldenborg went for an interview with the St. Francis School District, she had an idea how she'd deal with tough questions.
She'd ask them.
In an interview for an administrative post in the district, Oldenborg asked a panel of school officials what weakness they saw in her resume. "You don't have a lot of experience in tracking things," one official noted.
Oldenborg, 47, responded this way: "That's a good point. But I have learned multiple computer systems over the years and I'm not afraid to jump in. When I have an issue with a system, I only will ask you once."
At the end of the interview, the panel asked Oldenborg if she had any questions. "Yes, I have six," she said, before proceeding to ask about her duties, an average day on the job, and other process related questions.
"They looked at me with that 'Oh, this is going to take a while,' look," Oldenborg recalls with a laugh. She also asked the panel members to spell their names so she could send each of them a thank-you card.
As it turns out the gesture wasn't necessary. Four hours after the interview, a school district official called and offered her the job, ending nine months of unemployment.
