Going after the job
Is your resume getting your foot in the door, but you just can't seem to land the job you want? Here are some things to keep in mind.
There's no such thing as employers.
Employers are just a group of individuals, each one as different from the other as black is to white. They have a range of different experiences, different ideas about how to hire, different ways to conduct interviews, and more thoughts on potential handicaps than you can imagine. If you're lucky enough to work with a recruiter, ask them about the person you are interviewing with. If not, be sure to research them on your own - the internet is full of information. Stalking preferred.
Prep, Prep, Prep
Naturally, you want to go into the interview with the employer curious to know more about you, but the employer is first of all curious about what you know about them. Do a lot of research on them before you go in. Why? Because organizations love to be loved! If you do this, they will be flattered and impressed.
Don’t skip this step! Find out everything you can about them. Google them. Go to their website and read everything that is hidden under the heading “About Us.” Finally, ask everyone you know if they know anyone who ever worked there or still works there.
It's like dating.
The skillset is virtually the same. It's two people attempting to decide if you both want to "try and go steady." It's a two-way decision. The person you're talking to is trying to find out:
Do we like you?
Do we want you to work here?
Do you have the skills, knowledge, and experience that we need?
Do you have the work ethic we're looking for?
Will you fit in with our other employees?
See, just like dating.
The tell me about yourself question.
This is the first question many people ask and it is the most important one. How you answer will determine your fate. It's kind of a test. How do you respond to an open-ended, unstructured situation - you know the kind that life (and the job you're interviewing for) throw at us every day.
If you respond with a question - you've most likely failed. Don't ask, "Well, what do you want to know about me?" What they're looking for is the answer to the questions they may not ask directly.
What experience, skills, or knowledge do you have, that is relevant to the job they are trying to fill? This is the question you should try to answer here. Not your personal history and hobbies. View this as your elevator speech. It should be well-summarized and well-rehearsed. This is your famous elevator speech!
All the other questions
There are many books with all kinds of potential interview questions that you could read. But there are really only handful of core questions you need to know. Most of the other questions revolve around some variation of these.
Why are you here? Why not the competitor down the street?
What can you do for us? How will you help them with the challenges they face?
What kind of person are you? Will you fit in? Do you share their values?
What distinguishes you from the other hundred people applying for this job?
Can they afford you? If they decide they want you, and you can help them, are they willing to pay you the amount you want?
What questions do you have for them
Dating is a two-way process and conversation remember. You have questions too. Here is what you should be asking yourself or them during the interview. You’ll probably ask one and two out loud. You will observe quietly the answer to questions three through five.
What does this job involve? You want to understand exactly what tasks will be asked of you, so that you can determine if these are the kinds of tasks you would really like to do, and can do.
What are the skills a top employee in this job would have to have? You want to find out if your skills match those that the employer thinks a top employee in this job has to have, in order to do this job well.
Are these the kind of people I would want to work with? (this is a silent one you’ll figure out on your own)
If we like each other, and we both want to work together, can I persuade them there is something unique about me, that makes me different from nineteen to nine hundred other people who are applying for this job? Can I paint them a picture using examples of what I’ve done for other employers in the past and show them what I could possibly do for them?
Can I persuade them to hire me at the salary I need or want? This requires quite a bit of knowledge on your part of how to conduct salary negotiations. If you’re lucky enough to have a recruiter, let them handle this piece. If an employer asks, simply say: “I’d be happy to entertain your highest offer.”
The 50/50 rule
People who get hired are those who mix speaking and listening fifty-fifty in the interview. If you do too much talking, you come across as one who would ignore the needs of the organization. If you talk to little, you come across as trying to hide something about your background.
Answer questions with the twenty second to two minute rule
When it is your turn to speak, you should plan not to speak any longer than two minutes at a time if you want to make the best impression. In fact, a good answer sometimes only takes 20 seconds to give. But not less than that, else you will be assumed to be a grunter, lacking any communication skills.
Remember, the person on the other side is primarily concerned about risk
Employers hate risks. One risk stands above all the others: that they may hire you, but you won't work out. In which case, you are going to cost them a lot of money. Go ahead, google "cost of a bad hire" and see what turns up.
So, during the interview, you may think you are sitting there nervous while the employer is sitting there blasé and confident. In actual fact you and they may both be quite anxious. The employer's anxieties include the following:
That if hired, you won't be able to do the job: that you lack the necessary skills or experience, and the hiring-interview didn't uncover this.
That if hired, you won't put in a full working day, more often than not.
That if hired, you'll take frequent sick days, on one pretext or another.
That if hired, you'll only stay around for a few months, until you find a better job.
That if hired, it may take you too long to master the job, and thus it will be too long before you turn productivity into profit for the company.
That you won't get along with the other workers there, or that you will develop a personality conflict with the boss.
That you will only do the minimum rather than the maximum the boss is hoping for. Since every boss is trying to keep their workforce smaller than it was before 2008, they are hoping for the maximum productivity.
That you will always have to be told what to do next, rather than displaying initiative.
That you will turn out to have a disastrous character flaw not evident in the interview, and ultimately reveal yourself to be either dishonest, irresponsible, a spreader of dissension, lazy, an embezzler, a gossip, a drunk, a liar, incompetent, or to put it bluntly, an employer's worst nightmare.
In the end, every organization has two main preoccupations: the challenges they are facing and what solutions their employees and management are coming up with. The main thing they are trying to figure out in the interview is: will you be a part of the solution or just another problem.
You should figure out prior to the interview how a bad employee would "screw up" in the position you are interviewing for (come in late, take too much time off, not follow directions, etc. Then plan to emphasize during the interview how much you are the very opposite: your sole goal is to increase the organization's effectiveness, service, and bottom line.
It’s the small things that are killers
The best interviewers operate intuitively on the principle of microcosm reveals macrosm. They believe what you do in some small "universe" reveals how you would and will act in a larger "universe." They watch you carefully, during the small universe of the interview, because they assume that each of your behaviors reveals how you would act in a larger universe - like the job! They scrutinize your past, as in your resume, for the same reason. Here are a few things to remember:
1. Your appearance and personal habits.
Have your face freshly shaved or your beard freshly trimmed.
Have clean fingernails & use deodorant - obviously!
Do not put 3 tons of makeup on your face.
Have your hair newly cut or styled.
Females, don't have nails that stick out 10 inches from your fingers.
Wear freshly laundered clothes, pants with a sharp crease, and freshly polished shoes.
Check your breath, no garlic or onions. Brush and floss daily says every dentist.
Don't smell like a French Whore House, perfume and cologne in moderation.
Don't have a whole lot of tattoos clearly visible. Hide those puppies.
2. Nervous mannerisms - don't do them.
Make eye contact.
Give a firm handshake.
Don't slouch in your chair or endlessly fidget with your hands or play with your hair.
3. Lack of self-confidence is a turnoff.
Don't speak so softly you cannot be heard or so loudly you can be heard on the production floor.
Don't give your answers in an extremely hesitant fashion
Don't give one word answers. Remember the 20 second rule before?
Don't constantly interrupt the interviewer - it's rude.
Don't downplay your achievements or abilities. Don't be self-critical in comments you make about yourself. This is not the time for extreme modesty - but don't come across arrogant either.
4. The consideration you show other people.
Be courteous to the receptionist or the wait staff if it's a lunch interview.
Don't display extreme criticalness toward your previous employers.
Don't forget to thank the interviewer as you're leaving and don't forget to send a thank-you note afterward.
5. Your values.
Any sign of arrogance or excessive aggressiveness.
Failure to keep appointments and commitments on time - including the interview.
Any sign of complaining or blaming things on others - take responsibility.
Any sign of laziness or lack of motivation.
Any signs of dishonesty or lying - especially on your resume.
Any signs of not following instructions - like calling me back immediately after an interview.
Any sign of instability.
Be aware of the soft skills most employers are looking for these days
Punctuality, arrive early, stay until the work is done
Dependable
Ownership mentality - own your work as if it was your business too
Drive, energy, enthusiasm
Want more than a paycheck
Self-disciplined, well-organized, and good at managing time
Handle people well
Tech savvy
Flexible to changing work conditions
Trainable, love to learn
Goal-oriented
Integrity
Plan on claiming all of these that you legitimately can. Prior to the interview, sit down, make a list, and jot down some experience you have had for each so you can prove that you have the skill.
Think of some way to bring evidence of your skills into the interview
At the very least, explain the process of how you identified an opportunity and how you created a solution. This will show that you are a critical thinker. Back up your experience with facts and numbers whenever possible.
Do not bad-mouth your previous employers - even if they were terrible people
Employers sometimes feel as though they are a fraternity of sorts. During the interview you want to come across as one who displays courtesy to all members of that fraternity. Bad-mouthing an employer only makes the person interviewing you worry about what you would say about them after they hire you.
Plan on saying something nice about any previous employer or try to nullify this ahead of time, by saying something simple like, "I usually get along with everybody; but for some reason, my past employer and I just didn't see eye to eye. Don't know why. It's never happened to me before and I hope it never happens again."
Keep in mind employers don’t really care about your past. They only ask it in order to predict your future with them
Before you answer any question about your past, you should pause to think, "What fear about the future caused them to ask this question about my past?" and then address that fear, subtly or directly.
Assuming you like them and maybe they like you, ask these questions
Can you offer me the job? I know it seems stupid, but its astonishing how many people have secured a job simply by being bold enough to ask for it at the end of the interview.
Are there any concerns you have with me stepping into the role that I haven't addressed? Be prepared to actually address their concerns when they tell you or don't ask the question.
As you know, I am actively interviewing. I think I'd be a great fit for this job. With that being said, when may I expect to hear an answer from you? You're valuable. Create some fear of loss and be honest about the fact you may not be available if they wait too long.
Send a thank you note
Most people ignore this. Trust us, send one.
Rules for discussing salary
Never discuss salary until the end of the interview process, when and if they say they want you.
Never be the first one to mention a salary figure. He/she who speaks first often loses.
Do your research on typical salaries for this position in your market. Or ask your career advisor! We are always up-to-date on the current figures.
Questions?
Everyone’s situation is unique. If you have specific questions about interviewing or just need some practice, try out free interview prep tool or schedule some time with a Career Advisor today!