Resume writing for those re-entering the workforce after an extended absence is different than writing for someone who has been consistently employed for a number of years. No matter the reason for the absence, potential employers will sometimes notice gaps in employment history; do not let this be a reason for them not to choose you, or at least offer you an interview. You can minimize these gaps, or if needed use your cover letter to offer a succinct explanation about your absence and how eager you are to re-enter the workforce. Here are a few suggestions on how to minimize, include, or even capitalize on your time away from employment.
Though chronological resumes are the most common, this style is not the best in this circumstance; a functional or skills-based one allows you to direct the attention towards your skills and abilities rather than focusing on the times that you were not employed (in the traditional sense). This type begins, as all do, withcontact information and an objective statement; after that, however, instead of a listing of previous work experience, you should write one or two short paragraphs about the skills that you have used during your time away. For example, if you were president of the PTA, a member of a planning committee, or even a room parent, you can include transferable skills that you gained from those experiences.
Certain industries do not accept functional or skills resumes. Do some investigative work before writing one. Not all employers do the math or notice employment gaps. You can also use only years without months on your chronological resume. This will rarely count against you. I personally have never turned down interviewing a qualified candidate who did this.
Something you should keep in mind while you are not traditionally employed is that any continuing education that you can get will help you should you plan to re-enter the working world at some point. If you know that, for example, you will go back to work when all of your children are in school, taking classes or keeping current on information relating to your chosen career will demonstrate to potential employers that you not out of the loop.
Resume writing for those who have been out of the workforce for an extended period of time does not have to be daunting; the key is to focus attention away from gaps in employment and on to you and your qualifications. Focus on writing accomplishments statements that make you shine.
Using power words when writing accomplishment statements can help you stand out from the crowd and get interviews. A great source for creating these statements and resume writing is the ResumeDictionary.com. The dictionary contains power words and actual example statements. This article is copyright 2010 Phil Baker.
Labels: cover letter, job seeker, resume
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Origin of Job Interviews---Panel Interview
Labels: interview, job seeker
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Need a New Job or Career? You’re Killing Your Chance in the First Five Minutes of the Interview!
Everybody knows that the first step to securing a job is a compelling and convincing resume that grabs the attention of a prospective employer. But most people don’t realize how important it is to put your best foot forward as you take that next step, the job interview-otherwise you’ll blow your chances and walk away empty-handed.
The Problem: You’ve got the education, experience, and references, all presented on a well-put together resume that gets you job interviews. But you never get a job offer.
The harsh truth: Most recruiters and potential employers know within the first five minutes of an interview whether you’re right for the job. Even before you have spoken one single word, you are judged by what you look like. The mind and “gut feel” works so fast that within a few minutes a decision has already been made.
The Solution: First impressions can get you in the door, but you also want to stay. You’ll have an advantage by knowing what recruiters and potential employers are looking for and how they think.
As the founder of a successful global headhunting firm serving Fortune 500 companies for over twelve years, and author of the books: A Second Life, God is giving you a second chance, and Secrets of the Executive Search Experts, well as self help books on “how to get the job,” I have coached thousands of people who have gotten the jobs they wanted. Some of the secrets I shared with them:
When going for a job interview, you’d better dress the part, so wearing inappropriate clothing won’t be a reason for them to reject you.
In my younger days even I messed this up by either saying the wrong things or dressing in such a bad way that I am now surprised that I did such a thing. When I was twenty-one, I went to the office of a leading U.S. consulting firm to apply for a part-time job wearing an off-white linen suit and a pink shirt. This was in the late eighties and the outfit was a great going-out-socially outfit at the time, but it was a disaster for the corporate world. I lost the job before I even got to say a word.
How do you know what to wear? There are some universal rules that apply no matter what environment you want to work in. First, always dress as though you are worth how much they are going to pay you. When I meet a candidate who dresses like a slacker, my first impression is that he/she isn’t worth the money they would be paid. And if someone doesn’t have enough respect for himself/herself to dress appropriately, he/she would not be an asset in any job.
Look at the environment where you are applying for a job and dress accordingly. If you have to, do reconnaissance. Park or stand near the building where the company is located and see what types of outfits the employees entering or leaving the building are wearing. Or call the company’s main number and ask the person who answers the phone what the dress code or preferred attire is for those working there. Always over dress rather than under dress, but don’t go so far that you’re a total mismatch. Use common sense. When applying for a corporate job, don’t come in jeans. When applying for a job in a grocery store, don’t wear a dark blue suit with a tie. Always dress your part. And no matter what, you need to look sharp-neat and clean.
Remember, for your first interview-and all other interviews that follow-always go in looking like you’re ready to do the job you’re applying for and will fit right in at the company. That way you’ll never be judged or disqualified for the way you dress.
Preview your outfit at home. After studying your potential new work environment and deciding what you’re going to wear, put on your outfit and look at yourself in a full-length mirror. Start with your shoes. Do they look worn out and soiled? For men: Do your socks match the shoes and the pants? Are the pants clean, pressed and in good condition? How about your belt, shirt, suit jacket and tie, if they are appropriate? For women: Do your shoes, dress or suit look like a coordinated outfit? Are your clothes clean, pressed and in good condition? For both men and women: Are you well put together? Does what you are wearing represent you?
Bottom line, your outfit should all match and be of the best quality possible. I do realize when times are tough or money is tight that you may feel overwhelmed when looking in your closet, thinking you have nothing good enough, new enough or of the appropriate style or quality for the job you want to get. If possible, invest in yourself: Go out and buy an “interview outfit.” When that’s not possible, borrow an outfit from a friend. The point is, this may be your opportunity to change your economic circumstances, as well as create a better job/career future, so give it your all.
It’s also very important to always be well groomed. Trends come and go, such as sideburns, a goat beard or long hair on men, but one thing that never fades or changes in the professional world is looking clean cut, well groomed and professional. In the very competitive job market don’t give potential employers any reason to kill your opportunity of getting a job just because you can’t bear to part with your ponytail or goat beard (if you’re a guy), claiming it’s a statement about your authenticity. When you are a player in the job market you have to follow the rules in order to win.
Handshake and eye contact. A limp handshake shows no backbone. If a job candidate grasps too hard, it feels uncomfortable for the other person and it can appear that he/she is trying to prove something. Perfect a handshake that is warm and connecting; firm, but not too hard; and engaging, but not wishy-washy.
When it comes to eye contact, look your interviewer straight in the eyes throughout your meeting-unless, of course, they are showing you something, such as a report or a spreadsheet, then give it your full attention. Don’t scan the room or look toward the window or down the hallway. People with wandering eyes appear to be not all the way present, which translates to “not really interested or focused.” People who don’t maintain eye contact also come across as being insecure, which is a liability in the work world, not an asset.
Always keep structure in a conversation. When communicating with a potential employer, in addition to being well prepared, always have a mental structure in your mind about how the meeting should and will go. In this way you can make sure everything that’s important to you gets covered. Also, make sure to get to the point fast. If you have nothing to say, don’t just talk. It’s annoying. Plus, people who don’t convey facts or answer questions directly come across as having something to hide. On several occasions I have presented very strongly qualified and experienced candidates to clients/companies, but for some reason they couldn’t get to the point. After an entire hour of social talk, not many facts were conveyed and the clients didn’t feel they learned anything about the person. In essence, the job candidates talked themselves out of great job opportunities.
During a job interview conversation, always have a structure in mind and make sure that everything gets covered during the allotted time. Your chances of nailing the job will dramatically increase.
Be confident, but be humble. Few companies want to hire a person who comes across as insecure. But they also aren’t interested in the other extreme, a person who is cocky. Nobody likes a person who is full of himself/herself. Arrogance doesn’t come across as self-confidence, but rather, as insecurity demanding attention. No company wants or needs an employee with that kind of attitude. However, one quality every company looks for in someone to hire is a person who is balanced-confident and humble at the same time.
Humor is important. In every company environment that I have known, humor is key. People with a sense of self-irony are always likeable because they don’t take themselves too seriously. A job environment without smiles and laughter is a horrible place to work. Little feels better than having a good laugh. Therefore, job candidates with a sense of humor are much more likeable than a dry person that has a hard time smiling. The stories from the work environment that people remember and tell others are often the funny things that took place. The same goes with when an interviewer meets a well-qualified candidate with self-irony and a sense of humor. Such a person is easy to remember.
Being able to put a smile on the face of the person interviewing you is an ice breaker, which gives you an advantage. But don’t push it too far by giving the impression you don’t take yourself or your job seriously-again, it’s all about the balance. Nobody wants to work with a disrespectful clown. And humor can never be at someone else’s expense.
Job candidates with a smile, who have the ability to connect with others, always have an advantage. And, of course, when everything else is in place they’re way ahead of the game.
Physical posture in a meeting. When a job candidate enters the room for their interview with bad posture and looking uncomfortable, the impression they make is just as negative as being inappropriately dressed and unprepared. I have even seen high-profile candidates leaning back in their chairs as if they were at home in their living rooms.
It’s important when you are in a job interview to sit up straight and behave as professionally as you can. And it is always more engaging if you lean forward a little toward the interviewer as it shows more interest than almost falling off the chair backwards when being too relaxed.
How to follow-up after the interview. After someone takes time out of their busy schedule to meet with you regarding a potential job opportunity, it’s customary and a courtesy to always send them a thank you letter or email. This letter or email is very important. It gives you an opportunity to do many things, especially when you are left with the impression that another interview or a job offer may be coming:
* politely thank them for their time and the opportunity to meet with them
* once again state your strong interest in the job
* express that you got a great impression of their company
* tell them you look forward to the next step in the process
* tell them that if they need any more information from you to please let you know
Even if it was clear at the end of your interview that you and the specific job you were interviewing for weren’t a good match, a thank you letter is still needed to leave the best possible impression. Include in such a letter: Thank them for their time and tell them what a great impression you got of their company. Also say something like: “If there are any future opportunities that come up that may be a better match for my skills, please keep me in mind.” After all, there’s always a chance that could happen. And even if it doesn’t, you could directly or indirectly run into that person again in the future. Always leave a good impression.
When a friend, acquaintance, someone in your network, or a recruiter has given you the job lead or set up the interview, it’s important to thank them too. Thank them for the opportunity and tell them you are excited about it. If a job offer comes through, don’t forget to let your contact know with another thank you. And if a recruiter arranged your contact with the company that resulted in a fantastic job, send a gift to the recruiter. Always remember: When someone refers you for a job or hires you, they put their own name and reputation on the line. This is something to be very grateful about. Follow-ups, both after an interview and when you are hired, are critical ways to show gratitude.
A proven system for making your job search more successful is detailed in the life manual, A Second Life, God is giving you a second chance. It contains an extensive chapter with detailed guidance on how to find a job, interview tips, winning the job and creating a job insurance policy once you’ve got the job. It also tells you how to fully develop all five key areas of life, so that if you are struggling in the job market, you won’t feel like the world is going to end.
Go to the Web site: ASecondLife.com to download a free book excerpt and articles containing more job/career tips.
Christian Schoyen is a Life Architect and the founder of the belief system, A Second Life. For the last 12 years he has been the CEO of a successful international headhunting company that he founded, serving global Fortune 500 companies such as Coca Cola, Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson.
Christian has committed his life to helping others grow and evolve to achieve their fullest potential.
With his expertise in human behavior, he has been coaching thousands of people on how to improve their lives and careers-essentially to build better lives from the ground up. For more than two decades he has worked across the United States and Europe and has studied the patterns of people who have been successful in maximizing their opportunities as well as finding a balance between materialism and spirituality. With his vast knowledge in human development he travels as a speaker throughout the U.S. to build the belief system, A Second Life.
Before launching his headhunting company in 1997, Christian worked for two world – leading headhunting organizations: A.T. Kearney and Ward Howell International in Los Angeles and Chicago. Prior to entering the field of recruitment he founded a newspaper covering the job market for people seeking employment. He is the author of “Secrets of the Executive Search Experts”-the U.S. bestselling book for companies on how to recruit-as well as self help books on “how to get the job .” Christian also makes films about how belief systems affect peoples’ lives.
Visit Christian Schoyen at http://www.asecondlife.com/ and his “Saving America One Person At a Time” blog at http://savingamericatour.com/
The Problem: You’ve got the education, experience, and references, all presented on a well-put together resume that gets you job interviews. But you never get a job offer.
The harsh truth: Most recruiters and potential employers know within the first five minutes of an interview whether you’re right for the job. Even before you have spoken one single word, you are judged by what you look like. The mind and “gut feel” works so fast that within a few minutes a decision has already been made.
The Solution: First impressions can get you in the door, but you also want to stay. You’ll have an advantage by knowing what recruiters and potential employers are looking for and how they think.
The Job Interview Secrets No One Tells You
As the founder of a successful global headhunting firm serving Fortune 500 companies for over twelve years, and author of the books: A Second Life, God is giving you a second chance, and Secrets of the Executive Search Experts, well as self help books on “how to get the job,” I have coached thousands of people who have gotten the jobs they wanted. Some of the secrets I shared with them:
How to walk, talk, dress, and look for a job interview
Recruiters and potential employers very often like to recruit people like themselves and, of course, they want employees who will be good representatives for their company.When going for a job interview, you’d better dress the part, so wearing inappropriate clothing won’t be a reason for them to reject you.
In my younger days even I messed this up by either saying the wrong things or dressing in such a bad way that I am now surprised that I did such a thing. When I was twenty-one, I went to the office of a leading U.S. consulting firm to apply for a part-time job wearing an off-white linen suit and a pink shirt. This was in the late eighties and the outfit was a great going-out-socially outfit at the time, but it was a disaster for the corporate world. I lost the job before I even got to say a word.
How do you know what to wear? There are some universal rules that apply no matter what environment you want to work in. First, always dress as though you are worth how much they are going to pay you. When I meet a candidate who dresses like a slacker, my first impression is that he/she isn’t worth the money they would be paid. And if someone doesn’t have enough respect for himself/herself to dress appropriately, he/she would not be an asset in any job.
Look at the environment where you are applying for a job and dress accordingly. If you have to, do reconnaissance. Park or stand near the building where the company is located and see what types of outfits the employees entering or leaving the building are wearing. Or call the company’s main number and ask the person who answers the phone what the dress code or preferred attire is for those working there. Always over dress rather than under dress, but don’t go so far that you’re a total mismatch. Use common sense. When applying for a corporate job, don’t come in jeans. When applying for a job in a grocery store, don’t wear a dark blue suit with a tie. Always dress your part. And no matter what, you need to look sharp-neat and clean.
Remember, for your first interview-and all other interviews that follow-always go in looking like you’re ready to do the job you’re applying for and will fit right in at the company. That way you’ll never be judged or disqualified for the way you dress.
Preview your outfit at home. After studying your potential new work environment and deciding what you’re going to wear, put on your outfit and look at yourself in a full-length mirror. Start with your shoes. Do they look worn out and soiled? For men: Do your socks match the shoes and the pants? Are the pants clean, pressed and in good condition? How about your belt, shirt, suit jacket and tie, if they are appropriate? For women: Do your shoes, dress or suit look like a coordinated outfit? Are your clothes clean, pressed and in good condition? For both men and women: Are you well put together? Does what you are wearing represent you?
Bottom line, your outfit should all match and be of the best quality possible. I do realize when times are tough or money is tight that you may feel overwhelmed when looking in your closet, thinking you have nothing good enough, new enough or of the appropriate style or quality for the job you want to get. If possible, invest in yourself: Go out and buy an “interview outfit.” When that’s not possible, borrow an outfit from a friend. The point is, this may be your opportunity to change your economic circumstances, as well as create a better job/career future, so give it your all.
It’s also very important to always be well groomed. Trends come and go, such as sideburns, a goat beard or long hair on men, but one thing that never fades or changes in the professional world is looking clean cut, well groomed and professional. In the very competitive job market don’t give potential employers any reason to kill your opportunity of getting a job just because you can’t bear to part with your ponytail or goat beard (if you’re a guy), claiming it’s a statement about your authenticity. When you are a player in the job market you have to follow the rules in order to win.
Handshake and eye contact. A limp handshake shows no backbone. If a job candidate grasps too hard, it feels uncomfortable for the other person and it can appear that he/she is trying to prove something. Perfect a handshake that is warm and connecting; firm, but not too hard; and engaging, but not wishy-washy.
When it comes to eye contact, look your interviewer straight in the eyes throughout your meeting-unless, of course, they are showing you something, such as a report or a spreadsheet, then give it your full attention. Don’t scan the room or look toward the window or down the hallway. People with wandering eyes appear to be not all the way present, which translates to “not really interested or focused.” People who don’t maintain eye contact also come across as being insecure, which is a liability in the work world, not an asset.
Always keep structure in a conversation. When communicating with a potential employer, in addition to being well prepared, always have a mental structure in your mind about how the meeting should and will go. In this way you can make sure everything that’s important to you gets covered. Also, make sure to get to the point fast. If you have nothing to say, don’t just talk. It’s annoying. Plus, people who don’t convey facts or answer questions directly come across as having something to hide. On several occasions I have presented very strongly qualified and experienced candidates to clients/companies, but for some reason they couldn’t get to the point. After an entire hour of social talk, not many facts were conveyed and the clients didn’t feel they learned anything about the person. In essence, the job candidates talked themselves out of great job opportunities.
During a job interview conversation, always have a structure in mind and make sure that everything gets covered during the allotted time. Your chances of nailing the job will dramatically increase.
Be confident, but be humble. Few companies want to hire a person who comes across as insecure. But they also aren’t interested in the other extreme, a person who is cocky. Nobody likes a person who is full of himself/herself. Arrogance doesn’t come across as self-confidence, but rather, as insecurity demanding attention. No company wants or needs an employee with that kind of attitude. However, one quality every company looks for in someone to hire is a person who is balanced-confident and humble at the same time.
Humor is important. In every company environment that I have known, humor is key. People with a sense of self-irony are always likeable because they don’t take themselves too seriously. A job environment without smiles and laughter is a horrible place to work. Little feels better than having a good laugh. Therefore, job candidates with a sense of humor are much more likeable than a dry person that has a hard time smiling. The stories from the work environment that people remember and tell others are often the funny things that took place. The same goes with when an interviewer meets a well-qualified candidate with self-irony and a sense of humor. Such a person is easy to remember.
Being able to put a smile on the face of the person interviewing you is an ice breaker, which gives you an advantage. But don’t push it too far by giving the impression you don’t take yourself or your job seriously-again, it’s all about the balance. Nobody wants to work with a disrespectful clown. And humor can never be at someone else’s expense.
Job candidates with a smile, who have the ability to connect with others, always have an advantage. And, of course, when everything else is in place they’re way ahead of the game.
Physical posture in a meeting. When a job candidate enters the room for their interview with bad posture and looking uncomfortable, the impression they make is just as negative as being inappropriately dressed and unprepared. I have even seen high-profile candidates leaning back in their chairs as if they were at home in their living rooms.
It’s important when you are in a job interview to sit up straight and behave as professionally as you can. And it is always more engaging if you lean forward a little toward the interviewer as it shows more interest than almost falling off the chair backwards when being too relaxed.
* politely thank them for their time and the opportunity to meet with them
* once again state your strong interest in the job
* express that you got a great impression of their company
* tell them you look forward to the next step in the process
* tell them that if they need any more information from you to please let you know
Even if it was clear at the end of your interview that you and the specific job you were interviewing for weren’t a good match, a thank you letter is still needed to leave the best possible impression. Include in such a letter: Thank them for their time and tell them what a great impression you got of their company. Also say something like: “If there are any future opportunities that come up that may be a better match for my skills, please keep me in mind.” After all, there’s always a chance that could happen. And even if it doesn’t, you could directly or indirectly run into that person again in the future. Always leave a good impression.
When a friend, acquaintance, someone in your network, or a recruiter has given you the job lead or set up the interview, it’s important to thank them too. Thank them for the opportunity and tell them you are excited about it. If a job offer comes through, don’t forget to let your contact know with another thank you. And if a recruiter arranged your contact with the company that resulted in a fantastic job, send a gift to the recruiter. Always remember: When someone refers you for a job or hires you, they put their own name and reputation on the line. This is something to be very grateful about. Follow-ups, both after an interview and when you are hired, are critical ways to show gratitude.
A proven system for making your job search more successful is detailed in the life manual, A Second Life, God is giving you a second chance. It contains an extensive chapter with detailed guidance on how to find a job, interview tips, winning the job and creating a job insurance policy once you’ve got the job. It also tells you how to fully develop all five key areas of life, so that if you are struggling in the job market, you won’t feel like the world is going to end.
Go to the Web site: ASecondLife.com to download a free book excerpt and articles containing more job/career tips.
Christian Schoyen is a Life Architect and the founder of the belief system, A Second Life. For the last 12 years he has been the CEO of a successful international headhunting company that he founded, serving global Fortune 500 companies such as Coca Cola, Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson.
Christian has committed his life to helping others grow and evolve to achieve their fullest potential.
With his expertise in human behavior, he has been coaching thousands of people on how to improve their lives and careers-essentially to build better lives from the ground up. For more than two decades he has worked across the United States and Europe and has studied the patterns of people who have been successful in maximizing their opportunities as well as finding a balance between materialism and spirituality. With his vast knowledge in human development he travels as a speaker throughout the U.S. to build the belief system, A Second Life.
Before launching his headhunting company in 1997, Christian worked for two world – leading headhunting organizations: A.T. Kearney and Ward Howell International in Los Angeles and Chicago. Prior to entering the field of recruitment he founded a newspaper covering the job market for people seeking employment. He is the author of “Secrets of the Executive Search Experts”-the U.S. bestselling book for companies on how to recruit-as well as self help books on “how to get the job .” Christian also makes films about how belief systems affect peoples’ lives.
Visit Christian Schoyen at http://www.asecondlife.com/ and his “Saving America One Person At a Time” blog at http://savingamericatour.com/
Labels: interview, job seeker
Monday, February 15, 2010
How to Master the Art of Interviewing
To a large degree, the success of your interview will depend on your ability to discover needs and empathize with the interviewer. You can do this by asking questions that verify your understanding of what the interviewer has just said, without editorializing or expressing an opinion. By establishing empathy in this manner, you’ll be in a better position to freely exchange ideas, and demonstrate your suitability for the job.
In addition to empathy, there are four other intangible fundamentals to a successful interview. These intangibles will influence the way your personality is perceived, and will affect the degree of rapport, or personal chemistry you’ll share with the employer.
[1] Enthusiasm -- Leave no doubt as to your level of interest in the job. You may think it’s unnecessary to do this, but employers often choose the more enthusiastic candidate in the case of a two-way tie. Besides, it’s best to keep your options open -- wouldn’t you rather be in a position to turn down an offer, than have a prospective job evaporate from your grasp by giving a lethargic interview?
[2] Technical interest -- Employers look for people who love what they do, and get excited by the prospect of tearing into the nitty-gritty of the job.
[3] Confidence -- No one likes a braggart, but the candidate who’s sure of his or her abilities will almost certainly be more favorably received.
[4] Intensity -- The last thing you want to do is come across as “flat” in your interview. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a laid back person; but sleepwalkers rarely get hired.
By the way, most employers are aware of how stressful it can be to interview for a new position, and will do everything they can to put you at ease.
The Other Fundamentals
Since interviewing also involves the exchange of tangible information, make sure to:
• Present your background in a thorough and accurate manner;
• Gather data concerning the company, the industry, the position, and the specific opportunity;
• Link your abilities with the company needs in the mind of the employer; and
• Build a strong case for why the company should hire you, based on the discoveries you make from building rapport and asking the right questions.
Both for your sake and the employer’s, never leave an interview without exchanging fundamental information. The more you know about each other, the more potential you’ll have for establishing rapport, and making an informed decision.
Basic Interviewing Strategy
There are two ways to answer interview questions: the short version and the long version. When a question is open-ended, I always suggest to candidates that they say, “Let me give you the short version. If we need to explore some aspect of the answer more fully, I’d be happy to go into greater depth, and give you the long version.”
The reason you should respond this way is because it’s often difficult to know what type of answer each question will need. A question like, “What was your most difficult assignment?” might take anywhere from thirty seconds to thirty minutes to answer, depending on the detail you choose to give.
Therefore, you must always remember that the interviewer’s the one who asked the question. So you should tailor your answer to what he or she needs to know, without a lot of extraneous rambling or superfluous explanation. Why waste time and create a negative impression by giving a sermon when a short prayer would do just fine?
Let’s suppose you were interviewing for a sales management position, and the interviewer asked you, “What sort of sales experience have you had in the past?”
Well, that’s exactly the sort of question that can get you into trouble if you don’t use the short version/long version method. Most people would just start rattling off everything in their memory that relates to their sales experience. Though the information might be useful to the interviewer, your answer could get pretty complicated and long-winded unless it’s neatly packaged.
One way to answer the question might be, “I’ve held sales positions with three different consumer product companies over a nine-year period. Where would you like me to start?”
Or, you might simply say, “Let me give you the short version first, and you can tell me where you want to go into more depth. I’ve had nine years experience in consumer product sales with three different companies, and held the titles of district, regional, and national sales manager. What aspect of my background would you like to concentrate on?”
By using this method, you telegraph to the interviewer that your thoughts are well organized, and that you want to understand the intent of the question before you travel too far in a direction neither of you wants to go. After you get the green light, you can spend your interviewing time discussing in detail the things that are important, not whatever happens to pop into your mind.
Don’t Talk Yourself Out of a Job
I’ve got a friend who’s the hiring manager of an electronics company. He told me once that he brought a candidate into his office to make him a job offer. An hour later, the candidate left. I asked my friend if he had hired the candidate.
“No,” he said. “I tried. But the candidate wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to make him an offer.”
Don’t misinterpret me. I’m not suggesting that an interview should consist of a series of monosyllabic grunts. It’s just that nothing turns off an employer faster than a windbag candidate.
By using the short version/long version method to answer questions, you’ll never talk yourself out of a job.
The Prudent Use of Questions
Beware: An interview will quickly disintegrate into an interrogation or monologue unless you ask some high quality questions of your own. Candidate questions are the lifeblood of any successful interview, because they:
• Create dialogue, which will not only enable the two of you to learn more about each other, but will help you visualize what it’ll be like working together once you’ve been hired;
• Clarify your understanding of the company and the position responsibilities;
• Indicate your grasp of the fundamental issues discussed so far;
• Reveal your ability to probe beyond the superficial; and
• Challenge the employer to reveal his or her own depth of knowledge, or commitment to the job.
Your questions should always be slanted in such a way as to show empathy, interest, or understanding of the employer’s needs. After all, the reason you’re interviewing is because the employer’s company has some piece of work which needs to be completed, or a problem that needs correcting. Here are some questions that have proven to be very effective:
• What’s the most important issue facing your department?
• How can I help you accomplish this objective?
• How long has it been since you first identified this need?
• How long have you been trying to correct it?
• Have you tried using your present staff to get the job done? What was the result?
• What other means have you used? For example, have you brought in independent contractors, or temporary help, or employees borrowed from other departments? Or have you recently hired people who haven’t worked out?
• Is there any particular skill or attitude you feel is critical to getting the job done?
• Is there a unique aspect of my background that you’d like to exploit in order to help accomplish your objectives?
Questions like these will not only give you a sense of the company’s goals and priorities, they’ll indicate to the interviewer your concern for satisfying the company’s objectives.
Give It Some Thought
Here are seven of the most commonly asked interviewing questions. Do yourself and the prospective employer a favor, and give them some thought before the interview occurs.
[1] Why do you want this job?
[2] Why do you want to leave your present company?
[3] Where do you see yourself in five years?
[4] What are your personal goals?
[5] What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
[6] What do you like most about your current company?
[7] What do you like least about your current company?
The last question is probably the hardest to answer: What do you like least about your present company?
I’ve found that rather than pointing out the faults of other people (“I can’t stand the office politics,” or, “I don’t get along with my boss”), it’s best to place the burden on yourself (“I feel I’m ready to exercise a new set of professional muscles,” or, “The type of technology I’m interested in isn’t available to me now.”).
By answering in this manner, you’ll avoid pointing the finger at someone else, or coming across as a whiner or complainer. It does no good to speak negatively about others.
I suggest you think through the answers to the above questions for two reasons.
First, it won’t help your chances any to hem and haw over fundamental issues such as these. (The answers you give to these types of questions should be no-brainers.)
And secondly, the questions will help you evaluate your career choices before spending time and energy on an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers you come up with, maybe the new job isn’t right for you.
Money, Money, Money
There’s a good chance you’ll be asked about your current and expected level of compensation. Here’s the way to handle the following questions:
[1] What are you currently earning?
Answer: “My compensation, including bonus, is in the high-forties. I’m expecting my annual review next month, and that should put me in the low-fifties.”
[2] What sort of money would you need in order to come to work for our company?
Answer: “I feel that the opportunity is the most important issue, not salary. If we decide to work together, I’m sure you’ll make me a fair offer.”
Notice the way a range was given as the answer to question [1], not a specific dollar figure. However, if the interviewer presses for a exact answer, then by all means, be precise, in terms of salary, bonus, benefits, expected increase, and so forth.
In answer to question [2], if the interviewer tries to zero in on your expected compensation, you should also suggest a range, as in, “I would need something in the low- to mid- fifties.” Getting locked in to an exact figure may work against you later, in one of two ways: either the number you give is lower than you really want to accept; or the number appears too high or too low to the employer, and an offer never comes. By using a range, you can keep your options open.
Some Questions You Can Count On
There are four types of questions that interviewers like to ask.
First, there are the resume questions. These relate to your past experience, skills, job responsibilities, education, upbringing, personal interests, and so forth.
Resume questions require accurate, objective answers, since your resume consists of facts which tend to be quantifiable (and verifiable). Try to avoid answers which exaggerate your achievements, or appear to be opinionated, vague, or egocentric.
Second, interviewers will usually want you to comment on your abilities, or assess your past performance. They’ll ask self-appraisal questions like, “What do you think is your greatest asset?” or, “Can you tell me something you’ve done that was very creative?”
Third, interviewers like to know how you respond to different stimuli. Situation questions ask you to explain certain actions you took in the past, or require that you explore hypothetical scenarios that may occur in the future. “How would you stay profitable during a recession?” or, “How would you go about laying off 1300 employees?” or, “How would you handle customer complaints if the company drastically raised its prices?” are typical situation questions.
And lastly, some employers like to test your mettle with stress questions such as, “After you die, what would you like your epitaph to read?” or, “If you were to compare yourself to any U.S. president, who would it be?” or, “It’s obvious your background makes you totally unqualified for this position. Why should we even waste our time talking?”
Stress questions are designed to evaluate your emotional reflexes, creativity, or attitudes while you’re under pressure. Since off-the-wall or confrontational questions tend to jolt your equilibrium, or put you in a defensive posture, the best way to handle them is to stay calm and give carefully considered answers.
Whenever I hear a stress question, I immediately think of the Miss Universe beauty pageant. The finalists (usually sheltered teenagers from places like Zambia or Uruguay) are asked before a live television audience of three and a half billion people to give heartfelt and earnest responses to incongruous questions like, “What would you tell the leaders of all the countries on earth to do to promote world peace?”
Of course, your sense of humor will come in handy during the entire interviewing process, just so long as you don’t go over the edge. I heard of a candidate once who, when asked to describe his ideal job, replied, “To have beautiful women rub my back with hot oil.” Needless to say, he wasn’t hired.
Even if it were possible to anticipate every interview question, memorizing dozens of stock answers would be impractical, to say the least. The best policy is to review your background, your priorities, and your reasons for considering a new position; and to handle the interview as honestly as you can. If you don’t know the answer to a question, just say so, or ask for a moment to think about your response.
Wrapping It Up
At the conclusion of your interview, you can wrap up any unfinished business you failed to cover so far, and begin to explore the future of your candidacy.
During your interview wrap-up, it’s a good practice to make the interviewer aware of other opportunities you’re exploring, as long as they’re genuine, and their timing has some bearing on your own decision making.
The fact that you’re actively exploring other opportunities may affect the speed with which the company makes its hiring decision. It may even positively influence the eventual outcome, since the company may want to act quickly so as not to lose you.
However, your other activity should be presented in the spirit of assistance to the interviewer, not as a thinly veiled threat or negotiating tactic. I’d advise you to play it straight with the interviewer.
And remember to maintain a positive attitude. In today’s job market, you’d be surprised how often victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.
The better your interviewing skills, the greater your chances of getting the job.
Presented by Bosco-Hubert & Associates, LLC
Written by Bill Radin
©2010 Innovative Consulting, Inc.
Career Development Reports
In addition to empathy, there are four other intangible fundamentals to a successful interview. These intangibles will influence the way your personality is perceived, and will affect the degree of rapport, or personal chemistry you’ll share with the employer.
[1] Enthusiasm -- Leave no doubt as to your level of interest in the job. You may think it’s unnecessary to do this, but employers often choose the more enthusiastic candidate in the case of a two-way tie. Besides, it’s best to keep your options open -- wouldn’t you rather be in a position to turn down an offer, than have a prospective job evaporate from your grasp by giving a lethargic interview?
[2] Technical interest -- Employers look for people who love what they do, and get excited by the prospect of tearing into the nitty-gritty of the job.
[3] Confidence -- No one likes a braggart, but the candidate who’s sure of his or her abilities will almost certainly be more favorably received.
[4] Intensity -- The last thing you want to do is come across as “flat” in your interview. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a laid back person; but sleepwalkers rarely get hired.
By the way, most employers are aware of how stressful it can be to interview for a new position, and will do everything they can to put you at ease.
The Other Fundamentals
Since interviewing also involves the exchange of tangible information, make sure to:
• Present your background in a thorough and accurate manner;
• Gather data concerning the company, the industry, the position, and the specific opportunity;
• Link your abilities with the company needs in the mind of the employer; and
• Build a strong case for why the company should hire you, based on the discoveries you make from building rapport and asking the right questions.
Both for your sake and the employer’s, never leave an interview without exchanging fundamental information. The more you know about each other, the more potential you’ll have for establishing rapport, and making an informed decision.
Basic Interviewing Strategy
There are two ways to answer interview questions: the short version and the long version. When a question is open-ended, I always suggest to candidates that they say, “Let me give you the short version. If we need to explore some aspect of the answer more fully, I’d be happy to go into greater depth, and give you the long version.”
The reason you should respond this way is because it’s often difficult to know what type of answer each question will need. A question like, “What was your most difficult assignment?” might take anywhere from thirty seconds to thirty minutes to answer, depending on the detail you choose to give.
Therefore, you must always remember that the interviewer’s the one who asked the question. So you should tailor your answer to what he or she needs to know, without a lot of extraneous rambling or superfluous explanation. Why waste time and create a negative impression by giving a sermon when a short prayer would do just fine?
Let’s suppose you were interviewing for a sales management position, and the interviewer asked you, “What sort of sales experience have you had in the past?”
Well, that’s exactly the sort of question that can get you into trouble if you don’t use the short version/long version method. Most people would just start rattling off everything in their memory that relates to their sales experience. Though the information might be useful to the interviewer, your answer could get pretty complicated and long-winded unless it’s neatly packaged.
One way to answer the question might be, “I’ve held sales positions with three different consumer product companies over a nine-year period. Where would you like me to start?”
Or, you might simply say, “Let me give you the short version first, and you can tell me where you want to go into more depth. I’ve had nine years experience in consumer product sales with three different companies, and held the titles of district, regional, and national sales manager. What aspect of my background would you like to concentrate on?”
By using this method, you telegraph to the interviewer that your thoughts are well organized, and that you want to understand the intent of the question before you travel too far in a direction neither of you wants to go. After you get the green light, you can spend your interviewing time discussing in detail the things that are important, not whatever happens to pop into your mind.
Don’t Talk Yourself Out of a Job
I’ve got a friend who’s the hiring manager of an electronics company. He told me once that he brought a candidate into his office to make him a job offer. An hour later, the candidate left. I asked my friend if he had hired the candidate.
“No,” he said. “I tried. But the candidate wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to make him an offer.”
Don’t misinterpret me. I’m not suggesting that an interview should consist of a series of monosyllabic grunts. It’s just that nothing turns off an employer faster than a windbag candidate.
By using the short version/long version method to answer questions, you’ll never talk yourself out of a job.
The Prudent Use of Questions
Beware: An interview will quickly disintegrate into an interrogation or monologue unless you ask some high quality questions of your own. Candidate questions are the lifeblood of any successful interview, because they:
• Create dialogue, which will not only enable the two of you to learn more about each other, but will help you visualize what it’ll be like working together once you’ve been hired;
• Clarify your understanding of the company and the position responsibilities;
• Indicate your grasp of the fundamental issues discussed so far;
• Reveal your ability to probe beyond the superficial; and
• Challenge the employer to reveal his or her own depth of knowledge, or commitment to the job.
Your questions should always be slanted in such a way as to show empathy, interest, or understanding of the employer’s needs. After all, the reason you’re interviewing is because the employer’s company has some piece of work which needs to be completed, or a problem that needs correcting. Here are some questions that have proven to be very effective:
• What’s the most important issue facing your department?
• How can I help you accomplish this objective?
• How long has it been since you first identified this need?
• How long have you been trying to correct it?
• Have you tried using your present staff to get the job done? What was the result?
• What other means have you used? For example, have you brought in independent contractors, or temporary help, or employees borrowed from other departments? Or have you recently hired people who haven’t worked out?
• Is there any particular skill or attitude you feel is critical to getting the job done?
• Is there a unique aspect of my background that you’d like to exploit in order to help accomplish your objectives?
Questions like these will not only give you a sense of the company’s goals and priorities, they’ll indicate to the interviewer your concern for satisfying the company’s objectives.
Give It Some Thought
Here are seven of the most commonly asked interviewing questions. Do yourself and the prospective employer a favor, and give them some thought before the interview occurs.
[1] Why do you want this job?
[2] Why do you want to leave your present company?
[3] Where do you see yourself in five years?
[4] What are your personal goals?
[5] What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
[6] What do you like most about your current company?
[7] What do you like least about your current company?
The last question is probably the hardest to answer: What do you like least about your present company?
I’ve found that rather than pointing out the faults of other people (“I can’t stand the office politics,” or, “I don’t get along with my boss”), it’s best to place the burden on yourself (“I feel I’m ready to exercise a new set of professional muscles,” or, “The type of technology I’m interested in isn’t available to me now.”).
By answering in this manner, you’ll avoid pointing the finger at someone else, or coming across as a whiner or complainer. It does no good to speak negatively about others.
I suggest you think through the answers to the above questions for two reasons.
First, it won’t help your chances any to hem and haw over fundamental issues such as these. (The answers you give to these types of questions should be no-brainers.)
And secondly, the questions will help you evaluate your career choices before spending time and energy on an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers you come up with, maybe the new job isn’t right for you.
Money, Money, Money
There’s a good chance you’ll be asked about your current and expected level of compensation. Here’s the way to handle the following questions:
[1] What are you currently earning?
Answer: “My compensation, including bonus, is in the high-forties. I’m expecting my annual review next month, and that should put me in the low-fifties.”
[2] What sort of money would you need in order to come to work for our company?
Answer: “I feel that the opportunity is the most important issue, not salary. If we decide to work together, I’m sure you’ll make me a fair offer.”
Notice the way a range was given as the answer to question [1], not a specific dollar figure. However, if the interviewer presses for a exact answer, then by all means, be precise, in terms of salary, bonus, benefits, expected increase, and so forth.
In answer to question [2], if the interviewer tries to zero in on your expected compensation, you should also suggest a range, as in, “I would need something in the low- to mid- fifties.” Getting locked in to an exact figure may work against you later, in one of two ways: either the number you give is lower than you really want to accept; or the number appears too high or too low to the employer, and an offer never comes. By using a range, you can keep your options open.
Some Questions You Can Count On
There are four types of questions that interviewers like to ask.
First, there are the resume questions. These relate to your past experience, skills, job responsibilities, education, upbringing, personal interests, and so forth.
Resume questions require accurate, objective answers, since your resume consists of facts which tend to be quantifiable (and verifiable). Try to avoid answers which exaggerate your achievements, or appear to be opinionated, vague, or egocentric.
Second, interviewers will usually want you to comment on your abilities, or assess your past performance. They’ll ask self-appraisal questions like, “What do you think is your greatest asset?” or, “Can you tell me something you’ve done that was very creative?”
Third, interviewers like to know how you respond to different stimuli. Situation questions ask you to explain certain actions you took in the past, or require that you explore hypothetical scenarios that may occur in the future. “How would you stay profitable during a recession?” or, “How would you go about laying off 1300 employees?” or, “How would you handle customer complaints if the company drastically raised its prices?” are typical situation questions.
And lastly, some employers like to test your mettle with stress questions such as, “After you die, what would you like your epitaph to read?” or, “If you were to compare yourself to any U.S. president, who would it be?” or, “It’s obvious your background makes you totally unqualified for this position. Why should we even waste our time talking?”
Stress questions are designed to evaluate your emotional reflexes, creativity, or attitudes while you’re under pressure. Since off-the-wall or confrontational questions tend to jolt your equilibrium, or put you in a defensive posture, the best way to handle them is to stay calm and give carefully considered answers.
Whenever I hear a stress question, I immediately think of the Miss Universe beauty pageant. The finalists (usually sheltered teenagers from places like Zambia or Uruguay) are asked before a live television audience of three and a half billion people to give heartfelt and earnest responses to incongruous questions like, “What would you tell the leaders of all the countries on earth to do to promote world peace?”
Of course, your sense of humor will come in handy during the entire interviewing process, just so long as you don’t go over the edge. I heard of a candidate once who, when asked to describe his ideal job, replied, “To have beautiful women rub my back with hot oil.” Needless to say, he wasn’t hired.
Even if it were possible to anticipate every interview question, memorizing dozens of stock answers would be impractical, to say the least. The best policy is to review your background, your priorities, and your reasons for considering a new position; and to handle the interview as honestly as you can. If you don’t know the answer to a question, just say so, or ask for a moment to think about your response.
Wrapping It Up
At the conclusion of your interview, you can wrap up any unfinished business you failed to cover so far, and begin to explore the future of your candidacy.
During your interview wrap-up, it’s a good practice to make the interviewer aware of other opportunities you’re exploring, as long as they’re genuine, and their timing has some bearing on your own decision making.
The fact that you’re actively exploring other opportunities may affect the speed with which the company makes its hiring decision. It may even positively influence the eventual outcome, since the company may want to act quickly so as not to lose you.
However, your other activity should be presented in the spirit of assistance to the interviewer, not as a thinly veiled threat or negotiating tactic. I’d advise you to play it straight with the interviewer.
And remember to maintain a positive attitude. In today’s job market, you’d be surprised how often victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.
The better your interviewing skills, the greater your chances of getting the job.
Labels: interview, job seeker
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Out Of Work For Over A Year? How To Bounce Back.
It happens to the best of us. You hit a bump in the rocky road of your career and find yourself out of work for longer than you’d like.
Being out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table.
Everyone has doubts at some point in their career; this is your time. Know that you can and will get past this bump.
So How Do You Bounce Back? Follow These 5 Steps Below.
1. Remind Yourself That This Is A Moment In Time.
Your career runs for multiple decades. That’s a long period of time. What this means is sooner or later a setback will happen in your career. It’s just the way things happen. All cycles have up’s and down’s and this is your down. The good news is it’s all up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the corner.
2. Reacquaint Yourself With Your Accomplishments.
When was the last time you looked at your resume? And when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Just because you have not performed a function in a while doesn’t mean you can’t perform it anymore. It’s like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. Spend quality time with your resume. Read the bullets slowly. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which are something to be proud of. Just because it’s been a while, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
3. Create In Your Mind What You Want To Happen Next.
I believe that people get stuck in the day-to-day doldrums of life when they don’t have something to look forward to. You may not know when your next job is coming, but you can get ready for it. Ask yourself what you want next. Where do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much do you want to be making? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can’t see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly.
4. Don’t Give Up.
Most people don’t take discouragement well. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. That caused them to stop or slow down. Don’t let this happen to you. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven’t seen them yet. A job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It’s a process that brings results over time, on its timetable and not yours. So, you have to keep going.
5. Believe In Yourself.
Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves why something cannot be done before someone tells it to us first. This approach keeps you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory, all great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) Many people who come to me want to be challenged in their career. It’s what’s missing in their jobs and their lives. Well, this is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be another one to add to your list.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
Deborah Brown-Volkman is a successful career coach and mentor working with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. Her articles are regularly published on EmploymentCrossing. To read more such career articles, please visit EmploymentCrossing.com.
Being out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table.
Everyone has doubts at some point in their career; this is your time. Know that you can and will get past this bump.
So How Do You Bounce Back? Follow These 5 Steps Below.
1. Remind Yourself That This Is A Moment In Time.
Your career runs for multiple decades. That’s a long period of time. What this means is sooner or later a setback will happen in your career. It’s just the way things happen. All cycles have up’s and down’s and this is your down. The good news is it’s all up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the corner.
2. Reacquaint Yourself With Your Accomplishments.
When was the last time you looked at your resume? And when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Just because you have not performed a function in a while doesn’t mean you can’t perform it anymore. It’s like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. Spend quality time with your resume. Read the bullets slowly. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which are something to be proud of. Just because it’s been a while, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
3. Create In Your Mind What You Want To Happen Next.
I believe that people get stuck in the day-to-day doldrums of life when they don’t have something to look forward to. You may not know when your next job is coming, but you can get ready for it. Ask yourself what you want next. Where do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much do you want to be making? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can’t see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly.
4. Don’t Give Up.
Most people don’t take discouragement well. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. That caused them to stop or slow down. Don’t let this happen to you. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven’t seen them yet. A job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It’s a process that brings results over time, on its timetable and not yours. So, you have to keep going.
5. Believe In Yourself.
Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves why something cannot be done before someone tells it to us first. This approach keeps you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory, all great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) Many people who come to me want to be challenged in their career. It’s what’s missing in their jobs and their lives. Well, this is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be another one to add to your list.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
Deborah Brown-Volkman is a successful career coach and mentor working with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. Her articles are regularly published on EmploymentCrossing. To read more such career articles, please visit EmploymentCrossing.com.
Labels: economy, job seeker, openings
Friday, January 29, 2010
Advice: Maintaining Recruiter Relationships
By Alina Dizik, Wall Street Journal
Having good relationships with recruiters can make it easier to find a new role. But keeping in touch with a busy recruiter can be difficult. To continue the relationship, it’s important to convey the value of your experience, say experts.
“It needs to be a win-win relationship from beginning to end,” explains Jason Hersh, managing partner of recruiting firm Klein Hersh International, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
Here, Mr. Hersh gives advice on maintaining recruiter relationships.
How can a candidate begin to build a relationship with an executive recruiter?
Just like approaching an employer, make sure that you aren’t blindly sending resumes to recruiters who don’t work with candidates in your field. Unlike employers, recruiters often share resumes with each other, and a poor approach to a recruiter could have repercussions far beyond just that one submission. Candidates should do some due diligence to find executive recruiters that specialize directly in the industry and/or discipline that he or she currently works in. When a recruiter who specializes in your industry calls, there should be an open conversation regarding insight and referrals, even if the executive isn’t actively looking in the marketplace.
What common mistakes do candidates make when trying to build a relationship with a recruiter?
Sometimes candidates’ expectations on timing can be misaligned, especially if the recruiter doesn’t specialize in their industry or discipline. While you are working closer with a recruiter than you would a hiring manager, don’t cross the line. Don’t contact them just for an update; make sure you have more to contribute to the job search as well.
How important is the rapport that a senior-level job hunter builds with a recruiter?
One primary advantage you have from working with a search consultant is that you will have the opportunity to be more open and honest about your situation and seek advice for how to present it to employers. A recruiter will be able to help you better explain touchy subjects, like being laid off, leaving a job or extended unemployment.
What are some ways that candidates should continue to be on a recruiter’s radar without being bothersome?
Once there is an expectation that the recruiter and candidate can be a resource for each other, an email or a phone call on a monthly basis while actively searching is a good way to stay on the radar. When something important happens in a candidate’s career—especially if they are employed—like receiving a promotion or industry award, passing on that information is a great way to keep in touch with a recruiter.
What can candidates do to be a good resource for recruiters?
When candidates hear about opportunities in the marketplace, they should run these positions by their search consultant first prior to sending [materials] directly into the company. This will give the search consultant (who most likely will have a relationship with the company) an opportunity to qualify and capture insight and share detailed information and feedback with the candidate.
Having good relationships with recruiters can make it easier to find a new role. But keeping in touch with a busy recruiter can be difficult. To continue the relationship, it’s important to convey the value of your experience, say experts.
“It needs to be a win-win relationship from beginning to end,” explains Jason Hersh, managing partner of recruiting firm Klein Hersh International, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
Here, Mr. Hersh gives advice on maintaining recruiter relationships.
How can a candidate begin to build a relationship with an executive recruiter?
Just like approaching an employer, make sure that you aren’t blindly sending resumes to recruiters who don’t work with candidates in your field. Unlike employers, recruiters often share resumes with each other, and a poor approach to a recruiter could have repercussions far beyond just that one submission. Candidates should do some due diligence to find executive recruiters that specialize directly in the industry and/or discipline that he or she currently works in. When a recruiter who specializes in your industry calls, there should be an open conversation regarding insight and referrals, even if the executive isn’t actively looking in the marketplace.
What common mistakes do candidates make when trying to build a relationship with a recruiter?
Sometimes candidates’ expectations on timing can be misaligned, especially if the recruiter doesn’t specialize in their industry or discipline. While you are working closer with a recruiter than you would a hiring manager, don’t cross the line. Don’t contact them just for an update; make sure you have more to contribute to the job search as well.
How important is the rapport that a senior-level job hunter builds with a recruiter?
One primary advantage you have from working with a search consultant is that you will have the opportunity to be more open and honest about your situation and seek advice for how to present it to employers. A recruiter will be able to help you better explain touchy subjects, like being laid off, leaving a job or extended unemployment.
What are some ways that candidates should continue to be on a recruiter’s radar without being bothersome?
Once there is an expectation that the recruiter and candidate can be a resource for each other, an email or a phone call on a monthly basis while actively searching is a good way to stay on the radar. When something important happens in a candidate’s career—especially if they are employed—like receiving a promotion or industry award, passing on that information is a great way to keep in touch with a recruiter.
What can candidates do to be a good resource for recruiters?
When candidates hear about opportunities in the marketplace, they should run these positions by their search consultant first prior to sending [materials] directly into the company. This will give the search consultant (who most likely will have a relationship with the company) an opportunity to qualify and capture insight and share detailed information and feedback with the candidate.
Labels: fluid power recruiter, job seeker
Thursday, January 28, 2010
How to Send Your Resume Using Today's Technology
Sending Your Resume Via E-Mail the Right Way
When submitting your resume to a company for employment consideration, it’s become almost a rule to do so over the Internet. Many companies use software and other electronic methods to evaluate some resumes, and as such they’ll refuse resumes received via any other method.
So now that you know that you will very likely continue to be required to submit your resume online, it’s a good idea to learn how to do so the right way. Here are a few tips to consider:
Attachments
There is a little bit of a debate going on about whether you should add the resume as an attachment when submitting it or placing it in the body of the e-mail. Some say that attachments aren’t a good idea, as they take up space in the employer’s inbox and may possibly contain viruses. It’s also worthwhile to consider that a company’s email security might block the message, or the hiring manager might avoid the message altogether if he doesn’t want to take the time to open it.
On the other hand, depending on what e-mail program you’re using (and the employer is using) cutting and pasting your resume into the body of an email could look ill-formatted. Spacing could be weird – and worse, the fonts you worked so hard to choose could change. It is for this reason that many pros suggest doing both. This method pleases those who dislike plain text formatting as well as those hiring managers who detest opening attachments. You should consider using the PDF format for your attached resume, since it’s very clean, it looks clear and concise, and PDFs can’t be changed after they’re created.
If You Are Cutting and Pasting…
If you’ve decided that you want to go ahead and paste your resume into the body of an e-mail, it’s good to consider a few rules of cutting and pasting. First, remember to add a brief introduction of yourself, something that would do the job of a cover letter. You should also limit your introduction to two paragraphs or less, and limit each paragraph to two or three sentences.
Third, use text for the e-mail instead of HTML. Word processing programs can wreak havoc with the layout of your resume text when you use copy and paste, as pointed out earlier. If you don’t know how to change your emails into simple text, try writing your resume out in a text only program like Notepad (under Accessories on the Windows menu) and then copying and pasting into your email. You’ll have to offset text with special characters (for instance, ====Introduction====) or use capitals in order to differentiate between sections, since plain text removes formatting like bold or italics.
Avoiding Spam Folders
As mentioned previously, your resume can sometimes get lost in a company’s security efforts. So to help you avoid spam folders and other issues, you could consider keeping punctuation (especially exclamation marks) out of the subject line and avoiding any other words that might be misinterpreted as something inappropriate by spam folders.
The last thing that you want is to create the perfect resume only to not have it reach its destination appropriately. It doesn’t make sense to spend hours and hours on your resume, only to submit it incorrectly via email and ruin your chances of getting a job, so be sure to consider the above tips before clicking that send button.
Article written by Heather Eagar. Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Review resume services and choose the best one for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLines.com
Sending Your Resume Via E-Mail the Right Way
When submitting your resume to a company for employment consideration, it’s become almost a rule to do so over the Internet. Many companies use software and other electronic methods to evaluate some resumes, and as such they’ll refuse resumes received via any other method.
So now that you know that you will very likely continue to be required to submit your resume online, it’s a good idea to learn how to do so the right way. Here are a few tips to consider:
Attachments
There is a little bit of a debate going on about whether you should add the resume as an attachment when submitting it or placing it in the body of the e-mail. Some say that attachments aren’t a good idea, as they take up space in the employer’s inbox and may possibly contain viruses. It’s also worthwhile to consider that a company’s email security might block the message, or the hiring manager might avoid the message altogether if he doesn’t want to take the time to open it.
On the other hand, depending on what e-mail program you’re using (and the employer is using) cutting and pasting your resume into the body of an email could look ill-formatted. Spacing could be weird – and worse, the fonts you worked so hard to choose could change. It is for this reason that many pros suggest doing both. This method pleases those who dislike plain text formatting as well as those hiring managers who detest opening attachments. You should consider using the PDF format for your attached resume, since it’s very clean, it looks clear and concise, and PDFs can’t be changed after they’re created.
If You Are Cutting and Pasting…
If you’ve decided that you want to go ahead and paste your resume into the body of an e-mail, it’s good to consider a few rules of cutting and pasting. First, remember to add a brief introduction of yourself, something that would do the job of a cover letter. You should also limit your introduction to two paragraphs or less, and limit each paragraph to two or three sentences.
Third, use text for the e-mail instead of HTML. Word processing programs can wreak havoc with the layout of your resume text when you use copy and paste, as pointed out earlier. If you don’t know how to change your emails into simple text, try writing your resume out in a text only program like Notepad (under Accessories on the Windows menu) and then copying and pasting into your email. You’ll have to offset text with special characters (for instance, ====Introduction====) or use capitals in order to differentiate between sections, since plain text removes formatting like bold or italics.
Avoiding Spam Folders
As mentioned previously, your resume can sometimes get lost in a company’s security efforts. So to help you avoid spam folders and other issues, you could consider keeping punctuation (especially exclamation marks) out of the subject line and avoiding any other words that might be misinterpreted as something inappropriate by spam folders.
The last thing that you want is to create the perfect resume only to not have it reach its destination appropriately. It doesn’t make sense to spend hours and hours on your resume, only to submit it incorrectly via email and ruin your chances of getting a job, so be sure to consider the above tips before clicking that send button.
Article written by Heather Eagar. Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Review resume services and choose the best one for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLines.com
Labels: job seeker, resume
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Cover Letters – The Icing on the Cake
Why? I get a lot of questions from clients about whether or not they should include a cover letter when sending in their resume. My response is “Would you consider making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly?” The point being that the two go hand-in-hand, and unless a job position announcement specifically states that you should not send in a letter along with your resume, you should ALWAYS include one.
There are multiple reasons. As more companies are using applicant tracking software to scan for job keywords, this document also can get fed into this system as well. Building up your hit ratio in this system is paramount to catapulting you into the next level of the screening process.
Additionally, the letter serves as the compelling reason as to why the employer should hire you- it’s your opportunity to make the case as to why you are a superior candidate over the applicants. The resume presents your value proposition in terms of facts. The cover letter can provide the softer skill side where you can talk about your drive, initiative, attention to detail and how you are willing to go the extra mile.
But actually writing this introduction can be deceptively easy, and many people get trapped writing the wrong thing. Many people fail in this activity because they simply end up focusing entirely on themselves. The truth is that in this document, while it is about you, it’s actually really about THEM (the employer).
Here are a couple of straightforward tricks to use when developing an effective cover letter that addresses an employer’s needs:
1) Personalize your letter. Don’t know the human resource manager? Use your network or look them up on LinkedIn.com. A personalized cover letter always gets more attention than a ‘Dear Human Resource Manager’ or ‘To Whom it May Concern’ type of letter.
2) Always include a reference to the specific position you are applying for in the cover letter. Here’s an example of the format:
3) Create immediate interest. Use a compelling ‘hook’ to spur the employer to read on. You can relate to something that is of interest to the employer by making a direct appeal or providing an interesting fact relevant to that company. The key is to make a connection to what is of interest to THEM!
4) Write to your audience. Demonstrate familiarity and knowledge about their company… this can stroke their ego while at the same time subliminally demonstrating your resourcefulness by digging up information about their company. Find out what types of challenges that your target company might be facing, and then provide yourself as the solution to those problems. Advertisers use this ‘problem-solution’ tactic all the time!
5) Talk about what you can do for the employer. Focus on the target company, versus rattling off a litany of ‘I’ve done this, and I’ve done that…now hire me!” It doesn’t work that way. You should be into your third paragraph in the cover letter before you start touting yourself, and even at that point, you need to relate specifically what you offer to what they need. Avoid a lot of ‘I’ or ‘my’ statements!
6) Use keywords in your cover letter like you do in your resume. These can generate hits and adds to the employer’s perception of your relevancy.
7) Don’t forget to close the sale. Most people, whether in their cover letter or at the end of an interview, forget to ask for the sale. You are selling your services to help their company, and your close in a cover letter is just as important as your opening. Don’t be afraid to ask them to hire you!
Avoid ‘regurgitating’ your resume in your cover letter. Remember, the resume are the facts, and the cover letter is how you make the case as to why they should hire you!
Hopefully, these tips will help you understand that the cover letter is practically equal with the resume… they go together and act as compliments to provide a tight, focused and informative snapshot about what you offer the employer.
Dawn Rasmussen, President Pathfinder Writing and Career Services PO Box 20536 Portland OR 97294 (503) 539-3954 phone http://www.pathfindercareers.com
There are multiple reasons. As more companies are using applicant tracking software to scan for job keywords, this document also can get fed into this system as well. Building up your hit ratio in this system is paramount to catapulting you into the next level of the screening process.
Additionally, the letter serves as the compelling reason as to why the employer should hire you- it’s your opportunity to make the case as to why you are a superior candidate over the applicants. The resume presents your value proposition in terms of facts. The cover letter can provide the softer skill side where you can talk about your drive, initiative, attention to detail and how you are willing to go the extra mile.
But actually writing this introduction can be deceptively easy, and many people get trapped writing the wrong thing. Many people fail in this activity because they simply end up focusing entirely on themselves. The truth is that in this document, while it is about you, it’s actually really about THEM (the employer).
Here are a couple of straightforward tricks to use when developing an effective cover letter that addresses an employer’s needs:
1) Personalize your letter. Don’t know the human resource manager? Use your network or look them up on LinkedIn.com. A personalized cover letter always gets more attention than a ‘Dear Human Resource Manager’ or ‘To Whom it May Concern’ type of letter.
2) Always include a reference to the specific position you are applying for in the cover letter. Here’s an example of the format:
- Date
- Contact Name, Title, Company, Address: City, State, Zip
- Re: Position Title and Reference Number (if applicable)
3) Create immediate interest. Use a compelling ‘hook’ to spur the employer to read on. You can relate to something that is of interest to the employer by making a direct appeal or providing an interesting fact relevant to that company. The key is to make a connection to what is of interest to THEM!
4) Write to your audience. Demonstrate familiarity and knowledge about their company… this can stroke their ego while at the same time subliminally demonstrating your resourcefulness by digging up information about their company. Find out what types of challenges that your target company might be facing, and then provide yourself as the solution to those problems. Advertisers use this ‘problem-solution’ tactic all the time!
5) Talk about what you can do for the employer. Focus on the target company, versus rattling off a litany of ‘I’ve done this, and I’ve done that…now hire me!” It doesn’t work that way. You should be into your third paragraph in the cover letter before you start touting yourself, and even at that point, you need to relate specifically what you offer to what they need. Avoid a lot of ‘I’ or ‘my’ statements!
6) Use keywords in your cover letter like you do in your resume. These can generate hits and adds to the employer’s perception of your relevancy.
7) Don’t forget to close the sale. Most people, whether in their cover letter or at the end of an interview, forget to ask for the sale. You are selling your services to help their company, and your close in a cover letter is just as important as your opening. Don’t be afraid to ask them to hire you!
Avoid ‘regurgitating’ your resume in your cover letter. Remember, the resume are the facts, and the cover letter is how you make the case as to why they should hire you!
Hopefully, these tips will help you understand that the cover letter is practically equal with the resume… they go together and act as compliments to provide a tight, focused and informative snapshot about what you offer the employer.
Dawn Rasmussen, President Pathfinder Writing and Career Services PO Box 20536 Portland OR 97294 (503) 539-3954 phone http://www.pathfindercareers.com
Labels: cover letter, job seeker
Monday, January 18, 2010
5 Critical Mistakes in a Job Interview
Don’t Arrive Late (or Too Early)
Don’t Trash a Previous Employer
Don’t Question Pay and Benefits Too Soon
Major Mistakes That Ruin Your Chances at a Job Interview
However, it’s quite common for a valid, potentially hirable job candidate to get into an interview and “fumble the ball.” If you’re not careful, you can easily make some minor mistakes that will ruin your chances at a position. So before going on your next interview, take a look at these mistakes that could definitely ruin it.There’s no doubt that going on a job interview is a critical portion of a job candidate’s application process. If you were lucky enough to have a resume that got you through the door, the interview will provide you with an opportunity to further prove that you’re right for the position.
One fatal error that could hurt your chances of acquiring the position you desire is to arrive to the job interview late. The time of the hiring manager is very valuable, and you’re showing disrespect and confusing his plans. If you show up late, you give an indication of what the employer could expect from you as an employee – not a good thing.
However, it’s also good to keep in mind that arriving too early could work against you too. While arriving 15 minutes prior to the interview is perfectly acceptable, arriving 30 minutes early could also through off the interviewer’s schedule and is generally frowned upon.
If you had a bad experience with a previous employer, don’t tell the prospective employer about it. If you left your last employer because you constantly clashed with your boss, simply say that your goals weren’t in line with your old company. But to say that the manager “sucks” will likely leave a bad taste in the interviewers mouth.
Don’t Get Too “Familiar”
Some hiring managers have complained that job applicants often get too familiar or friendly with them during an interview. If you’re talking about your bad kids or mentioning the wart on your back, you may not get called back for the position.
Don’t Dress Inappropriately (or Sloppy)
We all know that wearing a t-shirt or provocative attire is unacceptable during an interview, but many employers also frown upon attire that looks cheap, or even you not ironing your suit or having scuffs in your shoes. Remember, if there’s ever a time to look your best, it’s during a job interview.
You may be anxious to know whether the position you’re interested in will pay will or offer health insurance benefits, but the time to ask is not when you walk through the door for the interview. If during the interview, you’re offered the position then it’s good to be prepared to negotiate. Hold your tongue until that point, though, if you don’t want to appear to have a sense of entitlement.
If you think in terms of what you should and should not do in an interview, you can strengthen your chances of getting the position you want. Besides, what’s the point in working so hard on a resume if you’re just going to sabotage the efforts in your interview?
About the author: Need a job? Be sure your resume is the best it can be. Review resume writing services and choose the best one for you and your situation. Do it today at http://www.ResumeLines.com.
Labels: interview, job seeker, jobs, resume
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Ringing in the New Year
Happy New Year! Belated Happy New Year to you all! It's time to wipe the mud off our boots from 2009 and step into 2010 with our chins up and a smile on our face...we've got a lot to be proud of and thankful for!
Ring, Ring, Ring. The 'ringing' in this new year has been our phones. Yes, the candidates who have been put out on the street continue to call and send resumes, but the better news for all in our industry is that hiring managers are calling! Now, not to say things are back to normal, that will take more than a few years from what we can tell--however the level of employer confidence to hire is up. Very good news.
You are out of a job and saying "where are all these companies that are hiring?" Well, much of the activity is still talk--but they are planning on making changes in these first two quarters. The jobs will come, but you must be prepared for the competition.
Polish your resume. It is the first look that a hiring manager has and first impressions mean everything. Ask us for a free evaluation of your resume, and we'll tell you how to stand out in the crowd.
Hone your skills. Interviewing, whether face-to-face or on the phone, is what will get you the fluid power job you are wanting. We have many articles on interviewing and offer our candidates free advice on how to best prepare to meet the hiring manager and any others in the hiring process. It does make a difference, we're here to help.
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
Happy New Year! Belated Happy New Year to you all! It's time to wipe the mud off our boots from 2009 and step into 2010 with our chins up and a smile on our face...we've got a lot to be proud of and thankful for!
You are out of a job and saying "where are all these companies that are hiring?" Well, much of the activity is still talk--but they are planning on making changes in these first two quarters. The jobs will come, but you must be prepared for the competition.
Polish your resume. It is the first look that a hiring manager has and first impressions mean everything. Ask us for a free evaluation of your resume, and we'll tell you how to stand out in the crowd.
Fluid Power Jobs and Bosco-Hubert & Associates, LLC are continually working to find the best talent in our industries, including; fluid power, motion control, power transmission, and automation. If you have experience working for a fluid power manufacturer or distributor, we can give you an objective view of the conditions in the industry that can directly affect your income and lifestyle!
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
Labels: economy, interview, job seeker, jobs, openings, resume
Saturday, December 19, 2009
How to Master the Art of Interviewing
The better your interviewing skills, the greater your chances of getting the job.
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
By Bill Radin
©1998 Innovative Consulting, Inc.
Career Development Reports
To a large degree, the success of your interview will depend on your ability to discover needs and empathize with the interviewer. You can do this by asking questions that verify your understanding of what the interviewer has just said, without editorializing or expressing an opinion. By establishing empathy in this manner, you’ll be in a better position to freely exchange ideas, and demonstrate your suitability for the job.
In addition to empathy, there are four other intangible fundamentals to a successful interview. These intangibles will influence the way your personality is perceived, and will affect the degree of rapport, or personal chemistry you’ll share with the employer.
[1] Enthusiasm -- Leave no doubt as to your level of interest in the job. You may think it’s unnecessary to do this, but employers often choose the more enthusiastic candidate in the case of a two-way tie. Besides, it’s best to keep your options open -- wouldn’t you rather be in a position to turn down an offer, than have a prospective job evaporate from your grasp by giving a lethargic interview?
[2] Technical interest -- Employers look for people who love what they do, and get excited by the prospect of tearing into the nitty-gritty of the job.
[3] Confidence -- No one likes a braggart, but the candidate who’s sure of his or her abilities will almost certainly be more favorably received.
[4] Intensity -- The last thing you want to do is come across as “flat” in your interview. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a laid back person; but sleepwalkers rarely get hired.
By the way, most employers are aware of how stressful it can be to interview for a new position, and will do everything they can to put you at ease.
The Other Fundamentals
Since interviewing also involves the exchange of tangible information, make sure to:
• Present your background in a thorough and accurate manner;
• Gather data concerning the company, the industry, the position, and the specific opportunity;
• Link your abilities with the company needs in the mind of the employer; and
• Build a strong case for why the company should hire you, based on the discoveries you make from building rapport and asking the right questions.
Both for your sake and the employer’s, never leave an interview without exchanging fundamental information. The more you know about each other, the more potential you’ll have for establishing rapport, and making an informed decision.
Basic Interviewing Strategy
There are two ways to answer interview questions: the short version and the long version. When a question is open-ended, I always suggest to candidates that they say, “Let me give you the short version. If we need to explore some aspect of the answer more fully, I’d be happy to go into greater depth, and give you the long version.”
The reason you should respond this way is because it’s often difficult to know what type of answer each question will need. A question like, “What was your most difficult assignment?” might take anywhere from thirty seconds to thirty minutes to answer, depending on the detail you choose to give.
Therefore, you must always remember that the interviewer’s the one who asked the question. So you should tailor your answer to what he or she needs to know, without a lot of extraneous rambling or superfluous explanation. Why waste time and create a negative impression by giving a sermon when a short prayer would do just fine?
Let’s suppose you were interviewing for a sales management position, and the interviewer asked you, “What sort of sales experience have you had in the past?”
Well, that’s exactly the sort of question that can get you into trouble if you don’t use the short version/long version method. Most people would just start rattling off everything in their memory that relates to their sales experience. Though the information might be useful to the interviewer, your answer could get pretty complicated and long-winded unless it’s neatly packaged.
One way to answer the question might be, “I’ve held sales positions with three different consumer product companies over a nine-year period. Where would you like me to start?”
Or, you might simply say, “Let me give you the short version first, and you can tell me where you want to go into more depth. I’ve had nine years experience in consumer product sales with three different companies, and held the titles of district, regional, and national sales manager. What aspect of my background would you like to concentrate on?”
By using this method, you telegraph to the interviewer that your thoughts are well organized, and that you want to understand the intent of the question before you travel too far in a direction neither of you wants to go. After you get the green light, you can spend your interviewing time discussing in detail the things that are important, not whatever happens to pop into your mind.
Don’t Talk Yourself Out of a Job
I’ve got a friend who’s the hiring manager of an electronics company. He told me once that he brought a candidate into his office to make him a job offer. An hour later, the candidate left. I asked my friend if he had hired the candidate.
“No,” he said. “I tried. But the candidate wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to make him an offer.”
Don’t misinterpret me. I’m not suggesting that an interview should consist of a series of monosyllabic grunts. It’s just that nothing turns off an employer faster than a windbag candidate.
By using the short version/long version method to answer questions, you’ll never talk yourself out of a job.
The Prudent Use of Questions
Beware: An interview will quickly disintegrate into an interrogation or monologue unless you ask some high quality questions of your own. Candidate questions are the lifeblood of any successful interview, because they:
• Create dialogue, which will not only enable the two of you to learn more about each other, but will help you visualize what it’ll be like working together once you’ve been hired;
• Clarify your understanding of the company and the position responsibilities;
• Indicate your grasp of the fundamental issues discussed so far;
• Reveal your ability to probe beyond the superficial; and
• Challenge the employer to reveal his or her own depth of knowledge, or commitment to the job.
Your questions should always be slanted in such a way as to show empathy, interest, or understanding of the employer’s needs. After all, the reason you’re interviewing is because the employer’s company has some piece of work which needs to be completed, or a problem that needs correcting. Here are some questions that have proven to be very effective:
• What’s the most important issue facing your department?
• How can I help you accomplish this objective?
• How long has it been since you first identified this need?
• How long have you been trying to correct it?
• Have you tried using your present staff to get the job done? What was the result?
• What other means have you used? For example, have you brought in independent contractors, or temporary help, or employees borrowed from other departments? Or have you recently hired people who haven’t worked out?
• Is there any particular skill or attitude you feel is critical to getting the job done?
• Is there a unique aspect of my background that you’d like to exploit in order to help accomplish your objectives?
Questions like these will not only give you a sense of the company’s goals and priorities, they’ll indicate to the interviewer your concern for satisfying the company’s objectives.
Give It Some Thought
Here are seven of the most commonly asked interviewing questions. Do yourself and the prospective employer a favor, and give them some thought before the interview occurs.
[1] Why do you want this job?
[2] Why do you want to leave your present company?
[3] Where do you see yourself in five years?
[4] What are your personal goals?
[5] What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
[6] What do you like most about your current company?
[7] What do you like least about your current company?
The last question is probably the hardest to answer: What do you like least about your present company?
I’ve found that rather than pointing out the faults of other people (“I can’t stand the office politics,” or, “I don’t get along with my boss”), it’s best to place the burden on yourself (“I feel I’m ready to exercise a new set of professional muscles,” or, “The type of technology I’m interested in isn’t available to me now.”).
By answering in this manner, you’ll avoid pointing the finger at someone else, or coming across as a whiner or complainer. It does no good to speak negatively about others.
I suggest you think through the answers to the above questions for two reasons.
First, it won’t help your chances any to hem and haw over fundamental issues such as these. (The answers you give to these types of questions should be no-brainers.)
And secondly, the questions will help you evaluate your career choices before spending time and energy on an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers you come up with, maybe the new job isn’t right for you.
Money, Money, Money
There’s a good chance you’ll be asked about your current and expected level of compensation. Here’s the way to handle the following questions:
[1] What are you currently earning?
Answer: “My compensation, including bonus, is in the high-forties. I’m expecting my annual review next month, and that should put me in the low-fifties.”
[2] What sort of money would you need in order to come to work for our company?
Answer: “I feel that the opportunity is the most important issue, not salary. If we decide to work together, I’m sure you’ll make me a fair offer.”
Notice the way a range was given as the answer to question [1], not a specific dollar figure. However, if the interviewer presses for a exact answer, then by all means, be precise, in terms of salary, bonus, benefits, expected increase, and so forth.
In answer to question [2], if the interviewer tries to zero in on your expected compensation, you should also suggest a range, as in, “I would need something in the low- to mid- fifties.” Getting locked in to an exact figure may work against you later, in one of two ways: either the number you give is lower than you really want to accept; or the number appears too high or too low to the employer, and an offer never comes. By using a range, you can keep your options open.
Some Questions You Can Count On
There are four types of questions that interviewers like to ask.
First, there are the resume questions. These relate to your past experience, skills, job responsibilities, education, upbringing, personal interests, and so forth.
Resume questions require accurate, objective answers, since your resume consists of facts which tend to be quantifiable (and verifiable). Try to avoid answers which exaggerate your achievements, or appear to be opinionated, vague, or egocentric.
Second, interviewers will usually want you to comment on your abilities, or assess your past performance. They’ll ask self-appraisal questions like, “What do you think is your greatest asset?” or, “Can you tell me something you’ve done that was very creative?”
Third, interviewers like to know how you respond to different stimuli. Situation questions ask you to explain certain actions you took in the past, or require that you explore hypothetical scenarios that may occur in the future. “How would you stay profitable during a recession?” or, “How would you go about laying off 1300 employees?” or, “How would you handle customer complaints if the company drastically raised its prices?” are typical situation questions.
And lastly, some employers like to test your mettle with stress questions such as, “After you die, what would you like your epitaph to read?” or, “If you were to compare yourself to any U.S. president, who would it be?” or, “It’s obvious your background makes you totally unqualified for this position. Why should we even waste our time talking?”
Stress questions are designed to evaluate your emotional reflexes, creativity, or attitudes while you’re under pressure. Since off-the-wall or confrontational questions tend to jolt your equilibrium, or put you in a defensive posture, the best way to handle them is to stay calm and give carefully considered answers.
Whenever I hear a stress question, I immediately think of the Miss Universe beauty pageant. The finalists (usually sheltered teenagers from places like Zambia or Uruguay) are asked before a live television audience of three and a half billion people to give heartfelt and earnest responses to incongruous questions like, “What would you tell the leaders of all the countries on earth to do to promote world peace?”
Of course, your sense of humor will come in handy during the entire interviewing process, just so long as you don’t go over the edge. I heard of a candidate once who, when asked to describe his ideal job, replied, “To have beautiful women rub my back with hot oil.” Needless to say, he wasn’t hired.
Even if it were possible to anticipate every interview question, memorizing dozens of stock answers would be impractical, to say the least. The best policy is to review your background, your priorities, and your reasons for considering a new position; and to handle the interview as honestly as you can. If you don’t know the answer to a question, just say so, or ask for a moment to think about your response.
Wrapping It Up
At the conclusion of your interview, you can wrap up any unfinished business you failed to cover so far, and begin to explore the future of your candidacy.
During your interview wrap-up, it’s a good practice to make the interviewer aware of other opportunities you’re exploring, as long as they’re genuine, and their timing has some bearing on your own decision making.
The fact that you’re actively exploring other opportunities may affect the speed with which the company makes its hiring decision. It may even positively influence the eventual outcome, since the company may want to act quickly so as not to lose you.
However, your other activity should be presented in the spirit of assistance to the interviewer, not as a thinly veiled threat or negotiating tactic. I’d advise you to play it straight with the interviewer.
And remember to maintain a positive attitude. In today’s job market, you’d be surprised how often victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.
The better your interviewing skills, the greater your chances of getting the job.
Fluid Power Jobs and Bosco-Hubert & Associates, LLC are continually working to find the best talent in our industries, including; fluid power, motion control, power transmission, and automation. If you have experience working for a fluid power manufacturer or distributor, we can give you an objective view of the conditions in the industry that can directly affect your income and lifestyle!
Our candidates and employers work in these areas: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, motion control, power transmission, bearings, and fluid sealing. Typically, they are selling, designing or manufacturing components and systems comprised of pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, manifolds, seals, hose and fittings, or filtration.
A unique benefit of pursuing a career in fluid power is that our industry encompasses many fields. These include construction, agriculture, entertainment/simulation, automotive, material handling, biomedical, automation, machine tools, utilities, wood processing, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, military, marine and offshore, and aerospace.
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