Tag Archives: Interviews

How to answer the critical unasked interview questions

Posted on May 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

Séances and interviews sometimes have a lot in common. Primarily, no one really believes in the person being interviewed.   The answers are suspect.  Everyone involved is afraid to act on what they heard.

Interviewers believe you may lie about the following questions:

  1. Will you work hard?
  2. Can you do this job?
  3. Will you make the team better?
  4. Do you want this job?

Because they don’t trust your direct answers, they ask a lot of indirect questions.  There is only one way to answer.  To be believed you must:

Give concrete examples

You must be enthusiastic, positive, believable, happy and self assured.  But, that’s not enough.  They won’t believe you unless you give concrete examples. Examples in the last year or two are most effective.

Let me help you come up with believable examples.  Write down the answers to these questions:

Will you work hard?

When did you work late?  Did you get in early regularly to finish a project?  How often did you carry a beeper?  What assignments did you volunteer for?  Who did you take over for when they were on vacation? Did you travel out of town on assignments? How much work did you do from home after hours?

Can you do this job?

What parts of this new job have you already done in your old job?  When did you work independently on applicable tasks?  How do you do research on related problems? Who did you mentor that had these responsibilities?  Which similar projects did you manage? How big was the team you worked on?  Did you lead a team doing this kind of job?

Will you make the team better?

When did you take over for a team member? How did you deal with a difficult coworker? Did you work late to help someone else? When did you back your manager in a tough call?  Were you a mentor?  What questions did everyone come to you with?  Which team awards did you win?  Why did they pick you to lead a team?

Do you want this job?What will the new job let you learn?  How much can you bring to this company?  Why will you be able to hit the ground running? Can you start in 2 weeks?  What do you like most about the team members you met so far?  Which facts about the company appeal to you most?  Which specific projects  sound fun? (Be careful NOT to complain and whine.  Don’t beat up your old team or boss.)

If you have answers to all these questions, you can turn your interview from a séance into a fact finding session.  Give short specific examples and you will be believed.

Something To Do Today

Take a notepad and jot down specific proof from the last two years. How have you absolutely proved your answers to the unasked questions?  Write down undeniable examples.

Take those undeniable examples with you to review right before your next interview.

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One Hour Interview Prep

Posted on March 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.  (Seneca)

 Daryl comes out of another tense project meeting at work.  He’s late leaving for his job interview.  He guiltily leaves his jacket hanging in his cubicle so no one will suspect he is gone and sneaks out to his car.  He turns on talk radio where politicians are being called the biggest thieves and liars on earth. That gets him thinking about his hate for his current job.   He’s two minutes late.  No one will notice, but Daryl is still stressed.  The interview seems to go well, but it only lasts half an hour.  The next day a secretary calls and informs him that “He is not a fit.” He doesn’t understand why.

This is how Daryl blew it

You have to prepare for your interview emotionally and mentally.  Daryl did neither.  He really did everything he could to assure he interviewed poorly.

Here are 10 things to do on your way to an interview:

  1. Get mentally out of your office an hour early.  Shut your office door or leave the building. At the very least, prepare the evening before.
  2. Reread the descriptions you have of the job you are applying for.
  3. Jot down a quick list of how you have triumphed in the kinds of projects that you would see on that job. Writing the list cements it in your mind.
  4. Describe those triumphs out loud while you watch a clock.  Keep each description under 2 minutes.
  5. Answer aloud a few test questions like, “Tell me about yourself,” or “Why do you want this job?”  Time your answers. Keep them under 2 minutes.
  6. Leave early enough to arrive 10 or 15 minutes before the interview starts.
  7. Listen to soothing music or a motivational tape as you drive.
  8. Use your drive time to think about what you have accomplished in previous jobs. Talk out loud about each accomplishment while you watch the clock.  Keep each description under 2 minutes.
  9. After you stop in the parking lot, read the job descriptions one more time.  You need to keep in mind what the company says it is looking for.
  10. Time to shine.  Remember to smile as you walk in the door and greet each person.  Have fun.  Remember, they invited you in.  They want to see you.

If you have a bad interview, you won’t get the job.  If you have a great interview, you not only get the job, you may get more money.  

Interview preparation is not difficult.  It requires time and concentration. Give it the time and the effort it deserves.  You’ll see the difference.

One thing I mentioned that people forget

Collect job descriptions of every job you are going to interview for.  That’s often the key missing link in preparation.  If you rely only on your memory, you may forget a few essential points that you should emphasize in your interview.

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Posted in Accomplishments, Attitude, Focus, Interviews

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How to beat personality tests

Posted on August 13, 2010 | Leave a comment

Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.  (E. Letterman)

Your job as boss is in danger.  3 more people have quit.  5 of the last 10 people you hired are having performance problems.  Technically they are proficient.  At least you got that right.  They just aren’t working hard.  They complain constantly. They don’t fit in.  What can you do to keep your job?

You’ve got to hire better, right?  You go to HR (human resources) and ask for help.  Jill, the VP of HR, has no time for you.  In desperation you blurt out, “Can’t we test these people to see if they are good team players?”

Jill stops, smiles and says, “I’ve seen just the test for the job.  It costs $95 every time you give it, but it will do the trick.  With your sponsorship we can make it mandatory for all new hires.”  Now she has time for you.  Why? You just saved her job too.  She is also under fire for all the hiring problems.  Testing will prove it is not her problem.

A mistake hirers often make is getting the personality they want.  Got it?  They hire the exact person they want.  They just want the wrong person.  An accurate test won’t fix that. Better interviews won’t fix that.  And truthfully, the tests are a pain to take, but reasonably accurate.

How do I beat a personality test?

Be yourself.  Answer honestly.  Don’t get upset.  Really.  It works.

So, what do you do when asked to take a personality test?

Take it. Do your honest best.

Should you worry about the company that asks you to take it?

No. Someone there is trying to hire scientifically.  It may work and it may not.  It depends on their attitude towards the test, and you have no way to measure that.  So don’t worry.

Can I change my answers to score better?

No.  Don’t try.  You will probably fail miserably.  Test makers work hard to make their test detect liars.  Anyway, do you really want to get a job that a company thinks is a bad fit for you?  Just answer honestly and openly.

Isn’t there a chance I’ll be wrongly excluded?

Yes, yes, yes.  That’s the biggest problem with personality tests.  It is also the biggest problem with interviews.  Hirers sometimes are looking for the wrong person. Get used to it. And sometimes you really are the wrong person for the job!

Personality tests are just another form of interview.  Companies pay huge amounts for interview training that may or may not help.  They also pay for tests that may or may not help.  Don’t take it personally. They are trying to figure out how to hire better.  Work with them.  Do your best to help them make a good hire.

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Something To Do Today

For the fun of it, go online and find a free personality test.  Take it.  Does it get close to your personality?  It probably does.  That means the problem is not the test or you.  The problem  is that the hiring manager is looking for the wrong result, or that you really are the wrong person for the job.

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Ugly situation – Good manners

Posted on May 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

We are born charming, fresh and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society.  (Miss Manners)

Good manners soothe people in a potentially bad situation.  In a positive situation good manners make everyone involved even more pleased.  Manners are society’s way of helping people cope with each other.

Here are some situations and how to deal with them:

I really want this job:  At the end of the interview say, “This sounds like a great opportunity.  Is there anything you’ve seen today that would keep me from working for you?”  Then say, “Can we set up the next step of the process right now?”    They will probably say they’ll call later.  That’s okay.  They know you really want the job.  Send an email and ground mail thank you letter.

In the interview, I realized I don’t want this job:  Never walk out of an interview unless they are asking you to do something illegal or immoral. You may be interviewing with this person in 5 years for a different job. Companies change. Opportunities change. If you get the feeling the job is absolutely not for you, stop the interviewer and ask very specific questions and explore your reasons in the interview. Don’t let your interviewer bypass your concerns. They may have solid answers, they may not. Once you are sure the job is NOT for you, look at the interview as a network building opportunity. You may have a chance to talk with a manager who will have a different hiring need, and get the job you really want. Networking for an extra half hour in an interview is easier than getting a manager to go to lunch with you.

They ask how much they have to pay you:  Answer them, “I really like this company.  The opportunity seems like a good one.  I’d like to go to work for you.  In my previous job I earned $(amount), I certainly wouldn’t want to work for less.  What I would like is to entertain your best offer.”

You are concerned they won’t pay enough:  Ask the recruiter or HR person what the pay range is for the job.  Don’t ask the hiring manager about money unless you become convinced they won’t pay near enough.  Better to ask, “Considering what I have done previously, how will this job continue to challenge me?”  That lets the interviewer know you are concerned that the job sounds too easy. 

You want to know about vacation time and benefits:  Wait a bit.  The first interview is absolutely NOT the place to ask.  If at some point you talk with an HR person who is already explaining that stuff, ask away.  If you are working with a recruiter, ask him.  Otherwise, when they are offering you the job is early enough.  You don’t have any bargaining power until they have made a decision to hire you.

They ask an improper question:  You don’t have to answer.  Better to try to understand what they want to know.  Reply, “Why do you ask?”  Another way is to answer the underlying question.  If they ask, “How old are you?” You can answer, “I’m in perfect health.  I haven’t missed a day of work in years.” That gives them the information they need without answering a question you may dislike.

I will be late for my interview:  stop and call the person you are to meet.  Apologize and tell them when you expect to arrive. Add 10 minutes to the time so they are pleasantly surprised when you arrive earlier than you said you would.

I don’t want to go to the interview:  call the person who set up the interview, the recruiter, HR person or manager, and explain why.  Explain your true reasons and then listen.  After a couple of minutes of discussion, finalize your decision to go or not.  Let the person who set up the interview tell the people who would interview you.

You don’t want them to call your boss for a reference:  Just tell them you don’t want to jeopardize your current job.  They will understand.

The basic ideas are: 1.  Ask questions at the right time.  2. Let people know your concerns in as positive a manner as possible.

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How early do I get there?

Posted on May 5, 2010 | Leave a comment

If something anticipated arrives too late it finds us numb, wrung out from waiting, and we feel — nothing at all.  The best things arrive on time.  (Gilman)

Two of your best job hunting tools are a quarter and a cell phone.  If you are going to be late you can call the person you are going to meet with and let them know you will be late.  Tell them a time 10 minutes later than you really expect to arrive.  That way you can still arrive “early.”

But how early should you get there?  That depends on how far you have to travel and how slow the traffic is likely to be. 

If you are sure you will get there right when you expect to, arrive 10 minutes early in the parking lot.  Grab your notes and go over them.  Practice the interview questions you have written out.  Go into the building 5 minutes before the interview is to start.  You want to be on time, but avoid waiting too long in the lobby, getting nervous.

If you are going a long distance, you may need to plan on arriving 15 to 30 minutes early.  In that case, tell the interviewer of your dilemma when you set up the interview.  Waiting 20 minutes in your car is a waste of your time.  Your interviewer can often set up a soft start time and see you immediately when you show up early.   

Perfect timing: walk into the building 5 minutes before your interview.  If you will have to wait more than 5 minutes in your car, go in earlier.  Horrible timing is 5 minutes late unless you have called ahead to let them know you will be late.

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Something To Do Today

Before your next job interview make a list of questions that show your desire, interest and motivation.  Use those 5 minutes in the car for interview preparation.

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My last job stunk, what do I say?

Posted on April 9, 2010 | 1 comment

The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.  (Gandhi)

My last job stunk, what do I say?

“My last employer lied to me.  He looked me straight in the eye and lied to me twice in the employment interview.  Then he spent the next year undermining me.  He made it impossible to reach the pay level he promised me.”

I can handle it.  I’m an agency recruiter. I could see from his previous jobs that he was exceptionally good at what he does. Before he goes out on a job interview I’ll tell him how to handle that situation.  Eventually he’s going to have to get over that job wound.

Remember, your attitude is everything.  Managers know that some bosses reek.  Every manager has also had an employee who was terrible.  Your interviewer has to decide if you or your boss was the problem.  Because they lack facts, they will decide whose fault it was by your attitude.

When they ask you about that lying, thieving, disgusting, wife beating boss you had at your previous job, be careful.  Remember, the slimeball’s dog still loves him.  Say only, “At my last job I accomplished…”,  and list the good things you got done. 

If asked, “Why did you leave?”  Say, “My boss and I did not see eye to eye.”  Then add something else that is positive that you accomplished.

Never say more than one sentence at a time about that vile, filthy, back stabbing, dog kicking boss. Remember the Grinch’s cat still purrs when he pets it.  Make each short comment about him as positive as you can.  Follow that sentence with something positive you were able to get done at that job.

The best thing you can do is GET OVER IT.   Forgive the louse.  No.  Forgive the man.  Stop brooding.  It affects your attitude.  Hate will make it much harder to get a job.  Interviewers can smell your discontent. 

Forgive, forget, and get on with your life.  Do you really think you will be telling every interviewer for the next 20 years about that boss?  You won’t.  The time to stop telling people about that boss is now.

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Something To Do Today

Had a boss you hated?  Make a list of 10 things you accomplished there.  Not your job duties, things you made better.  Accomplishments.  Use that list every time you are asked about the job.

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Double your interview chances in 5 minutes

Posted on March 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.  (Stern)

If you aren’t remembered, your interview was a waste.  Someone else will get the job. Someone else will get the promotion.  Someone else will get the reward.  If you aren’t remembered, why even show up?

Think of your interview from the hiring manager’s perspective.  He is going to interview ten people.  Three of them will totally screw up the interview.  There’s no way he’ll hire them.  That leaves 7 people who could do the job

The hiring manager finishes the last interview of the day and starts slogging through his email.  Two emails are from people he interviewed.  They said, “Thank you.” 

Managers are never thanked for anything.  He takes his list of interviews and circles both names.  Then he goes through the list and circles the names of two more people who impressed him.  He puts the list down and catches up on his email.

The next days are spent catching up on all the work he put off in order to do the interviews. Two days after the interviews he receives one letter that intrigues him.  It is a paper “Thank you.”  It is from one of the people who sent an email “Thank you.”

Managers are never thanked for anything.   That person who sent an email and a paper thank you is invited in for a second interview along with one other person.

Do you want to be remembered favorably?  Get the email and ground mail address of everyone you interview with.  Send them a thank you note.  Don’t have the addresses?  Call the company and ask the receptionist.  Forgot the name?  Call the human resource department and ask who it was you interviewed with. 

Send an email thank you immediately after your interview.  Send a paper thank you the same day.  A short thank you is fine.  Say, “Thank you for interviewing me.  I look forward to working with you.  I was very impressed.”  You’ll remind the interviewers who you are immediately with the email. You remind them again two or three days later when your paper letter arrives. 

My guess is if 10 people are interviewed, those two notes will double your chances of getting the job.  It’s worth your time.

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Something To Do Today

Have you interviewed this week?  Send an email and paper thank you.

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How success looks, and how it really works

Posted on November 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

An amazing pair of posts that show what success looks like from the outside, and what it takes in real life.

Take these two links in this order.  Paul Zane Pilsner describes how he got admitted into Wharton Business School before getting a degree and after a final rejection by the school.

How success looks.

How success really works.

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Posted in Interviews, Networking, Perseverance

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