Interviewing, Anywhere, Any Time

8/8/2019 Interviewing, Anywhere, Any Time

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In the Interview Hot Seat Page 2

ONE OF MY FAVORITE NEWS PACKAGES weve produced here at TheLadders was apiece in which veteran Hollywood journalist Karl

Rozemeyer spoke to theater pros for tips on beating

interview stage fright.

This time around, Karl has taken the act on the road,

polling recruiters; career coaches; and a few actors, of

course. The result: a detailed guide to the many dif-

ferent situations in which senior candidates may nd

themselves in the interview spotlight. Whether its a

videoconference, a committee interview or cocktails

with a business contact, this story and accompanying

gallery will give you tactical insights into how to pre-

pare and execute your role awlessly.

Among my favorite tips: Be sure to rehearse your

Web conference with a confederate to make sure your

setting and lights show you to your best advantage

and order the sh, not spaghetti or rice.

All the worlds an interview for executive-level can-

didates; make sure youre ready for your close-up.

Guerrilla InterviewingBy Matthew Rothenberg, Editor-in-Chief, TheLadders.com

IN THIS PACKAGE:

PHOTO:Karl Rozemeyer

Whether by phone, in person or at

lunch, every job-interview situation

requires a different performancefrom the job seeker.

Interviewing,Anywhere,Any Time

By Karl Rozemeyer

See HOT SEAT Page 2

INTERVIEWING
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Interviewing, Anywhere, Any TimeINTERVIEWING

THE BOILERPLATE JOB INTERVIEW is a thing of thepast. Job interviews no longer rely on the old blueprint a visit to a corner ofce to meet a stream of executives in

business suits for a straight session of questions and answers.

The standard ofce meeting is still part of the interview pro-

cess, but executives now face rounds of interviews that arelikely to involve varied settings and situations that test the can-

didates mettle and temperament under different conditions.

An applicant for an executive position is likely to face an

interview by phone or Web conference, an interview at a job

fair or conference, a lunch or over cocktails, an interview by

a casual acquaintance who recommended them, or a face-to-

face with four senior executives in a committee-style interview.

Human-resources executives are relying more on interviews

by phone and Web conference to reduce the costs associated

with business travel and accommodate hiring managers busy

schedules. Moreover, many interview situations (like a lunch or

committee interview) are designed to test a candidates act out-

side the one-on-one ofce setting and determine how he will

perform in the real world. In fact, job interviews can occur at

the spur of the moment or happen even without you knowing

it. (Think a chance meeting with a competitor at a conference

or a school play.)

The questions and answers dont change much from situa-

tion to situation, but the candidates behavior in each setting

will determine her success. Understanding the most likely

interview scenarios and the proper behavior for each will

prepare you to deliver the best performance you can and willboost your condence.

To guide you on how to put your best foot forward, The-

Ladders dissected the most common interview scenarios and

spoke with industry experts who mentor job candidates to

determine the most appropriate dress, behavior and presenta-

tion for each. We also got advice from working actors on how

to shine at any job audition.

Phone Interview

The phone interview arguably requires the least preparation.

You dont have to agonize about your outt, you can havenotes about the company at your disposal, and you even have

the ability to use the Web to perform additional research dur-

ing the conversation. But that doesnt mean you should ap-

proach a phone interview carelessly.

Be passionate

Most companies use the phone interview as an preliminary

screening, a low-intensity interview conducted by a junior

human-resources staffer to gauge the candidates abilities and

interest before investing an executives time in an in-person

interview. But when distance

is a factor, phone interviews

can take the place of site visits

and they will be intense. Either

way, You want to convey passion and professionalism, said

Deborah Brown-Volkman, a

professional certied coach

(PCC ) and the president of

career, life and mentor coaching

company. Answer the phone

with lots of energy. For example:

Its nice to meet with you today! I am really looking forward

to our interview. Dont be afraid to emphasize that you really

want a job for fear of sounding desperate, Brown-Volkman

counseled. Say that you are excited about the job, that you area perfect t for the job and that you really want this job.

Be on time

Be ready at the appointed interview time. I have done plenty

of phone interviews where I know I have just woken people

up or where there have been all kinds of other things going

on in the background. I would encourage full attention, said

Kelly Dingee, a sourcing researcher and executive trainer for

AIRS, an executive search rm. Also consider technical is

sues that must be managed before the start time. If you use a

headset, make sure it is a good one and that you dont have anynoise on the line. Readiness is key.

Eliminate distractions

If you have a dog, you need to nd a place for that dog

to be for the half-hour or 45 minutes that you are doing the

phone interview, Dingee said. If you are unemployed and

you are at home taking care of the kids, you need to schedule

the phone interview when you can have quiet time not so

much because you dont want employers to have insight into

4HOT SEAT

Brown-Volkman
http://www.surpassyourdreams.com/bio.htmlhttp://www.coachfederation.org/research-education/icf-credentials/pcc/http://www.coachfederation.org/research-education/icf-credentials/pcc/http://www.surpassyourdreams.com/bio.html


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Interviewing, Anywhere, Any TimINTERVIEWING

your private life but more because you want to be on yourgame. The less distraction you have, the better.

Be ready

Having notes handy in front of you is useful, but Dingee

advises candidates to read up on the company, review its Web

site and have an understanding of the organizations priorities.

You need to reect back on the interviewer (and the company)

during the interview and make sure it is about them as much as

it is about you. You want them to know that you are genuinely

interested and you have done your research, she said.

Phone interviews are quick, Brown-Volkman noted. I

would make a list of three bullet points that you want to make.

If you dont get them across during the interview, you can wrap

up by thanking the interviewer and then ask to leave him or her

with three points.

Webcam or Web-conference Interview

As the technology grows more ubiquitous, companies often

substitute telephone interviews with Webcam or Web-confer-

ence interviews.

The phone interview is still more common, but some com-

panies prefer the Webcam interview as a way to size up the

candidate visually before going to the expense of setting up

an in-person interview, said Frank Risalvato, founder of the

recruiting rm IRES Inc. For certain jobs where the candidate

might be required to meet with customers, clients or members

of the public, HR can use the Webcam to gauge the candidates

presentation skills, he said. I have got companies that speci-

cally request that if a candidate does not have a Webcam on

their laptop to go out and buy one, and they will happily reim-burse you the $19, he said.

For a successful Webcam interview, heres how to present

yourself in the best possible light.

Rehearse

A dry run with a friend is critical for you to have an idea of

what to do and where to look as well as any potential hiccups,

Dingee said. Do the dry run at the same time that you have

the Skype interview scheduled. So if you have it scheduled at 7

oclock on Monday night, then I would do it 7 oclock Sunday

night. Make sure there is sufcient light and that there wilbe no unexpected interferences at that time. Risalvato advise

candidates check that everything is working shortly before the

interview. He gives his clients the option to connect with him

via Yahoo or Windows Live about 45 minutes to an hour be-

fore the interview to rehearse.

Be conscious of your space

Try to make sure your space is de-cluttered. You need to

chase all dogs or cats or whomever may be in your environ-

ment out. Also, I would check out what is behind me because I

dont want anything to divert attention. Too many pictures of

my kids, artwork, junk or something random that really isnt ap

propriate should be moved, Dingee said. Risalvato concurred

I had a case last week where the person was in an Internet

caf but there was a wastepaper basket with plastic sticking

out in the back right-hand corner, which was very distracting.

Take note of angles and lighting

Make sure that you have angled your Webcam correctly so

that the interviewer isnt staring at your chest instead of you

face. Stay centered in the frame of the camera. You do need
http://www.iresinc.com/http://www.iresinc.com/


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to have enough lighting to be able to have eye contact, Risalvato

said. I generally coach the person to put my window right below

his or her Web camera so that their eye is naturally going to look

at me. It can be a difcult for someone whos not familiar with

working with this kind of media to train ones eye to look directly

into the Webcam.

Committee Interview

Walking into a conference room and elding questions from

several interviewers can be nerve-racking. Being well prepared

and maintaining eye contact with all the members of the com-

mittee are two starting points. Here are some other ways that you

can impress the panel during a multi-person interview.

Whos who?

To prepare for the interview, you want to nd out who is in

the room, Brown-Volkman said. Sometimes you have people

from different disciplines from nance, from marketing, from

operations. You want to know something about them so that

whenever asked a question you can tailor the answer to their

background. You would, for example, answer the marketing guy

with a more marketing bend.

Dingee agrees: I am a source researcher. So when I interview,

I do (a) background search (on) the people I am talking to. I want

to see what their level of experience is. Professional networks

can give you some idea of what they are afliated with and cer-

tainly if they have any other associations. If you are an engineer

and you are interviewing with an engineering manager who isvery active with a certain engineering association, that will give

you a point of reference during the interview.

Position yourself

You usually dont know if it is going to be a roundtable or set

up as a panel with you exclusively under the spotlight. You need

to position yourself and make sure that you are comfortable,

Dingee said, because you want to be able to appear at ease even

if you are nervous.

Actress Deidrie Henry, who this year appeared on televisi

Three Rivers, Southland and Lie To Me and will so

seen in the feature lm Beautiful Boy, knows something a

auditioning in front of a committee. She advises job seeker

actors alike to seek out a familiar or sympathetic face. A l

times when I will walk into a room, there is someone who k

me or knows my work. So they are on my side already, an

immediate thing is to connect with them whether I know

or not and to bring a sense of who I am to the group.

Maintain eye contact with everyone

The simplest piece of advice is to relate the answer t

person who asked the questio

include everyone else throug

sic eye contact, said actor D

las Dickerman, who appeare

Numbers, Law and Order

on several national comme

and also understands the pof walking into an audition.

sure your answer engages no

the initial questioner but ever

else in the room.

Dingee also emphasizes eye

tact. Maybe the person on th

left has asked the question.

need to make sure that you turn your attention to them but

also make eye contact, answer the question and look at e

body else. But light back up on the person who actually a

it. Reect back and make sure that you answered the quecompletely.

Be yourself, but adjust your energy

You might be tempted to play to your audience and tune

personality to the personalities in the room. Dont, said Risa

Although you have to appeal to several different persona

I subscribe to the school of just being yourself, he said. I

try anything other than being yourself, it is eventually goi

come up that they were sold on a different person. I dont

scribe to modifying your behavior but be cognizant of th

that you are in an interview.Be yourself, Brown-Volkman agreed, but kick up the e

level a notch. After all, you are the center of attention, she

raise your energy a fraction, even if the person asking the

tion has an energy level a little lower than yours.

Lunch Interview

The lets-do-lunch interview can be a mineeld of pot

problems. What type of restaurant would you choose if th

Dickerman


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lection is yours? What sort of food is best to order? Should

you have a drink?

Selecting the venue

It is seldom that a candidate would be required to choose a

dining option to meet for an interview. But if you are picking

the restaurant pick something that is middle of the road,Dingee said. You dont want them to feel that they have just

blown their whole expense account for the month, taking you

out to lunch for this interview. But you also dont want to look

too casual.

Brown-Volkman suggested that you nd out what type of

food the interviewer likes and then pick a place you know and

where the service is good. Visit the restaurant the day before

and reserve a good table. Get there early. I would let the host,

waiter or waitress know that you are there for a job interview

and that you need to make a good impression, she said.

Yes to sh. No to spaghetti!

Because you can expect to

be doing more talking than

eating, order something light.

You dont want to be the

last one done because you

have been answering all of

the questions, Dingee ad-

vised. Use some common

sense when ordering.

Select something that is

safe and not messy to eat.

Keep it really simple and streamlined. You dont want to go

with a marinara sauce if you are wearing a white shirt. Fish

can easily be cut with a fork and is a preferable choice over

spaghetti or rice or string beans.

I wouldnt get a salad because it is so messy, Brown-Volk-

man noted.

Avoid alcohol

James Bond can pull off a dry martini, shaken, not stirred.

Not you. Staying away from hard alcohol is a smart move, said

IRES Risalvato. I wouldnt go anywhere near hard alcohol

during an interview. I would want to be focused. I would stick

with an iced tea or a soft drink.

Brown-Volkman said that even if the interviewer orders an

alcoholic drink, you are not encouraged to do the same.

A single glass of wine could be the exception, said actress

Henry.

I dont think I would drink, said Henry. I follow the per-

son I am with. If they order a glass of wine, I will order one

glass, but if they were to order a strong drink, I just wouldnt.

Acquaintance Interview

Your brother knows someone at a company about which you

would like to learn more or where you believe you would like

to work. He puts the two of you in touch. You might have

met casually at a party or family event, but when you meet to

discuss business, does the fact that youre already familiar with

each other change how you are expected to behave? Are you

expected to be more chummy than you might be otherwise

or should you maintain your interview persona? Where youmeet might determine your performance, said the experts.

At the coffee shop

I dont know that you necessarily have to go in a suit, Din

gee said, especially if your acquaintance knows you are un

employed or your ofce does not require formal dress. But I

would suggest you put your best foot forward with your bes

business-casual dress. If you are meeting at your local coffe

house and you are just going to have a half-hour conversa

tion, I dont think I would be too worried about the typical

dark-suit attire.

Come to my ofce

If they offer (an invitation to their ofce), I would denitely

take them up on it, Dingee said. Its your rst step in the door

It will also give you some insight into what the ofce environ

ment is like and give you a feel for the culture. She advised

that you make sure you are professionally dressed, as you can

never be sure to whom you may be introduced in the corridor

or at the elevator.


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Find commonality

Try to nd common ground with the person who is inter-

viewing you. Interviews are all about connections. With

an acquaintance, allow for ve to 10 minutes for small talk

before getting down to the business of the interview,

Brown-Volkman advised. If you walk into someones ofce

and see a golf trophy, comment on it and certainly mention itif you are also a golfer.

Research on the interviewers interest and background can

help, Dickerman said. You have to make sure you know who

your audience is.

Gossip girl

Never allow small talk to become too personal, especially

when discussing colleagues in common. You dont want to

be negative, Dingee said. There is always something positive

that you can nd to say about somebody. I think it is safe to be

generic in your commentary. You certainly dont want to cri-

tique anyone, not knowing the full background in an acquain-

tance interview. You dont know what all of the relationships

behind the scenes are.

Cocktails Interview

Meeting for cocktails is dif-

ferent from meeting for cof-

fee or over lunch. The expec-

tation is that you will meet in

the evening and the situation

will be less formal than the

ofce but not too infor-

mal. When you meet for

cocktails, you are not going

to a bar, you are not going to a club, said Deidrie Henry. You

know what you are walking into on some level. It is a matter of

what sort of image you want them to walk away with, and how

do you want to be perceived.

Dressing for the occasion

Dress thoughtfully. For women, choices are greater butneed to be made with care. Women do have a ne line to

tread, Dingee said, but I think there is enough womens

wear that converts from ofce situations so there are plenty

of selections.

Obviously you shouldnt be dressed like you are going on a

date. I wouldnt wear anything that I would wear out with my

husband or maybe with my girlfriends if we were going out for

a good time at night. I would tone it down just a little bit if it

were for a job meeting. Be a little more conscious of necklines

and colors. Brown-Volkman advised women to wear a dres

with a jacket.

Selecting a drink

A beer? A glass of wine? A Rusty Nail? Some would prob

ably get whatever their host gets, Dingee observed. I tend

to order what I am most comfortable with, so I will almosalways order a glass of wine in those situations. If there is

fairly casual crowd and most are going to order a beer, I migh

order a beer. My boss would probably order whisky straight

Whatever you select is part of your personality as long a

you dont overindulge.

One-drink maximum

Whenever it is a business situation, I have a one-drink rule

Two drinks is the maximum, said Dingee, who as a forme

recruiter once received a job-search expense reports in which

a candidate ordered in excess of 10 drinks at one sitting. Tha

sends off some red ags. You want to be sociable, but youdont want to treat it like its your local frat party.

Brown-Volkman said that she, too, would nurse one drink

but suggested having a club soda if you decide to move onto

a second drink.

Actor Dickerman recently attended a benet for a produc

tion company that included industry colleagues and network

ing opportunities. I had one drink at the end because you

really want to be yourself.

Job Fairs

After waiting in lines for nearly four hours, you nally step up

to speak with yet another human-resources manager. Its the

11th company youve met with at this job fair. So how can you

be sure any of these recruiters will remember you among th

hundreds of candidates theyve already met?

Find the openings

Make the best use of your time at a job fair by researchin

something about the rms attending and targeting rst thos

that have job openings that interest you. Most job fairs put ou

a list of the attending employers. Dingee suggested scanning

the list to see which companies have openings right now. Thos

rms should take priority over companies that may seem like

really great work environments but have no openings, she said

Go to the company that has the actual opening.

Dress to kill

Risalvato attends job fairs and certain job-networking func

tions to look for employees for different ofces that his com

pany is trying to staff. I subscribe to the old school adage tha


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Style Day to Night No Wardrobe SwitchRequired

Dress to Network Every Encounter Counts

Skype Job Interview Pays Off

Job Fairs for Executives: More Than Kids Stuff

Career Advice from TheLadders

you only have one opportunity to make a best rst impression.

There is no second chance for a rst impression. I may be

there for 45 minutes to an hour in a room full of people, and

one of the rst clues I look for is dress. You have got to be

dressed appropriately for the event and that is how I start scan-

ning the crowd. Men, leave your herringbone sports jackets

with leather patches at home!Memorize your elevator pitch

Your time to interview at a job fair is usually very limited.

You need to be able to sum up who you are and what you

do in two minutes. It really is about how you present your-

self. Even if you have been at that job fair for hours, you still

need to walk up to your last interview as fresh as you were in

the rst, Dingee said. Try to keep yourself upbeat and up-

tempo. Be as excited to talk to them as you were to talk to the

other 25 recruiters you met.

Interview the companyIf you have time, make sure that the interview serves your

informational needs. You should not put yourself at the level

of a victim or be lled with desperation, Henry said. You are

also auditioning them.

Your mindset should be, Are you also someone I want to

work with? Is your company one that I would want to sign on

to? Recognize that as much as you need them, they need you.

So also interview them. You should not necessarily only talk

about yourself but be curious about what they are trying to

sell you.

Be memorable

Prepare and bring something that will help the recruiter re-

member you. Dingee suggests a creative business card, perhaps

with an unusual shape or color. Having something a little gim-

micky is not a bad thing, even if it means you have to go to one

of these business-card places online to make your own busi-

ness cards, she said. Include social-media contacts like your

Linkedin and Twitter accounts. It makes you more accessible

to them, she said. Some people may actually be very green

thinking, so bring a ash drive with your resume on it instead

of a hard-copy resume. Anything that makes you stand out will

denitely be helpful.
http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/style-day-to-night-wardrobe-switchhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/style-day-to-night-wardrobe-switchhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/dress-to-networkhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/Skype-Job-Interview-Pays-Offhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/Job-Fairs-Executiveshttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/Job-Fairs-Executiveshttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/Skype-Job-Interview-Pays-Offhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/dress-to-networkhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/style-day-to-night-wardrobe-switchhttp://www.theladders.com/career-advice/style-day-to-night-wardrobe-switch

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Interviewing, Anywhere, Any Time