To compete in today’s job market you must interview like a … · 2017. 3. 16. · difficult interview Secret Ninja tricks that will get you noticed by influencers in the interview

The competition for jobs is fierce, to compete you must think and act like a warrior. The current recession is shaping up to be the worst since World War II, and only the skills of a trained, tactical warrior are going to be enough to see you through it. As if the loss of 2.6 million jobs during 2008, and a further 600,000 during January 2009 alone, were not enough, President Obama said of the unemployment situation during his weekly address on January 31st, 2009, that the situation will only get worse and it has.

How will you compete in such a tight job market?During good economic times the average time to find a new job is 1 month for every $10,000 in income. No one knows what that data looks like in this job market, but we do know it is much worse. You need to learn skills that will get you hired, and fast. In this fast paced book you will learn how to discover your inner ninja and:

Learn this and much more in this exciting follow up to The Job Search Ninja – Guide to the hidden job market.

Learn how to prepare yourself for any interview situation and win

The Ninja art of handling interrogations – how to shine in a difficult interview

Secret Ninja tricks that will get you noticed by influencers in the interview process

How to close the interview and leave no doubt that you are the right person for the job

•

•

•

•

JOB SEARCH NINJA:

A BOOK BY TODD BAVOLTips on Acing the Interview

To compete in today’s job market you must interview like a warrior!

JOB SEARCH NINJATIPS ON ACING THE INTERVIEW

ISBN:

ISBN-13:

©2009 Todd Bavol. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from author or publisher (except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages

and/or show brief video clips in a review).

*ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Todd Bavol, PHR, is the President/CEO of the Integrity Group of companies. He is a

CEO Hall of Fame member and has led his company to rank #2 on the INC 500 list

of fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S. Todd has helped thousands

of people find new careers and is passionate about teaching people skills that give

them an edge in a competitive job market. Todd is an active social networker known

as the JobSearchNinja on Twitter - follow him there. Todd lives in Hockessin, DE.

Other books by Todd Bavol:

Job Search Ninja – A Guide to finding Hidden Jobs

Online

Job Search Ninja – Black Belt Resumes

Company You - How to Build Your Brand and Network Your

Way to a New Job

INTRODUCTION 4

DISCOVERING YOUR INNER NINJA 7

ESPIONAGE AND SABOTAGE 19

COVERT VISITS 21

WHAT TO TAKE TO YOUR INTERVIEW 22

WHAT NEVER TO TAKE TO YOUR INTERVIEW 24

THE NINJA ART OF HANDLING INTERROGATIONS 27

DIFFERENT STYLES OF INTERVIEW 27

BEHAVIORAL AND SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS 29

THE SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW 33

THE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW 38

STANDARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 40

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF 42

HOW TO ANSWER ODDBALL QUESTIONS 45

HOW TO HANDLE ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 46

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER 48

MOCK INTERVIEWS 51

OTHER TYPES OF INTERVIEW 59

SUPERHERO QUALITIES 62

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 62

PERSONAL TRAITS AND BEHAVIORS 65

Contents

DISGUISES AND COMBAT SKILLS TO TWIST THE KNIFE 67

MEETING RECEPTIONISTS, SECRETARIES AND GATEKEEPERS 67

WHAT TO WEAR TO AN INTERVIEW 68

BODY LANGUAGE 69

MAKING A CONNECTION – HOW TO BOND WITH INTERVIEWERS 71

INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE 73

LUNCH OR DINNER INTERVIEWS 73

THE FEARLESS NINJA 75

THE POISONED ARROW 77

NEXT STEPS 79

SAYING THANK YOU 79

BOWING TO YOUR RIVAL 81

THANK YOU LETTER NUMBER 1 81

THANK YOU LETTER NUMBER 2 83

AND FINALLY...THE QUESTION OF MONEY 84

CONCLUSION 86

8

JOB SEARCH NINJA

INTRODUCTION

Silent but deadly, the job search ninja stealthily seeks out his opportunities. His focus and discipline help him to gather secret information that he can use in his attack. A superhero in disguise with weapons at the ready, he knows just how his adversaries think and he is well-prepared to face the final battle...the interview.

No self-respecting ninja would ever allow himself to be caught unaware, and as things stand in the job market at the moment, you cannot afford to either. You need to have every available weapon at your disposal, but more than that, you need to be prepared!

Take a look at what is happening to the unemployment rate:

US Unemployment Rate Since 1990

Source: US Department of Labour

8.0%

7.0%

6.0%

5.0%

4.0%

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

0%

The current recession is shaping up to be the worst since World War II, and only the skills of a trained, tactical warrior are going to be enough to see you through it.

As if the loss of 2.6 million jobs during 2008, and a further 600,000 during January 2009 alone, were not enough, President Obama said of the unemployment situation during his weekly address on January 31st this year, that:

9

GUIDE TO ACING THE INTERVIEW

“The picture is likely to get worse before it gets better.”

The current picture is of large corporations such as AT&T, DuPont, Boeing, Alcoa and Walgreen laying off thousands, and in some cases, tens of thousands, of work-ers. The national unemployment rate hit 7.6% at the end of January 2009, and in many states it was running at closer to 10%. Employees are not only losing their jobs, though. If you take into account those employees whose hours have been cut back in an attempt to weather the economic storm, and those who were working part-time because they were unable to find full-time employment, the unemploy-ment rate was more like 14.5%.

When times get as tough as they are now, you need to employ all the cunning and combat skills of the true job search ninja. While using the best job search tech-niques and preparing a knockout resume are vitally important, at the end of the day, it is that final thrust that you deliver to the interviewer which will lead to a job offer, and if you interview badly, you might just as well lay down your sword.

It is hard enough to get an interview. Don’t blow it when you do get the chance.

A job interview is often the first opportunity that you will get to meet a prospective employer and, as we all know, first impressions count for a lot. You could be the best qualified of all the candidates and yet still not be offered the position if the impres-sion you make is poor and you do not interview well.

Although there are no statistics available to give a guide as to what percentage of job applicants do interview badly, any recruiter will be able to report countless horror stories about interviewees who are completely unprepared.

The sad fact is that most interviewees do not even know how badly they interview.

Only a tiny minority of jobseekers ever receive any kind of interview skills train-ing, and if they do, it is generally because they pay for it themselves. The number of companies offering training services is testament to the low standards that employ-ers encounter.

Just to give an indication of how little consideration some candidates give to the interview process, here are a few of the blunders that employers have reported, cour-tesy of Careerbuilder.com. Bear in mind that these are all real-life examples and, while they might make you smile, they also beg the question...What kind of ninjas were these? The comic book Teenage Mutant Turtle variety?

• Candidate answered cell phone and asked the interviewer to leave her own office because it was a ‘private conversation’.

• Candidate told the interviewer he would not be able to stay in the job for long because he thought he might get an inheritance if his uncle died – and his uncle ‘was not looking too good’.

• Candidate asked the interviewer for a lift home after the interview.

10

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• Candidate smelled his armpits on the way to the interview room.• Candidate said she could not provide a writing sample because all of her writing

had been for the CIA and it was ‘classified’.• Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.• When applicant was offered food before the interview, he declined, saying that he

did not want to line his stomach with grease before going out drinking.• A candidate for an accounting position said she was a ‘people person, not a num-

bers person’.• Candidate flushed the toilet while talking to the interviewer during a phone inter-

view.• Candidate took out a hair brush and brushed her hair mid-interview.

These are, of course, extreme examples, and most of us would not dream of giving such a poor representation of ourselves. In more subtle ways, however, it is just as easy to ruin our own chances.

Lack of preparation is probably the single most important contributory factor to poor interview performance. All too often, candidates think that they can just walk in through the door and ‘wing it’. Little do they realize, however, that their lack of groundwork stands out all too clearly.

Asking the interviewer what the company does, is not the right way to earn a job offer.

A job interview is not just about knowing which clothes to wear or how to answer certain questions. It encompasses a number of factors, which together provide a recruiter with an impression of a candidate, and helps him to make up his mind which of the applicant is most suited to the position. Knowing what these factors are, and what value employers place on them, is therefore crucial.

In this book, we are going to teach you how to become a Black Belt when it comes to facing potential employers. You will be guided through every step of the inter-view process, from preparation right through to follow-up. You will not only gain an important understanding of what it is that employers are looking for, but you will learn tips on how to avoid the pitfalls and shine as an interview star. By the time you reach the end, you will be uniquely prepared for your interview experience and have a clear idea of precisely what to expect – all of which will put you way ahead of the competition...and make you a true job search ninja!

12

JOB SEARCH NINJA

1DISCOVERING YOUR INNER NINJA

The ninjas were not born with the skills to defeat their rivals. It was only by study-ing the martial arts and practicing their weaponry skills and stealth techniques that they became masters. Becoming a job search ninja does not happen overnight either. It takes planning and preparation.

If you have ever done any Do It Yourself decorating, you will probably already have learned that:

A good quality paint job requires 90% preparation

Slap some new paint over the cracks and, almost instantly, they will be visible again. Not only will you have to go back to redo the job all the sooner, but the finished result will look like a botch-up, even to the untrained eye. Find the cracks, fill them, sand them down to a smooth finish and then paint, and not only will the job last longer, but it will look like the work of a professional.

What does Do It Yourself have to do with interview techniques? Simply that the same principle applies. Turning up for an interview unprepared will doom you to failure because the interviewer will spot it immediately – it is as simple as that. While ‘winging it’ might seem like the easier option, and in the short term perhaps it is, this approach carries a 0% chance of success for several reasons.

• Your stress levels might feel lower in the run-up to the interview, but they will be at their peak when you most need to be calm. It is when you are stressed that you either dry up completely or start running off at the mouth, and your ability to think clearly will completely desert you.

• The chances of coming out with the kind of inappropriate or downright silly answers that will make you want to kick yourself afterwards are very much higher. The lady applying for the accounting position clearly wished to impress the interviewer with the fact that she was a ‘people person’ or a ‘team player’, but if she had prepared sufficiently well, she would undoubtedly have come up with a better way of expressing this than telling him that she was not a ‘numbers person’.

• Your lack of professionalism will stand out a mile. If an employer can see that you have not prepared for something as important as the job interview, why would he believe that you would do anything but skimp when it came to doing the job?

• You will appear both disinterested and lacking in commitment to the position you are applying for. If you really care about something, you put time and effort into it. If you show the employer that you do not care enough to put in the necessary preparation, he is not going to want to put any investment in you.

You might think that you can bluff your way through a job interview with a show of confidence, but believe me, not only will your words give you away, but so will your body language

13


There are a number of ways in which you can, and should, prepare yourself for an interview, and this book is going to show you how. The place to start, however, is with yourself, and the way to do it is by carrying out a self-evaluation.

As obvious as it may seem:

You cannot convince an employer of your worth if you do not know yourself what it is that you have to offer

The process of self-evaluation helps you to identify what you have done, what you have learned and what you are good at. It helps you to focus in on the very skills, abilities and personal qualities that employers find important and that they will be looking out for, and we will discuss these further in Chapter 4.

Of course, at the same time as highlighting your strengths, self-evaluation will inev-itably make you more aware of your ‘weaknesses’ too. Make no mistake, you do need to be aware of these, and it would be a huge error of judgment to claim to an interviewer that you have none. To do so would achieve nothing more than making you appear arrogant and conceited. Interviewers know just as well as everyone else that we all have areas where we could do better, perhaps because we have had little opportunity to develop a particular skill or because we have no innate ability in a particular area.

I did, however, put the word ‘weaknesses’ in inverted commas, and the reason for this is because it is important not to think of them as faults, but rather as areas for development. The object of considering them at all is not to strip you of your confi-dence, but to allow you the opportunity to recognize where further education, train-ing or experience might be appropriate. By acknowledging any gaps in your skills or knowledge to yourself, you will be better equipped to move closer to your career goals, and by acknowledging them to an interviewer, you can paint a realistic pic-ture of your current situation, while at the same time demonstrating that you are doing something to bridge the gaps.

Another important reason for carrying out a self-evaluation is that if you apply for jobs which your current skills, abilities and experience are either not ready for, or not suited to, you are more likely to be faced with rejection. By understanding what it is that you are good at, and what interests you, you are more likely to meet with success and find a job which you truly enjoy. Remember, a job interview is not just about the interviewer assessing you, but also about you assessing the company and finding a job which will fulfill and satisfy you.

A thorough self-assessment achieves a number of aims, including:

• Identifying patterns of strengths and weaknesses• Highlighting achievements and capabilities• Developing self-confidence• Transforming negatives into positives• Identifying areas for improvement

14

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• Creating a benchmark for future improvements• Enabling you to communicate your qualifications (in the broadest sense) to

employers• Helping you to choose a job or career which will be genuinely rewarding

Self-inventories take any number of forms, many of which highlight different things. The one that you choose could be dependent upon your aim (for example, whether you are looking to change careers or for a promotion within the same field), or upon your situation (for example, whether you are a graduate looking for a first job or have been in the workplace for many years). Some concentrate on specific areas, such as skills, personality and values, while others focus more directly on work his-tory.

To follow, you will find three examples of self-assessments, all of which are set out in worksheet form for you to complete. As much of the information pertaining to your work history should already have been gathered and documented in your resume, the ones which are used here focus less directly on this aspect. You should, however, also use your resume to help you to identify your skills and achievements, as well as a basis for considering what you could improve upon.

It is easy for any of us to think that we know ourselves well enough not to have to carry out a ‘formal’ self-assessment, however, as you will see a little later, being able to answer these questions of yourself is vital in preparing yourself for an interview. While an interviewer may not ask these questions in precisely the same way, the answers that you will come up with here will be very much appropriate.

Worksheet No 1

Answer each of the following questions as comprehensively as possible, and after each one, ask yourself, ‘What does this tell me about myself?’

Q1. Which elements of school, college and/or university did you enjoy?

A1.

Q2. What successes did you achieve during the course of your education? (These may or may not be academic successes, but could be skills that you developed, such as being a good organizer, leader or listener.)

A2.

Q3. Were you involved in any other activities outside of your education?

A3.

Q4. What are your interests outside work?

A4.

15


Q5. Are you a team player, or do you prefer to work alone?

A5.

Q6. Why do you want to change your job?

A6.

Q7. What kind of job are you normally attracted to, and why?

A7.

Q8. Would you be prepared to accept less money for a job that you enjoyed more?

A8.

Q9. Do considerations in connection with your family affect your choice of job?

A9.

Q10. Would you accept a job which involves spending a lot of time away from your home and/or family?

A10.

Q11. Would you accept a job which involved a lengthy commute?

A11.

Q12. Would you accept a job which required you to re-locate?

A12.

Q13. Do you live to work, or work to live?

A13.

Q14. Have you proactively sought out additional skills training, or has it just happened?

A14.

Q15. How successful have you been at each job that you have had?

A15.

Q16. Did you benefit in any way from each of these jobs?

A16.

Q17. Did each of your past employers benefit from your having worked for them?

16

JOB SEARCH NINJA

A17.

Q18. Which elements of each job did you enjoy?

A18.

Q19. Which elements of each job did you dislike?

A19.

Q20. Have you ever been praised at work or for a job well done?

A20.

Q21. How did you react? Did you build on the experience, and if so, how?

A21.

Q22. Have you ever been criticized at work?

A22.

Q23. How did you react? Did you try to rectify the situation or improve your perfor-mance?

A23.

Q24. Do you like change? Are you stimulated by it?

A24.

Q25. Is job security important to you? Do you feel secure in your current position?

A25.

Q26. What do you think of your current colleagues?

A26.

Q27. What do your current colleagues think of you?

A27.

Q28. Are other people’s opinions important to you?

A28.

Q29. How old are you? Is your age perceived to be a problem in your job search?

A29.

17


Q30. If your age is perceived as a problem, how can you turn it into a positive attribute? (Remember that both ends of the age spectrum have a great deal to offer in terms of experience or a fresh, young outlook.)

A30.

Q31. Do you consider yourself to be a happy, positive and well-rounded person?

A31.

Worksheet No 2

The next self-assessment that we are going to look at differentiates between your skills and competencies, your interests and your values.

A Bit About You

This first section will help you to discover a little about yourself and what you are most comfortable with in the work environment.

Q1. Do you prefer working with facts or ideas?

A1.

Q2. Do you prefer to work alone or with others?

A2.

Q3. Do you prefer to work in a structured or unstructured setting/environment?

A3.

Q4. Are you happier, or more comfortable, working with people or ‘things’?

A4.

Skills and Competencies – What Do You Do Well?

Think about a past job or experience (either paid or unpaid) and answer the following questions:

Q1. Why did you take the job?

A1.

Q2. What interested you about the particular company or organization?

18

JOB SEARCH NINJA

A2.

Q3. What did you like about the job? (Be specific. Do not just say that you liked the challenges that it brought you, for example. Explain why they appealed to you. Was it that you had to use problem-solving abilities? Because it meant that the job was not boring?)

A3.

Q4. What did you dislike about the job? (Again, be specific. If you disliked dealing with customers, explain why.)

A4.

Q5. Which skills did you like using in this job?

A5.

Q6. Were you good at using them?

A6.

Q7. Would you want to use any of these skills in a future job?

A7.

Q8. Are any/all of these skills transferable to another job/employer?

A8.

Q9. Are any/all of them skills that you could market to another employer? Would they be valued by another employer?

A9.

Q10. Which skills did you develop or improve upon as a result of doing this job?

A10.

Q11. If this job experience was successful, which skills did you use to make it so?

A11.

Q12. If this job experience was unsuccessful, which skills were you lacking? Could you develop these skills? (Think creatively about this question. If the reason that the expe-rience was not successful was down to, for example, a personality clash with a boss or colleague, are there people skills which would have helped and which you could learn? Or were they technical skills that were lacking, which you could develop through further education or training?)

A12.

19


Interests

In this section, you are asked to think about what you like doing.

Q1. What kinds of paid work do you find fulfilling and exciting?

A1.

Q2. What kinds of voluntary work do you find fulfilling and exciting?

A2.

Q3. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be, and why?

A3.

Q4. If you had a free day, how would you spend your time?

A4.

Q5. What kinds of books and/or magazines do you like to read?

A5.

Q6. Do you prefer being in an indoor or an outdoor environment? Why?

A6.

Q7. What hobbies do you have? Why do these things interest you?

A7.

Values

Different people are motivated by different things, and here you are asked to think about your own motivational factors. These could be such things as money, status, per-sonal growth, security, creative expression, service to society or helping others. Do not be ashamed if money is your key driver, just be honest and write it down.

Q1. List your key values.

A1.

Q2. How do these values affect your career decisions?

A2.

Q3. Does your current or chosen profession allow you to live by these values?

A3.

20

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Q4. If not, which professions would allow this?

A4.

Q5. Which companies share the same values as you do, and work by them?

A5.

Your Ideal Job

Finally, think about your ideal preferences in terms of a job.

Q1. What is your ideal work environment in terms of a) salary, bonuses and benefits, and b) culture, freedom and independence?

A1. a)

b)

Q2. What would you like to be doing for most of the day?

A2.

Q3. What are the five essential elements which must be present in your next job?

A3. 1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Q4. What are the five elements that you do NOT wish to be present in your next job?

A4. 1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Worksheet No 3

Self-evaluation worksheet No 3 looks at specific personal and job-related skills, many of which are the most highly rated by many employers. For each point, circle:

• ‘1’ to indicate that your perceive your own skill level to be well-developed – you demonstrate the skill often and others know that you can be relied upon to use it effectively when needed

• ‘2’ to indicate that you have some experience of using the skill – you have had the

21


opportunity to develop it and use it in a small way at work/home/college/in the course of other activities

• ‘3’ to indicate that the skill is, as yet, undeveloped – you have not either had, or taken, the opportunity to develop it

PEOPLE SKILLS

Oral Communication – Presents information clearly and confidently to other individuals and groups, and maintains their attention.

1 2 3

Listening Skills – Gives full attention to what other people are saying, takes the time to understand the points being made, asks questions as necessary and does not interrupt inappropriately

1 2 3

Respect for Others – Takes the feelings, wishes, needs, thoughts and preferences of others (including other races and cultures) into account and gives them worth and value

1 2 3

Sensitivity to Others – Shows a deep interest in the concerns and feelings of others and tries to find ways to help them

1 2 3

Openness – Is open to, and encourages communication with peo-ple at all levels and is inclined to share personal experiences and show trust

1 2 3

Insight Into Others – Has a well-developed understanding of what makes other people ‘tick’ and can read their moods well

1 2 3

Teamworking – Works well with groups of people and shows loy-alty and commitment to the team objectives. Openly expresses opinions in a group situation and is willing to take on tasks and responsibilities that commensurate with experience

1 2 3

Leadership Skills – Is able to communicate a vision or goal to oth-ers and lead them towards achieving it. Pushes for action and results and wins the support and help of others

1 2 3

Persuasive Abilities – Is able to influence the beliefs and actions of others appropriately, with the aim of winning co-operation and sup-port for ideas or activities

1 2 3

PERSONAL SKILLS

Dependability – Is reliable and responsible in performing duties and checks work carefully to ensure that all details have been con-sidered

1 2 3

Professionalism – Demonstrates high levels of honesty, courtesy and self-control, and remains calm in stressful situations. Demon-strates the skill and competence to deliver the best results for the organization

1 2 3

22

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Adaptability – Adapts easily to new challenges and is open to new ways of doing things. Demonstrates the ability to change course to adapt to changing situations

1 2 3

Independence – Is able to perform tasks effectively without direct supervision and with minimal help or approval

1 2 3

Initiative – Takes the initiative to improve a situation, and actively seeks opportunities to influence events or make decisions

1 2 3

Motivation – Demonstrates the drive to succeed and excel at tasks. Strives to exceed expectations and shows confidence in abilities

1 2 3

Goal Setting – Is able to make decisions about what is required, and in what timescales. Maintains commitment to the goal and deals with setbacks realistically

1 2 3

Learning – Actively seeks opportunities to learn and looks for feed-back to improve understanding. Is committed to personal learning and development

1 2 3

TASK-RELATED SKILLS

Business Awareness – Demonstrates a thorough knowledge and understanding of the main business activities of the organization, as well as its key opportunities and primary competitors

1 2 3

Problem Solving – Seeks to find the root cause of problems, choose effective solutions and takes necessary action to resolve them

1 2 3

Planning – Creates clear goals, identifies and locates necessary resources and schedules tasks in order to complete projects within appropriate timescales

1 2 3

Practical Skills – Uses appropriate equipment, tools or technology effectively and willingly

1 2 3

Time Management – Schedules work so as to make the most effi-cient use of time, employing appropriate tools (diaries/planners, etc.) as appropriate

1 2 3

People are generally thrown by the question, ‘What are your strengths and weak-nesses?’, and you will notice that none of these worksheets ask this directly. What they do is to make you think about your experiences and your performance, both in the work arena and outside, so that they become apparent anyway.

Of course, self-assessments of this type are not the only way to assess your abilities or your personality traits. In fact, there is a huge array of IQ tests, aptitude tests, personality tests and psychometric tests available in print and online, which can also provide you with equally valuable insights into who you are and how you think.

23


A self-inventory is, of course, not just useful as part of your preparation for an inter-view, but also in creating or improving upon your resume. In the same way that you would do with a resume, carrying out a self-inventory is something which you should do on a regular basis – at least once a year, but perhaps even more often if there have been a significant number of changes in your circumstances. Ideally, get a trusted friend or colleague, or your mentor if you have one, to look over your self-assessment to see whether they also believe it to be accurate. It is not only easy to miss things yourself, but also to be too hard on yourself.

26

JOB SEARCH NINJA

2ESPIONAGE AND SABOTAGE

In Japanese history, a ninja was a warrior who was specially trained in a variety of unorthodox arts of war, and espionage and sabotage were two of the greatest weap-ons in his armory. Knowing his enemy was vital in succeeding in his assassination attempt.

In Chapter 1, we looked at identifying and bringing out your own job search warrior strengths as a means of putting you some way ahead of your competitors. That is not good enough though. You really need to stand out from the crowd.

One of the biggest mistakes that job applicants make when it comes to putting their resumes together, is concentrating on telling the employer what they have to offer, without considering the employer’s needs. They fail to research the company that they are applying to and they fail to match up their skills, qualifications and experi-ence with the requirements of the recruiter. The people who make it through to the interview stage are almost undoubtedly the ones who did do their homework - but even for them, the preparation does not stop there.

Researching the company that you are interviewing with is absolutely key to performing well.

A lack of knowledge about the organization, or about the vacant position, merely demonstrates to an employer that you are not really serious about the job. If the interviewer asks you whether you have taken a look at the company website, as more and more interviewers are doing, and your answer is in the negative, your lack of commitment to the company and the job will be completely apparent.

• While the company’s website is one of the quickest and easiest places to begin your research, there are many other places that you can look too. First of all though, just what is it that you are looking for? Here are some of the things that you should know before ever setting foot in an interview room:

• The history of the company – who owns it, when it was founded and any major changes that have occurred throughout its history, such as a merger, any signifi-cant expansion and so on

• The size of the company – how many employees it has and the company turnover• Company locations – where its headquarters, main offices, manufacturing, whole-

sale and retail outlets are situated• The company offering – what is the range of the company’s product or service

offerings?• Who its major customers are• Who its major competitors are• Any significant company or management successes, such as awards won, new

contracts or recent or planned expansion

27


• Any significant problems that the company is experiencing or has recently experi-enced – has a major contract been lost or has the company been laying off staff?

In addition to this, researching the company’s mission and vision statements will give you a clue as to its values and ethos. Knowing, for example, that the organiza-tion puts a great deal of emphasis on environmental issues, or has a strong commit-ment to its personnel, not only demonstrates that you have done your homework, but also helps you to decide whether your values and its are compatible.

As we have said, it is likely that you will be able to find much of the information that you will need on the company’s website, but do remember that this particular source will only tell you what the company wants the general public to know. It would be a rare organization which would publicize its financial concerns or plans to downsize on its website. Your search should therefore be extended to include:

• Other online articles – use the search engines to seek out information pub-lished by other organizations, as well as to find online newspaper articles. Search engines can bring up all kinds of unexpected information, such as that published by individuals in blog posts. While the embittered utterings of an ex-employee might have to be taken with more than just a little pinch of salt, personal views can sometimes be quite enlightening.

• Local or national newspapers – not only might you come across articles, but you can also search for other job advertisements. A raft of new vacancies, or the advertisement of a key post, can give excellent clues as to what is happening on the inside of an organization.

• Trade journals and magazines may contain articles and/or job postings which do not appear elsewhere. Because they are specific to a particular field or industry, they may also provide a more in-depth insight.

• Annual report and accounts – a company’s annual report can offer a wealth of useful information concerning recent changes and developments and future plans, as well as helping to give a better insight into the company offering. The company accounts, meanwhile, will of course show its financial and economic health.

• Company newsletters, which are often published online, can also give great insights into current issues within an organization.

• Sites such LinkedIn and some of the major job sites may contain job advertise-ments which are not advertised elsewhere. Some companies use these sites exclu-sively for their advertising. Many also contain some of the more general informa-tion about the company.

• The Chamber of Commerce is an excellent resource for company information, as are local and national industry-specific organizations.

• www.hoovers.com offers details on more than 28 million public and private com-panies. While much of the basic information is provided free of charge, more in-depth details are available at a cost.

• Your local library, and indeed University libraries are other useful ports of call, especially if you do not have access to the Internet at home. Not only do they pro-vide access to printed publications, but also to online resources. Many also con-tain documented research and databases which it may be difficult to get hold of elsewhere.

28

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• The US Department of Labor publishes an online Career Guide to Industries which provides useful general information about particular fields of employment which can help to give a broader picture. Even if, for example, you were apply-ing for a non-medical post at a hospital, knowing something about the health-care profession in general will help you to stand out. The guide offers information concerning industry trends, advancement opportunities, expected salaries, neces-sary qualifications and much more.

While it may take a little more effort, the other type of research that you can very usefully engage in is finding out about the interviewer(s) and the interview tech-niques of the company. This, of course, is where your networking efforts will really come into their own. If you know somebody on the inside, you may be able to get valuable tips about the company’s interview style and the questions that they com-monly ask. At the very least, you should try to contact the company and find out who will be conducting the interview and do some research on the individual(s). Try Googling them and see what comes up.

COVERT VISITS

Once you have done as much research as you can from the warmth and comfort of your own home, or the public library, it is time to don your ninja boots and head-gear and make for the streets.

While it might all sound a bit ‘cloak and dagger’, covert visits are actually an excel-lent way of doing some additional research into a prospective employer – and ninja boots really are not necessary.

Taking a trip to the premises of a potential employer is advisable before any job interview, if for no other reason than to find out where you need to be on the day. Half an hour before the meeting is not the time to be getting lost. Such visits can, however, also help you to get many more valuable clues about the company.

Visiting a store or a dealership in the guise of a customer, or potential customer, gives you the opportunity to speak to existing company staff, as well as to check out the products or services on offer. Even in the course of general conversation, it can be easy to pick up an idea of whether staff members are happy in their work, committed to the company and whether they appear to have received an appropri-ate level of training. Overheard conversations, as well as direct ones, can give clues about whether the employees feel secure in their jobs, or whether there is talk of lay-offs or cutbacks.

Not only can covert visits help you to gauge whether the company is one that you would be content to work for, but by potentially allowing you to gain an insight into problems, you can turn up for your interview with solutions which are directly rel-evant to the position that you are applying for. If the post were for a Customer Ser-vices Manager, for example, and you identified a poor level of product knowledge or low staff morale, it would be possible to consider solutions to these issues and pres-ent them at your interview. What better way to stand out from the competition?

29


Covert visits also provide an opportunity to check out the company’s work ethos. A drive past their offices out of hours can give an indication as to whether employees put in extra or unsociable hours, or during normal working hours can provide even basic information such as how the other employees dress for work.

WHAT TO TAKE TO YOUR INTERVIEW

Your average ninja would never dream of leaving home without his sword and his throwing stars, and before setting off for your interview, there are a number of things that you need to get together to take with you too – although thankfully the things that you need to carry are much less likely to attract the attention of the local cops!

Some of the things that you will need for your interview are essentials, and others are non-essential, ‘just in case’ items. To follow, you will find a table showing each item and an explanation as to why you might need it, as well as a handy checklist of the same items so that you can mark them off as you make them ready.

WHAT TO TAKE - ESSENTIAL WHY TO TAKE IT

Directions and company contact details

If your arrival is delayed, you may need to call ahead, or to catch a cab

Two clean copies of your resume •Interviewers have been known to forget to bring along the previously submitted copy

•You will also find it useful to have a copy to browse while you are waiting to enter the interview room

•You may need it if you are asked to complete a company application form on arrival

Driver’s license or other form of photo ID

•Some employers do wish to confirm the iden-tity of candidates before proceeding with an interview

•If you are applying for a job which involves driving, the company may wish to check see your license

•If you are applying for a job which involves travelling abroad, they may wish to see your passport – although this is not usual at the interview stage

Your Social Security card Only likely to be needed if the job is offered on the spot – which rarely happens

Any licenses, certificates or diplo-mas that you may hold

Employers do not generally ask to see these at an interview, but you may find it helpful to have them to hand if you wish to refer to dates awarded, etc.

30

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Letters of reference Only take these along if they have specifically been requested. Normally they would not be required until after a job offer has been made.

Company information •It is useful to have this to look through before the interview

•It demonstrates your interest in the company to the interviewer

Your list of interview questions In the stress of the day, you are unlikely to remember these off the top of your head, so write them down and take them with you

A notepad and pen While it is not good form to take copious notes during an interview, you may want to jot down anything particularly important or any addi-tional questions which come to mind

WHAT TO TAKE – JUST IN CASE WHY TO TAKE IT

A spare pen In case the first one runs out

The correct change for parking It is not worth making yourself late for the inter-view for the sake of a few coins

For women – a spare pair of panty-hose or some clear nail varnish for a quick repair

Better to be concentrating on the interview than on the run!

For men – a spare tie Better to be concentrating on the interview than the egg stain!

An umbrella Better to be concentrating on the interview than the bad hair day!

Tissues For nosebleeds, spills and runny noses – but hopefully not tears!

A comb or hairbrush and a pocket mirror

For a last-minute spruce-up, though NOT for use during the interview

31


YOUR INTERVIEW CHECKLIST

Directions and company contact details

Two clean copies of resume

Driver’s license or other form of photo ID

Social Security card

Any licenses, certificates or diplomas

Letters of reference

Company information

List of interview questions

Notepad and pen

Spare pen

Correct change for parking

Spare pair of pantyhose or some clear nail varnish for repairs, or a spare tie – whichever applies

Umbrella

Tissues

Comb or hairbrush and a pocket mirror

WHAT NEVER TO TAKE TO YOUR INTERVIEW

While sabotage was one of the key methods that the ninjas used to dispose of their enemies, they were not known for their skills in self-sabotage! In terms of your job interview, there are a number of tried and tested ways to sabotage your own chances, and one of these is to take along ‘extraneous items’. You may think I jest, but here are just a few of the things that you should never, ever take with you to an interview:

• YourmotherCome to that, do not take your father, sibling(s), spouse, partner, best friend...or anyone else. The only person the interviewer is interested in seeing is YOU.

• YourdogYes, it is in here because it has happened. For the sake of being kind to the candidate involved, let us assume that this was not some attempt at a cutesy gimmick (do not ever try it!), but that he or she was short of a dog-sitter. Whether it is your dog, your children or your pet alligator, if you cannot make

32

JOB SEARCH NINJA

suitable arrangements for them for the time that it takes to be interviewed, what are you going to do if you are offered the job?

• AlistofdemandsWe will come back to this topic a little further on, but suffice to say for the moment that a job interview has nothing to do with negotiating salaries or benefits, so leave your demands at the door. Until such time as you have received a job offer, you are in no position to bargain.

• AbadattitudeIn the same way that all too many people do not truly appreciate how badly they interview, so they fail to see how easily their negative attitudes show. From the candidate’s point of view, this really is a great pity, bearing in mind that the recruiter must clearly have thought him suitable for the position to have called him for an interview in the first place.

As we mentioned earlier, you could be better qualified for the position than any of the other applicants, but if the employer does not find you personable or likeable, he is likely to choose a candidate who is. Bad attitudes can take many forms, and here are a few which are almost guaranteed to get any employer’s back up:

•A ‘can’t do’ attitude – employers want people who will provide solutions, not problems.

•Lack of confidence – if you walk into the interview expecting not to get the job, the chances are that that is just what will happen. If you are seen to approach an interview in this way, the recruiter would also expect you to approach sales opportunities, contract deals or any other interaction at work in the same way.

•A lack of enthusiasm – not only is an indifferent attitude on your part unap-pealing to an employer, but it can also be contagious. No employer wants to take on somebody who is going to bring his other staff down.

•Expressing any animosity towards a previous employer or colleagues – if you are inclined to speak badly of a past or current employer, the recruiter will believe you capable of speaking badly of his company too.

•Unfriendliness – a brusque manner with an interviewer translates to a brusque manner with bosses, colleagues, customers and suppliers.

• Arrogance – expressing your skills and abilities with confidence is fine, but a cocky, ‘look-at-me’ attitude will not be appreciated.

•A condescending or patronizing attitude – no matter how much more you think you know than the interviewer, or how much better you think you are, you should never let this show during an interview. The recruiter will assume that an attitude like this will only be magnified if you were to be awarded the job.

Of course, once you get through the door of the interview room, you are going to be faced with what feels like a barrage of questions. Perhaps many job candidates feel

33


that it is impossible to predict what these might be, and so fail to prepare for them. The fact is, however, that interviewers do tend to have ‘stock’ questions that they use, and most of these can be considered and prepared for in advance. Not only will ade-quate preparation make you feel more confident, but it will convince the employer that you are taking the opportunity seriously.

In the following chapter, we are going to go on to look at the different techniques that interviewers use to conduct an interview and the most common questions that you are likely to encounter, as well as how best to deal with some of the more tricky ones. We are also going to consider the questions that you should be asking, how to carry out a mock interview by way of preparation and look briefly at telephone, video conferencing and second interviews.

36

JOB SEARCH NINJA

3THE NINJA ART OF HANDLING INTERROGATIONS

The ninjas were masters in the art of psychological interrogation and mind manipu-lation, but you will be very glad to hear that most interviewers are not. At the risk of harping on about preparation once again, the real key to being able to handle those dreaded interview questions lies in understanding what form the interview is likely to take, and what questions you are likely to be asked.

We mentioned in Chapter 2 the benefits of getting to know somebody on the inside of an organization who can potentially give you a steer on the company’s interview-ing techniques and the questions that they commonly ask. If your networking activ-ities have proved incapable of supplying such a lead, however, there is another way that you may be able to get this information, and that is by checking it out on the Internet.

Microsoft is a great example of a company whose, often bizarre, interview questions have practically become legendary, and if you simply type in ‘Microsoft interview questions’ on your search engine, you will come up with numerous websites which contain examples of the types of questions that they typically use. These websites have proved to be a life-saver for many a Microsoft interviewee, and some people have even turned the collection of their interview questions into a hobby!

Google is another organization which is reputed to stage a fairly zany interview, and again, if you check online you will find a great many blog entries and articles which will give a good idea of what to expect from them. McDonald’s even provides its own career advice and interview tips on its website, but basically, whichever com-pany you are interviewing with, it is worth checking them out online. People love to talk about and share their interview experiences and what better than to learn from other people’s experience.

DIFFERENT STYLES OF INTERVIEW

It goes without saying that no two interviews are ever the same, but there are cer-tain similarities which it is useful to understand. Knowing which interview style the company is working with can be particularly important, as it helps you to under-stand which ‘game’ you are supposed to be playing. Walk into a ‘stress interview’ without knowing what is going on and you will understand precisely what I mean!

Having said this, while it is helpful to have an awareness of interview styles, it really is not worth getting hung up about them. You will usually have no idea before you enter the interview room which style the interviewer will use, and it would be just about impossible to memorize every question related to every style.

Generally, job interviews fall into one of four categories –structured, unstructured,

37


stress or behavioral, and below you will see the main characteristics of each and some tips on how to respond.

Interview Style Interview Characteristics How To Respond

Structured (or Directive)

•Structured questions that the inter-viewer has prepared in advance

•Focuses on factual information

•Often used to provide a consistent base for interviewing a number of candidates for the same post

•Tends to allow shorter speaking time

Straightforward ques-tion and answer ses-sion for which you can prepare – see situ-ational, behavioral and standard interview questions later in this chapter

Unstructured (or Non-Direc-tive)

•No set format

•Often begins with a broad question, such as, ‘Tell me about yourself’

•Questions are more open-ended and the candidate has more control over what is discussed

•Greater onus on the candidate to demonstrate how his skills, experi-ence and abilities fit with the organi-zation

•Tends to allow more time to elabo-rate on your answers

Use the open-end-edness of the ques-tions to steer the focus towards the key skills and abilities that you possess, and that match with the organi-zation’s requirements to demonstrate the best ‘fit’

Stress •Deliberately confrontational

•Aimed at seeing how candidates bear up under pressure

•Provides a realistic response to dif-ficult situations which questioning could not achieve

•Involves the interviewer display-ing anger, hostility or rudeness, questioning/challenging/criticizing beliefs/ideas/opinions, keeping the candidate waiting, etc. to provoke a response

•Allows the employer to determine the candidate’s conflict-management style and ability to deal with uncer-tainty

•Do not take it per-sonally

•Stand your ground

•Do not be intimi-dated

•Remain level-headed, confident and professional

•Never become defensive or argu-mentative

38

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Interview Style Interview Characteristics How To Respond

Behavioral •Aimed at predicting the candidate’s potential to contribute to the success of the company by assessing how he has performed in the past

•Focuses on the experiences, behav-iors, skills and abilities that the com-pany believes to be desirable

•Requires the candidate to provide specific examples of how these skills and abilities have been demon-strated in the past – ‘Tell me about a time when...’

•Concentrates on qualities such as critical thinking, self-confidence, teamwork, professionalism, etc.

Tell ‘stories’ which demonstrate clearly to the interviewer how you exhibited particu-lar skills or qualities to achieve successful results

BEHAVIORAL AND SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS

As well as using different interview styles, recruiters also use different questioning techniques. In addition to asking standard, factual questions, such as, ‘What makes you experienced for this position?’, they are more commonly combining situational and behavioral questions. Here, we are going to look at what defines these two types of question, as well as providing examples of some of the most common questions you are likely to encounter.

Situational and behavioral interview questions are, in fact, very similar in that they both require the candidate to think about job-related situations.

The difference is that:

Situational questions ask, ‘What would you do if...’

that is, they ask the candidate to imagine himself in a particular situation and describe how he would deal with it, whereas:

Behavioral questions ask, ‘Describe a time when...’

that is, they require the candidate to think of an occasion when he experienced a certain situation and tell how he actually dealt with it.

Basically, the difference is simply between the hypothetical and the actual.

Rather than being fairly generic, as many standard interview questions are, sit-uational and behavioral questions are specifically tailored to the competencies required for specific job openings. Not only this, however, but they often con-centrate on the most testing scenarios that an employee might come up against.

39


Though they may be infrequent situations, they are ones that are likely to have important consequences and therefore need to be handled appropriately.

In order to formulate their questions, interviewers study the job description and identify the key tasks and responsibilities involved, as well as the skills and qualities required to carry them out. As the interviewee, it is vital that you do the same, so that you are able to anticipate the questions that may arise and be able to offer spe-cific answers. If the role is in customer service, for example, it is likely that the ques-tions will revolve around dealing with difficult customers, or providing excellent customer service.

The easiest way to go about preparing for an interview where you may meet with situational or behavioral questions is to begin with a list of your assets and desirable qualities. Of course, this is where the self-evaluation that you did in Chapter 1 will be particularly useful.

Start with a blank sheet of paper, divided up as follows:

MY QUALITIES EXAMPLES

QUALITIES NEEDED FOR THE JOB EXAMPLES

40

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Begin by filling in some of the more common competencies that employers generally look for in a candidate (you will find out more about these in Chapter 4), as well as any particular skills that you yourself have:


•Communication

•Negotiation

•Problem-solving

•Leadership

•Working in a team

•Decision making

•Planning


Next, look at the job advertisement and/or description for the job that you are being interviewed for and try to come up with a list of competencies that may be needed:


•Communication

•Negotiation

•Problem-solving

•Leadership


•Decision making

•Planning


•Customer service

•Computer skills

•Good listening skills

•Ability to work on initiative

•Persuasiveness

41


Now, you need to think of situations in which you played an active role and where each of these skills and abilities was needed. You also need to think about any prob-lems that you encountered in those situations and the steps you took to overcome them.


•Communication Meeting with Japanese client whose accent I could not understand.

•Did not draw attention to the situation to save embarrassment

•Repeated my understanding to confirm that I had heard correctly

•Asked questions to confirm understand-ing

Still afraid of missing key information so asked the client if he would mind if I invited a colleague to join us, as she may have valuable insight to offer to the meet-ing. Two pairs of ears were better than one and my colleague and I were able to compare notes later.

•Negotiation

•Problem-solving

•Leadership


•Decision making

•Planning


•Customer service

•Computer skills

•Good listening skills

•Ability to work on initiative

•Persuasiveness

Essentially, what you are trying to do here is to come up with ‘stories’ that you can tell at your interview. The interviewer is not interested in looking at a catalogue of qualities and skills that you claim to have - he needs you to demonstrate your abil-ity to use them, with real-life examples. If your work experience is limited, then draw on other experiences, such as those gained from doing voluntary work or from membership of an association, club or team.

Your work is not over once you have completed your examples though. Now you need to practice telling your ‘stories’ so that when you relate them to the interviewer,

42

JOB SEARCH NINJA

they come out sounding natural and unrehearsed. As you do so, think about areas where the interviewer might interrupt and ask for further clarification, and make sure that you can provide it.

If this is all beginning to sound like too much hard work, then I have one piece of valuable advice: Go and sign up for your unemployment check now! These exer-cises are not ‘nice to do’ exercises – they are what you have to do to put yourself in the running and get ahead of the competition.

Only those who put in the work get the results.

We are talking here about the difference between being in a job or being unem-ployed. We are talking about staying where you are or getting that promotion. Only you can decide how important your career is, but make no mistake: ‘winging it’ will not work.

Okay, still with me? Prepared to read on? Good! Your commitment will pay off!

THE SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW

As we have said, situational interview questions involve the interviewer presenting you with a scenario and asking you to describe ‘what you would do if...’ This style of questioning is often used by recruiters who know that they are going to be dealing with applicants who have little work experience to draw on, such as recent gradu-ates, but are also particularly effective in assessing creative abilities and thought pro-cesses.

TIP: As well as preparing thoroughly for hypothetical, situational questions, make yourself stand out to the interviewer by asking the interviewer whether the

circumstances in question relate to real events within the organization.

The questions that you are asked will, as we have mentioned, relate directly to the skills and competencies required to carry out the role for which you have applied. Here though, are some examples of the type of situational questions that you might encounter, along with suggested responses:

43


QUESTION POSSIBLE RESPONSE

It is the day of the deadline for a project that your boss assigned to you several weeks ago, and you realize that the work you have done will not meet his requirements. What do you do?

•As I always plan my work, and the time needed to complete it, the situation would hopefully never arise. I always make a point of checking that I understand what is required of me so that I can do what is necessary within the appropriate times-cales.

•However, if such a situation ever did occur, I would explain the situation to my boss and ask for extra time to put it right. I would clarify his precise requirement and then I would look at where I went wrong, so as to avoid making the same mistake again.

If you were faced with mak-ing an important decision in the course of your work, how would you go about it?

•There are several things that I would consider. First of all, I would look at the pros and cons from the company’s perspective – how it might benefit or otherwise from a particular course of action. Depending upon the gravity of the issue, I might prepare a SWOT analysis to consider the inter-nal and external factors affecting my decision. In addition to this, however, I would also relate back to the company values to ensure that my decision did not in any way compromise these.

You spot one of your col-leagues stealing from the com-pany. What would your course of action be?

•In the first instance, I would always record what I had seen in writing and then speak to my col-league directly to let him know that I was aware of what had happened. If the theft was, for exam-ple, of money or something of significant value, I would ask my colleague to report it himself to the boss, and I would explain that if he did not, then I would have to. If it were a small item of stock or office stationery or something similar, I would tell him that if I became aware of it happening again, I would report it. I would remind him that his actions are not only likely to result in him losing his own job, but that they could also cause suspicion to be cast on his innocent colleagues.

You are in a meeting with a cli-ent whose first language is not English. The man is speak-ing very quickly, his accent is very strong and you are having great difficulty in understand-ing him. What would you do?

•To begin with, the thing that I would not do would be to draw direct attention to the situation, as this would likely cause the client some embarrassment. I would begin by asking questions, or repeating my understanding of what was said, in order to clarify things.

•However, if this was not working and I was in dan-ger of missing valuable information, I would sug-gest to the client that there might be some benefit to be gained by one of my colleagues joining in the meeting and ask if he is agreeable to this. I would then excuse myself briefly and seek out a colleague and ask him to join us. By having two sets of ears, we would hopefully gain a better understanding and be able to compare notes afterwards.

44

JOB SEARCH NINJA


You plan to introduce a new idea or policy which will impact on your team members. They, however, are putting up a great deal of resistance to it. How would you handle this?

•There could be many reasons why the other staff were resistant to the idea, so the first thing I would do is to find out what their concerns were and let them know that their feelings were valued. In this way, it would be easier to convince them of the desirability or the necessity for the change.

•Of course, before introducing any change, I would have already thought through all the advantages and disadvantages, and any positive or negative impacts on the company, and so would be able to explain my decision with confidence, and be better able to secure their buy-in.

You are faced with a very irate customer. Would there come a point when you would involve your supervisor to help resolve the issue?

•The first thing that I would like to say is that, no matter how angry the customer, I would always remain polite and respectful towards him, while at the same time trying to pacify him and making him understand that his concerns are of importance to the company.

•Thereafter, I think it would depend upon whether the customer’s source of discontent was me per-sonally, or the company. If it was the company, I would do everything within my remit to ensure that his concerns were addressed and that he went away with renewed confidence in the service that he had been given. My role, after all, would be to deal with all customers – not just the happy ones.

•If, however, the customer was angry with me per-sonally, or if the situation took a turn that made the customer’s attack a personal one, I would seek the support of my manager. Not only would the cus-tomer be more likely to listen to someone higher up the chain, but also the conversation would be likely to be a much more objective one.

45



Your role is to provide admin-istrative support to two man-agers. One manager already has you working on a major project which is taking up all of your time and has an immi-nent deadline, when the other manager hands you another one which he says he wants completing immediately. It is impossible for you to com-plete both projects within the required timescales. What are you going to do?

•I would make sure that I understood the full requirement for the second project, including the deadline and the reason for the deadline. I would explain to the second manager that I was fully occupied with the first project, but would ask for a short while to consider his brief. It may be, for example, that there is some overlap between the projects which might not necessitate starting from scratch.

•I would then ask to meet with both managers at the same time so that we could discuss what would be possible within the time available, as well as the significance of each project in the wider sense. It may be that one deadline is a ‘nice to have’ and the other one is of major importance to the organiza-tion, or that extending the deadline of one project would have less impact than extending the other. If both were of equal importance and the deadlines were non-negotiable, however, we would at least be in a situation where we all knew this from the start and could make arrangements for additional support to be secured.

Not only have you failed to meet this quarter’s sales tar-gets, but you failed to meet them during the previous two quarters. You suspect that your manager is unhappy with your performance, but he has not spoken to you about it directly. What do you do?

•In a real-life scenario, I would actually have spoken to my manager long before this situation arose – in fact as soon as I thought there was any chance of missing the first target. Even before speaking to him, however, Ι would have considered whether the situation had come about due to external issues, or whether it had something to do with my own performance, and if so whether there was anything that I needed to improve upon or that the com-pany could help me to address.

•If external issues were the cause, I would have discussed these with my manager to determine whether the current targets were still realistic or needed to be revised. If the issue were down to my own personal performance, I would have dis-cussed this too. While it can sometimes be difficult to admit that you are not performing as well as you might wish, sitting on the problem will not make it go away and will often mean that it just gets worse. It may be that I need some further training or that I might benefit from shadowing somebody more experienced or from a mentor.

•Bosses have nothing invested in watching their employees fail and if they can see that you recog-nize the problem and want to improve, they are usually very understanding and supportive. In the scenario that you have described, I would want my manager to know that it is important to me to know at the earliest if he believes my performance to be slipping.

46

JOB SEARCH NINJA


You have recently been pro-moted to a position which involves managing a team, one of whose members also applied for the job. She is extremely resentful that you were promoted over her and is undermining your authority, refusing to share her knowl-edge and treating you with disrespect. How would you handle the situation?

•The first thing I would want to understand is why the individual in question did not get the promo-tion, as this would help me to decide on the best way to deal with the situation. It may have been because she did not have the necessary skills or qualifications, but there could also have been issues surrounding her performance. I would therefore speak to my superior to find out.

•If poor performance was the reason, then I would examine any available documentation which sup-ported this, and document any arising issues. At the same time, I would of course try to work with the individual to improve the situation, keeping the HR department involved at every step.

•If, however, it was the lack of a necessary qualifi-cation that was the sticking point, I would encour-age the individual to take advantage of any tuition reimbursement schemes that the company offered to enable her to attain it. If this were not an option, I would seek out relevant training schemes or seminars which would help to fill the knowledge gap.

•The other possibility is that she may not have been considered suitable because she lacked a particu-lar skill. Just because somebody is a brilliant sci-entist, for example, does not necessarily mean that she has the skills to be a good manager. If this were the case, I would offer to mentor her, with the aim of her being able to apply for a similar position in the future.

•Particularly in this last scenario, I would want to communicate with her as soon as possible, to find out what she felt were the most important issues facing the team and what recommendations she could offer. I would also make a point of seeking her views before making any changes within the department and take them on board as appropri-ate.

•As her manager, I would, of course, emphasize the need for us to work as a team, but I would also convey the respect that I had for her knowledge and experience. Ultimately, if the situation was still not improving, I would re-emphasize the need to work together and give specific examples of ongo-ing difficulties, and then if the problem continued I would take a firmer approach and let her know that her lack of co-operation would not be tolerated. I would, of course, keep my own superior informed along the way, and involve the HR department if this became necessary.

47



What would you do if you put forward a proposition or a rec-ommendation at a meeting and most of your colleagues disagreed with it?

•If I were to take any recommendation forward to a meeting, I would already have researched the ben-efits to the team or the organization, and so would give concrete examples of these. If they were still unconvinced, or resistant to it, however, I would ultimately drop it and move on.

THE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

Rather than concentrating on ‘what if ’ scenarios, behavioral interview questions require the candidate to describe situations where he actually demonstrated particu-lar skills. In telling his ‘story’, the candidate is not just limited to explaining what he did, but can also describe what he said or felt at the time.

In the same way as in a situational interview, behavioral questions will focus on those skills, qualities and abilities which are needed to meet the role and, if possi-ble, you should try to determine which skill or quality the interviewer is looking for, and then gear your answer to it. The areas that recruiters commonly like to cover are much the same as in a situational interview, namely leadership, organization and planning and communications skills.

Behavioral interviews tend to be more challenging for those with little work experi-ence and if this is the case with you, then try to think of everyday situations that you may have encountered and demonstrate how they could relate to a work situation. An example of this could be if you were asked to describe an occasion where you helped to resolve a dispute between two co-workers and were able to draw on your experience of resolving an argument between children or siblings. As you develop your answer, however, be careful to focus on the job-related skills that you were required to use, rather than on the situation itself.

To follow are some examples of the type of behavioral questions you might well be asked:

SAMPLE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Describe a major work problem that you have come up against and how you dealt with it.

2. Which of your strengths contributes most to your leadership ability? Can you think of any occasion when you would have failed as a leader without that strength?

3. What was your most creative accomplishment in your last job? Be specific.

4. Tell me about a time when you had to use your written communication skills in order to get across a point that was important to you.

48

JOB SEARCH NINJA

5. Describe an occasion when you were expected to work with somebody who did not want your assistance. How did you manage to overcome your differences in order to get the job done?

6. Give me an example of an occasion when you were resistant to change.

7. What did you do in your last job to contribute towards a teamwork environment? Be specific.

8. Tell me about a specific occasion when you conformed to a policy, even though you disagreed with it.

9. Give me an example of a time when you demonstrated great initiative at work.

10. Describe a situation in which you needed to make a decision, even though you did not have all of the relevant facts.

11. Do you prefer to work in an environment where your tasks and responsibilities are well defined, or one in which your work changes on a regular basis?

12. Tell me about an important goal that you have set and describe your progress in attaining it.

13. Discuss an occasion when you had to learn something in a very short space of time, and how you went about it.

14. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a decision which was either difficult or unpopular.

15. Tell me about a time when your work was criticized. How did you react?

16. What has been your experience of dealing with poor performance in one of your subordinates? Give a specific example.

17. Give an example of when you were able to motivate your colleagues or subordi-nates.

18. Describe how you delegate responsibility in your current role.

19. Tell me about the riskiest decision you have ever made in your professional career.

20. Would you consider yourself to be more logical or intuitive in solving problems? Give me an example that demonstrates your style.

Ideally, you should be looking to provide an answer, a ‘story’, which takes two to three minutes to tell, which demonstrates your skill in the particular area and which emphasizes your accomplishments and a successful result. Essentially, you should be aiming to:

• Describe the problem

49


• State what action you took to deal with it• Tell what the specific results were

Sometimes, especially in high pressure situations, it is not uncommon for our minds to just go blank. If this happens during your interview and you really cannot think of an example, rather than allow yourself to become embarrassed or flustered, let the interviewer know that you have come across a similar situation but that it is eluding you for the moment, and then ask if you can come back to the question shortly.

Equally, if you cannot think of an example of a situation in which you were directly involved, say so, but then go on to describe a time when a colleague or a boss was involved in something similar. Say whether you agreed or disagreed with this per-son’s handling of the situation and describe why you think it was handled well, or how you would have dealt with it differently.

STANDARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Even if a recruiter bases much of an interview on situational and behavioral ques-tions, you are still likely to be asked at least a few ‘standard’ interview questions. These often concentrate on your qualifications and experience, your career goals and your personality.

Here are some of the most common ones that you should prepare for:

COMMON STANDARD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Where do you see yourself in terms of your career five years from now?

2. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? What are you doing to over-come your weaknesses?

3. Why are you the best person for this job?

4. What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours?

5. Why did you decide to seek a position within this organization?

6. Why did you leave your previous employer?

7. Why are you looking for another job?

8. Have you applied to any other companies?

9. What are your greatest accomplishments?

10. Tell me about yourself.

11. What motivates you?

50

JOB SEARCH NINJA

12. What do you think of your current boss?

13. What can you tell me about this company?

14. If you could start again, what career decisions would you make differently?

15. What are your salary expectations?

16. What do you think this company can offer you?

17. What do you enjoy most about your current job?

18. What do you enjoy least about your current job?

19. How would your current boss describe you?

20. May we follow up with your references?

The answers that you give to these standard questions should be brief but complete. Wherever possible, develop your answers so that you can bring in information that you want to make sure is presented, and that will help to ‘sell’ you.

Here are some general guidelines for answering these questions:

• Avoid making derogatory comments about previous bosses, colleagues or jobs.• Never tell a potential employer that you have no weaknesses – he will not believe

you – and do not say anything derogatory about yourself. Instead, present your weaknesses as professional strengths. For example, you could say something like ‘I like to do things properly, and so sometimes I can be a bit of a perfectionist’ or ‘I sometimes work too hard to make sure that the job is done well’.

• Present yourself as a well-rounded person, not as a workaholic with no outside interests.

• Show the interviewer that you really want the job by answering motive questions enthusiastically.

• Make sure that you explain clearly how your qualifications and transferrable skills fit with the position. Do not expect the interviewer to automatically make the connection.

• If asked where you see yourself in five or ten years’ time, make sure to use realis-tic predictions and never suggest to the interviewer that you will be further up the ladder than he is.

• In explaining why you are looking for another job, be positive about your current one, but say that you are looking for greater opportunities for development, pro-gression and recognition, and to make a more significant contribution.

• If asked what you like least about your current job, mention something which you are unlikely to encounter in the new position.

• With regard to whether you have applied to other companies, it is fine to admit that you have, but be careful to show that your job search is focused on similar positions.

51


• Any discussion concerning salary should be avoided if at all possible. The time to discuss money is after you have received a firm job offer.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

You will notice that one of the key standard questions listed above was ‘Tell me about yourself ’, and this is a question which is likely to be asked at just about every job interview.

Let us, first of all take a look at how Sam Peterson, a fictional job candidate, might answer this question:

‘Well, as you can see, my name is Sam Peterson and I’m 38 years old. I was born in Georgetown, New Jersey, but moved with my parents to Phoenix when I was five. I graduated out of Rutgers in Newark, where I majored in Botany, in 1993, and I’ve been working locally ever since. I’m married to Greta, who’s German, and we have 3 boys. Gary is the eldest, Peter is the middle one and Josh is the baby of the family. I play squash every weekend and I like to read a lot. My favorite writer is Stephen King. Oh, and I love to watch the James Bond movies......’

There, easy isn’t it? Er...I don’t think so!

If taken at face value, ‘Tell me about yourself ’ ought to be an easy question to answer. It suggests that you have free rein and can talk about whatever aspect of your 20, 30, 40+ years on the planet that you choose. The interviewer, however, is only interested in a tiny part of your life history.

The only thing the interviewer is interested in is why you believe yourself to be the best fit for the company.

So, forget the personal details and go back to the earlier part in this chapter, the part where you identified your key skills and supporting examples – you are going to get your money’s worth out of these, this time to prepare a ‘one minute commercial’ which will blow the interviewer away when he asks you about you.

The purpose of a one minute commercial is to sell yourself – to briefly fill the inter-viewer in on who you are and why you are the best candidate for the job. Like all of your other job search materials, however, it should focus on the fit with the com-pany, and not entirely on you.

Now, even though I am calling it a ‘one’ minute commercial, the reality is that it may run to two or three minutes, but that is okay, provided that what you are saying is relevant and serves to emphasize the fit.

So, have you got your earlier worksheet at the ready? Good! Then let’s make a com-mercial...

52

JOB SEARCH NINJA

YOUR ONE MINUTE COMMERCIAL WORKSHEET

STEP 1

Write two or three sentences which:

•introduce you in terms of your professional career, and

•state the key attributes which you possess and that are required for the job

eg: ‘I have been in the sales industry for almost 16 years and during the last four years I have worked as a Sales Executive for a health care company, covering a large territory in New Jersey. One of the most fulfilling aspects of the job is coaching new sales staff in how to overcome initial client resistance through persuasive sales presentations, and how to develop tailored solutions that meet customer needs. Not only have I personally increased the department’s turnover by 30% during the last year, but my coaching activ-ities have also been directly responsible for a further 81% increase.

STEP 2

Write a brief career summary which incorporates your most recent work history and mentions relevant skills and achievements.

eg: ‘Most recently, XYZ Corporation was faced with trying to turn around a region which had been performing consistently badly in terms of sales for at least 12 months. In addi-tion to serving my own territory, I provided extensive coaching to the Sales Executive who was responsible for the region and helped him to develop an aggressive sales cam-paign which focused on cultivating new accounts, while at the same time nurturing the existing client base. The results were phenomenal. Within six months, the region rose to become one of the best performers, second only to my own, with sales increased by 150%.’

STEP 3

Develop your career summary further by touching on your strengths.

eg: ‘My main strength is in being able to teach and motivate people, leading them to set targets. I work at my best when I am under pressure, and especially when I am faced with challenges. I am able to achieve optimum results by delegating tasks proactively, multi-tasking and planning ahead.’

STEP 4

Write one sentence which steers your speech towards what you now want in your career.

eg: ‘I am now at a stage in my career where I would like to be able to capitalize on my skills and experience within an organization that values and nurtures its sales force. Making a positive contribution and leading teams to achieve significant results is what is really important to me.’

STEP 5

Write one or two sentences which tie your answer to the needs of the hiring organiza-tion. You must demonstrate how your experiences transfer to the vacant position.

eg: ‘It was because of my proven experience within the sales department at XYZ Cor-poration that Ben Sutherland suggested I contact you regarding your need for a Sales Manager. Ben filled me in on the challenges that your sales department is facing at the moment.’

53


STEP 6

Write one question to ask of the interviewer which will close your response and show interest in the company.

eg: ‘What strategies have you already put into place to increase sales and morale within the department?’

Okay, so what does the finished ‘commercial’ look like?

‘I have been in the sales industry for almost 16 years and during the last four years I have worked as a Sales Executive for a health care company, covering a large territory in New Jersey. One of the most fulfilling aspects of the job is coaching new sales staff in how to overcome initial client resistance through persuasive sales presentations, and how to develop tailored solutions that meet customer needs. Not only have I person-ally increased the department’s turnover by 30% during the last year, but my coaching activities have also been directly responsible for a further 81% increase.

Most recently, XYZ Corporation was faced with trying to turn around a region which had been performing consistently badly in terms of sales for at least 12 months. In addition to serving my own territory, I provided extensive coaching to the Sales Execu-tive who was responsible for the region, and helped him to develop an aggressive sales campaign which focused on cultivating new accounts, while at the same time nurtur-ing the existing client base. The results were phenomenal. Within six months, the region rose to become one of the best performers, second only to my own, with sales increased by 150%.

I believe that my main strength is in being able to teach and motivate people, leading them to set targets. I work at my best when I am under pressure, and especially when I am faced with challenges. I am able to achieve optimum results by delegating tasks proactively, multi-tasking and planning ahead.

I am now at a stage in my career where I would like to be able to capitalize on my skills and experience within an organization which values and nurtures its sales force. Making a positive contribution, and leading teams to achieve significant results, is what is really important to me.

It was because of my proven experience within the sales department at XYZ Corpora-tion that Ben Sutherland suggested I contact you regarding your need for a Sales Man-ager. Ben filled me in on the challenges that your sales department is facing at the moment.

What strategies have you already put into place to increase sales and morale within the department?’

A little better than Sam’s attempt, don’t you think? This response:

• Introduces the candidate in professional terms• Demonstrates that he knows something about the sales business

54

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• Tells the company why he is interested in working with them• Tells the interviewer the position that he is seeking• Relates his background to the current position• Says why he is a good choice for the job• Highlights the key benefits that he can offer the organization

By preparing a ‘one minute commercial’ to answer the question, ‘Tell me about yourself ’, you are giving yourself the golden opportunity to talk about your strengths, achievements and qualifications for the position. Break it down into bite-size chunks by filling in the worksheet and you will have a spiel which will have the interviewer begging to hear more.

HOW TO ANSWER ODDBALL QUESTIONS

Alongside all of the ‘normal’ interview questions, it is more than likely that the interviewer will spring something ‘oddball’ on you, such as ‘If you were a kitchen appliance, what kind would you be?’ or ‘How would you weigh a 747 using only a small swimming pool, a rubber band and a paper clip?’ Although your first reac-tion might be that the interviewer has gone off his rocker, there are several possible reasons for this type of question.

Traditional interview questions tend to concentrate on assessing your various skills and abilities, as well as finding out something about your personality. What they cannot determine very easily or effectively, however, is your ability to think on your feet in an unfamiliar situation, how you react under pressure or what your sense of humor is like. An interviewer might therefore use a seemingly strange question to test any one of these things.

Oddball questions, other than the very confrontational ones asked in the course of a stress interview, tend to fall into one of two categories:

• Thosedesignedtotestyourlevelsofcreativeoranalyticalthinking,oryourproblem-solvingabilitiesThese are very often questions which begin with ‘How would you...’, such as ‘How would you poison someone without the police finding out?’ Alterna-tively, you could be asked something like ‘How many gas stations are there in the USA?’ In many cases, there is no right or wrong answer, or at least not one that the interviewer would reasonably expect you to come up with. Gener-ally, what he is trying to ascertain is the process that you use to come up with a response.

• Thosewhicharedesignedtogivetheintervieweraninsightintoyourper-sonalityorinterestsIn this case, the interviewer might ask something like ‘What would I find in your fridge?’, ‘What was the last book that you read?’ or ‘If you were a tree/car/animal, what kind would you be?’ Again, there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, and the best thing that you can do is to give an honest answer and come up with a reasonable explanation for it. One candidate who was asked what kind of animal she would be, for instance, said that she would

55


be a swan – calm and serene on the surface, but furiously active below.

While it is impossible to predict just which oddball question might come up, and therefore to prepare for it precisely, it can be helpful to look at a range of questions in advance, just to get you into a more creative mode of thinking. Here are a few examples to mull over next time you are stuck in a traffic jam or having trouble get-ting off to sleep.

Sample Oddball Interview Questions• Why is a manhole round?• Which fictional character would you choose to be, and why?• Which three things would you save if your house was on fire?• If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose?• What does 7 taste like?• If you were to walk out to your car right now, how clean would it be?• If you could be a superhero, what kind of powers would you want to have?• Why was there a decline in the popularity of the game of squash during the

1980s?• Are people living on the streets mad if they can sing?• What effect on the whole of society does someone crashing into a lamp post have?• What do you think of my interviewing skills?• What color is your brain?• If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you want to play the lead

role as you?• What do you know about death?• Who do you like best, your mom or your dad?• How would you describe yourself in three words?• How would you design a spice rack for a blind person?• Would you rather be a rock or a tree?• If you only had six months left to live, what would you do with your time?• If you won $10 million on the lottery, what would you do with the money?

Incidentally, the answer to question number one, one of the most common oddball questions, is that the cover can never fall down the hole, irrespective of the angle that it lands at.

HOW TO HANDLE ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

In order to protect candidates from being discriminated against, certain inter-view questions are considered to be illegal. This does not mean to say that if you are asked such a question you should dial 911, because the interviewer would not be arrested anyway. What it does mean, however, is that, by law, you do not have to answer it to be considered for the position.

First of all, let us begin by looking at some of the areas that interviewers are not per-mitted to question you about. As you will see from the list below, any question of a personal nature which does not bear any relation to the position that you are inter-viewing for, could be considered to be illegal.

56

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• Your age• Your race• Your religion• Your sexual orientation• Your height and/or weight• Your marital or relationship status• Whether you have children, how many, their ages and so on• Your political beliefs and affiliations• Any affiliations to non-professional clubs, societies or organizations• Your country of origin• Whether you have US citizenship• Whether you own or rent your home• Any question related to pregnancy, including your medical history during preg-

nancy and your plans for having more children• Health-related questions – although something like ‘Do you need any special

accommodations to perform the job that you are applying for?’ would be lawful because it relates specifically to the job

• Questions concerning a partner or spouse, such as those relating to their employ-ment, salary, child care arrangements or dependents

• Type or condition of military discharge or any request for discharge papers• Arrests

Despite the fact that the answers to such questions could be used to discriminate against a job candidate, interviewers do not necessarily ask them for malevolent rea-sons. Sometimes they simply do not realize that asking them is unlawful and, in many cases, questions about family, for example, are asked just for the purpose of putting the candidate at ease.

In other cases, the interviewer may well be trying to discriminate, but still does not know that the question is illegal. This might happen, for instance, if the position entailed working long and unsociable hours. The ideal candidate in the eyes of the employer would be someone who had few commitments, and would probably be someone single and without children. In trying to screen out candidates who, in his opinion, would be unable to meet the demands of the job, he may inadvertently ask illegal questions.

There are, of course, those employers who do, however, quite deliberately ask illegal questions with a view to discrimination, but thankfully they are rare. Such people are often reliant on ‘the fear factor’ of the candidate in obtaining a response. Few candidates who are nervous during an interview, or desperate for the job, would stand up to unlawful questions and fail to give a response – and these interviewers know this.

Regardless of the circumstances, being asked an illegal question during an interview puts you in a difficult position, and it is therefore wise to be prepared in advance, and understanding why the question is being asked is important in knowing how to handle it.

57


What should you do, for example, if you are asked about children and you do not in fact have any? Is there any point in causing a scene or getting stressed out about the question, especially if the interviewer does not appear to realize that it an unlawful one to ask? The answer is, probably not. If providing a truthful answer is not going to harm your chances of being awarded the position, it is probably best to just go ahead and answer it.

If, on the other hand, giving an honest answer may damage your chances, then you need to find a way to avoid the question, although you will need to be careful how you phrase your response. Saying something like, ‘I don’t see what that has to do with my ability to do the job,’ is only likely to cause a bad atmosphere, whereas, ‘I prefer to keep my business and personal lives separate and I am not aware of any-thing in my personal life which will prevent me doing a great job here’ sidesteps the question in a polite manner.

A perfectly acceptable way to avoid the ‘age’ or ‘date of birth’ question is simply to state ‘over 18’, if this is the case. When faced with this response, it would probably dawn on most interviewers that the question was inappropriate and they would be unlikely to push for anything more.

Especially if the job is one that you are particularly keen to get, it is probably better to avoid pointing out to the interviewer that a question is an illegal one if at all pos-sible. If it was asked in innocence, or ignorance, your putting him straight could easily come across as condescension or cause him embarrassment, neither of which will be appreciated. Try to be diplomatic at all times.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER

A job interview is not just the employer’s opportunity to determine whether you are suitable for the position, but also for you to determine whether the position and the company are suitable for you. By asking questions of the interviewer, you are able to do a number of things:

• Demonstrate an active interest in the job and the organization• Demonstrate the importance that you place on your career• Demonstrate your depth of knowledge in the field• Demonstrate that you have done your research into the job and the company• Establish a rapport with the interviewer through a relaxed and easy flow of con-

versation

In the course of your research on the interviewing company, or even during the course of the interview itself, some questions may become quite apparent, but here are the top 10 to ask:

58

JOB SEARCH NINJA

QUESTION WHY TO ASK IT

What would a typical work day/week/month look like?

To clarify responsibilities, expectations and variety involved in the job

What training or induction is involved?

To establish whether you will be dropped in at the deep end from Day One or if there is a plan for get-ting you up and running successfully

What are the top three quali-ties that an employee needs to ensure success in the role?

To understand the employer’s expectations and whether you think your skills are a good match

What are some of the chal-lenges that the department is likely to face during the coming year?

To establish what you are likely to be up against and whether the organization is a forward thinking one

What is a typical career path for this job?

To determine how far you can go

What are some of the things that you like about working for this company?

If the interviewer struggles to come up with a couple of things that he likes, then perhaps you need to do some more research before accepting a job offer.

Who would I be working with?

To establish the size of the team, whether you would be working with your peers and whether there would be others that you could learn from

How would my performance be evaluated?

Most companies have a strict process for performance evaluation – and for good reasons. If the company does not, you could find yourself facing the arbitrary whims of your boss.

What are some examples of the best results produced by people who have done this job in the past?

To determine expectations of the role and to help you to establish whether you are overqualified for the job and therefore establish a basis for salary negotiations.

What are the next steps? You will want to find out whether there will be another round of interviews, when you are likely to receive a response and what the hiring process will be.

and the top 10 to avoid...

59


QUESTION WHY NOT TO ASK IT

Any question which the inter-viewer already answered dur-ing the course of the meeting

If the interviewer already told you during the inter-view who you would be working with and then you ask again at the end, he will assume that you were not paying attention. Make sure that any questions you prepared in advance are mentally crossed off the list as they are answered.

What does your company do?

Shows a total lack of research and, so the interviewer will assume, of interest

How soon will I be eligible for a raise?

Bringing up anything to do with salary or benefits during a first interview will give the impression that you are only interested in what you can get out of the company, rather than what you can bring to it. Wait until after you are offered the job, or until the employer raises the issue.

Are you going to do a back-ground check?

This sets alarm bells ringing in the mind of the inter-viewer, who will wonder what you have to hide. If you are concerned about credit issues or references, bet-ter to ask a more general question about how the selection process works from this point on. If you do have any sensitive issues that you feel the need to reveal, wait until the second interview.

Do you do a drug test? The interviewer will think you are asking because you suspect that you would fail the test. If you have a basic moral objection to workplace drug testing, then wait until you are asked to take one and raise your feelings then.

How soon would I be able to transfer to another position?

If you are just looking to use the job that you are inter-viewing for as an ‘in’ to the company, then at least be smart enough not to tell the interviewer that. An employer would not normally sanction an internal transfer for at least a year anyway, and he is certainly not going to give the job to someone who has bla-tantly revealed that he is not interested in the role.

Are there any other jobs available?

If you begin to feel that the job is not for you, and that it would not stretch your abilities sufficiently, then bet-ter to say so diplomatically but directly. If the inter-viewer does not want to lose you and there is another more suitable position available, then this paves the way for him to mention it.

Could I wait until [more than 4 weeks] before I start the job?

Most jobs require you to give two weeks’ notice, although some, particularly higher level contracts specify a longer period. Unless you have very good reason to request an extension, do not ask, otherwise the interviewer will just think that you are not serious about working.

60

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Do you allow smoking breaks?

Many employers these days operate a ‘smoke free’ policy in the workplace and some will not hire smokers at all. If smoking is so much a priority that you need to ask about it at an interview, the interviewer will question just how much your habit will intrude on your work. Best to avoid the subject and ask yourself which is more important, the job or the cigarettes.

Any question which is either personal to the interviewer or which will put him on the defensive.

The interviewer’s personal details, such as his edu-cational background or work experience, are, quite frankly, irrelevant and none of your business.

There are, however, some things worth remembering:

• Do not interrupt the interviewer to ask a question• Do not interrupt the interviewer when he is answering your question• Do not just reserve your questions for the end of the interview – if you can bring

them into the conversation without taking the interview over or interrupting, then do so

• Do not cross examine the employer• Do ask questions which require an explanation, rather than ones which can be

answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ which will just stop the conversation• Do make sure that your questions are relevant to the job – stick to asking about

the company, its products and services, its people, the responsibilities of the role, and so on

• Do make any appropriate notes as the interviewer responds• Do prepare your questions in advance – in the stress of the interview situation it

is easy for your mind to draw a blank when the interviewer finally asks ‘Do you have any questions?’, so prepare them, write them down and take them with you

MOCK INTERVIEWS

Whether you are a new entrant into the job market, are returning to the workplace after a career break or are simply not getting results from the interviews that you are attending, mock interviews can help to provide you with valuable experience, evalu-ation and feedback on your performance. In addition, practicing your interview technique and getting used to dealing with the type of questions that interviewers commonly ask, will help to build your confidence and thus reduce your anxiety lev-els on the day of the real interview.

However it is carried out, a mock interview should simulate a real job interview as closely as possible, and there are a number of ways that you can go about it:

• Seek the help of a trusted friend or colleague• Engage a career or interview coach or consultant• Arrange a mock interview with the career counselor at your college or university• Use an online interviewing tool

Whomever you choose to conduct the mock interview, it is essential that it is treated

61


seriously. There is no value whatsoever in selecting a friend who is just going to get a fit of the giggles or fool around, although friends can be very useful in that they are likely to give you more honest feedback when it comes to any shortcomings in your performance. In many cases, it can be useful to conduct mock interviews with a variety of people to get some different perspectives.

Videotaped mock interviews can be particularly beneficial as they allow you the opportunity to review what you said and to edit and polish your performance. Not only this, but you can also assess your body language, any tendency to fidget, how confidently and professionally you come across and any hesitancy in your speech. Those ‘ums’, ‘erms’ and ‘ahs’ that you are not even aware of while you are speaking, may prove to be far more noticeable when you watch the tape.

When reviewing your taped interview, look out for the following issues:

• What points did I make that seemed to interest the interviewer?• Did I present my qualifications in the best possible manner, providing appropriate

examples as evidence?• Did I miss any opportunities to sell myself and to demonstrate the match between

my skills and abilities and the role for which I am interviewing?• Did I talk too much? Or too little?• Did I appear too tense?• Did I come across at too passive or aggressive?• Did I seem enthusiastic and interested?• Did I find out enough about the employer and the position to help in making a

knowledgeable decision?

Although clearly you miss out on the direct human interaction, the online option for mock interviewing can be a very useful one. Companies such as Perfect Interview show online videos of tough interview questions posed by professional interviewers which you have to answer on the spot. You use your webcam to record your answers for instant feedback, and then you can upload your mock interview and share it with friends, colleagues or advisors for them to provide their evaluation.

It is entirely up to you as to whether you wish to simulate the interview experi-ence to the extent of wearing interview attire, but it can help to make the scenario more life-like and put you in an interview frame of mind. If you are in any doubt as to whether your choice of attire is likely to be considered suitable, then again, it might be useful to go with what you think and let your mock interviewer assess your choice.

To follow, you will find a handy worksheet containing a selection of typical inter-view questions that you can use if you choose to role play a mock interview with a friend or colleague. Just hand the worksheet to your ‘interviewer’ and let him or her choose which questions to ask.

62

JOB SEARCH NINJA

MOCK INTERVIEW TEMPLATE

Notes to interviewer:

•Introduce yourself and greet the candidate with a friendly smile. You may use ‘small talk’ to break the ice.

•You may also ask the candidate for further clarification during the course of his/her answers.

•Ask the specified number of questions from each section and place a tick in the end column to indicate which questions you have asked.

SECTION 1 – GENERAL (Ask all questions)

1. Tell me something about yourself.

2. What do you know about this company?

3. Why are you interested in this company?

4. What do you think you can bring to this company?

5. What would you say are your key strengths?

6. And what are your weaknesses?

7. What are your current duties and responsibilities?

8. Which aspects of the job do you enjoy most? Why?

9. And which do you enjoy least? Why?

10. What is the most important thing that you have learned in carrying out your current job?

11. What do you expect to be doing five years from now?

12. What computer skills are you required to use in your current job?

SECTION 2 – VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS (select one question)

13. Describe a time when you made extra effort to ensure that the person with whom you were communicating had really understood your point. How did you do this?

14. Tell me about a time when you had to be very careful about communicating delicate or sensitive information. What was the risk involved and how did you go about it?

15. Give me an example of when you have had to present complex information in a simplified manner in order to explain it to someone.

63


SECTION 3 - WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS (select one question)

16. Can you tell me about a recent writing assignment, what it entailed and what measures you took to ensure its accuracy?

17. Tell me about a time when you had to use your written communications skills to get across a point that was important to you.

18. What processes do you use to ensure that your written work is accurate? Have you developed a routine for checking your written work?

SECTION 4 - MOTIVATION/INITIATIVE (select two questions)

19. Give me an example of a time when you have shown great initiative at work.

20. Describe a project that you have worked on which really excited you? How long did the feeling last?

21. Tell me about a time when you tried and failed.

22. Tell me about a time when both you and your team felt very demoralized. What did you do to raise spirits?

23. Tell me about a time when you willingly volunteered for a task. Why were you so keen to be involved?

24. Describe a work-related goal that you have set for yourself.

25. How well do you work under pressure?

SECTION 5 - HONESTY/INTEGRITY (Select one question)

26. You see one of your colleagues stealing something from the company. How do you handle the situation?

27. A colleague tells you that she plans to take the following day off work. She intends calling in sick, but confides in you that she is actually going to spend the day with his/her new girlfriend/boyfriend. What do you do?

28. You identify an area in which your performance at work is not up to par. You feel sure that your boss has also spotted the situation, but he has not said anything. What do you do?

SECTION 6 - INTERPERSONAL/LEADERSHIP SKILLS (Select two questions)

29. You plan on introducing a new policy to your team, but the team members are putting up a great deal of resistance to it. How would you handle the situation?

30. How well do you work with others?

64

JOB SEARCH NINJA

31. Describe one experience of when you had to lead a team.

32. When you have entered a new workplace in the past, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing relationships with colleagues, report-ing staff and superiors.

33. How would you go about boosting the morale of your subordinates?

34. What steps do you take to establish a rapport with others?

35. Do you like to praise team members in public? How do you express your appreciation of them?

36. Give me an example of when you have had to handle conflict in the work-place.

SECTION 7 - FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY (Select one question)

37. Tell me about an occasion when you were resistant to change.

38. From time to time, we all run up against situations which take us by surprise. Can you recall a recent experience that you were not prepared for? What did you do?

39. What was the most recent major change that affected you at work? What changes did it require of you, and how did you handle the situation?

40. Can you describe a recent situation where your first approach did not work?

SECTION 8 – ANALYTICAL SKILLS (Select two questions)

41. What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work?

42. How would you go about estimating the weight of the Chrysler building?

43. How many liters of white house paint are sold in the US every year?

44. Have you ever been the first to recognize a problem or come up with a new idea? Tell me about it. What happened?

45. How would you weigh a 747 using only a small swimming pool, a rubber band and a paper clip?

46. Tell me about an activity that you have organized and how you went about it.

47. How many gas stations are there in the US?

48. How do you get information on what is happening within your organization or about any potential problems which might arise?

65


49. How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the US each month?

SECTION 9 – CLOSING (Ask this question)

50. Is there anything that you would like to ask?

In order that your interviewer can then assess your performance, several different evaluation sheets have also been included. Simply select whichever one seems most pertinent to the type of job that you are interviewing for, or whichever best meets your needs, and give a copy to your interviewer along with the interview questions.

Interview Evaluation/Feedback No. 1

INTERVIEW ASSESSMENT

Note to interviewer: The first column lists some of the qualities and skills that most employers say they look for in new hires. As the interviewee answers each of your ques-tions, use the second column to record proof of specific instances when the skill was demonstrated.

DESIRED SKILL DEMONSTRATION OF SKILL

(Please note quoted examples of when the candidate demonstrated the skill)

Communication skills (verbal)

Communication skills (written)

Honesty/integrity

Interpersonal skills (relate well to others)

Strong work ethic

Teamwork skills (work well with others)

Analytical skills

Motivation/initiative

Flexibility/adaptability

Computer skills

Detail oriented

66

JOB SEARCH NINJA


INTERVIEW SUCCESS ASSESSMENT

Note to interviewer: Read through the criteria below and make notes during the course of the interview in order to assess the interviewee’s likely chances of success.

Excellent inter-view: You should get a job offer!

Average interview: You could get called back but it is not certain

Interviewing skills need significant improvement: You would not get this job

First Impressions •Appearance is professional – wearing business attire

•Greets and shakes hands with interviewer correctly

•Conversation is enthusiastic and engaging

•Looks nice but attire could not be described as very professional

•Greeting is appropriate but forgets to shake hands with the interviewer

•Conversation is enthusiastic and engaging

•Attire is not professional –wearing jeans or shorts

•Does not greet or shake hands when meeting the interviewer

•Conversation is not energetic

Interview Content •Is knowledge-able about the organization and position being interviewed for

•Displays poise and confidence

•Relates skills to the job very well

•Is knowledge-able about the position but not the organization

•Displays ade-quate confi-dence in answers

•States skills but does not ade-quately relate them to the job

•Is not knowl-edgeable about the position or organization

•Is not confident in answering questions about him/herself

•Does not state the skills he/she has to do the job

Interview Skills/Techniques

•Has excellent eye contact with the interviewer without staring

•Language and grammar are appropriate

•Does not use ‘um’ and ‘er’

•Speaks at the right speed

•Has adequate eye contact with the interviewer

•Language and grammar are adequate

•Says ‘um’ or ‘er’ a few times but not enough to disrupt the inter-view

•Talks a little too fast or too slow

•Looks at the floor or ceiling when speaking

•Grammar and language are not appropriate

•Says ‘um’ and ‘er’ too many times

•Talks too fast or too slow

67


Closing •Successfully con-veys interest in the position

•Asks appropriate questions of the interviewer

•Thanks the inter-viewer

•Conveys some interest in the position

•Is not prepared to ask any ques-tions

•Thanks the inter-viewer

•Does not show any interest in the position

•Does not ask any questions

•Does not thank the interviewer


INTERVIEW ASSESSMENT

Note to interviewer: The first column lists some of the qualities and skills that most employers say they look for in new hires. As the interviewee answers each of your ques-tions, use the second column to record proof of specific instances when the skill was demonstrated.

Score Comments

Appearance 1 2 3 4 5

Is the applicant dressed appropriately for the position desired?

Attitude 1 2 3 4 5

Does the applicant have a positive attitude towards people and work?

Interest 1 2 3 4 5

Do applicant’s interests and career goals match the position?

Personality 1 2 3 4 5

Are eye contact and posture good? Does the applicant act maturely?

Poise 1 2 3 4 5

Is the applicant punctual, courteous and polite? Does the applicant smile?

Preparation 1 2 3 4 5

Does the applicant demonstrate a good knowledge of the company?

Chances of Success 1 2 3 4 5

Will the applicant perform well in the job?

68

JOB SEARCH NINJA

OTHER TYPES OF INTERVIEW

Of course, face-to-face first interviews are not the only type that you might encoun-ter. Here are a few other kinds of interview that you may be faced with.

Telephone interviews

Telephone interviews have become increasingly common as a screening tool for employers, in addition to being a cheaper and more practical way of interviewing candidates who are located at a great distance.

Although many people imagine such interviews to be easier and less stressful, they do still require precisely the same level of preparation and professionalism as face-to-face interviews. Here are a few tips for how to handle them:

• Be prepared and keep your CV, the questions that you want to ask the interviewer, and a pen and paper close to the telephone.

• Warn your family or housemates that you may be expecting a call from a poten-tial employer so that they too can answer the phone in a professional manner.

• Make sure that you shut out all noise when the interviewer calls. You will not be able to concentrate, and nor will it present a very professional image if the tele-vision is blaring in the background or the children are in the middle of a pillow fight.

• Smile while you are talking. It might make you feel rather foolish when the inter-viewer cannot even see you, but he will be able to ‘hear’ your smile and you will sound more confident.

• Do not forget to thank the interviewer at the end of the call, express your interest in the position and ask what the next stage in the process is.

Second interviews

Not all companies, or all positions, require a second interview, but for those that do, it is equally as important to prepare yourself thoroughly. While it is clear that you must have impressed the interviewer at the initial meeting, the competition at this stage of the game will be tougher.

Whereas the first interview concentrated on checking out your academic back-ground and your skills, experience and accomplishments, the second interview goes a step further and delves further into whether you meet the core competencies of the job and whether your personal profile fits with the company.

Second interviews often take on different formats, and you may find yourself faced with a panel of interviewers or a series of one-to-one interviews. Alternatively, you may be asked to attend an all-day assessment centre.

The key things to remember at this all-important stage are that preparation is cru-cial to your success, and that it is likely to be your personality and the impact that you make on the company that will make or break the deal. Prepare well, be your-self, and show your enthusiasm and positive attitude.

69


Video conferencing interviews

Video conferencing is another form of interviewing which is becoming increas-ingly popular with employers, especially as it saves both time and money. Despite the equipment and technology involved, however, the objective of the interview is exactly the same as in a face-to-face meeting, and all the same principles concerning preparation, dress code, body language and so on still apply.

Here are a few tips to bear in mind if you know that you have a video conferencing interview ahead of you:

• Arrive at the interview in plenty of time to make sure that you have a chance to get to grips with the equipment being used. The better you understand it, the more comfortable and confident you will feel.

• Set up the room or table in the way that you would like it, but do not clutter up the desk with lots of pieces of paper as this may be distracting to the interviewer.

• Make sure that you know who is available to offer technical assistance in case there is a problem with the equipment or the reception during the course of the interview. Check with the interviewer right at the start that he can see and hear you clearly.

• Set up the camera so that it focuses directly on you – ideally you will want to achieve a head/shoulders/desk shot – and make sure that the microphone is close to you. Beware of shuffling papers or tapping the table. Microphones are very sensitive pieces of equipment which amplify the slightest sound, and little noises which the brain would normally filter out can sound very loud and be extremely distracting.

• Ensure that the ‘picture-in-picture’ option is turned on so that you can see how you look to the interviewer. This will help you to spot any distracting shadows – just move slightly to get rid of them – as well as to keep an eye on your body lan-guage.

• Dressing appropriately for any interview is important, but there are additional considerations to bear in mind if you are taking part in a video conferencing interview. Have you ever noticed how stripes and small, busy patterns look as though they are vibrating when you see them on the television? Well, the same thing happens in video conferencing, so they are best avoided if you do not want to give the interviewer a headache. Bright white is also best avoided, with solid conservative colors being the best choice.

• Even though you are on camera, make sure that you still maintain ‘eye contact’ with the interviewer. If there is more than one interviewer, you will need to use the name of the person you are addressing, as this might not otherwise be clear. Do not forget, therefore, to get the names of all of the interviewers in advance.

• Because your audience is focusing to a greater extent on your face than they might do in a personal meeting, it is important to be even more aware of your non-ver-bal listening cues. Be aware of what your facial expressions are telling the inter-viewer and make sure that you sit up straight and look alert and interested.

• Do not be afraid of the technology and just concentrate on the interview itself. If something does go wrong with the equipment (which rarely happens), you will certainly not be blamed and the interviewer is the one who is likely to feel most embarrassed. It is his equipment, after all.

70

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• Use video conferencing to your advantage. Showing that you are comfortable with, and able to adapt easily to the technology, will reflect extremely well on you, demonstrating a good fit with a progressive company.

In this chapter, we have gone into some detail in terms of the types of interviews that you might encounter, as well as the type of interview questions that you might come up against and how to use these to ‘wow’ the interviewer with your skills and abilities. In the next chapter, we are going to look at which specific skills and traits employers find most desirable and make a candidate stand out a head and shoulders above the competition.

72

JOB SEARCH NINJA

4SUPERHERO QUALITIES

Even as I write, the unemployment rate is rising and the need to demonstrate your superhero job search ninja qualities is becoming more and more important.

700 people recently applied for a job as a janitor at an Ohio school.

Going up against hundreds, or even thousands of other applicants leaves no room for guesswork when it comes to understanding what employers are looking for and what they value most.

Before we go on to look at the key qualities, traits, skills and behaviors that you really need to sell, however, let us begin by taking a brief glimpse at some of the top turn-offs for recruiters. Many of these have been mentioned previously, but it is use-ful to put them all together here for the sake of comparison:

What Employers Do Not Want• Sloppy handshake, or no handshake at all• Not looking the interviewer in the eye• Poor presentation• Little or no knowledge of the company you are interviewing with• Poor self-expression, including the incorrect use of grammar• Evasiveness, nervousness and a lack of confidence• An overaggressive or overbearing attitude or conceited behavior• Superiority complexes and ‘know it all’ attitudes• Speaking badly of a previous employer• Indifference or lack of enthusiasm• Lack of courtesy and maturity• Undefined career goals and lack of career direction• Lack of appreciation for the value of the experience• Too much focus on compensation and not enough on the position• Not asking questions about the job

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

While a sound educational background and solid work experience are absolutely vital when you are looking for a new job, there are also certain key qualities and skills which employers commonly seek during the hiring process, some of which we saw when we were looking at self-evaluation in Chapter 1. Which of these though, do recruiters consider to be the most important? This is how a recent survey con-ducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers paints the picture, along with an explanation of how each skill or quality is typically demonstrated:

73


TOP SKILLS/QUALITIES EMPLOYERS DO WANT

Communications skills (verbal and written)

•Ability to speak clearly and to explain processes, thoughts and ideas simply and at a relevant level

•Ability to produce well-expressed and easily understood written text in reports, letters, e-mails, etc.

•Ability to choose an appropriate method to deliver infor-mation

Strong work ethic •Demonstrates loyalty

•Performs high quality work

•Demonstrates reliability

•Has a good attitude to work

•Arrives at work on time

•Is self-directed

Teamwork skills (works well with others)

•Ability to work with others in an organized manner to achieve a goal

Initiative •Ability to be proactive in finding a new way of doing some-thing or resolving an issue

Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)

•Demonstrates sensitivity and understanding of the needs of others

•Treats others with respect

•Is friendly towards others

Problem-solving skills •Ability to find a solution to a problem using whatever infor-mation, experience and resources are available

Analytical skills •Ability to assess a situation or issue, identify key elements and move forward

Flexibility/Adaptability •Able and willing to address unexpected and ongoing needs

•Able to deal openly with new ideas and concepts and change to meet new requirements or circumstances

•Able to respond to, anticipate and manage change

Computer skills •Variable according to the job specification, but at least a basic level of familiarity with word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail and Internet functionality

•Able to accept, adapt to and learn new technology

Technical skills •Knowledge of, and ability to carry out the tasks specific to the job in question

Detail-oriented •Focuses on details to ensure the production of complete and accurate work

Organizational skills •Able to design, plan, organize and implement projects and tasks within an allotted timeframe

74

JOB SEARCH NINJA

As you can see, top of the list of the employers’ priorities are verbal and written communications skills, perhaps indicating their increasing importance in the work-place, or maybe just a reflection on falling standards. Whichever it is, if you submit a resume and cover letter full of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors to a recruiter, they will stand no chance of avoiding the trash can. Similarly, if your pre-sentation skills at the interview are sadly lacking and you are unable to put across your meaning clearly and concisely, it is ‘hasta la vista’ for you, baby.

Joint top of the list of qualities that employers rated most highly in 2008 is a strong work ethic. We might want to ask the question as to whether expectations are ris-ing, or whether the long period of sustained economic growth and stability up until 2007 has simply caused a degree of complacency, or even laziness, to set in. Again, whatever the reason, if you leave an employer in any doubt as to your levels of com-mitment, you are sure to be overlooked.

Interpersonal skills, the ability to work as part of a team and initiative are way up there too – and so they should be. We live in a service age and the ability to get along with others, look after our customers, and not have the boss holding our hands every minute of the day, are crucial to his, and our, success. Employers want staff that they can trust to get on and do a good job – and do it professionally. That is not to say that they are not prepared to provide necessary training for specific duties, but the basic skills identified by the employers who took part in this survey are expected to come as part of your package.

Half-hearted job searching and half-hearted job performance just won’t cut it!

Of course, the skills and qualities identified here are not the only ones that employ-ers value. Loyalty, honesty and integrity, determination and persistence and a will-ingness to learn new skills are all highly sought-after characteristics. Here are some others which will help you to stand out from the crowd:

TRAIT DESCRIPTION

Commercial awareness

•Awareness of the business issues affecting the sector to which you are applying

•Having an understanding of internal and external structures

•Awareness of the values of an organization

Decision-making •Ability to determine which options are available and select the best one

Influencing •Ability to get agreement from others to a particular course of action

Leadership •Ability to encourage others to move towards a specific goal

•Ability to inspire and motivate others

75


Negotiation •Ability to reach mutually satisfactory conclusions, often involv-ing compromise which is acceptable to all parties

Networking •Many roles are dependent upon networking skills for gathering information and developing new business

Planning •Ability to organize resources, time and events that will enable you to meet your goal

Self-awareness •Ability to identify clearly your own skills, values, interests and core strengths

•Ability to welcome constructive feedback and act upon it

Self-confidence •Ability to feel confident of your position and your views in a variety of situations

Self-management •Ability to set targets and work out a plan to achieve them

Tenacity •Ability to keep going when the going gets tough

•Belief in, and commitment to, getting the job done

Time management •Ability to juggle many issues and aspects of your working, aca-demic and social life

•Ability to prioritize workload

•Ability to meet deadlines

Willingness to learn

•Commitment to your personal growth and development

•Willingness to deal with change

•Ability to learn from experience

Remember that it is important to provide evidence of your skills and abilities, whether this means drawing on your work experience, your academic work, any vol-untary work experience, your social life or any relevant interests that you have.

PERSONAL TRAITS AND BEHAVIORS

Alongside our capabilities, sit those things which are inherent in our personalities, and the ways in which we have learned to conduct ourselves – our personal traits and behaviors. In terms of being interviewed, these are every bit as important as our skills and abilities and can make or break an employer’s decision to hire us.

In many cases, particularly where smaller businesses are concerned, employers take a very informal approach towards assessing personal traits. In larger organizations, however, potential employees are often sent on full-day assessment centers which are designed to evaluate behaviors by assessing job-related tasks and simulated work sit-uations. Many of these involve the use of the five factor model for personality mea-surement, which takes into account:

• Openness to experience

76

JOB SEARCH NINJA

• Conscientiousness• Extraversion• Agreeableness, and • Neuroticism (emotional stability)

Combined, these five factors are held to be the complete description of personality, but what do they really mean?

TRAIT HOW DEMONSTRATED

Openness to Experience •Having wide interests

•Being imaginative

•Being insightful

Conscientiousness •Being organized

•Being thorough

•Having good planning capabilities

Extraversion •Being talkative

•Being energetic

•Being assertive

Agreeableness •Being sympathetic

•Being kind

•Being affectionate

Neuroticism (sometimes reversed and called Emotional Stability)

•Tendency to tension

•Being moody

•Being anxious

Whether personal characteristics are formally assessed or not, employers know that hiring a candidate purely on the basis of his job-related skills will often lead to a bad ‘fit’, so it is important to play on your positive personality traits and ensure that you display appropriate behavior too.

78

JOB SEARCH NINJA

5DISGUISES AND COMBAT SKILLS TO TWIST THE KNIFE

Being one of the most secretive groups in history, it can only be guessed as to how much of what is known about the ninjas is based on impressions. Impressions though are powerful things and this is an extremely important thing for any job search ninja to remember.

A job interview represents only a very small window of opportunity for a potential employer to get to know you, and so, by necessity, much of his assessment has to be based on impressions. The formulation of impressions does not just begin when you walk in through the door of the interview room, however, but even before that...

MEETING RECEPTIONISTS, SECRETARIES AND GATEKEEPERS

Normally, the first person you meet when you enter the building where your inter-view is being held will not be the interviewer himself, but a receptionist or a sec-retary. This person will usually greet you, take your name and let the interviewer know of your arrival. He or she may also offer you some refreshment and lead you to the interview room.

Although your contact with these gatekeepers may only be fleeting, the people themselves are very important. Many recruiters will very often ask those working within the organization about your behavior in your brief dealings with them, and if the impression that you made was significantly positive or negative, the individual may even volunteer an opinion.

Here are a few tips on how to handle your ‘meeters and greeters’:

DO:• Be courteous and polite• Be friendly• Behave professionally• Ask their names• Give them something to remember you by• Thank them for their assistance

DO NOT:• Be rude or discourteous• Behave in a superior or condescending way• Use them as your personal secretary/assistant

You may be wondering why I have suggested that you make a note of the name of the gatekeeper and give them something to remember you by. The reason for this has to do with follow-up action after the interview, and I will come back to this in Chapter 8.

79


Gatekeepers really can make or break your chances of getting the job – and indeed some have done this – so always make sure that your behavior towards them is impeccable.

WHAT TO WEAR TO AN INTERVIEW

As you walk through the door of the interview room, one of the first things that your interviewer is likely to notice is how you are dressed, and his first impression will be an important one. You may well be used to sporting jeans or shorts, but a true ninja knows the art of disguise and if you do not learn it too, then you are likely to pick up on the interviewer’s disinterest during the rest of the interview.

Sometimes, deciding what to wear to an interview can be a tough call, and tradition-ally men would wear their ‘best’ suit and tie and women would don their smartest skirt and blouse or suit. Things have changed a lot over the years, however, and in many fields the dress code tends towards being smart but casual.

Generally, the best advice is to ‘dress above the rest’ and to aim for something con-servative. If you are not sure what ‘the rest’ are wearing, one way to check it out is to take a drive past the offices or workplace when the other employees are arriving or leaving. If the men, for example, are mainly wearing slacks and open-necked shirts, then aim to wear trousers, a tie and a smart, coordinated jacket. If they are all wear-ing suits, then wear your best suit. The other way to check out the company’s dress code is simply to call the interviewer’s secretary and ask.

While we all, of course, have our own individual style, it is best to avoid bright col-ors and garish patterns for your meeting. You might love the Bugs Bunny tie that the kids bought you for Christmas, but your potential employer may not share your sense of humor, or your idea of professionalism.

Here are a few tips to help guide you in terms of both wardrobe and general appear-ance:

For Men• Solid color, conservative suit or trousers and coordinating jacket• Long-sleeved white shirt• Conservative tie• Smart shoes and dark-colored socks• Very limited jewelry• Neat, professional hairstyle• Clean and neatly trimmed fingernails• Portfolio or briefcase

Some will advise that men should shave off a beard or moustache for an interview, but you may find this rather extreme. If you would rather keep them, make sure that they are both clean and neatly trimmed.

If you are going to wear aftershave or cologne, then make sure that it is not too over-

80

JOB SEARCH NINJA

powering as this can be quite off-putting to others.

For Women• Solid color, conservative suit or coordinated skirt and jacket• Coordinated blouse• Avoid anything too tight or revealing• Smart shoes – avoid spiked heels or anything too ‘raunchy’• Minimal jewelry• Neat, professional hairstyle• Sparse make-up and perfume• Clean, well-manicured nails• Portfolio or briefcase

For either sex, tattoos and piercings are best hidden or removed for the interview. Many people either have a strong personal dislike for these means of self-expression, or simply find them unprofessional. If you get the job and find that your boss does not have a problem with them, then that is fine, but the interview is not the time or place to test his reaction.

Another point worth remembering, again for both men and women, is never to remove your jacket without being asked. Even if you are asked, bear in mind that most of us perspire when we are in a stressful situation and there is nothing worse than letting your interviewer see those damp patches under the arms of your shirt!

BODY LANGUAGE

As well as your style of dress, the other thing that the interviewer will pick up on as soon as you walk in, and indeed throughout your interview, is your body language. In fact, it is estimated that 55 percent of an impression gained on a first meeting is concerned with this one particular aspect.

Body language is almost a science unto itself, and indeed whole books are devoted to the subject. While some of the views on interpretation are somewhat subjective, there are, however, a number of generally accepted principles which it is well worth adhering to.

Now, you might think that your body language is simply a part of you that cannot be changed, but in fact with awareness and practice, it is something that you can work on and improve. When you are conducting a mock interview, either check your body language on the video if you are recording it, or ask your ‘interviewer’ to give you some feedback on how you come across.

Here then, are some of the essential do’s and don’ts to help you on your way to mak-ing the right impression.

81


Body Language Hints And Tips

Do:

• Walk upright and confidently into the room• Smile• Offer a confident, but not too firm, handshake• Sit up straight in your chair, facing the interviewer, and lean slightly forward to

show that you are actively engaged in the discussion and interested• Let your hands lie loosely on your lap or place them on the arms of the chair• Place your feet directly on the floor in front of you• Align your body’s position to that of the interviewer’s to show agreement and

admiration• Maintain an interested expression – nod and make positive gestures in modera-

tion• Use your hands in moderation to express yourself – this demonstrates that you

are at ease• Maintain good eye contact, without staring• If appropriate, look briefly from one interviewer to another when speaking, and

then return your attention to the person who asked the question

Something worth remembering here is that if the interview is interrupted for any reason, try not to stare at the interviewer while he deals with his business. Instead, motion to him that you are willing to step outside if he would prefer. If he is happy for you to stay, then busy yourself with some personal papers to create a sense of pri-vacy.

BODY LANGUAGE HINTS AND TIPS

DO NOT WHY?

Slouch when you walk into the room Gives the impression of a lack of confi-dence or interest

Enter the room with your hands in your pockets

Suggests slovenliness, disinterest or lack of confidence

Slouch when sitting in your seat Gives the impression of disinterest or that you do not feel yourself to be up to the task

Sit with your arms folded across your chest

Appears defensive, unfriendly and disen-gaged

Sit on the edge of your seat Suggests that you are tense

Tap your feet or kick them against a table leg, or swing your legs

Is both distracting and suggests that you are nervous and uncomfortable in the situation

Rub the back of your head or neck Makes you appear bored

82

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Rub or touch your nose Suggests that you are not being honest

Lean your body towards the door Looks as though you are keen to beat a hasty retreat

Stare blankly at the floor or ceiling Mainly suggests disinterest but could also show confusion or that you are trying to distance yourself

Fidget with your hands or fingers or click a pen

Demonstrates nervousness and is dis-tracting

Drum your fingers on the desk Shows impatience or nervousness

While a number of these ‘don’ts’ tend to indicate nervousness, try not to get too hung up about being slightly tense. Not only do interviewers expect candidates to be nervous, but it indicates that the interview is important to them.

At the same time as being aware of your own body language, try to pay attention to that of your interviewer too, as this will give you clues on how things are going. His movements and posture can act as an effective early warning signal that you need to change tack or inject more enthusiasm into your responses. Sighing, shaking his head or folding his arms and leaning back in his chair could all indicate annoyance or irritation if you are taking too long to answer his questions or keep interrupting him. If you can pick up on the signs and then fix the problem quickly, you can limit any damage done.

MAKING A CONNECTION – HOW TO BOND WITH INTERVIEWERS

Combat skills can take many forms, from the direct attack to the much more sub-tle, and a job interview is one occasion when you really need to leave the ninjutsu at home!

Job interviewing is more than just about finding a person with the right skills set and experience. Interviewers are looking for someone who can not only do the job, but also who can connect with others in the workplace. Creating a rapport with your interviewer will make him all the more convinced that you can connect with other people, and:

A good rapport with an interviewer can give you an edge over the competition, even if your skills and experience are weaker than theirs.

But is rapport, or chemistry, not something that is either just there or not, I hear you ask. In some situations this is the case. We have all had the experience of meeting someone and feeling like we have known them for years. For some reason we just ‘click’. But just because there does not seem to be an immediate connection between you and an interviewer, does not mean that you cannot build one, and here is how to do it – no matter what kind of personality he has!

83


Body Language

We mentioned earlier that aligning your body’s position to that of the interviewer’s demonstrates agreement and admiration. Now, while it may seem as though we are getting into the realms of the ethereal here, it is not only possible, but highly effec-tive, to mirror your interviewer in other ways to help create a bond between you.

Watch how the interviewer is sitting. Are his legs crossed or uncrossed? Is he lean-ing one way or the other? Are his hands placed on the desk or on the arms of the chair? Whichever is the case, shift your positioning to match his and you will immediately create a feeling of empathy. As he changes position, change yours to match again.

Now I know this is beginning to sound like something from a Monty Python sketch, but this really does work. Of course, the trick is not to make sudden, jerky move-ments which would immediately make it obvious that you are mimicking him, and not to copy him to the extent where you feel either unnatural or uncomfortable. Just be subtle and the interviewer will not even notice what you are doing, but you will be far better attuned to one another.

Another thing that you can do very discreetly, and which will have the same effect, is to match your breathing to his. Try very hard to note both the rate and the pat-tern of his breathing and then synchronize your own.

You can try practicing these techniques with a friend. Do not tell your friend what you are doing and see whether he or she notices. Also, try it with one of your col-leagues or the bank manager, and see whether it improves your rapport.

Speech

Mimicking body language is not the only way to help create a bond with your inter-viewer. You can do it through language too. If two people communicate in a simi-lar manner, they are much more likely to develop some sort of affinity, and talking at the same pace as someone else is an effective way to achieve this. Note the other person’s style and speak accordingly, but, like with body language, do not take it to the extreme and make yourself sound unnatural.

Tone of voice is another way to emulate the interviewer’s speech. Does he speak boldly and aggressively? Or softly and deliberately? Note how he projects his voice and shift your tone to match.

Subject Emphasis

When you think about your closest friends, you will probably realize that one thing you have in common is the fact that you relate on a particular wavelength. You either talk about the same kinds of subjects or you relate in a particular way – either on a more emotional or practical level, for example.

During your interview, pay careful attention to what the interviewer talks about. Is

84

JOB SEARCH NINJA

he more concerned with your personality and emotional make-up, or does he stick to talking about the tasks and responsibilities of the role? Does he discuss the job in precise, quantifiable terms, or does he seem more interested in the more subjective elements, such as team-building and interpersonal skills? Let your interviewer be your guide and follow his lead. Just like with your friends, it will give an impression of being on the same wavelength.

Storytelling

In Chapter 3, we spoke about situational and behavioral interview questions, both of which give you, the interviewee, the opportunity to tell ‘stories’ about how you would deal with, or have dealt with, particular situations. These ‘stories’ not only answer the question, however, but are also a powerful tool in connecting you with the interviewer. Communicating events and circumstances in your life, and creat-ing a shared experience, will immediately help you to build a rapport and stand out from the other applicants.

INTERVIEW ETIQUETTE

Clearly, if you are to stand any chance of being successful in your interview, it is imperative that you behave professionally. Here are just a few commonsense tips to bear in mind:

• Be punctual• Turn off your cell phone before the interview begins• Never sit until after the interviewer has• Never, ever swear during an interview – even if the interviewer does• Do not interrupt or talk across the interviewer• Never tell jokes or challenge the interviewer to an arm-wrestling contest• Smile• Be polite• Laugh when appropriate, but no fits of the giggles• Always thank the interviewer for his time and consideration before you leave

LUNCH OR DINNER INTERVIEWS

Being interviewed in a private office can be stressful enough, but sometimes poten-tial employers will hold the meeting over lunch or dinner, and in many cases this is done quite deliberately so that they can assess the applicant’s social and interper-sonal skills. Good etiquette on these occasions will not land you the job, but bad eti-quette could certainly cost you it.

Lunch or dinner interviews pose a number of problems for the interviewee:

• They involve talking and eating at the same time• They require you to understand table etiquette• They require you to know how to treat, not only your host, but also any other

guests and the serving staff• They often involve being in a noisy and distracting environment

85


Having said this, however, if handled well, the very act of sharing a meal can be extremely effective in cementing a bond.

Here are some tips to help you get through the challenges of this particular type of interview:

• Turn off your cell phone before the meeting begins.• Take your cues from your host and never sit down until he does.• Do not choose the most, or least, expensive dish on the menu. Aim for something

in between, and something less extravagant than your interviewer, unless he wishes you to try something in particular, in which case you should oblige where possible.

• Order only the same number of courses as your interviewer does. If you order more you are likely to appear ill-mannered, and if you order fewer your host will be left to eat alone.

• Try to avoid foods which are either messy or difficult to eat.• Place your napkin in your lap before eating.• Do not begin eating until your host does.• Never accept alcoholic beverages at a lunch interview, and at a dinner interview,

never drink more than one glass of wine.• Never speak with your mouth full. If your host asks you something while you are

eating, gesture to him politely to indicate that this is the case, and then answer.• Never chew with your mouth open – yeuch!• Find a discreet way to check your teeth after you have eaten. You do not want to

spend the rest of the interview smiling at the interviewer with ‘spinach teeth’.• Take your lead from your interviewer in terms of discussing business. Some pre-

fer to eat and talk at the same time, while others like to getting the eating out of the way and then talk.

• If the location is a noisy one, you have no other option than to force yourself to focus and concentrate. Dealing with this type of environment may be integral to the position you are being interviewed for.

• Never offer to pick up the tab – it is never expected of interviewees.• Always thank your host for the meal.

Above all, despite the social environment, never forget that you are still attending a job interview. All the same rules concerning selling yourself, behaving profession-ally, your body language, being punctual and everything else, all still apply.

88

JOB SEARCH NINJA

6THE FEARLESS NINJA

Most of us get nervous before an interview, no matter how many we have been through, and yet the ability to put ourselves across with confidence is extremely important to our chances of success.

In this chapter, we are going to look at a couple of techniques for helping you to relax, but it is well worth remembering that:

The biggest key in overcoming interview nerves lies in being prepared.

Preparation is the single most important factor in overcoming nerves. If you have done your research thoroughly, practiced your interview questions and technique, checked off your list of things to take with you and are confidently dressed, you will go into the experience believing in yourself, and make others believe it too.

In the same way that the ninjas were not born with an inherent set of skills, they were not born fearless either. Like with all of their other abilities, they had to learn new techniques to handle different situations. While their physical, mental, spiri-tual and psychological training undoubtedly prepared them for their path ahead, who knows, maybe some of them still suffered from sweating palms and palpita-tions.

If you have done all of the preparation that you possibly can and your interview nerves still seem as though they are likely to sabotage your chances, try following these few useful tips:

• Eat dinner earlier than usual and try to go to bed a bit early the night before. Lis-ten to a relaxation CD or some relaxing music, take a nice, hot bath or read a book to take your mind off things. If you are well-rested, you will be less tense.

• Do some breathing exercises. Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for two seconds and then release through your mouth. Repeat a few times.

• Think about something which makes you happy while you are waiting to go into the interview. It will help to increase your sense of well-being and result in greater confidence.

• Keep things in perspective. It might feel as though this is the most important thing in the world, but in reality it probably is not. If you get the job, then great, but if you do not, it is not the end of the world. There are other jobs out there, and one of them is yours.

• ‘Act as if ’. This is a lovely technique that works very well and can be used in lots of different circumstances. You can act as if you are happy when really you are down-in-the-mouth, or as if you are excited when really you are bored. You know how all of these things feel, so just play them out as though you were an actor on stage.

89


• Think about it. How would you walk if you were feeling confident? How would you sit? How would you project your voice? Would you be smiling? Picture it and then do it. What happens is that it starts off by feeling like an act, but then becomes second nature.

• Use visualization. In the days, hours or even minutes leading up to the interview, close your eyes and picture a successful outcome. You could choose to see your-self greeting the interviewer confidently and answering some really tough ques-tions with ease, or you could visualize the potential employer extending his hand and saying, ‘Welcome to the company’. Think positively and you are far more likely to get a positive result.

• If you find yourself feeling stressed and tense during the interview, check your breathing and control it so that it is slow and deep. Sit up straight without cross-ing your arms or legs, and keep your hands and your jaw relaxed. Speak slowly and pause for breath often, and above all, smile.

And finally...if you are prone to suffering from sweaty palms and are dreading that moment when you have to shake the interviewer’s hand, try one of the following:

• Rub your hands with lots of deodorant the night before and then wash it off in the morning before you leave for your interview

• Dust your hands with talcum powder, chalk or foot powder• Try running your hands under very hot water just before you go into the inter-

view – it works for some• Drink green tea or sage tea at night – they both have an astringent property which

helps to dry out oil and stop moisture from escaping through the skin

92

JOB SEARCH NINJA

7THE POISONED ARROW

You have answered all of the interviewers’ questions, and asked everything that you need to know to help you decide whether the position and the company are right for you, so what next? Do you simply get up and walk out? Not a bit of it! The fearless ninja might disable his enemy with a throwing star, but he is not going to leave with-out finishing him off with a deadly poisoned arrow or a lethal ninjutsu move.

Even if you have so far made a wonderful impression on the interviewer, you will still want to take that final opportunity to leave your indelible mark on him.

Do not leave the interview room without giving the interviewer a compelling reason to hire you...and only you.

Not only that but, if you know for certain that you want it:

Do not leave the interview room without letting the interviewer know that you really want the job.

Now of course you could just come right out and ask the interviewer to give you the job...but if you do, you will not only come across as brazen, but also as downright insensitive and naively lacking in any kind of understanding of the interviewing process – both of which will go against you and probably mean that your application will be passed over.

The interviewer will undoubtedly have other interviews scheduled and he is cer-tainly not going to come to a decision before he has seen all of the other candidates. You may have performed well up until the point of blatantly asking for the job, but there could still be somebody else who performs better. In addition, the interviewer will need some time to consider the performance of each of the applicants, and will perhaps wish to consult with the hiring manager or other of his colleagues.

The trick is not for you to ask outright for the job, or even for a second interview, but to make the interviewer want to ask you to accept it, but you have to give him one last push to do just that. And here is how...

Once you have been given the opportunity to ask your questions, the interviewer will probably say something like, ‘If you have nothing else to ask, that will be all. Thank you for your time.’ At this point, rather than just get up and leave, you need to make a positive closing statement which highlights why you are the best candi-date for the job. Fill in the following worksheet which will guide you through it:

93


CLOSING STATEMENT WORKSHEET

Write one sentence which states how exciting/challenging/rewarding the role would be:

List the top four or five most relevant skills or abilities that you could bring to the role:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

For each of the skills and abilities that you have listed above, state what benefit each would bring to the role:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Now, put these together to make a paragraph long statement which holds together:

94

JOB SEARCH NINJA

Here is an example of what the completed worksheet might look like:

CLOSING STATEMENT WORKSHEET

Write one sentence which states how exciting/challenging/rewarding the role would be:

•This certainly is an exciting opportunity and I believe that I am the right candidate for the position.

List the top four or five most relevant skills or abilities that you could bring to the role:

1. Experience as a team member

2. Knowledge of customer base and area

3. Sales performance

4. Experience in implementing strategies

For each of the skills and abilities that you have listed above, state what benefit each would bring to the role:

1. Add value to creation of sales team

1. Help to grow business

1. As above

1. Strategies could be used in the new company

Now, put these together to make a paragraph long statement which holds together:

•This certainly is an exciting opportunity and I believe that I am the right candidate for this position. My experience as a team member will add value to the creation of this new sales team, my knowledge of the customer base and the area will help grow your business and my sales performance shows my commitment to achieving targets. I have also implemented a number of strategies that could be successfully used in this posi-tion.

Remember, this is the last thing that the interviewer is going to hear, so you need to take the opportunity to refer to your strengths and how they make the best fit with the company. In addition to re-emphasizing your own skills, use your knowledge of the company to offer justification as to your suitability.

Not only will your closing statement do the job of reiterating, in a memorable way, that you are the best match, but it also lets the company know that you are interested in the job, in a way which does not sound either anxious or desperate.

This closing statement is something which you will need to prepare, and it is impor-tant to practice delivering it so that it comes out sounding smooth and natural, and not at all boastful.

95


NEXT STEPS

You will not wish to leave the interview without knowing what happens next, and you can either do this when you are given the opportunity to present your questions, or leave it right until the end. There are several ways that you can go about ascer-taining this information:

• Will you be calling candidates back for a second interview?• What is the next step in the hiring process?• When do you anticipate that a hiring decision will be made?

You may also wish to inquire about how the recruiter would prefer you to follow up. Would it be better to contact him by telephone or e-mail?

The other thing that you may wish to check is whether there is anything else that you can do to demonstrate your strengths as a candidate. For example, could you send some samples of your work?

SAYING THANK YOU

Both you and the interviewer should now have all the information you need, and all that remains is for you to express your gratitude for the opportunity that you have been given, and for his time. Shake his hand as you leave and, before heading out of the building, do not forget to thank the person on the front desk and bid them good-bye too.

98

JOB SEARCH NINJA

8BOWING TO YOUR RIVAL

If there is one thing that warriors throughout history have in common, it is a healthy respect for their adversaries. As a job search ninja, you should be no different. Your interviewer has taken valuable time out of his day to meet with you and give you his serious consideration and it is important that you recognize this and thank him.

In this final chapter, we are going to look at how to follow up after your interview, not just in order to express your thanks, however, but also to leave your interviewer with the best possible impression.

THANK YOU LETTER NUMBER 1

You probably would not attend a friend’s birthday or anniversary party without call-ing him or dropping him a note afterwards to say ‘thanks’ and tell him how much you enjoyed yourself, so why would you attend a crucial job interview and fail to extend the same courtesy? I ask the question, but in fact most job applicants do just that.

First and foremost, a thank you letter should be about sincerely expressing your gratitude for the interviewer’s time and consideration and not sending one is, quite frankly, just bad manners. Not only this, however, but not sending one actually rep-resents a hugely missed opportunity, as it can additionally serve several other func-tions.

A thank you letter lets you remind the interviewer who you are, and provides yet another opportunity for you to emphasize your ‘fit’ with the company.

Because the vast majority of job applicants do not send follow-up letters, merely by doing so, you will give yourself yet another huge advantage over the competition.

Starting from the beginning then, the first thing to note is that a handwritten letter is always best. It is a bit like the difference between receiving a personally addressed, handwritten Christmas card and a generic, once a year ‘family news bulletin’ pro-duced on a computer and sent to everyone in the sender’s electronic address book. The former demonstrates a level of personal attention and caring, while the latter just makes you feel like one of many - and one whom the sender cannot be bothered to make time for.

The second thing to remember is that you need to send your thank you letter out as soon as possible after the interview, and ideally on the same day. Remember that your missive is normally going to be travelling by ‘snail mail’ and you will want it to arrive before the interviewer has the chance to make up his mind on which candi-date to select. You also need to write it while the event is still clear in your memory.

99


The third thing is that if there was more than one interviewer, you will want to send an individual letter to each of them. They each gave up their time to give you their consideration, and they each brought something different to the meeting, so they are equally deserving of your thanks.

So, how are you going to compose this letter? Let us take this one step at a time.

Step 1 – Re-assess the interview

Think back over your interview and try to remember whether there were any par-ticular skills and abilities that the interviewer seemed to be more interested in than others. Do not just think about what was said, but also about the interviewer’s non-verbal responses. Did he nod or smile more when a particular subject was being dis-cussed, or did he become more animated?

The other thing you need to think about and jot down, is any new information that you picked up during the course of the interview – something new that you learned about the company. You are going to use this information to make your follow-up letter even more powerful.

Step 2 – Re-affirm the connection

The first paragraph of your letter needs to begin by thanking the interviewer for his time. Something like:

‘I am writing to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today.’

Next, you are going to grab the reader’s attention by demonstrating your knowledge of the company and, if possible, paying the potential employer a compliment. Here is where you can use any new information that you gained during the interview itself.

Let us say, for example, that you learned that the organization recently won a very sizeable new contract. You can use this new information as follows:

‘I am writing to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today, as well as to say, once again, how delighted I was to hear about the company’s recent award of the Company XYZ contract. The fact that your company was selected from amongst so many other worthy contenders only goes to prove its status as frontrunner in the industry.’

As this was clearly an issue which you discussed during your interview, the inter-viewer will now, hopefully, be able to instantly associate you with the conversation.

Re-emphasize the ‘fit’

Your interviewer is probably, by this time, already beginning to feel pretty good about your letter, so now it is time to go one step further and really remind him why he cannot live without you in his company. To do this, you are once again going to

100

JOB SEARCH NINJA

state your skills, abilities and achievements and link these to the requirements of the role, but this time using any new information that you gained with regard to his per-ceived priorities during the interview.

What you will come up with for this paragraph may not be dissimilar to the clos-ing statement that you used in your interview, and we will use the example in Chap-ter 7 as our basis, but with the additional input that the employer seemed concerned about how soon you could be ‘up and running’:

‘Our discussions today concerning the nature of this new contract only serve to rein-force the value that I believe I could bring to your company. The strategies which I have used in my current employment could be applied equally successfully in this new role, which would mean that I would be able to ‘hit the ground running’ without any significant lead-in time. My extensive experience as a team member will add value to the creation of your new sales team, and my demonstrated sales performance will ensure quick and steady growth in this new area. After meeting with you today, it has become even clearer to me that your company is developing in a way which is consis-tent with my own career goals.’

Notice how both the first and the last sentences re-emphasize your match with the company.

Call the employer to action and sign off

Having stated your case, you now want the employer to do something. You want him to take whatever next step is appropriate as part of his recruitment process, whether that be to offer you the job, call you for a second interview or request any further information that he needs from you.

‘Thank you again for your time, and please let me know if there is any other informa-tion that you require which would assist you in making your decision. I can be con-tacted on xxx-xxx-xxxx should you wish to arrange a further meeting.

Yours sincerely,’

Just imagine now that both you and another candidate performed equally well at the interview and are now equally matched in the eyes of the interviewer. You send a follow-up letter such as this one, and the other candidate does nothing. Which do you think is going to make the biggest impression?

Along with your letter, you should also enclose any follow-up material that was requested during your interview, such as references, salary sheets or work samples. Your prompt action in supplying these will go a long way to demonstrating your professionalism and attention to detail.

101


THANK YOU LETTER NUMBER 2

Didn’t think you were finished yet, did you? Now that you have blown your inter-viewer away, how about taking things one step further...

To make a real impact on a potential employer, send a thank you note to the person on the front desk.

As we described earlier on, in Chapter 5, the interviewer will not be the only per-son to form an opinion of you when you attend your interview. Receptionists and secretaries will make their own observations, and their views and insights are often highly valued by the interviewer.

Unlike the letter that you have sent to the interviewer, in this case there is clearly no need to regale the recipient with your skills and abilities, but you should still include something which will remind him or her of who you are. There may have been a number of interviewees passing through the office on the day that you attended, and you will want to make sure that you can be identified. Think back to Chapter 5. Do you remember how we said not only to be polite and friendly to whoever is on the front desk when you arrive, but to say something memorable? Well, here is where you can use this.

Your thank you letter might look something like this:

‘I am just writing to thank you once again for your kind assistance when I attended your offices this morning for my interview with Mr. [insert name]. It really makes all the difference to be greeted with a friendly smile, and I am quite sure that I could not have found my way to and from the interview room without your help. As I said, my sense of direction is pretty appalling at the best of times and only a trail of crumbs could have got me there unaided.

I hope that I will have the opportunity to meet with you again at some time in the near future, and once again, thank you.

Yours sincerely,’

Now, would that not brighten your day? The person in question was, actually, only just going about his or her routine daily business, so to receive a letter such as this would really make an impact – which might even be mentioned to your inter-viewer...

AND FINALLY...THE QUESTION OF MONEY

We have mentioned on a number of occasions throughout this book that you should never bring up the subject of salary or benefits during the course of an interview. So, when is the right time to discuss them?

There is absolutely only one time when the money question should be allowed to

102

JOB SEARCH NINJA

be put on the table, and that is after you have received a job offer. If ever you are tempted to raise it before this point, just imagine how you would feel to know that you had been identified as the best candidate, but that someone else was selected because they were prepared to accept less money than you.

Even if you do not raise the money question, there is every chance, however, that the interviewer might, and his question could take any number of forms, such as:

• What are your salary expectations?• What salary range are you looking for?• How much do you expect to make?• How much do you think we should pay for a position like this?• How much are you currently earning?

Do not let yourself be drawn on this last question. He is not just asking for the good of his health. The employer will probably assume that you will realistically be look-ing to earn 10 or 15 per cent more in your new job, and will use your, and the other candidates’ current salaries as his gauge. The fact is, that if you are currently ‘under-earning’ and he works from your current salary, you are going to lose out.

Probably the best way to dodge the issue until the appropriate time is to decide in advance on a salary range, and then if you have to be drawn at all, at least it will not be on specifics. Do your research. Find out what similar positions are paying, and be sure to factor in the area where you live, the industry and so on, as these are all variable. If the question comes up, whichever question, turn it around so that you can say something like this:

‘I have done some research into current salaries for [insert role], and in this part of the country at the moment a reasonable range for a person with my qualifications and experience is [insert salary range]. I think I fall towards the higher end of that range because of my expertise in [insert area of expertise] and I understand that this will be a critical component of this job.’

You might not have directly answered the interviewer’s question, but he will cer-tainly be ‘wowed’ by your answer, and you have given him enough information to establish a realistic, ball-park figure.

You will want to have a salary range in mind for your own sake anyway. Yes, you want the job, but surely not at any cost? Just remember though when you come to calculate it, that it must be realistic. Do not expect your new employer to subsi-dize your outstanding credit card bill or your exorbitant mortgage – these things are your responsibility. Ask for what is fair and reasonable and reflects your skills, experience and capabilities and you will not go far wrong.

103


104

JOB SEARCH NINJA

CONCLUSION

With competition in the job market as tough as it is, make no mistake, you will have done tremendously well to get as far as the interview stage, and for that you deserve a huge pat on the back.

HOWEVER...if you have learned nothing else throughout the course of this book, I hope that you now better understand that this is not the time to rest on your laurels. Employers’ expectations are high and the effort that you put into your interview preparation is absolutely crucial. It is only by putting in the preparation, the train-ing and the commitment that those mighty Japanese warriors did, that you will rise above your competitors.

A well-written resume and cover letter which market your skills, abilities, educa-tion and experience have been vital in getting you this far, but the interviewer wants more than this. Before he makes any commitment to recruiting you, training you and paying your salary, he needs to be absolutely convinced that you are the right match for his business. And the onus is on you to demonstrate that.

The interview is the first opportunity that a potential employer has to meet you, and the ability to sell yourself on all counts is what will make or break your chances of getting the job. From the minute you walk through the door he will be sizing you up. You will be judged by what you wear and how you carry yourself, by the strength of your handshake and whether you look him straight in the eye or shift-ily avoid his gaze. He will be assessing your ability to answer his questions, some of them pretty tough ones, and how well you researched his company. He will require demonstrable proof that you can do what you claim you can do and he will be studying your personality, trying to work out what makes you tick and whether you would fit in.

Aside from the real gaffes that some interviewees make, such as telling the inter-viewer that they were fired from their last job for beating up the boss, by far the big-gest and most common mistake lies in the lack of preparation. Candidates bluster their way through questions that they should know the answers to, they interview

105


with companies that they have learned nothing about and they fail miserably in let-ting their own personalities shine through. And still they wonder why they did not get the job.

Incredibly, many people are still surprised by the concept of having to sell them-selves to potential employers, as though they have some God-given right to be handed the job on a silver platter. Nothing could be further from the truth, how-ever. It is up to you to demonstrate what you have to offer.

When you walk into that interview room, you are practically a blank canvas to the recruiter and the image that you present is yours to choose. If you follow the advice in this book, you will be giving yourself the very best opportunity to really stand out from the crowd and multiply your chances of being offered that job. Think like a job search ninja and you will become one!

You can find more information on how to build your brand, market yourself and find opportunities in the hidden job market in my book entitled ‘Company YOU! – How To Build Your Brand And Network Your Way To A New Job’.

Should you need any further advice, or just wish to pass on your comments or share your experiences, do not hesitate to contact me.

I wish you the very best of luck in your job search – go show those interviewers what you are made of!

[Insert contact details]

The competition for jobs is fierce, to compete you must think and act like a warrior. The current recession is shaping up to be the worst since World War II, and only the skills of a trained, tactical warrior are going to be enough to see you through it. As if the loss of 2.6 million jobs during 2008, and a further 600,000 during January 2009 alone, were not enough, President Obama said of the unemployment situation during his weekly address on January 31st, 2009, that the situation will only get worse and it has.

How will you compete in such a tight job market?During good economic times the average time to find a new job is 1 month for every $10,000 in income. No one knows what that data looks like in this job market, but we do know it is much worse. You need to learn skills that will get you hired, and fast. In this fast paced book you will learn how to discover your inner ninja and:

Learn this and much more in this exciting follow up to The Job Search Ninja – Guide to the hidden job market.

Learn how to prepare yourself for any interview situation and win

The Ninja art of handling interrogations – how to shine in a difficult interview

Secret Ninja tricks that will get you noticed by influencers in the interview process

How to close the interview and leave no doubt that you are the right person for the job

•

•

•

•

JOB SEARCH NINJA:

A BOOK BY TODD BAVOLTips on Acing the Interview

To compete in today’s job market you must interview like a warrior!

Documents

To compete in today’s job market you must interview like a … · 2017. 3. 16. · difficult interview Secret Ninja tricks that will get you noticed by influencers in the interview