Month: August 2015

Many times it is not what you say but how you say it that matters.  Actually, if you believe the TED Talk from Amy Cuddy it can matter a lot even before the interview starts.  It seems that body language not only conveys things to other people but also to ourselves.  It might be a power pose you take before your interview or just being sure you smile.

Keep in mind that what you wear and your hygiene, or lack of it also plays into how others perceive you.  But here are a few things to keep in mind…

Sitting forward a little in the chair: This shows that you are interested and engaged.

Don’t put your hands in your pockets: Not only does this you look dorky but it can make people think you are not telling the truth.

Try not to fidget:  This can be distracting to the interviewer.

Be sure not to cross your arms or put them behind you: It shows that you are closed off.

Make good eye contact but do not stare:  This is a fine line and I understand that it is cultural.  Ask people you know and trust if you make good eye contact.

Have a good handshake:  You can’t help it if the other person has a bad handshake but try to keep yours slightly firm with only one or two pumps.

Walk with confidence: Wear shoes that are comfortable and appropriate.  If they squeak just say something like “sorry about the squeak, I guess my shoes need an alignment.”  It will help keep you calm.

To figure out if you do any of these things it is a good idea to do a mock interview and video it.  But the tough part is watching the video to critique yourself.  I don’t tell you all of these things to make you a nervous wreck but rather to make you a little more self-aware.

The Man

Let people feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it.
John Eldridge

 

 

 

Very few people like doing interviews.  This includes the hiring manager and the recruiter.  It sucks for everyone but most of all for the candidate.  As a candidate you are walking into a world where the rules are different and can change on a dime.  That being said, there are not many times in this world where someone wants you talk about yourself.

You do realize by now that this is a game, right?  There are rules and every company, job and interviewer has different rules but I think there are a few that almost everyone will agree on:

Accuracy matters: Please, please, please be sure to check your resume and cover letter for spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.  Have one or two other people also look at them.

Timeliness matters: If you are not going to on-time for the interview, will you show up on-time 8 months later when the honeymoon is over?

Attire matters: Unfortunately there is not one dress code anymore so this is a little tougher.  There are a few general rules though.  First, have good hygiene.  Seriously, some people skip this step.  Also, no vulgar or offensive sayings on your shirt or bumper stickers on your car.  I love the Chive as much as the next person but there are a few of their shirts that are inappropriate for interviews, unless it is with them.

Body language: Are you sitting up and leaning forward a little to show that you are engaged?  Did you just doze off?  Please do not shake my hand like I am your grandmother or make eye contact like I am Medusa.

Be prepared: Bring extra copies of your resume and have questions written down.  If you ask questions it is also a good idea to write a few notes down when they answer them.  Also, be sure to bring two writing instruments.  Pen or pencil might be a company culture thing.

Write thank you notes: No, you do not have to write thank you CARDS but I would at least write a thank you email to each person you meet with.  This is a great way to reiterate why you are a great match and the company / position is perfect for you.

This is the BEST you: Just like with a first date, this is the best you they are going to see.  If you are not confident, act like you are.

HR might have more legalistic rules:  There you are joking around with the HR guy after the interview about your last vacation to Vegas and you mention how “hot” the girls are there.  Why don’t you just wear a sign that says “I am the reason that companies do sexual harassment training.”

Some people are idiots and some companies are full of them: If you run into one knucklehead in the interview process that asks an illegal question or you have sized up to be a SIB (to be covered in a later post) you might want to cut them some slack.  Maybe no one told them that we are out of the 1900’s now.  But if run into a few people like this it might just be the tip of the iceberg.

In the end interviewing is like any other game, it can be fun.  I know there is a lot riding on it but just ask a SEC football fan… ALL games are important.  They would rather lose a job opportunity than have their team lose a game.  You need to tell yourself over and over that you want the RIGHT job and company, not just ANY job or company.

The Man

It’s a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up.
Giant Sports

You may have heard the quote from Dave Barry: “If someone is nice to you but rude to the waiter, they are not a nice person.”  This is especially true in the interview process.  A sales candidate just the other day failed this test.  They were in their interview with a hiring manager when another employee interrupted them.  The other employee introduced themselves but the candidate did not stand up and they were not engaging.  Bad move.  Now I am not going to say whether or not I think this interaction was planned but it did have the desired effect.  The hiring manager got to see how the candidate handles things.  Fair?  No.  Since when did you think an interview was supposed to be fair.

One of the things I have seen in interview processes is that they are sometimes organized in such a way as to test a candidate:

• Not giving you directions to the interview: Maybe they forgot or maybe they want to see if you plan ahead.
• Changing plans:  Sometimes things come up or they might want to see if you freak out when last-minute things happen.
• Using a new or different technology:  Yes, technology is cool but it can also be frustrating.  Do you get frustrated easily?
• Leave you in the lobby, break room or another place where employees frequent:  They may be getting things ready for the interview or they may be seeing how you handle new situations.  The employees that pass by can be your ally or your downfall.

It is relatively easy to see how people handle themselves, you just need to be observant.  This is just to remind you that the interview really begins before the beginning.

The Man

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
William Shakespeare

 

Recruiting these days resembles sales more than it does HR.  If you are unemployed I am sure you might not care but you should.

Recruiters sometimes just want to get a butt in the seat and they do not care whose butt it is.  I am by no means saying that all or even most recruiters do this but it does happen.  If you are talking to an agency recruiter they have a monetary incentive to get you, or another one of their candidates, in that job.  They are often up against a time constraint and candidates from other agencies or that have applied directly to the company.  This may sound good as some recruiters are pushy with companies to get their candidates hired.  The recruiter might even spend time prepping you for the interview and telling you what to say.

One ugly truth is that you may be the wingman for the “right” candidate.  Sometimes recruiters send a few mediocre candidate along with one “good” candidate to make the one candidate seem better.  Again, this is not a usual practice but it may happen.  Why do you thing most bridesmaids dresses are ugly?

Just keep all this in mind when you are interviewing with a company or through an agency.

The Man

Life is hard; it’s even harder if you’re stupid.
John Wayne

Many people blame others for a lot of things.  I am not saying that bad crap does not happen to good people.  But you do need to look at trends.  As a friend says “what is the common denominator?”  If ALL of your bosses have been bad maybe it is not your bosses.  Rarely do good employees have several bad bosses in a row.  It is usually the employee that is late to work, does not follow the dress code, leaves early, or is not a team player that has all the bad bosses.  Funny how that works… some bosses seem to have all the bad employees.

Many time we blame others.  The problem with that is, you cannot change other people but you can change yourself.  So if you are not part of the problem then you cannot fix it.  So do you want to fix your problems or not?

I am not saying it is all your fault but you need to take some ownership.  Rarely does a relationship fail solely because of one person.  It usually takes two to screw things up.

So, let’s look at work.  If your job is bad or your boss is bad do you have some ownership in the issues?  If your boss is always a jerk when you are late then don’t be late.  If HR always talk to you about the dress code when you wear shorts then don’t wear shorts.  Yes, you have rights.  You can wear and say whatever you want but they can also fire you.  Your call.  Want to make work better?  Your move.

The Man

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
Jim Rohn

There is one major difference between dating and the interview process… companies usually keep recruiting and interviewing candidates until there is a butt in the seat.  I know this may seem a little dirty but I have been hosed plenty of times when candidates get buyer’s remorse after accepting the position.  I have also had to resend job offers or fire someone in their first week.

If you handled dating a marriage this way it would not work out very well.  Can you imagine seeing your fiance on a date and when you ask them what is going on they say “I am just building a bench.”  That is what we call it when recruiters have people they stay in touch with in case something comes open.  I know this sounds bad but I also expect employees to network and stay in touch with people at other companies in case they need to start looking for a job.

What this means for you as the candidate is that sometimes you have gone through all the interviews but we do not make an offer.  Also, sometimes we want to make an offer but The Man won’t let us because the company’s EBITDA is not high enough and your $50,000.00 salary goes straight to the bottom like if we don’t hire you.

Keep your chin up… if we like you, we like you.  So, you should probably keep interviewing till your butt is in the seat and never stop networking.

The Man

People often say that motivation doesn’t last.  Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
Zig Ziglar

I have mentioned it several times, you need to look at the job search like a sales person.  You are the product and all you need to do if find a buyer.  But like a good sales person, your product is not for every buyer.

First, take an objective look at the product:

• KSAs: Knowledge, skills and abilities.  What are yours?
• What industries have you worked in and what is your profession?
• How many years of experience do you have?
• Are you willing / able to travel?

When identifying your target market you need to keep these things in mind:

• Who has a need for your KSAs?
• Geography
• What are the titles of positions?
• Who are the big employers in your area?
• Could your job be done remotely

Finally, you want to come up with a marketing plan.  Prospects are also called decision makers

• Where can you prospect?
• Who are prospects?
• Who can connect you with prospects?
• What are the methods to network?

You hear this a lot in sales: “Plan your work then work your plan.”  You should do the same thing in your job search.  You need to set aside dedicated times to “fill your funnel” or what is called prospecting.

The Man

Either you run the day, or the day runs you.
Jim Rohn

 

If you are currently unemployed then you need to treat your job search like a job.  Not a part-time job, but like a full-time job.  Are you REALLY putting in 40 hours a week?  I know that sounds like a lot of time but you do NEED a job, right?

• Let’s look at the things you should / could be doing:
• Looking for positions.  Better yet, set up a few Google Alerts to do the searching for you.
• Reading news related to your industry or profession.
• Reading professional development books / articles.
• Adding connections on Twitter, FB and LinkedIn.
• Staying in touch with your connections.
• Attend networking events.
• Post to Twitter, FB and LinkedIn – keep it professional.

And the list goes on…  You can spend WAY more than 40 hours a week on a job search, you just need to redefine what “searching for a job” means.  Just remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint race so don’t burn yourself out.  You also don’t want to take your foot off the gas.  I was talking to a client the other day who is looking for a position and I reminded them to keep everything in perspective: “You only need ONE job, just ONE and the next call, email, Tweet, post, or interaction you have with the person at Starbucks might just lead to that job.

Think of it this way… you are the product and the sales person.  If you are in sales then this makes total sense to you, if not, read my next post.  I will explain.

The Man

Good things come to those who wait.  Good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up.
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