Archive for the ‘Job Interviewing’ Category

Following Up After a Job Interview

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Over the last couple of years, some executives may have experienced a longer gap between jobs than ever before in their careers. As someone who wants to move to the next step in the interviewing process, you are anxious to hear back from the hiring manager after an interview. What can you or should you do?

Following up after an interview is crucial. CareerBuilder conducted a survey in 2011 and found that 22% of hiring managers dismiss candidates who don’t send a thank you note after the interview. Wow! What that says to them is that the candidate has poor follow-through and perhaps even lack of interest in the position. Not a good image for the hiring manager to have if you expect to get called back.

Step 1. Start the follow up before you leave the interview

Ask the hiring manager at the end of the interview what the next step is in their hiring process and when do they expect to make their decision. Simple, easy question, and helps you identify timing from the company’s standpoint. It also helps you determine what is appropriate follow-up communication that should come from you and when.

Step 2. Thank you note

As stated above, hiring managers notice when someone doesn’t respect protocol and send a thank you note. Be gracious and positive in your note, even if you know you are out of the running for that position. Why? Because you never know when the company or recruiter may have another opportunity where you might be a good fit.

Send your letter (unless it’s a committee interview) to each person you met with within 24-48 hours. Today it is acceptable to send your thank you note by email. Handwritten thank you letters are not a good idea if your penmanship isn’t legible; nor does it provide enough space to present key points from your interview. Be sure to customize each letter; you would not want the team comparing notes to find out you sent everyone a “cookie-cutter” message. And as with any written communication, spell everyone’s name properly. Spelling mistakes can kick you out of the interview process swiftly.

The thank-you note is also an opportunity to briefly support why you are the best person for the position and send follow-up information that may have been discussed in the interview (i.e. the white paper I mentioned is attached or can be found at xx website). End your thank-you note by confirming your interest in the job, let them know you will follow up again (specify a time range) and thank them again for the opportunity. Thank you notes should not be longer than one page.

Step 3. Don’t be a nag

Tempting as it may be to email or call the hiring manager frequently to find out your status, please don’t. And if you promised to check back with them within a certain time period, choose your words wisely. Phrasing your note diplomatically is key to getting a response. Always have a purpose for your follow-up communication other than just checking in on status; perhaps it is adding to pertinent information such as completing a certification, or a contribution to an industry journal that would confirm skills and talents. Remember, keep it brief.

Put yourself in the hiring manager’s position when considering your follow-up tactics. Would you like to receive long drawn out thank-you notes that have little value? Is your inbox overflowing with lengthy emails you don’t have time to read? Do you have time to answer numerous phone calls to reassure candidates they are still being considered for the position?

As you may have noticed with social media, messages are getting shorter and shorter. Tweets are 140 characters – not words – characters, which include spaces. And the word is out that people only read the first 80 characters of a tweet. So be a master at paring down your words to get your message across succinctly. It may just be a factor in your being considered for the next job.

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Five Secrets of Corporate Interviewers

Monday, November 21st, 2011

When a candidate makes it to the interview stage they breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the job search strategies they have implemented are working, at least to this point. But wait. The interview can make or break a hiring decision. As a jobseeker, you may have read articles about what you need to do to ace the interview and are comfortable with the approach or tactics. But do you know the secrets that hiring agents and interviewers are using to screen you out?

1. Google
A jobseeker should be researching and Googling companies they are interested in to obtain important information about the organization. On the flip side, recruiters and hiring agents are Googling you! Over 90% of employers use Google today to capture additional information about the jobseeker. Keep your social media profiles professional, especially when in the midst of a job search. You don’t want to lose a job opportunity because a potential employer found an embarrassing picture or inappropriate online post.

2. Dress to Impress
Employers are looking at interview candidates with a sharp eye because they may one day be representing the company. Conservative suit or dress wins out over miniskirts and loud ties (unless you are interviewing for a job in the circus), Also, be cautious about using too much perfume or extreme body odor. This distracts the interviewer and could cut your interview time short should the smell become too intense.

3. Interview Savvy
Interviewers appreciate candidates who understand the interview process and can navigate through it confidently. Make it easy for them to interview you by being prepared, flexible, answering questions directly and asking questions as appropriate. The smoother the interview goes, the better your chances are to move through the hiring process.

4. Sell Yourself
Ability to do the job today isn’t enough. Remember, an interviewer wants to screen you out as much as screen you in. Consider your talents and skills as the premium products that every employer wants and needs. Sell them as if you are the only one who possess these skills. Position yourself as a solution to the company’s problems. Set yourself apart from your competition, and be prepared to answer the question, “why should I hire you?”

5. Etiquette
Cell phones going off constantly, people walking and texting, rings, chimes, reminder voices soaring through the air. Do these sound like typical things you experience throughout your day? Don’t be rude when interviewing by leaving your cell phone on the table, texting while talking, or giving attention to numerous reminder pings. Turn your cell phone off while in an interview! Whatever etiquette you display in an interview tells the interviewer (without saying a word) what type of employee you might be.

A few of the attributes from the Boy Scouts also apply when interviewing: Be trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful, brave, clean, and reverent. And the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

Contact Louise today

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Create an Executive Brand by Telling Your Story

Monday, November 14th, 2011


Think of Coca Cola. Do you have a picture of a can of Coca Cola clearly in your mind? What do you see? Red and white/silver aluminum can with distinctive lettering. Now picture a glass of coke, just an ordinary glass with a dark colored beverage inside. It could be Coke, but it could also be Pepsi; it could even be root beer. If the ‘resume’ of Coca Cola just talked about a carbonated soft drink in general terms, and didn’t relay the unique taste, the secret formula that creates the taste, the color of the can and distinctive script that identifies the Coca Cola brand, the general public would murmur a collective sigh of ‘ho-hum’. There are many carbonated soft drinks on the market today, why should they try Coca Cola?

Hiring agents might feel the same way about a candidate if they are not strategically showcasing their unique talents and skills in the resume. Job seekers need to clearly communicate their executive brand – the impressive things they have done and the unique person they are. As a Certified Professional Brand Strategist I believe a successful resume has everything to do with branding. Understanding a candidate’s personal brand is key to helping them get the job they want because it distinguishes them from others. A good branding statement in a resume should include exclusive value, attributes, and competitive advantage blended with a successful work history.

How do you create a branding statement? By telling your story in a succinct way that captures your value. Let’s go back to Coca Cola for a minute. Their brand has developed from marketing a single product to multiple products and as important, the ethics and standards that the business represents. With your brand, companies and hiring managers are buying the standards you have set and achievements consistently delivered. Paint a picture in the mind of the reader with your success stories.

Three additional benefits to creating your brand by telling your story:
1. Leverage the information in an interview. These same stories can carry a candidate through some of the most challenging interview questions, because they already have the answers (or a portion thereof) in their back pocket. They have a story to tell that can help them present as a solution to a company’s problem.
2. Social media profiles. Candidates can use an executive branding statement as a basis for a social media profile. It should not be exactly the same as in the resume, however, can be the starting point for creation of a strong online profile.
3. Professional bio. The foundation of a professional bio can be seeded from the executive branding statement.

A good stand-alone brand statement is quite versatile Creating an executive brand will increase your market value. Need help creating your own? Contact Louise today

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Questions to Ask at Interviews

Sunday, July 11th, 2010
The following questions are among those that you can choose to ask during interviews. Select a few so that you can round out the information you need to make a decision about the company, as well as appear interested and enthusiastic about the opportunity.

Why is this position open?

How often has it been filled in the past 5 to 10 years?

What have been the primary reasons for persons leaving?

Why did the person who held this position most recently leave?

What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this job?

What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this job?

What is most pressing? What would you like to have done within the next2 or 3 months?

What are some of your longer-term objectives?

What freedom would I have in determining my work objectives, deadlines, and methods of measurement?

What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people and finances?

What are the more difficult problems facing someone in this position? How do you think these could best be handled?

Where could a person go who is successful in this position and within what time frame?

In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years?

What significant changes do you foresee in the near future?

How is one judged? What accounts for successes?

What are the most critical factors for success in your business? (Note whether or not he or she mentions that people matter.)

Where do you see the company (or function) going in the next few years?

How do you win support from top management?

How would you describe your own management style?

What are the most important traits you look for in a subordinate?

How do you like your people to communicate with you? (Orally, in writing, informally, in meetings, only when necessary?)

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Top 10 Interview Questions to Master

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

1. Tell me about yourself

Address the skills relevant to the position you are interviewing for, your education, work experience, and interest in the position. Keep your complete answer to about 2 minutes; don’t ramble or elaborate. This is your 2-minute self-introduction.

2. What can you offer us that other candidates can’t?

If this question is asked early in the interview, you might respond by discussing generally how your skills and experience would benefit the company. To get more specific, you will need to know something about the job situation they have in mind. Resist the temptation to frame an answer based on your assumptions about the position. If the question is asked after the interviewer has described the position, then you can relate your accomplishments to the problems of your prospective employer. This is an opportune time to discuss your problem-solving abilities.

3. What are your strengths?

You should be able to list 3 or 4 of your key strengths that are relevant to their needs, based on the research and other data you have gathered about their company.

4. How successful have you been so far?

Be prepared to define success for yourself and then respond. Try to choose accomplishments that relate to the company’s needs and values.

5. What are your limitations?

Respond with a strength which, if overdone, can be a detriment and become a weakness. For example, you might say, “My desire to get the job done sometimes causes me to be overzealous with high expectations. I am aware of this problem and am able to keep it in check.” Or, discuss your need for further training in some aspect of your profession that is not tied directly to performing the responsibilities in this position and, therefore, being successful in it. For example: “One area that I am strengthening is my knowledge of X computer application. To that end, I’ve enrolled in a seminar on the subject.” Do not claim to be faultless, but limit your answer to one specific issue.

6. How much are you worth?

Try to delay answering this until you have learned more about the job and can estimate, based on previous research, the salary range this company endorses for similar positions. If you feel obliged to answer, you might reply in this way: “You are aware of what I have been earning at Employer X, and I would hope that coming to your company would be a progressive step. Perhaps, we can go into this question in more depth after we discuss the job responsibilities and scope further.”

7. What are your ambitions for the future?

Indicate your desire to concentrate on doing the immediate job well – and your confidence that the future will then be promising. You do not want to convey that you have no desire to progress, but you need to avoid statements that are unrealistic, or that might threaten present incumbents.

8. What do you know about our company?

You’ve done your homework, and have studied all that is publicly available about the employer and are therefore aware of many published facts. However, you might state that you would like to know more; then be prepared to ask intelligent questions. Avoid a recitation of the facts, incorporate personal remarks and specific questions to facilitate a lively exchange of information.

9. Why are you seeking a position with our company?

Indicate that from your study of the company, many of the activities and problems are the sort that would give you a chance to contribute to the company through your experience and skills. If you honestly can, express your admiration for the company and what it is that appeals to you.

10. What qualifications do you have that you feel would make you successful here?

If this question is asked after you have sufficient information about the position, talk about two or three of your major skills (supported by accomplishments) which you believe will be useful in the position. If the question is asked earlier, talk about two or three of your major skills and relate them to the extent that you can to the company. Gauge the amount of detail for this and other answers by the time frame set by the interviewer for your meeting and by his or her signals as to how much information is enough.

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Anatomy of the Job Interview: Managing Your Image

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Plan how you want to be perceived during job interviews. The all-important first impressions count heavily. Some of the critical factors are:

1. Physical presence. Dress appropriately for the culture you are entering. Be sure your grooming is immaculate. Assume a posture that is neither too relaxed or sloppy, nor too tense or forward. Express your energy and fitness. Avoid awkward hand poses or seating positions. Avoid excessive jewelry, perfume/cologne, smoking, and gum.

2. Movements and mannerisms. Use your natural gestures; don’t close your hands. Avoid fidgeting, scratching, or fussing with objects such as a pen or glasses. Move around naturally and avoid looking stiff or awkward.

3. Manner of speaking. Make sure you can be heard; be aware of the interviewer’s reaction to your voice. Do not mumble or drop your voice to a whisper toward the end of your sentences. Avoid sing-song or monotone recitations, which will give the impression that you are over-rehearsed. Also, avoid slang and colloquialisms like “Ya know,” as well as grunts, hems and haws, and other verbal sounds.

4. Demeanor. Convey the appropriate amount of enthusiasm, warmth, and sincerity to suit the dynamics of your interviewer. Be positive; avoid negative topics, and don’t vent hostility. Smile!

5. Listening skills. Listen with full concentration and maintain eye contact 90 percent of the time (without staring). Indicate attention and acceptance with nods and smiles. Avoid interrupting; allow silence when thought is needed.

6. Communication skills. Mirror the style and pace of your interviewer. Answer forthrightly and credibly, and stop when you have answered the question; don’t over-elaborate with details and anecdote; don’t ramble. DON’T INTERRUPT. Organize your thoughts with a logical structure. If you don’t know something, say so. Clarify a question if you don’t understand it. Listen before you talk.

7. Interview techniques. Get names and exact titles; exchange business cards. Elicit company or departmental needs early in the interview using open-ended questions. Weave in your strengths and accomplishments as responses to those needs. Respond to doubts or objections positively without being defensive. Keep to your allotted time frames; redirect the interview as needed. Show your knowledge of the interviewer’s company without sounding arrogant. Try to get a commitment for a follow-up interview or a visit to the work scene. Learn if other people might need to see you. Evaluate the impact of the interview when you are leaving. Re-affirm your interest and enthusiasm without sounding desperate.

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