Interviewing and Job Tips

How do you know good art when you see it?  After you’ve seen 1,000 bad pieces of art.

I’ve heard that quote in the past and it is applicable to reviewing resumes and interviewing people.  I’ve been recruiting now for 8 years and have conducted numerous interviews and have spoke with hiring managers on debrief calls after they’ve interviewed the candidate.  The one thing I’ve taken away from that experience is when the candidate has “It” they’re going to get the job.  I’ve also seen someone who has “It”, and less experience, trump the candidate who is perfect on paper.

What is “It”?

It’s hard to find and some people have it naturally and others can learn how to have “It”.  “It” is the most elusive of all interviewing traits.  “It” is the ability to make a very strong first impression, continue the perception of the first impression and close with an equally strong ending impression.  “It” is made up of doing all the little things correctly.  Below are some components of “It” and some suggestions on how to get it.

There are a number of tips and tricks on how to answer interview questions and we can address those at a later time.  I’m assuming if you’re at the interview stage your background is appropriate for the position. This article is focused on some of the intangibles which the hiring manager will base their decision on.

Starting the interview on a strong note

• On the phone interview: The first few sentences are critical.  Not only the content but what your voice conveys.  You need to have a well thought out introduction to the interview.  It can be as simple as “Thank you for taking the time out to consider me for the position.  I’m excited to talk with you about it”.  Don’t assume you’ll be able to come up with something in the moment.  Practice the first few sentences and pay attention to whether or not you sound honest. Use their name in the introduction; so simple but makes an impact.
• The ability to be engaging.  Having the ability to carry on a conversation and make your points in an eloquent manner is critical.
• Be the person people want to be around.
• In person interview:  As simple as it sounds, confidence, good handshake, being well dressed and a great smile is generally what it takes to make a strong first impression.  Add those to your rehearsed introduction and you’ll be gold.
• Practice the above!  If you feel you need some work on making a strong introduction go to a networking event or social function and practice the basic art of introducing yourself to someone.  If you can get them to smile right after your introduction you’re doing it right.

Having a connection with the interviewer

• You need to know the audience you’ll be speaking with and their interview style.  If you’re working with a good recruiter they should be able to provide details on the manager’s personality. If you’re speaking with someone who has a sense of humor by all means incorporate your humor into the interview.  If the person is more analytical and to the point your approach should be the same.  Being able to adjust yourself to the person you’re talking to is a great skill to learn. Practice this by introducing yourself to ALOT of people you don’t know.  See if you can be engaging with them and keep a conversation moving by adjusting your style.  In addition, the ability to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know is basically what interviewing is all about.
• Learn about their interests.  This one can be tricky at times.  Googling the person’s name and the city they live in can provide some insight.  I’ve done this and you can find out what their 5k time is, the volunteering activities they’re involved with or the Little League team they coach.  Finding a common interest or activity takes the interview to a different level than being mired in the typical interview questions.  It’s important for hiring managers to enjoy being around the team they’re building and having something to talk about is one way to have a connection.
• If you want a Master’s Degree in connecting with someone, read Click.

The Close

• The Close is so important.  The one thing you don’t want to do is be awkward at the ending and if you don’t get this right all your hard work will be for nothing.  Have your closing rehearsed, memorized and practiced.  The main goal here is for the interviewer to know you’re interested, you’ve enjoyed meeting them and you’d like to move to the next step.  Have this ready to say and you’ll need to read the interviewer when it’s appropriate to say it.  Again, most people can pick up on when someone sounds honest so be honest.  Think of The Close the same as you would the introduction.  Practice leaving a conversation or excusing yourself with someone you’ve just met so it feels comfortable.

Think of an interview as if you were at a formal cocktail party or meeting your significant other’s boss.  You need to be engaging, honest, confident and yourself.  Practice as much as you can so it comes naturally to you.

I’ve talked to alot of people who are qualified on paper but just can’t seem to land a job or they’re consistently coming in second place.  Most of the time it can be traced back to them not having “It”.

The headline to this post was playfully referring to a study at Cambridge that shows our brains adapt to changes.  Our brains view words as a whole rather than individual letters and can adapt to change in a simple case like words on a page.  Adapting to changes in a fast paced business environment is a different story.  So, where do some people go wrong when they have to adapt to changing business conditions and need to shift their strategy or approach?

Adaptability is quickly becoming a new area of interest in the interview process.  The pace of business has accelerated, and with the numerous healthcare changes on the horizon, the ability to adapt to those changes is crucial.

I’ve worked with a number of start up companies hiring their first or a key executive.  Nowhere else is the ability to adapt crucially important.  Business decisions are made quicker, the data available is generally lacking and resources are limited.  In addition, their product isn’t tested and having to adapt to feedback from the market they’re in needs to happen quickly.

Angelo Kinicki, a Professor at Arizona State University, and Mel Fugate of Southern Methodist University, published a paper with the argument that personal adaptability needs to be incorporated in the interview process as a key decision point on whether or not the potential employee would thrive in the organization.

They also point out 5 key factors that should be considered when hiring a new employee.  They argue that determining someone’s success in a position based on the standard of Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) need to be adjusted due to the pace of business.  If a candidate has the 5 attributes below and may not meet some areas in the KSA area, their point is the ability to adapt should trump KSA.  The 5 attributes are:

1. Openness to changes at work
2. Career Resilience-Ability to come back from a setback
3. Career Proactiveness-Proactive scanning on what can be improved
4. Career Motivation-Setting goals for themselves
5. Work identity-Identifying themselves with their work

Some individuals may thrive in an environment where there are no SOP’s, data is lacking and new information is coming forth while others need structure and a slower business pace.  The ability to adjust and adapt is crucial. So how would a hiring manager go about determining a candidate’s ability to adapt?

Some sample questions that focus on a candidate’s ability to adapt are below. Asking both the candidate and a reference will provide insight on whether the candidate has the ability to adapt.

Can you tell me about a time you’ve had to adapt to changing business conditions?

When did you need to innovate to solve a problem due to new information?

How well do you adapt to change?

Can you tell me when you’ve failed and how did you adjust moving forward after that?

If you’re a candidate you should be ready to have some stories ready for an interview to answer how you’ve adapted in your past and gut check yourself on how comfortable you are with change if an organization is in a fast paced business.

As business changes so should the areas of interest in the interview process and the ability to adapt may become one of the most important attributes.

For further reading on the Adaptability study please visit:   http://asu-stage.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1532

Below is a link to a great article about the 15 traits of the ideal employee.  Candidates need to review these and come up with a pre-planned answer or example on how you meet these traits.  Hiring managers may want to think about how to question candidates to see how they meet the traits.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensundheim/2013/04/02/15-traits-of-the-ideal-employee/

Below is a great article about how important speed is when hiring.  How you manage the hiring process shows the candidates how you manage in general.

When It Comes To Hiring Top Talent, Only The Speedy Survive | Fast Company.

The ability to tell a story is crucial to interviewing well.  Great introduction on storytelling below:

The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains.

“BE SO GOOD THEY CAN”T IGNORE YOU”

http://lifehacker.com/5947649/steve-martins-advice-for-building-a-career-you-love

Most cover letters take a one size fits all approach. I’ve heard it said that in order to know when you see a great piece of art you’ve had to look at 1,000 bad ones and I’ve seen the worst of the worst cover letters.

The ones that stick out were ones that were customized and you had a sense that the person sat down and actually put some thought to it.

I’m a big fan of customizing cover letters and resumes depending on the opportunity because there are relevant experiences in your background that are applicable to one position and not another. The goal is to pull the relevant experience out and bring it to the forefront.

A few things to consider when writing a cover letter:

• Most Cover Letters and Resumes are “scanned” by the hiring manager.  They’ll spend less than 15 seconds on it so time and efficiency are key
  • Please keep white space and avoid long paragraphs. Bullet points are shown to be read more than a paragraph style.  The shorter and more to the point the better

• The goal of a cover letter is to bring out your most relevant experience and how it pertains to the position you’re applying for.
  • The BEST way to make an impact is to cut and paste the key points of the description and requirements then add bullet points on how you meet those.
  • Add specific, quantifiable achievements.
    •  How much did you increase sales?
    • What percentage did you save the company?

Remember the S’s!   Short, Sweet, Specific

What’s the best way to answer one of the most diabolical interview question:  “Tell me a little bit about yourself”?

Answer in two minutes and tell a story.  Here’s mine:

I was born in Ohio but I can’t tell you where I grew up.

I ran track and cross country in high-school while I worked delivering pizzas or bussing tables. I was bored of green grass so I moved to the high desert of Colorado after I graduated. I studied business in college and married the girl I went to my high school prom with.

I fell in love with cycling and raced a bit.  My longest was 100 miles and my shortest was about 200 feet when I was caught up in a big wreck.

After school I really took to sales and I moved from entry level positions to business development for an airport engineering consulting firm.  I was away from home too much and I had a few white knuckle moments in their small plane while meeting with clients.  I was gone quite a bit and I missed some things my kids did for the first time so I wanted to be there more for my two kids; a son and daughter. So I looked for a position that I could earn what I put in and enjoy spending time with them.

I moved to recruiting about 8 years ago and did well enough to win several awards, see exotic places from trips I’ve won and had the chance to move back to Ohio.

I’ve coached baseball since my son could throw and have completed a few sprint and Olympic distance triathlons.  I’d love to coach my daughter but she is into children’s theater and I can’t help out much with that.

There ya go.  I’ve spent less than two minutes but I’ve made myself three dimensional to the interviewer.  Hopefully the interviewer is a cyclist, runner or really wants to be home more.  The more opportunities we get to “click” with the interviewer the higher our chances are to move on to the next step.