I dislike interviewing – though I don’t suppose it’s on anyone’s favorites list; to me, it’s like making a commitment to marriage after a single, short, blind date. That’s my opinion from both sides of the table. But here’s 3 tales of my personal interviewing experiences – then some tips a head-hunter once gave me.
1) First professional job
I showed up in Las Vegas and met with the father of a girl my girlfriend had met while working in Moab. I wasn’t really on vacation but I wasn’t truly a vagabond either; more a working vacation – I certainly wasn’t prepared for interviewing; I was even less prepared to make a permanent move. He was an engineer for a government contractor at what was then the Nevada Test Site – testing of boom-booms.
I was working 2 weeks later as a mid-level technician in a deep black hole. When I showed up, I lived elsewhere. I moved and never went back. I liked the work, the place, and the people I worked with. I’ve found that combination very rare.
Times still come around when I wonder if I should have stayed a tech instead of submitting to “ambition”. I still remember one engineer I worked under – he convinced me “I can walk around with a coffee cup, make $30k/yr (long, long ago), and be that stupid“.
Took me a couple of years of engineering experience to realize my impression of his skills wasn’t wrong. It was too late to become a tech again by then though. Techs had the fun work – at least at that time and place.
In spite of that, it was the senior people there I highly respected that encouraged me to advance my education and I don’t really have regrets about moving up. I never did end up working for the places that inspired me at that time though.
2) Later, while in graduate engineering school – at Nevada-Reno. I never regretted going to that school.
An engineer came over from California for a sort-of “career day”. I believe it was in February, maybe March. He gave an interesting talk – to me at least – about analog signal processing. He invited students to come in and chat – mostly for 10 minute pre-interviews – but I showed up to ask him questions about his talk. At that time, I was set on heading to Seattle and let him know I wasn’t interested in California. We talked for about 40 minutes anyway. He was headed home that night.
Went home and thought about this and that; next day I talked with some of my professors about this person, his company, and Sunnyvale vs. Seattle. Turned out a storm had hit the Sierra overnight and the pass was closed – this gentleman was still in town. We talked a bit more; I had a job when the semester ended. This was back when “HR” was still “Personnel” and their job was to do the paperwork after a manager decided on a candidate.
Best job I ever had. Biggest professional mistake I made was leaving that position.
I finally made it to Seattle. 2nd biggest professional mistake I made.
3) Later. Another government position.
Interview was cross-country on a Monday morning. Had to go through security to get an access badge. I showed up early just to make sure. Didn’t count on all the other contractors also showing up on Monday morning to get their weekly access badges.
The building was on the other side of campus; the doors weren’t labeled.
I showed up between 10 and 15 minutes late. Oops.
20 minutes later, it was over. Repeat the process to go home; caught the plane that afternoon.
Got the job. Still not sure what was going on … but I later heard rumors that were not pleasant. Good job; by far the worse boss I ever had. Didn’t think much more of his bosses either. Still feel that way all these years later. It wasn’t the person I had interviewed with – I never worked for that guy; I don’t recall ever seeing him again.
Mostly being a hired gun during my mid profession, I became as familiar with being the interviewee as most managers had being the interviewer. I recall one job interview that was so bad – from my point of view – that I turned it down before I was off-site. It was so bad, I spent most of the next 5 years 2nd-sourcing that company’s products; to this day, I don’t use that company’s products and when I have the chance, I design their products out of any system I work on.
I recall one interview that went so bad – for me – that I got so flustered, I had trouble remembering who I was. And the interviewers had fun with it. Just as well – I think in hindsight what might have happened if I had been offered the position and taken it. I deeply embarrassed myself but I dodged a bullet anyway. One clue: I was informed the literacy rate got better as one got closer to town. Never had “literacy rate” come up in an interview before – or since.
Have I mentioned I hate interviews?
Resumes.
To this day, I don’t know what constitutes a good resume: this company wants to see this, another company doesn’t want to see this. Sometime back when, Personnel turned into “HR” with HR “professionals” and all of a sudden it seemed, HR needed to screen a candidate before a manger got to even know of the candidate’s existence. What a waste of office space but it is what it is. Resumes needed to be padded with “buzz words” – and being scanned by computer, it had to be the right word or right phrase. Expert on op-amps? Or is it opamps? Or does it need to be “operational amplifiers”? I’ve seen all three but never together.
Have I mentioned I hate interviews?
My favorite and best-fit jobs did not come about by traditional interviews … but that’s me.
But I didn’t write this post to bitch about interviews other than to drop some experiences to those that may read this and are still in a position to have to interview. Not that I think the experiences I went through are pertinent to the procedures of today.
In any case, during my time I became a “client” of head-hunters – another useless profession that has proliferated. In my time of that experience, I found one – only one – who was actually more than a commodity broker. Used car dealers in a different line of work.
My purpose here is to pass along some interview tips this headhunter passed on to me. Maybe they’ll be of use to someone – I don’t recall being particularly successful when using headhunters – even with this person whom I respected and became friends with. Although my work being fairly specialized may have had something to do with this (too much of this, too little of that in a digital age)
Dave: Here are some tips on interviewing:
Remember your objective and goal – To get an offer!
Attitude is everything! Approach this opportunity as if it is potentially the greatest opportunity in the world – sell yourself and your accomplishments. Some candidates have actually played coy, and remarked how they really weren’t looking for an opportunity. Don’t make the interviewer wonder why you are considering a change.
If you aren’t going to go all out and try to get the job, don’t agree to interview – you waste everyone’s time.
My best advice is to relax and be yourself.
Good luck
Preparing for an in-person meeting.
First Impressions do count.
Be punctual; 10 minutes early. If you are late, say you are sorry, but don’t dwell on it. “Traffic was heavier than normal, I appreciate you waiting for me. Glad to meet you.” (They really don’t want to know all the reasons.)
Have a firm handshake and look the interviewer in the eyes. This displays confidence and sincerity. Smile. All three together: shake, eyes and smile. It is a great way to say hello and good-bye.
It is a good idea to bring extra copies of your resume and business cards with you. This shows how organized you are.
If you are asked to complete an employment application, do it cheerfully. Some people actually take offense to having to fill this out. If you don’t cooperate at this stage of the game, what are you going to be like as an employee?
Be well groomed. Have a manicure, men; no polish, just buffed; have your teeth cleaned; your hair cut or trimmed, beards, mustaches, eyebrows, and nose hairs.
Cologne is not necessary; your freshly showered body is all that is needed.
What to wear:
Tailored dark suit and conservative jewelry: wedding ring & watch. Men should not wear earrings. Your socks should match your trousers. Ensure your shoes are shined. Your belt should match your shoes.
Wear a freshly laundered white shirt or purchase a new shirt just for interviewing. Think crisp and bright.
Be mentally prepared.
You might be asked to give a 2-5 minute dissertation in response to the following questions: “Tell me about yourself?” Think about this now and how you will respond. Practice your response in front of a mirror. Time yourself. Tip: Start with your college or work experience and work you way up to the present.
“Why would you consider making a job change at this point in your career?“
This answer has to be credible. If you tell them you aren’t looking then they are going to question why you are in the chair being interviewed. Be honest but they don’t need to know the details.
For example:
“I find that there is really no place for me to move up within my organization, so I realize I have to look outside my current employer.“
“I was laid-off along with 35 other individuals when my current company experienced a decrease in sales.“
“I find myself not having the passion to work for my current boss that I have had working for others. Our approaches are different. I’ve made the decision to make a change.” (You do NOT need to go into more depth.)
“What compensation are you looking for to make a change?”
“While I believe I am as money motivated as the next guy, opportunity and challenge are my number one priorities.” (It is fine to tell them your current salary.) “My current compensation is $65k base with a compensation package that brought me to $105k last year.“
If they make you an offer and it is acceptable to you, say yes. If for some reason it is not acceptable to you, let them know you will think it over and then call [us] immediately. Never turn down an offer. Let us try to negotiate an acceptable compensation package for you. (Do NOT turn down an offer without consulting your Account Executive.)
Ask any and all questions to determine if the job and company are interesting to you.
Save the following questions until you have an offer. Or ask your Account Executive to find out.
How much vacation do you give?
When is pay day?
Describe your medical plan to me in detail. How much would be my contribution?
Do you give drug tests?
Does everyone work Saturday?
Meal Time Interview
Do not order something messy or talk with your mouth full. Spaghetti is inappropriate. Use your utensils and your napkin. (I had a candidate lose an opportunity because he picked up his bacon.) Always lay your napkin on your lap.
Do not drink alcohol even if others around the table are ordering. Go for iced tea or lemonade. Remember, this is an interview.
Don’t suck on mints or chew gum after eating and never smoke during an interview.
Be careful how you handle the following situations.
The Name Game
Don’t play it. If you know a mutual person, the employer may ask you what you think of that person. Exercise extreme caution. This may be a trap. What if their opinion doesn’t match yours? Think before you speak.
Past Employment
Do NOT bad mouth your past or current employer. This will only reflect poorly on you.
At the end of the interview.
Step 1: Find out what the next step is and let them know if you liked what you heard. If you are a sales person (although everyone could do this), you MUST close for the job. This is a test for all sales people.
Examples:
“Is there anything else you need to know about me before we take the next step?“
“I really enjoyed meeting you and finding out more about this company. What is the next step?“
Step 2: When you are getting ready to leave:
Handshake, eyes and smile – “Good-bye. I hope to see you again.“
If you are asked about references, let them know you will gather them. (Then you should forward them to [us] and we will pass them along to the company.) Don’t give them on the day of the interview, they don’t need them until they have decided to make you an offer.
Call us after your interview. We will want to know who you talked to, the questions they asked, how you answered, etc. The sooner you call, the more you will remember.
EXTRA IN-PERSON INTERVIEW TIPS
1. Give prospective employers an example of what you can do for them.
In 2 sentences, state the value that you would bring to the employer. Be specific. Include a summary of your value that targets the hiring manager needs; once finding them out.
2. You won’t make a good match unless you already know the parameters of the job when you walk into the interview. The best way to learn about a company is to talk to people who work there ahead of time; such as the sales department.
3. Show that you understand the job. Ask what problem the manager hopes to solve by hiring you. Make sure that you also understand the goal the manager is working toward; higher sales? More profit? Technical goals? Your task is to show how you can help the company achieve that goal.
Show that you can do the job. Be prepared to highlight the steps that you would take to solve the employer’s problem and to help reach the employer’s goal. Show the manager how you think and how you work.
Show how the company will profit from hiring you. Be ready to tackle the issue of profitability: How is your way of doing this work going to reduce cost or increase revenues? Put a number on it. The number doesn’t have to be right, but you should be prepared to defend it intelligently. Just as important, it will help you take the employer along with you.
4. The shocking truth: the employer wants to hire you. A company holds interviews so it can hire the best person for the job. The hiring manager will be ecstatic if that person turns out to be you because he can stop interviewing and get back to work.
So give yourself an attitude adjustment. If you convince yourself that the hiring manager wants to hire you, then you’ll have a positive attitude when you walk into the interview. Your attitude might influence the manager to feel more positive about you.
5. It’s not an interview, it’s your first day at work. Most people treat an interview as if it is an interrogation. The employer asks questions, and the candidate gives answers. It’s best to avoid that scenario with the conversation, questions and answers flowing both ways.
Your attitude should be that of an employee who’s there to talk about a new project rather than the more obsequious attitude of a candidate who’s merely hoping to get an offer.
Candidates who think of themselves as employees immediately tip the scales of power in their favor, because they come across as people who understand the job and who are prepared to do it. Doing the job causes the most rapid shift in control. It turns a question and answer session into an exciting engagement between two people who have seized an opportunity to take a fresh and constructive look at their work.
6. To win an offer, do the job. How do you do the job during the interview? As an example, a candidate walked over to the VP’s whiteboard and outlined the company’s challenges, as well as the steps that he would take to help solve these challenges. He wrote down his estimate of how much this could help the company’s bottom line.
The VP brought in the rest of his team, and the meeting lasted for two hours. There was no standard interview nonsense: The candidate’s demonstration changed the whole tone of the interview in the candidate’s favor.