Guest Article: Six Interview Tips

By Michael R. Neece, CEO of Interview Mastery

1. Interrogation versus Interview:
Most candidates expect they will be interrogated. An interrogation is when one person asks all the questions and the other gives the answers. An interview is a business conversation where both people ask and respond to questions. Too many job seekers believe an interview is an interrogation. With this attitude, candidates do not ask questions and hence do not make their best impression. You need to ask questions throughout the interview. If you don't, you force the interview to be an interrogation.

2. Making a Positive out of a Weakness:
Unskilled interviewers frequently ask candidates "What are your weaknesses?" Conventional interview advice recommends you highlight a weakness like "I'm a perfectionist" and turn it into a positive. Interviewers are not fooled. If you are asked this question a highlight skill that you wish to improve upon and (most importantly) describe what you are proactively doing to enhance your skill in this area. Interviewers don't care what your weaknesses are. They want to see how you handle the question and what your answer indicates about you.

3. No Questions:
Every interview concludes with the interviewer asking if you have any questions. The worst thing to say is you have no questions. Having no questions prepared indicates you are not interested and not prepared. Interviewers are more impressed by the questions you ask than the selling points you try to make. Before each interview make a list of 5 questions you will ask.

4. Only Researching the Company, What about You?
Candidates intellectually prepare by researching the company. Most job seekers do not research themselves by taking inventory of their experience, knowledge and skills. Formulating a talent inventory prepares you to immediately respond to any question about your experience. You must be prepared to discuss any part of your background. Creating a your talent inventory refreshes your memory and helps you immediately remember experiences you would otherwise have forgotten during the interview. Interview Mastery gives you a talent inventory template and many other job search downloads.

5. Leaving Cell Phone On:
We may live in a wired, always available society, but a ringing cell phone is not appropriate for an interview. Turn it off before you enter the company.

6. Waiting for a Call:
Time is your enemy after the interview. After you send a thank you email and note to every interviewer, follow-up a couple days later with either a question or additional information. Contact the person who can hire you, not HR (Human Resources). HR is famous for not returning calls. Additional information can be details about your talents, a recent competitor's press release or industry trends. Your intention is to keep their memory of your fresh.

Another Perspective - Resume Samples

Recently, on the PARW E-List, Frank Fox expressed his opinion that resume writers should not post resume samples on their website. He wrote, "Samples simply invite every visitor to be a critic!" He compared this to CPAs posting client tax returns on their website to demonstrate the tax refunds they were able to get for their clients. He asked, "Do those samples in any way provide assurance that you will have lots of deductions no other CPA would have uncovered...and that you, too, will get a really big refund?"

The problem with this analogy is that the federal government uses a standardized tax form, while resumes are highly customized. And, believe it or not, at least here in Nebraska, accountants *do* talk about how they are able to obtain bigger refunds for their clients. They might not show the actual tax form, but I've seen several of them provide a list of "actual" deductions they've been able to identify for their clients, compared to their competitors.

In fact, H&R Block is running a national campaign for their "Second Look" service:

A tax review service from H&R Block, is helping taxpayers maximize their refunds. With a Second Look review, H&R Block’s tax professionals check returns that were self-prepared or prepared by other tax professionals for missed tax benefits. Last year, H&R Block found bigger refunds for more than half of clients who received a Second Look review. The average additional refund was more than $1,300 for those who re-filed with H&R Block.

Regardless of who prepared their returns, taxpayers can bring in their current and previous three years’ returns for review by an H&R Block tax professional, who confirms the accuracy and ensures that all eligible credits and deductions have been claimed. In addition, the return is covered by the unique H&R Block Guarantee, which provides audit assistance and pays for any penalties and interest owed to the IRS due to an H&R Block error on a return. Last year, H&R Block tax professionals found errors in more than 80 percent of returns it reviewed as part of its Second Look service.

Is "showing rather than telling" more effective? In many cases, yes.

I'm still a huge proponent of including resume samples on your site -- just as I am in favor of resume writers publishing their work in books. Both of these techniques are proven business-builders.

Should clients just believe that we're as good as we claim? Well, it would be nice, but it's not realistic. As I've said before, if you don't post your resume samples because you think someone will just come to your website and steal them, it's true -- that MIGHT happen. But MORE likely is that they're seeking out your site -- and your services -- because they want your help. If your samples reflect the diversity of clients you work with -- and a unique look and content for each -- they will see what you mean by "custom" job search assistance.

There will always be people who want something for nothing. They're going to get it -- whether it's from your site or just Googling "free resume."

But there is a large group of people out there who are legitimately interested in hiring a resume writer -- and they don't know the difference between their lackluster, ineffective resume and your shining examples until they see if for themselves. (Of course, if your work sucks, don't put up samples!)

Frank writes, "Anyone coming to your site should assume that you can write a resume without showing a few samples to prove that you can. The only thing that really matters is the resume you will write for them!"

In response, I would say what I say to all my clients: "The best predictor of future performance is your past performance." If prospective clients see what you've done with your past clients (I love before-and-after examples with accompanying case histories for best showcasing your samples), they will believe you can do the same for them. I'd love to hear what you think about this issue -- e-mail me at rwdigest@aol.com or post a comment on this thread.

Asking an Employer the Right Questions

When I tell my clients that they should be prepared to ask the interviewer questions, they inevitably ask, "Well, what should I ask them"?

In the January 2008 issue of Office Solutions magazine, I came across this article on "Interviewing Your Interviewer," which quotes the online Career News newsletter.

Here are the questions they recommend a job seeker ask:

• Why is this position available right now?
• How many times has this position been filled in the past five years?
• What should the new person do differently from the last person?
• What would you most like to see done in the next six months?
• What are the most difficult problems that this job entails?
• How much freedom would I have in the decision-making process?
• What would be my options for advancement?
• How has this company succeeded in the past?
• What changes do you envision in the near future for this company?
• What do you think constitutes success in this job?
  

Maintaining Your Productivity

Here are some tips from Accountemps for maintaining a high level of productivity:

• Make a plan. Spend 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the day mapping out your desired accomplishments. Prioritize the taks that are most important to your business.
• Sharpen your focus. People are more productive when working for an extended period in the same mental mode, as opposed to changing gears frequently. Try to cluster tasks that require similar effort or resources at the same time.
• Limit distractions. It can be tempting to review e-mail each time a message arrives. However, unless your job requires an immediate response, it's often best to check your inbox periodically throughout the day.
• Don't delay. Even peak performers occasionally put off working on unpleasant or overwhelming assignments. One effective way to overcome procrastination is to break a project into smaller, more manageable tasks.
• Recharge. Taking short breaks throughout the day can help you replenish your energy and fight fatigue.

Now if only I could get myself to follow this advice every day! I tend to jump from task to task during the day -- depending on how urgent the request is. But on the days when I do plan my day, and prioritize the top 2-3 tasks, I find I tend to get them done.

How about you?