Ace Your Interview! The WetFeet Insider Guide to Interviewing

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2nd EDITION

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Ace Your Interview! The WetFeet Insider Guide to Interviewing


WETFEET

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AcE YOur INTErvIEW! ThE WETFEET INsIDEr GuIDE TO INTErvIEWING

2nd EditionISBN: 978-1-58207-839-7

PhOTOcOPYING Is PrOhIbITED

Copyright 2008 WetFeet. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. No copying in any form is permitted. It may not be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, in part or in whole, without the express written permission of WetFeet, Inc. The publisher, author, and any other party involved in creation, production, delivery, or sale of this WetFeet Insider Guide make no warranty, express or implied, about the accuracy or reliability of the information found herein. To the degree you use this guide or other materials referenced herein, you do so at your own risk. The materials contained herein are general in nature and may not apply to particular factual or legal circumstances. Under no circumstances shall the publisher, author, or any other party involved in creation, production or delivery of this guide be liable to you or any other person for damages of any kind arising from access to, or use of, its content.

All illustrations by mckibillo

Ace Your Interview

chAPTEr

1 AT A GlANcE

2 Interviewing at a Glance

5 DEmYsTIFYING ThE INTErvIEW PrOcEss

6 Interview Overview

6 What Employers Want

12 How to Deliver

17 GETTING rEADY

18 Call To Action

18 Know the Job

24 Know the Organization

26 Know Yourself

31 Line Up Your References

321

2nd EDITION

conte nts


Ace Your Interview

35 bAsIc INTErvIEW ExPEcTATIONs

36 Look the Part

37 Tips from Head to Toe

40 Bring the Right Stuff

41 Make an Entrance

42 Say it with Body Language

44 Build Rapport

45 Master the Art of Q&A

71 cONcluDING GrAcEFullY

72 Ask Really Good Questions

73 Have an Exit Strategy

75 Follow Up

54

conte nts

53 INTErvIEWING TYPEs

54 Phone Screen

56 Online Screen

60 Job Fair Interview

62 Office-Visit Interview

679 FOr YOur rEFErENcE

80 Additional Interviewing Resources

80 General Interviewing Advice

81 Job Search Resources

81 Background Research Tools

82 Salary Negotiation Tools

7

1At a Glance

2 WETFEET INSIDER GUIDE

Ace Your Interview! The WetFeet Insider Guide to InterviewingF

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IntervIewInG at a GlanceDEmYsTIFYING ThE INTErvIEW PrOcEss

• Insteadofpreppingforeveryconceivablequestion,concentrateonwhatyouwantinterviewerstoknowaboutyourstrengths.

• Tellmemorablestoriestoillustrateyourstrengths.

• Highlightyourexperienceasavaluableteamplayer,notjustasolosuperstar;yourinterviewers’toppriorityisfindingcoworkerswhoworkwellwithothers.

• Getajobdescriptionandreaditcarefully,soyouknowexactlywhatthejobentailsandhowyoumightshineintheposition.

• Tryasurefirebutoft-overlookedjobinterviewstrategy:Showyourenthusiasm.

GETTING rEADY

• Matchyourstrengths,experience,goals,andintereststothoseofyourprospectiveemployer.Lookforkeywordcuesinjobpostingstogetahandleonwhatthejobisreallylikeandidentifyyourcompetitiveadvantages.

• Learntoreadbetweenthelinesofjobpostings,sothatyoucanasksmartquestionstoidentifywhetherthispositionisagoodfitforyouandimpressyourinterviewer.

• Boneupontheorganizationandindustryusinginsidercontacts,thecompanywebsite,tradepublications,newsreports,andcompanyreports.

• Bepreparedforquestionsaboutlessonsyou’velearnedthehardway,personalinterests,careershifts,andlong-termgoals.

• Lineupreferencesthatcanbestattesttoyourstrengths,givingthemanexplanationofthepositionandplentyofadvancenotice.

bAsIc INTErvIEW ExPEcTATIONs

• Makesureyourouterappearancereflectsthestrengthsyou’llbringtotheposition.

• Leavethemsomethingtorememberyouby:articlesaboutyourwork,extracopiesofyourresume,aportfoliotoperuse.

• Controlyourvoice,gestures,andothermannerismstobesureyourbodylanguageconveysgoodthingsaboutyou.

• Tobuildrapport,seekcommongroundandshowyoursenseofhumor.

• LoosenupandmakeyourQ&Asessionapleasantpeer-to-peerinteractioninsteadofalowly-applicant-to-all-powerful-examinertransaction.

• Comeinpreparedtoanswercommoninterviewquestionsandsometoughonesaswell.

GETTING DOWN TO brAss TAcks

• Thephonescreenisactuallyafirst-roundinterview—soprepareaccordingly,withacheatsheetofexamples,anecdotes,andquestions.

• Makeagoodimpressiononthephonewithactivelisteningandaconfidenttoneofvoice.

• Sailthroughonlinescreeningsbyaskingyourselfwhytheemployerisaskingthisquestion,whattheexpectedansweris,andhowyoucangivean

3WETFEET INSIDER GUIDE

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answerthatishonestandpresentsyourexperienceinthebestlight.

• Jobfairsaren’tjustforstudents—they’reforanyonelookingtoswitchcareersorindustriesorexpandtheircareerhorizons.

• Getcomfortablewithdifferentinterviewapproaches,includingbehavior-based,hypothetical,cases,jobsimulations,andpanelinterviews.

cONcluDING GrAcEFullY

• Showyourinterestandaptitudewithintelligent,informedquestions.

• Probeforkeyinformationaboutthepositiondiplomatically,tofindoutwhetherthisisajobyoureallywant.

• Beforeyouleave,taketheopportunitytocorrectanymisstatements,recapyourstrengths,telltheintervieweryouwantthejob,andaskaboutnextsteps.

• Usethank-younotestoreinforcethepositiveimpressionyou’vemadeandstaytopofmindwhenit’stimetomakeahiringdecision.

Demystifying the Interview Process

2Interview Overview �� 6

What Employers Want �� 6

How to Deliver �� 12


Ace Your Interview! Th e WetFeet Insider Guide to InterviewingF

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IntervIew OvervIewDating, dancing, walking onfire...interviewinghasbeencomparedtomanyactivities,andthereissometruthtoeachofthesecomparisons.Everyonehopestohititoffwithaninterviewerandbewelcomedintoanewworkplacelikefamily.Atitsbest,interviewingcanbequiteatango,whereyoufeelassharpasyoulook,giveasgoodasyougetontheQ&A,andhighlightpreviouscareermoveswithaddedflair.Atitsmostharrowing,ofcourse,interviewingcanleaveyoufeelingrakedoverthecoals,withtheflushedcheeksandcoldsweattoproveit.

Butputthefears,dreams,hopes,andmetaphorsasideforamoment,andrecognizethatatitsmostbasic,aninterviewissimplyaconversationaboutajob.You’vehadconversationsbefore,right?Th enyou’vealreadyexploredideaswithanotherperson,posedthoughtfulquestions,givenconsideredanswers,andkepttheconversationrollinguntilitreachedanaturalconclusion.Congratulations—you’vealreadygotthebasicskillsneededtosucceedinaninterview.

Th ereisadditionalpreparationneededforinterviews,andofcoursethereismoreatstakeforbothparticipants—you’retalkingaboutapossiblecareerchange,notjustthepossibilityofwatchingthegametogetheronSunday.Th isbookwillhelpyoumakethepreparationsnecessarytokeepthatconversationfocused,productive,andpleasant,sothatyoucankeepyourwitsaboutyouevenwhenthestakesseemalarminglyhigh.Alsosprinkledthroughoutthebookarereal-lifeanecdotestohelpyoukeeptheinterviewrecommendationsinperspective.Noonegetsitexactlyrightallthetimeininterviews,andyetintervieweesalmostalwayslivetotellthetale—andsometimeslandthejob,toboot.

Ifthisseemslikealotofextraeffortforahalf-hourconversation,justthinkwhatadifferencethatconversationcanmaketoyou,yourcareer,andyourfamily.Andremember,you’renotinthisalone.Your

interviewerprobablysatexactlywhereyouarenotlongagoandisprobablyconcernedaboutkeepinguptheotherendoftheconversation.

what emplOYers want Th e prospect of thatworst-case-scenariointerviewisenoughtomakeevenseasonedintervieweesbreakoutinacoldsweat.Trickquestions.Brain-teasers.Panelinterrogations.Ohmy!Butascomplicatedandconvolutedastheirinterviewquestionsmaysometimesseem,allemployersreallywantistoidentifyacandidatewithademonstrablecapacitytodeliverresults,hirethatperson,andgetbacktotheirotherworkbeforeitstartstopileup.Sogiveemployerswhattheywantandbethecandidatethey’relookingfor.Andwhataboutallthoseesoterichypotheticalscenariosandtrickquestions?Goodnews:Th ey’refallingoutoffavorwithemployers,becausetheysimplyaren’tthateffective.

Soinsteadofpreparingtorackyourbrainsforanswerstocomplicatedquestions,youshouldpreparetoshine.Knowyourstrengths,andhighlighttheminanecdotesaboutpreviousprofessionalexperience.Smartsaren’ttheonlyassetthatcountswithemployers—infact,beingateamplayerisnowconsideredevenmoreimportant.Makesurethatthepersonalstrengthsyouplantoemphasizeinyourinterviewmatchthedemandsofthepositionas

tIp>Ultimately, you and your interviewer are both hoping for the same thing from this conversation: You want it to go well and be the fi rst step toward a productive working relationship.


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indicatedbythejobdescriptionandyourbackgroundresearch.Thenonthebigday,presentyourselfasacandidatewithspecializedskillstoofferandgeneral-audienceappeal.Yourconfidence,enthusiasm,knowledge,andunderstandingshouldconfirmwhatyourinterviewerisalreadypredisposedtobelieve:thatbringingyouinforaninterviewwasawisemove,andthathiringyouwouldbeevenmorebrilliant.

INSIDER SCOOP“It used to be that interviewers would ask questions like, ‘Tell me three good things about yourself and three bad things’ or ‘If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?’” says William C. Byham, PhD., CEO of Development Dimensions International, a human resources research and consulting firm. “Now, they’re much more likely to do what’s known as behavioral interviewing, where they try to predict your future behavior by asking you for a detailed description of what you’ve done in the past in particular situations.”

Wheninterviewing,hiringmanagersarehopingtofindtheanswerstosomebasicquestions—withoutactuallyaskingthosequestions.Forewarnedisforearmed,sowe’vebrokenthesequestionsdownforyouinthefollowingsections.

DO I WANT TO WOrk WITh YOu?Manycandidatesenteraninterviewpreparedtorecitealitanyofskillsandworkexperience—butinterviewersaren’tlookingforawalking,talkingresume.Ifyou’vebeeninvitedforaninterview,they’realreadysufficientlyintriguedbyyourskills.Thereasontheyneedtomeetwithyouinpersonistogaugethepersonalstrengthsorcompetenciesyouwouldcontributetotheteam.Intangibleattributes,suchasresourcefulness,initiative,creativity,adaptability,drive,andintegrity,willsetyouapartfromotherqualifiedcandidates.

Know your strengthsThinkaboutwhichofyourpersonalstrengthswould

bemostusefulinthepositionyou’veappliedfor,andemphasizetheseinyourinterview.Noteveryoneofyourpersonalattributeswillbeapplicable—forexample,atendencytothriveoncompetitionmightnotbewelcomeinasmall,laid-backofficewhereyou’dbetheonlypersoninthesalesdepartment.Butoverall,youshouldfindthatthepersonalstrengthsnecessaryforthispositioncloselymatchyourown.Otherwise,yourtimemightbemorewiselyspentfindingajobbettersuitedtoyourstrengthsthaninterviewingforapositionthatgoescompletelyagainstyourgrain.

Tell a memorable storyIt’scriticaltoprovideexamplesofhowyourstrengthshavebenefitedpreviousemployers.Youshouldhaveananecdotereadytoillustrateeachofyourpersonalstrengthsinaction.Simplytellingyourinterviewersthatyourattentiontodetailisimpeccablewithoutbackingupthatstatementprobablywon’tconvincethem.Ifyoureallywanttoimpressyourinterviewerswithyourattentiontodetail,tellthemaboutatimewhenyoupreventedyourcompanyfromhavingtoreleaseanewversionofasoftwareprogrambyidentifyingabugthathadgoneundetectedthroughtwopreviousroundsofQA(qualityassurancetesting).Leaveyourinterviewerswiththatmemorablementalimageofyoudouble-checkingeveryaspectofthesoftware,andwhenitcomestimetomakeahiringdecision,they’llrememberyouroutstandingattentiontodetail,nottomentionthepositiveimpactyourstrengthshadonthecompany.

Get your stories straightUnsupportedstatementsabouthowgreatyouareprobablywon’tsellyourinterviewersonyourstrengths,evenifthatstatementcomesfromareference.Sowhenyouapproachyourcolleaguesforreferences,letthemknowwhichexamplesofyourworkmightbemostrelevanttoyourinterviewer.Here’showyoumightpromptareference:“I’dbeinchargeofnewsoftwaredevelopmentinthisposition,sothey’dprobablybeinterestedtohearaboutthattimewewereworkingaroundtheclockonproductX,



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andIcameacrossthatbug.”Ifyourinterviewershearthesamestoryfromtwodifferentsources,they’remorelikelytorememberandbelieveit.

Will You Mesh with the Team?AsthenumberofMillennials—thelabelgiventothosebornbetweenabout1980and2000—enteringtheworkplaceincreases,companiesarerestructuringthemselvestokeepupwiththegeneration’spreferences.Andasitturnsout,Millennialswanttoworkinteam-drivenenvironments.Inordertoattracttheseyoungworkersandhelpthemthrive,organizationswanttohirethosewhotheybelievewouldfitinwiththegreaterorganizationalteam.Inaddition,paststudieshavealsoindicatedthatbothemployersandemployees—inallgenerations—considerbeingateamplayertobeofparamountimportanceintheworkplace.However,consideryourselfwarned:Since“fittingin”isasubjectivecriterion,itcanbemuchtoughertosatisfythanmoreobjectivequalifications,likeskillsets.

Smarts aren’t sufficientDuringaninterview,youshouldmakeaneffortnotonlytoimpressyourprospectiveemployerwithyoursmarts,butalsotoconveywhatathoughtful,pleasantpersonyouaretoworkwith.SocialtheoristMalcolmGladwellpointsoutinhisinfluentialarticle“TheTalentMyth:AreSmartPeopleOverrated?”that

employersarelearningthatintelligenceisn’talwaysthemostdesiredattributeforprospectiveemployees,especiallywhenitcomesattheexpenseofteamworkandcollectivecommonsense—afterall,perfectlysmartpeoplewereresponsibleforthedebaclesatEnronandArthurAndersen.(Readthearticleforyourselfatwww.gladwell.com.)

Althoughmanyintervieweesstillseektodazzleemployerswiththeirindividualbrilliance,thisisarookiemistakeinaworkworldthatisincreasinglydependentonteamworkratherthanbrainiacstar-power.

cAsE IN POINT: cAN I GET A WITNEss?

Personal references should be, well, personal. Prompt your references to describe what they’ve enjoyed about working with you, and they will help you land the job. Consider the following:

“A prospective client once asked me for references as part of the selection process for a website development project I’d bid. I

spent some time thinking about the main concerns my prospective client had expressed: that the job get done without being stressful in the process and that the site be inexpensive without looking like corners were cut. So I called some of my repeat clients and asked them to be prepared to describe a typical day working on a website

project with me and to describe how much better their sites looked than they’d expected. Before long I got the phone call: ‘We want you on the job. We’re convinced that you know how to deliver creativity and value—and we want to hear some of these jokes we kept hearing about, too!.”

π IQ vs cOmmON sENsE?

In “The Talent Myth: Are Smart People Overrated?” Gladwell quotes Richard Wagner, a psychologist at Florida State University, as saying: “What IQ doesn’t pick up is effectiveness at common-sense sorts of things, especially working with people.

In terms of how we evaluate schooling, everything is about working by yourself. If you work with someone else, it’s called cheating. Once you get out in the real world, everything you do involves working with other people.”


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Your role on the teamToshowprospectiveemployersthatyou’repreparedfortheteamworkmostjobsnowentail,besuretohighlightyourexperiencesaspartofasuccessfulteam—notjustyoursoloachievements—inyourinterview.Managerscanandshouldtalkabouttheirexperienceassemblingafirst-rateteam,forexample,orthefactthattheirteamsurpassedquarterlyprojectionsforsixconsecutivequarters.Specializedemployeescanemphasizetheirabilitytoformeffectivecollaborativepartnershipsspanningdepartmentsorareasofexpertise—forexample,aneditormighttalkaboutworkingwiththeITteamtobuildaneffectivecontentmanagementsystem,oragraphicdesignermightdescribeherexperienceaspartoftheteamresponsibleforasuccessfulnewproductlaunch.

“We” can make all the differenceIfyourinterviewerasksyoutodescribewhatyouwoulddoinaworkscenario,besureyouranswerinvolvesteamwork—consultingcolleagues,groupbrainstorming,ormakinguseofexpertiseinotherdepartments.Inotherwords,yourresponseshouldnotonlyincludeanexplanationof“whatIwoulddo,”butalsoastatementofwhat“wecouldaccomplish”withacollaborativeapproach.Whenyourole-playyourinterviewwithafriend,notehowmanytimesyouusetheword“we,”becauseyourinterviewerscertainlywill.

DO YOu rEAllY uNDErsTAND ThE JOb? Beforeyouheadintoanyjobinterview,youneedtoknowwhatyou’reinfor—andthatmeansfindingthefollowinginformationinthejobdescription:

Position titleManyjobseekersusetitlesassearchcriteria,anddon’tlooktwiceatpositionswithunfamiliartitles.Titlescanbemisleading,sodon’tbetooquicktodiscountajobbasedonthetitlealone.Thesalarymaybebetterthanyouexpect,andtheactualday-to-dayresponsibilitiesmaybefarmorevaried,interesting,andhigh-levelthanindicatedbythetitle,too.Sobesuretoreadoverthecompanyinformation,day-to-dayresponsibilities,andsalarybeforeyoudecidewhetherapositionsoundspromising.

Company information Thismayincludethename,industry,history,andlocationoftheorganizationofferingtheposition;usethisinformationasthestartingpointforyourresearch(seeBackgroundResearch,below).Sometimestheorganization’snameisnotgivenintheposting.Don’tbedismayed—youmaybeabletofigureoutthecompany’snamesimplybycheckingthedomainnameinthecontacte-mailaddressorthroughanInternetsearchthatcross-referencestwoormoreoftheorganizationalspecificsprovided(e.g.,industryandlocation).

cAsE IN POINT: ImPrEss ThE EntirE TEAm

Don’t think that you’re a shoo-in for the job just because you’ve impressed the powers that be. Make it your mission to impress everyone you come into contact with during the interview process.

“Recently I was interviewing someone for a position on our team who was an inside referral, very

well-connected to executives in our company. She was plenty smart and enthusiastic, but she must have felt that the job was already in the bag because she came dressed casually, wearing jeans. But what bothered me most of all was that the entire time we talked, she was looking out the window; it was as

if she had someplace better to be. With no eye contact, there was no way to establish trust or tell whether she really cared about the job. We couldn’t be sure she was really going to be a team player, and that cost her the opportunity.”



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Qualifi cations Th istypicallyincludesyearsofexperience,corecompetenciesorareasofspecialization,requiredskillsets(e.g.,softwareprograms,languageskills,othertechnicalskills),anddegreesorcertifications.Inadditiontorequiredqualifications,ajobpostingoftenlistsdesirablequalificationsorskills.Ifyoucandemonstratethatyoumeetthesecriteria,yourapplicationislikelytorisetothetopoftheheap.

Salary rangeEmployersdonotalwaysprovideasalaryrange,andwhentheydoitisusuallylistedas“DOE”(dependingonexperience).Whenorganizationsmerelylistthesalaryas“competitive,”it’suptoyoutofindoutwhatthatmeansinadvanceoftheinterviewsothatyouaren’tunpreparedwhenyou’reaskedaboutyoursalaryexpectations.Checksalarysurveystofindtheaveragesalaryforthepositionyouareapplyingforbytitle,industry,yearsofexperience,andgeographiclocation(seeForYourReference,attheendofthebook,forsalarysurveysources).

Benefi ts Benefitsincludevacation,sick/personalleave,sabbaticals,comp/flextime,vision,dental,family/domesticpartnerinsurancecoverage,maternity/paternityleave,profitsharing,401(k)plans,flexiblespendingaccounts,reimbursementsformileage/transportation,perdiems,andthelike.Ifapositionisdescribedas“non-exempt,”

thattypicallymeanstheemployeeinthispositionwillbeentitledtoovertimepayorcomptimeforanyhoursworkedbeyond40hoursperweek.

Responsibilities Th isisacrucialpartofthejobdescription,sinceitgivesyouthebestsenseoftheday-to-daydemandsandrewardsofthejob.Toooften,candidatesfocusonthesalaryofferedandontheskillsandexperiencerequiredtolandthejob,andglossovertheresponsibilitiestheywillberequiredtofulfill.Butifyoutakethetimetogetfamiliarwiththespecificresponsibilitiesofaposition,you’llfindthatyouarebetterableto:• Determinewhetherthepositioninterestsyou.• Matchtherequirementsofthejobtoyour

experienceandpersonalstrengths.• Anticipatetheinterviewer’squestions.• Prepareanecdotesthatillustraterelevantstrengths

andexperience.• Askinformedquestionstolearnmoreaboutthe

positionandtheworkplace.

tIp>Before you accept the position, you should fi nd out whether there are any limits on the amount of comp time or overtime you can accrue. Some employers consider telecommuting a benefi t, so if working from home interests you, be sure to ask about that, too.

cAsE IN POINT: cOvEr kEY bENEFITs

You may not want to bring up benefi ts until late in the interview process, but be sure you ask about them before you take the job—it’s hard to negotiate better benefi ts after the fact. Check out benefi ts and company policies on workman’s comp, disability, and maternity, paternity, and elder-care leave even if you don’t expect to

need them—you never know, like the subject in this Case in Point.

“My current job is one of the best I’ve ever had, mostly because of my boss. My interview with her lasted three hours, mainly because we got to talking about Iowa, where her parents live and where I’m from, and a million other things that had nothing to do with the

job. The actual interview lasted about 30 minutes, and the rest was just fun ‘girl talk.’ The only hitch was I neglected to ask about the company policy about maternity leave, and in retrospect I wish that I had. I had no idea at the time I was ever going to get pregnant, but it happened not long after I got the job.”


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DO YOu uNDErsTAND Our busINEss?Nowthatyouknowsomethingaboutthepositionandwhatskillsandstrengthsyouhavetobringtoit,youneedtoeducateyourselfonthecompany’sbusiness.Insodoing,youwillbepreparingyourselfforsuccess—notjustintheinterview,butonthejob,too.Thismeansresearch,research,researchineachofthefollowingareas.Justhowyoushouldgoaboutconductingthisresearchiscoveredinthenextchapter.

IndustryAbasicawarenessofrelevantindustrytermsandissuesiscrucialforanyinterview.Thiswillhelpyouanticipatethequestionsyou’llbeasked,speaktothecompetitivepressurestheorganizationisfacing,andensurethatyoucanunderstandtheterminologyyourinterviewerisusing.Ifyou’recompletelynewtoanindustry,yourinterviewerswillappreciateyourefforttolearntheropesandtakethatasanindicationthatyou’reaquick,eagerlearner.Ifyou’vebeeninthebusinessforyears,you’llwantdemonstratethatyoumakeapointofstayingup-to-dateonrecentdevelopmentsinyourfield.

OrganizationResearchingtheorganizationwillhelpyoudeterminewhetherthisistherightworkenvironmentforyou,whichofyourskillsandstrengthsmightespeciallybenefittheorganization,andwhatspecificorganizationalchallengesyoumaybeabletohelp

solve.Thisinformationshouldgiveyouinsightintotheorganization’sculture,needs,andexpectationsthatwillhelpyoubetterpreparefortheinterview—andnotincidentally,giveyouakeyadvantageoverothercandidatesfortheposition.

TeamLearnmoreabouttheteamyou’llbeworkingwithtogainabettersenseofhowyoucancontributeandadvancetheteam’sgoals.You’llalsoneedtoeducateyourselfabouttheteam’srecentsuccesses.Conveyyourexcitementabouttheteam’saccomplishmentstoyourinterviewer,andyou’llberememberedasanenthusiastic,enterprisingcandidatewhoislikelytobeagreatasset.

lAsT, buT NOT lEAsT Onceyou’vedoneyourhomework,youmayfeelyouhaveasolidgraspoftheposition,industry,organization,andteam—butdon’tthinkyouknowitalljustyet.Intheinterview,youshouldprobeforfurtherdetailsandpaycloseattentiontoeveryresponseyourintervieweroffers.Whentheinterviewermakesanoffhandremarkaboutworkstylesorteamandorganizationalculture,payattentionandbesuretofollowupwithaprobingquestion:“I’mintriguedtohearthat—canyoutellmemore?”Nonverbalcuesarekey,too:Ifyounoticetheinterviewermakeafaceorhesitatebeforespeaking,askfollow-upquestionsonthesubjectathandtodrawyourintervieweroutabitmore.

cAsE IN POINT: IDENTIFY EmPlOYEr NEEDs ON ThE FlY

Employers often omit some salient facts about a position from the initial job posting. Sometimes, they just haven’t updated the job description in a while; other times, a new project is identified after the ad was posted. Whatever the cause, these undisclosed tidbits can give you a real advantage over

the competition. Consider this example:

“When I was interviewing for the job I have now, one of my interviewers mentioned offhand that the company was planning to start using an outside vendor for all graphic design needs, something they had never done before and

thus were a little concerned about. I seized the opportunity to explain that I had spent three years in a previous position managing the relationship with an outside design agency and that I had intimate knowledge of—and experience avoiding—the potential pitfalls of such an arrangement.”



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Byaskingquestions,youmaydiscoverpreviouslyundiscloseddemandsorrewardsofthejob.Th esearecriticaldetailsthatrevealwhatyourinterviewerisreallylookingforinacandidateandultimatelyallowyoutomakeaninformeddecisionaboutwhethertoacceptthejob.Yourinterviewer’shintsofaquirkybossandfrequenttravelcouldproveproblematicorpromising,dependingonyourperspective—butit’sfarbettertodiscoverthesedetailssoonerratherthanlater.

hOw tO delIverOnce you’ve learned somethingaboutthepositionandtheorganizationfromyourresearchandcontacts—plusanyhintstheintervieweroffers—youshouldhaveagoodsenseofwhichofyourstrengthstohighlightintheinterview.Presenttherightmixofstrengthsalongwithgenerousdosesofenthusiasm,confidence,knowledge,andunderstanding,andemployerswillbesuitablyimpressed.

bE ENThusIAsTIc (ThIs rEAllY Is INTErvIEWING 101.)Whileenthusiasmalonewon’tlandyouajob,candidateswhofailtoconvinceemployersoftheirenthusiasmcancountonbeingpassedover.It’sthatsimple.Why?Becausemostemployersexpectanemployee’senthusiasmforajobtowaneovertime.Let’sfaceit:Th ere’ssometruthtotheadagethatfamiliaritybreedscontempt.And,ifacandidatestartsoutwithoutmuchenthusiasm,thatdoesn’tbodewell.

Whenyou’repreparingforyourinterview,rememberthatyou’llwanttoshowyourstrengths,notjusttellaboutthem—andenthusiasmisakeystrengthforanycandidateinanyposition.Ifyousayyou’reenthusiasticaboutthepositionbutbehaveasthoughyou’reboredintheinterview,whatareyourinterviewerssupposedtobelieve?Yourenthusiasmshouldbeclearinyourattentiveposture,thealerttoneofyourvoice,andasmilethatsaysyouaregladtobethere.

FOcus ON sPEcIAlTY, hINT AT brEADThNodoubtyouhaveawiderangeofabilitiesthatmightimpressotherpeople:climbingtrees,doingbackbends,whistlingthroughyourteeth.Butunlessyou’reatreesurgeon,agymnast,oraprofessionalbirdwatcher,thesearenottheabilitiesyou’llwanttohighlightinajobinterview.Sticktotalkingabouttalentsyouknowwillcomeinhandyonthejobyou’rebeingconsideredfor,andyou’llmakeamuchbetterimpression.

Inyourinterview,presentyourselfasaspecializedprofessionalwithgeneralaudienceappeal.Yourinterviewerwantstoknowthatyouhavethespecificskillsandstrengthsneededtoexcelatyourjob,butalsothatyouareapproachable,flexible,andwillingtolearn.SeetheDo’sandDon’tstableforsomerulesofthumbtohelpyouachievetherightbalancebetweenspecializationandgeneralappeal.

ExuDE cONFIDENcEToinspireanemployer’sconfidenceinyourabilities,youmustdemonstrateconfidenceinyourself.Easiersaidthandoneinanerve-wrackinginterviewsituation,butbearinmindthebasicsofconfidentbodylanguage:Makefrequenteyecontactwithyourinterviewer,speakupandnottoofast,andtrytoavoidappearingfidgetyoroverlyrigidinyourposture.

You’llcomepreparedtostateyourstrengthsandgiveconcreteexamplesofhowyou’veputthemtouse,whichshouldinspireconfidenceinyourownabilities.Asyoustateyourstrengths,neitherdownplaynor

tIp>Be sure to say at the outset something along these lines: “I’m delighted you’re taking the time to meet me, because I’m really excited about this position and eager to learn more about it.” And always, always close each interview with a restatement of your interest in the position and enthusiasm about the company.


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DON’TRattle off ten abilities you possess and tell stories demonstrating each. Your interviewer’s eyes are sure to glaze over—no one can commit that much data to memory.

DOChoose three talents to emphasize, and come prepared with three stories about using those talents to help make your point. When it comes to talking up your abilities, less is more memorable.

DON’TFocus your comments on a specialty that will only account for a small percentage of your job. If you are applying for a position where your only writing task is the occasional press release, don’t spend ten minutes of your interview talking about what a great writer you are.

DODraw a clear connection between your talents and the responsibilities listed in the job description. For example: “I notice the position entails a lot of presentations, client meetings, and conferences. Meeting facilitation and public speaking were my favorite parts of my job as a school principal.”

DON’TGet sidetracked into explaining the technical details of your area of specialization. Instead, use your time to talk about the impact your work had on your former team and organization, and how your specific skills might be helpful in the position available.

DOConsider your audience, and explain your strengths and accomplishments in terms that your interviewer (who may be an HR rep rather than a technical spe-cialist) is likely to understand. Focus on the problems or opportunities you identified and outcomes you achieved, rather than on processes you used.

DO’s AND DON’Ts FOr sTrIkING ThE rIGhT bAlANcE

DON’TStart giving unsolicited advice on how to solve a particular problem you’ve heard the company is facing. For all you know, the company may have already tried that route or may not be able to afford that solution.

DOIf asked directly how you would approach a particular problem, ask a few pointed questions that will demonstrate your understanding of the issues involved and then present a couple of pragmatic options that the organization might choose from.

DON’TSay you have no hobbies when you’re asked what you do in your spare time. This will lead the interviewer to think of you as less well-rounded and balanced, unwilling to step outside your established area of expertise, and a less than exciting team member.

DOName a hobby or pastime you truly care about—the reason interviewers ask this question is to witness how passionate you can be. Link your hobby to a personal strength you’ve developed that may come in handy in this job.

DON’TCome across as a jack-of-all-trades. If you’re equally good at everything, that means you’re especially good at . . . nothing. If you’ve done your homework, you should know which of your strengths are going to interest your interviewer—so don’t hesitate to play these up.

DOBe sure you know how to respond to the interview closer that makes most applicants sweat: “Give me three reasons why I should hire you.” By the end of the interview, you should have already named all three; this is your opportunity to reiterate those strengths.



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overstateyouraccomplishments.Ifyoustrugglewithself-confidence,giveyourselfapeptalkor,betteryet,getanenthusiasticfriendorformerco-workertogiveyouone.

Ifself-deprecatinghumorormodestyisahabitofyours,role-playwithafrienduntilyoucanrespondtoaninterviewer’scomplimentsgraciously(seeexamplebelow).

DEmONsTrATE kNOWlEDGE AND uNDErsTANDINGSomeintervieweesspendthenightbeforetheirinterviewboninguponallkindsoftriviaaboutanorganization,asthoughcrammingforthetestoftheirlives.Butinterviewsaren’toralexams;theyareanexchangebetweentwopeople,whomaysoonbeco-workers,aboutsharedprofessionalinterests.Likeanyotherconversation,aninterviewrequiresgiveandtake—sodon’texpecttodominateitwithyourownsterlinginsightsaboutthebusiness;giveyourinterviewerachancetocontributetotheconversation.Youdoneedtoknowsomethingabouttheindustryandtheorganization,butyou’renotexpectedtoknowitall—justenoughtoaskyourinterviewerinformedquestions,understandthequestionsyourinterviewerisaskingyou,andgiveareasonableanswer.Therewillbeplentyoftimetobringyoucompletelyuptospeedafteryou’rehired.Meanwhile,yourcommonsenseandprofessionaltrainingshouldprepareyoutogivesoundanswerstoanyquestionsthatmayariseabouthowyouwouldhandleaspecificprobleminthecompany.

cAsE IN POINT: kNOW YOur sTrENGThs

A job interview is not the time for false modesty. Your references don’t chaperone you on interviews, so you need to be prepared to describe your strengths and give examples of how you put them in action.

“‘How good of a writer are you?’ the interviewer asked. Not having learned the Art of Elegant Bragging, I said, ‘Well, my supervisor said I

was one of the three best writers he has ever worked with.’ The interviewer replied, ‘Yes, but how good a writer do YOU think YOU are?’ My reply was something along the lines of, ‘Well, I think I’m very good.’ Somehow the tone seemed to change. I didn’t get the job. In my job search this year I plan to develop a selection of more powerful statements in response to that question.”

Interviewer: “Your reference couldn’t say enough about your fundraising abilities.”

bad response: “Oh, Jim’s such a good friend—I guess I’ll have to pay him off later!” A remark like this only undermines the reference and does nothing for you.

Good response: “Thank you. We worked together recently on a fundraising campaign for a local theater, and of course we’re both delighted that a new theater program for kids was founded with the funds we raised in that campaign.”

This response confirms the interviewer’s high opinion of you, and supports that opinion with a concrete example.

Learn to accept compliments from your interviewer graciously. That said, there’s no need to pile on the superlatives with hyperbolic assertions such as, “I am the best you’ll find in the business. I can outsell anyone here.” This kind of statement inspires the same kind of skepticism as a “World’s Greatest Lover” T-shirt: If you’re so great, how come your interviewer had never heard of you before? Stick to assertions you can support with evidence from your work history. “I was the top salesperson at the company for four consecutive quarters.”

[AN ExAmPlE ]


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Getting Ready

3Call To Action �� 18

Know the Job �� 18

Know the Organization ��24

Know Yourself ��26

Line Up Your References �� 31



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call tO actIOnYou’ve just had yourmorningcoffeewhenyougetthecallyou’vebeenwaitingfor:Couldyoucomeinforaninterviewnextweek?Youscheduleatime,hangupthephone,doavictorydanceinyourbunnyslippers(orboxers)...andthenwhat?HoldyourbreathuntilthemomentoftruthnextWednesday?Notifyouwanttoyourinterviewtoliveuptoitspromise.Don’twaitfortheinterviewtogettoworkonimpressingyourinterviewers—begintopreparerightnow,sothatbynextTuesdaynightyoucanenjoythesoundsleepoftheconfident,capableinterviewee.

Youmightbethinking,“I’malreadyconfident;Icanwingit.”Maybethatkindofthinkingearnedyoudecentgradesbackinschool,butthereisnogradingcurveinaninterview.Ifyou’renotpreparedtoshine,chancesaresomeoneelsewillbe—andonlyoneofyouisgoingtogetthejob.

INSIDER SCOOP“For any interview, you need to be prepared to show competence and intelligent interest; confidence will only get you so far,” says licensed career counselor Rosanne Lurie, author of Killer Cover Letters and Resumes. “No interviewer wants to waste time on people who just waltz in with no idea of the organization or industry trends. Their response is, ‘If you haven’t bothered to take this position seriously, why should I bother to take you seriously?’”

Ratherthantreatingyourinterviewlikeaperformanceyoucantap-danceyourwaythrough,thinkofitasajigsawpuzzlethatneedssolving.You’vegotstrengths,experience,goals,andinterests,andyourprospectiveemployerdoestoo;howdotheymatchup?Spendsometimeinadvancefiguringoutexactlywhyyou’retheperfectfitfortheposition,andyouwon’tneedanyextrafancystepstolandthejob.

KnOw the JObWhen you receive thatcallaskingyoutointerviewfortheposition,thefirstthingyoushoulddoisfindthejobpostingthatpromptedyoutoapplyforthejobinthefirstplace.It’sagoodideatomakeahabitofsavingacopyofthejobpostingsyourespondto,forjustthisreason.

You’llwanttostudytheoriginaljobposting,becauseyou’llbeexpectedtoknowitcoldinyourinterview.Ifyoudon’t,you’llcomeacrossasuninterestedintheposition.Then,digalittledeeperbyexploringthekeywordcuesmostjobpostingsoffer.

kEYWOrD cuEsJobpostingsanddescriptionscontainahostofkeywordcuesthattellyousomethingaboutwhattheemployerisoffering,thechallengesoftheposition,andthetalentsandattributesneededtoexcel.Followingaresomeofthemostcommonkeywordcuesandwhattheymightmeantoyou. Deadline-driven environment> What it really means:Ahigh-stressposition.• Give an example of a time when you:Showed

graceunderpressure,managedatime-sensitiveprojectsuccessfully,andhelpedyourteamstayontrackforsuccess.

• Follow-up questions:Arethemajordeadlinesdaily,weekly,quarterly?Whatkindofprojectmanagementsystemdotheyusetohelpprojectsmovesmoothly?

Detail-oriented> What it really means:Mayentailjugglingtasks

thatifdoneincorrectly,couldcostthecompany.• Give an example of a time when you:Identified

anopportunitywouldnototherwisehavebeenpursued,orsavedyourorganizationtime,resources,orembarrassmentbycorrectinganoversightorfindingamoresoundsolution.

• Follow-up questions:Whatisatypicaldaylike


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inthisposition?Howmuchtimeisdevotedtoeachofthevarioustasks?

Dynamic/fast-growing company> What it really means:Small,start-up,or

flounderingcompany;bossesmaybewetbehindtheearsanddisorganized.

• Give an example of a time when you:Workedinacompanythatwasgoingthroughgrowingpainsandhelpedyourteamputeffectiveprocessesandprogramsinplace.

• Follow-up questions:Wheredotheyseethebusinessheadinginthenextyear?Isthefundingalreadysecuredforthecomingyear,orisitcontingentuponperformance?

Earn upwards of $XXX/Earn $$$ at home!> What it really means:Thisprobablyisn’ta

jobpostingatall,butanadforapyramidscheme,apaidtrainingseminar,oranunsalariedcommissionsalesposition.Beware!

• Give an example of a time when you:Sawajobpostinglikethisanditturnedoutnottobeajobopportunityatall,butratherapaidscheme—thengaugethereactionofyourinterviewer.

• Follow-up questions:Getasmuchinformationasyoucanoverthephonebeforeyouagreetomeetanyone—andiftheycallitan“opportunity”insteadofapositionanditsoundstoogoodtobetrue,thinktwiceaboutcommittingyourvaluabletimetoanin-personinterview.

Fast-paced environment> What it really means:Thisemployermayset

unrealisticdeadlinesandexpectyoutoworkyourtailofftomeetthem.

• Give an example of a time when you:Wereabletoturnaroundaprojectthatexceededexpectationsgivenaveryaggressivedeadline.

• Follow-up question:Askwhetherthereareprojectmanagementtoolsyoushouldlearnthatwouldhelpkeepmultipleprojectsontrack—yourinterviewerwillbeimpressedatyourinitiative.

Great benefits> What it really means:Payisprobablynotgreat.• Give an example of a time when you:Took

ajobonatemp-to-permortrialbasisfor3monthssoyouremployercouldseeyourvaluetotheorganizationbeforecommittingtoahighersalary.

• Follow-up questions:Inquirespecificallyaboutwhatbenefitsareoffered.Becareful,though—youdon’twanttogivehintsaboutanymedicalconditionsthatmaygiveyourinterviewercausetowriteyouoffasacandidateduetotheinsuranceburden.However,itisillegalforaninterviewertoaskyouaboutmedicalconditions.

Hands-on position> What it really means:Expecttodoafairamount

ofgruntworkandhavethebuckpassedtoyou.Youprobablywon’thaveaccesstosupportstaff,either.

• Give an example of a time when you:Tooktheinitiativetoworkstart-to-finishonaprojectthatturnedouttobearealassettoyourorganization.

• Follow-up questions:Ifitsoundslikethey’reaskingformorethananyonepersoncanreasonablydo,askwhetherthey’replanningtoexpandthedepartment/thatareaoftheiroperationsinthenextyearortwo.Iftheysayno,thinktwiceabouttheposition—youdon’twanttobesetupforfailure.

Highly motivated/dedicated > What it really means:Bewareofburnoutinthis

job.• Give an example of a time when you:Went

aboveandbeyondthecallofdutyatapreviousjob.

• Follow-up questions:Askabouthowthispositionbecameavailable.Ifthelastpersononthejobleftbecauseofburnout,proceedwithcaution.



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Multi-tasking skills required> What it really means:Multiplebossesand/or

constantinterruptionsinyourworkmaymakeithardtogetthroughyourworkload.

• Give an example of a time when you:Werepatientandunflappableinjugglingresponsibilities,withoutbeingatotalpushoverabouttakingonnewones.

• Follow-up questions:Besuretoaskwhoyou’dbereportingto,howmanydifferentdepartmentsyou’dbeworkingwith,andhowthey’ddescribeatypicaldayonthejob.

PT-perm> What it really means:Eitheryou’regoingtobe

expectedtoproveyourself,ortheydon’tyethavefundingforapositionthatreallyoughttobefulltime.Eitherway,expecttoworkveryhard.

• Give an example of a time when you:TookaPT-permpositionandwerelaterofferedafull-timepositionbecauseofyourexcellentperformance.

• Follow-up questions:Ifyou’reinterestedinfull-timework,askwhentheyexpectthepositiontogofulltime.Ifyoureallyonlywanttoworkparttime,makethatclearupfrontandsuggestthatthey’llbesurprisedbywhatyoucanaccomplishinapart-timecapacity.Theymightberelievedtohearitiftheyreallycan’taffordyoufulltime.

Pay negotiable > What it really means:Bepreparedtonegotiate!

Youwillprobablybeaskedtonameyoursalary,sodoyoursalaryresearch(seebelow).

• Give an example of a time when you:Gotaraiseafterashorttime,becauseyouweresuchavaluableasset.

• Follow-up question:Besidessalary,aretherebonusesorcommissionsforoutstandingwork?

Room for advancement > What it really means:Eithertheemployerknows

thisjobisthanklessandofferslittleenticements

onitsownmerits,ortheorganizationiscommittedtopromotingemployeesfromwithin.

• Give an example of a time when you:Startedatthebottomandrosethroughtherankstoapositionofresponsibility.

• Follow-up question:Whathavepeoplewhopreviouslyheldthispositiongoneontodo?

Salary DOE/competitive> What it really means:Salaryisyettobe

determined,orpossiblybelowindustryaverageforthisposition.

• Give an example of a time when you:Savedorearnedmoneyforyourorganization.

• Follow-up questions:Askiftheyhaveasenseofthesalaryrangefortheposition.Fromyourresearch,youshouldknowhowthatcorrespondstoindustry-standardsalaryranges.

Self-starter > What it really means:Supervisorsare

overworkedandhavenotimetooverseeyou.• Give an example of a time when you:Enjoyed

takingtheinitiativeonaprojectandproducedexcellentresultsfortheorganization.

• Follow-up question:Wouldyoursupervisorpreferregularreportsormeetingsaboutworkprogress,sothatitdoesn’tinterruptdailyworkflow?

Team player > What it really means:Thiscouldmeanone

oftwoverydifferentthings.Eitheryou’llbeexpectedtoworkwellcollaboratively,oryou’llbeexpectednottocomplainwhenyoursuperiorsandcolleagueshaveyoudosomeoftheirspilloverworkinadditiontothejobyouwereactuallyhiredtodo.

• Give an example of a time when you:Workedcollaborativelywithateamtocompleteaprojectonanaggressivetimeline,withexcellentresults.

• Follow-up questions:Askwhowouldmakeupyour“team”atwork.Ifitwillbemostlyother


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peopleinpositionsatyoursamelevel,giveananecdoteofatimewhenyouandyourcolleaguespulledtogethertogetadauntingprojectdonewell.Iftheotherteammembersareallyoursuperiorsandyouarethesoleunderling,askforclarityonwhowillbemanagingyourworkassignments—youdon’twanttoberesponsibleforspilloverfromfivesupervisors.

kEY TAsksSincemanynewspapersandcareersiteschargeforclassifiedadsbythewordorlimitthespaceavailable

foremploymentlistings,jobpostingsareoftenalittleshortondetailaboutspecifictasksyou’dbeexpectedtoperform.Ifthejobpostingdoesnotspelloutthespecificday-to-dayresponsibilitiesfortheposition,sendanemailormakeaphonecalltotheemployerrequestingadetailedjobdescription.Th iscanbeacompetitiveadvantageintheinterviewprocess:Armedwithmoredetailsaboutthepositioninadvanceoftheinterview,you’llhaveabettersenseofwhattosayandaskthanothercandidateswhodidn’tbothertoinquireaboutthedetails.

Considerthefollowingexample:

Head Offi ce Manager (FT)

Fortune 1000 company with 30-year track record of growth seeks

accomplished professional with 8+ years of offi ce management

experience to manage daily operations of headquarters in Chicago.

As Head Offi ce Manager, you will have autonomy to make decisions,

but also the support staff and resources needed to advance

company goals with utmost effi ciency and excellence.

requirements:

Candidates should be prepared to provide at least three professional

references attesting to candidate’s professionalism, sense of humor,

multi-tasking capacity, and excellent people skills.

salary: above industry standard, DOE

Full benefi ts package includes excellent health, vision and dental

coverage for employee and family; profi t-sharing after 1 year; 401(k)

with employer matching contributions; fl exible spending account;

charitable donation matching program.

All resume submissions will be handled with utmost

confi dentiality. Please indicate source of listing in header.



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Th ispostingoffersenticingdetailsaboutthepositionandthecompanytoencouragejobseekerstorespondandlistsrequiredskillstonarrowthenumberofrespondentstoqualifiedcandidates.Butwhatdoesthispostingreallytellyouaboutthejob?Youmightdeducethatthereisafairamountofinterpersonalinteraction,budgetmanagement,staffmanagement,projectmanagement,andsomemeetingplanninginvolved—butthatleavesalotofroomforinterpretation.Th ispostingleavesyouwithalotofquestions,namely:1. Whattaskswillconsumemostofyourtime?2. Whowillyouinteractwithmostonaday-to-day

basis?3. Whoelsewillbeonyourteam?4. Howmanypeoplewillyoubeexpectedto

manage?5. Willyoubeabletosetyourownbudget?

6. Whowillyoureportto?7. Whatkindsofvendorswillyouhavetomanage?8. Howmuchwillyouneedtolearnaboutconsumer

packagedgoodstodoyourjobeffectively?9. Howmanydifferenttaskswillyoubeexpectedto

juggleatanyonetime?10. Whathourswillyouworkeachweek?11. Willyoueverhavetoworkweekendsorevenings?12. Istelecommutingapossibility?13. Isthereanyspecializedknowledgethatwould

benefityouinthisjob?

Nowlet’stakealookatadetailedjobdescriptionforthesameposition:

Readoverthissamplejobdescriptioncarefully,andthenseehowmanyofthequestionsraisedbythesamplejobpostingyoucannowanswer.Answersappearonthepage24. Willyoubeabletosetyourownbudget? youcannowanswer.Answersappearonthepage24.

Head Offi ce ManagerLocation: HQStatus: FT (exempt)

Responsibilities include:

Administrative staff management (40%)

• Manage & mentor administrative staff, including front desk, meeting planners, mailroom, and

other support staff

• Set quarterly goals for administrative staff, and make regular progress reports to VP HR on

success toward these goals

• Manage offi ce calendar and administrative staff workfl ow using Microsoft utilities

• Assist HR in hiring administrative staff

Facilities management (35%)

• Research, budget, and implement all major offi ce-related purchasing decisions, from vendor/

supplier selection through fi nal implementation/installation

• Oversee support staff and vendors responsible for facilities management, including equipment

maintenance

• Direct offi ce renovations and ensure ADA and ergonomic compliance throughout offi ce

• Maintain central calendar for use/availability of HQ facilities

• Create and manage offi ce supply budget

• Be accessible by beeper for facilities emergencies as needed

meeting/event planning (25%)

• Work directly with Senior Partners to plan major meetings, offi ce events, parties, and trainings

• Hire and manage outside vendors (catering, entertainment, etc.) for all HQ events, including

Chicago-based trainings, product launches, and conferences with other company divisions

• Coordinate off-site receptions, dinners, and entertainment for affi liates as needed by senior

management

• Be on-call during events and launches in case of emergency


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sAmPlE JOb POsTING

What tasks will consume most of your time?

hOW mANY OF ThE QuEsTIONs rAIsED bY ThE sAmPlE JOb POsTING cAN YOu NOW ANsWEr?

Who will you interact with most on a day-to-day basis?

Who else will be on your team?

How many people will you be expected to manage?

Will you be able to set your own budget?

Who will you report to?

What kinds of vendors will you have to manage?

How much will you need to learn about consumer packaged goods to do your job effectively?

How many different tasks will you be expected to juggle at any one time?

What hours will you work each week?

Will you ever have to work weekends or evenings?

Is telecommuting a possibility?

Is there any specialized knowledge that would benefit you in this job?



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ANsWErs

1. Whattaskswillconsumemostofyourtime? Administrativestaffmanagement(40%)

2. Whowillyouinteractwithmostonaday-to-daybasis?

Administrativestaff(seeabove)

3. Whoelsewillbeonyourteam? Frontdesk,meetingplanners,mailroom,andother

supportstaff,plusvendors

4. Howmanypeoplewillyoubeexpectedtomanage?

Atleastfourstaffmembers(onereceptionist,twomeetingplanners,onemailroomclerk)plusunspecifiedadditionalsupportstaffandvendors

5. Willyoubeabletosetyourownbudget? Yes,withapprovalofsuperiors

6. Whowillyoureportto? HRplusseniorpartners

7. Whatkindsofvendorswillyouhavetomanage? Caterers,partyplanners,facilitiesmanagers,and

maintenance

8. Howmuchwillyouneedtolearnaboutconsumerpackagedgoodstodoyourjobeffectively?

NeedtoknowaboutsuccessfulCPGproductlaunchevents

9. Howmanydifferenttaskswillyoubeexpectedtojuggleatanyonetime?

Threedistinctareasofresponsibility,with14specifictasks

10. Whathourswillyouworkeachweek? Hourswillvary;expecttobeoncalloccasionally

afterofficehours

11. Willyoueverhavetoworkweekendsorevenings? Yes

12. Istelecommutingapossibility? Flexibleschedulemaybepossible,butgiven

responsibilityforadministrativestaffoversight,seemsunlikely

13. Isthereanyspecializedknowledgethatwouldbenefityouinthisjob?

Productlaunches,ADAcompliance,projectandcalendarmanagementsoftware

Gotmostofthemcorrect,didyou?Congrat-ulations:You’velearnedtoreadbetweenthelines,whichwillbeausefulassettohelpyouaskinformed,intelligentquestionsonthebigday.Theinforma-tiongleanedfromthejobdescriptionwillalsohelpyoumakeaconvincingcaseforyourselfastheidealcandidate.

KnOw the OrGanIzatIOnIn the course ofyourjobsearchandnetworkingprocess,youshouldhavebecomefairlyfamiliarwiththeorganizationwhereyou’veapplied.Butdon’tstopthere—keepaskingfriendsandcolleagueswhattheyknowabouttheorganization,teamordepartment,andkeycompetitors.Boneupontheorganizationthroughindustrypublicationsandwebsearchesasrecommendedinthesectionsthatfollowuntilyoucancheckoffeveryitemonthelistbelow.

And,ifyou’veforgottenwhyyouneedtoknowallthis,revisitthefirstchapter.LooktothelastchapterofthisInsiderGuidetofindanumberofresourcesyoucanuseinyourresearch.


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ThE INDusTrY Besuretofamiliarizeyourselfwithrelevantindustrytermsandissues.Readrespectedindustrypublications,anddoanonlinesearchtoidentifythebiggestnewsstorieswithinthefieldinthepastyear.Usethisinformationtoensurethatyoucanspeaktothecompetitivepressurestheorganizationisfacingandthatyoucanunderstandtheterminologyyourinterviewerisusing.Evenifyou’vebeeninthebusinessforyears,readingafewarticlesdiscussingnewapproachestocommonproblemsisgoodpreparationforanytopicalquestions.

ThE OrGANIzATION Naturally,you’llfirstlookforinformationaboutthecompanyonline,butdon’tstopthere:Emailfriendsandformercolleaguestofindoutifanyofthemknowsomeonewhoworksthereormighthaveacontactthere.Explainthatyou’reapplyingforapositionattheorganizationandwouldliketogettheinsidescooponwhatit’sliketoworkthere.Onceyouhaveacontactattheorganization,introduceyourself,explainyourinterestintheorganization,andfindoutwhetherthey’rewillingtoanswersomequestions.Iftheyare,thisconversationcouldtakeplaceoveremailorthetelephone.Refertothepreviouschecklisttobesureyougetasmuchinsideinformationasyoucan.

bAckGrOuND rEsEArch Make a copy of this checklist for each position you interview for.

INDusTrY

o I am aware of three key competitive pressures facing the industry today.o I can think of three competitive opportunities that make this a promising business to be in.o I can name the top ten news items in the industry for the past year.o When I read through a trade publication, I do not come across many terms with which I am unfamiliar.

OrGANIzATION

o I know the company’s website very well.o I am familiar with this organization’s business model and know how it makes its money.o I am aware of the key competitive pressures facing the organization today.o I have visited the websites of the organization’s three main competitors.o I am able to name the company’s three main competitive advantages.o I can name three of the company’s main accomplishments in its history and three major accomplishments in the past year.o I can name the top three news items about this company in the past year.o I can recount the basics of the company’s history, including how the company was founded.o I know the names of the top executives in the company.o When I read through the organization’s website, I do not stumble over any terms.

TEAm

o I know the names of the team leaders, including those who would be my direct supervisors.o I have read all available team member bios on the website, and know where they are from and what their qualifications are.

[chEcklIsT]



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ThE TEAm Ifyoudotalktoacontactinsidetheorganization,besuretoaskwhatthatcontactknowsabouttheteamandthepersonwhowillbeinterviewingyou.(Youdidaskforanamewhenyoureceivedthecallaskingyoutocomeinforaninterview,right?Wethoughtso.)Also,lookonthe“AboutUs”pageontheorganization’swebsiteandfindouteverythingyoucanabouttheskillsandbackgroundofeveryoneontheteam,especiallythepersonwhoisscheduledtointerviewyou.Ifyoucanfindapointofconnectionwithyourinterviewer—whetherthat’sacolleagueorvendoryoubothknow,aconferenceyoubothattended,adifferentcityorcountrywhereyoubothlived—youwillbothbemuchmoreateaseintheinterview,andit’llgothatmuchbetter.

AWArDs AND AccOlADEsIfyou’vebeeninvitedforaninterview,clearlytheythinkhighlyofyou.Youshouldbesuretoreturnthecomplimentbylearningabouttheorganizationandwhyitwouldbeagreatplacetowork.Mostbusinessmagazinesproduceanannuallistofthebestplacestowork,socheckouttheseliststoseewhetheryourprospectiveemployermeritsaplace.Non-profitorganizationsandthinktanksalsoofferawardstoorganizationsthathavemadeapositiveimpactonthecommunityorthathavesetthestandardforbestpracticesintheirindustry.Th inkaboutwhat’simportanttoyouinacompany,andtheoddsarethere’sanindexthattracksthebestorganizationsinthatarea.Considerthefollowingindexes:

• 50MostDesirableMBAEmployers(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune)

• 100Fastest-GrowingCompanies(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune)

• America’sBestCompaniesforMinorities(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune)

• America’sMostAdmiredCompanies(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune)

• Best100CompaniestoWorkFor(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune)

• DiversityIncTop50(www.diversityinc.com)

• BusinessEthicsAwards(www.business-ethics.com)

• GreenBizLeaders(www.greenbizleaders.com)

Tofindoutwhetheraprospectiveemployerhasgarneredanyotheraccolades,doakeywordsearchonthecompany’swebsitefor“award”orscanthepressreleasesinthepress/mediasectionofthesite.

KnOw YOurselfOnce you’ve carefully gleanedeverylastbitofinformationfromthejobdescriptionandcompletedyourresearchontheorganizationanditsindustry,you’rereadytowriteyourownstory.Yourresumesaysalotaboutyourcareer,butitdoesn’ttellthewholestoryofwhatyouhavetoofferyourprospectiveemployer.Th atstoryisn’taboutplacesworked,tasksperformed,andeducationreceived,butamuchmoreexcitingtaleofstrengthsdiscovered,lessonslearned,interestspursued,andplanshatched.Th isisthekindofstorythatwillreallyengageyourinterviewer—sostartpiecingyourstorytogether.

tIp>Check out the organization’s annual report and scan press reports online to fi nd out what the department has accomplished in the last year.


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sTrENGThsManyjobapplicantsconfusestrengthswithskills.Skillsareabilitiesthatcanbecultivatedwithacertainamountoftraining,suchasfacilitywithasoftwareapplication.Strengthsarepersonalattributesthatyoumayhavebeenbornwithandcultivatedoverthecourseofmanyyearsandlifeexperiences—perseveranceinthefaceofadversity,forexample,oranaturalfriendlinessthatmakesmeetingnewpeopleeasyforyou.

Ifyoulackskillwithacertainsoftwareprogram,youmaybeabletolearnitinafewmonths—butapersonalstrengthisnotsoeasilyacquiredinasix-monthtrainingcourse.Asaresult,interviewersareusuallymuchmoreinterestedincandidateswhohaveallthestrengthsneededtodothejobwellthaninintervieweeswhocanonlybringskillstothetable,evenifsomeofthoseskillslookmightyimpressiveonpaper.Justthinkaboutit:YourfluencyinHawaiianmayoccasionallycomeinhandyinthatadministrativepositionyou’veappliedfor,butyourimpeccablesenseoforganizationwillprobablybealotmoreusefulonadailybasis.

Soinsteadofrackingyourbraintocomeupwithalonglistofskillsyouhavetooffer,spendanhourortwoonthefollowingexercise:

1. Looking over thejobdescription,makealistofthepersonalstrengthsthatwillprobablyberequiredforthisjob.Isthisapositionthatrequireshandlinglargesumsofmoney?Thentherightcandidatewillbesomeonewho’sresponsible,reliable,andethical.Ifit’sacustomercareposition,they’llbelookingforsomeonewhoispersonable,patient,andempathetic.

2. Ponder what personalstrengthscouldbeconsideredaplusforthejob,andlistthosetoo.Ifthejobdescriptionincludesbudgetmanagement,athriftynaturecouldbeacompetitiveadvantageforacandidate.Ifitlookslikeyou’llbeworkingwithcustomersoverseas,yourcomfortwithotherculturesisadefinitebonus.

3. For each of the personalstrengthsnecessaryforthisposition,thinkofananecdotethatillustratesyourstrengthinthisregard.Let’ssayyoucanrecallatimewhenyoucaughtanoversightontheannualreport,andfromthenonwereentrustedwithdouble-checkingthefinancialnumbersonallinvestorcommunications.Thatanecdotewouldhelpshowyou’rethoroughandresponsibleenoughtohandlefiscalresponsibilities.

4. Look over yourlistofpersonalstrengthsthatmightprovehelpfulinthisjob,andidentifythoseyoupossess.Canyouthinkofastorythatdemonstrateseachofthesepersonalstrengths?MaybeyourthriftinessledyoutotrackdownareliablesmallaccountingfirminVirginiatohandleanaudit,insteadofgoingwiththatexpensiveBigFourfirmthatwaslaterchargedwithfraudulentaccountingmethods.

lEssONs lEArNEDNothingismoresuspiciousorlessimpressivethanaflawlesscandidate.Eitheryou’rehidingsometrulyterribleflawthatwillbecomeapparentafteryou’vebeenhiredoryourabilitieshavecomesoeasilytoyouthatyouhavenoideawhatit’sliketoreallyworkat

π NO WhINING

“[Employers] look for people who go beyond their defined job description,” says Don Straits, CEO of career services company Corporate Warriors. In addition to skills like mastering specific computer programs, a positive attitude, leadership skills, and uncompromising integrity are all in high demand.

“Organizations seek people whose personality style and behavior match the requirements of the job and the corporate culture,” Straits says. So be sure to come across as likable, and refrain from criticizing former employers or placing blame on others during your interview.



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developingaskill.Showthatyou’vealreadylearnedafewimportantlifelessons,andyou’llsoundmoreexperienced,wise,hard-working,andhuman.Hiringmanagerswantcandidateswhohavedemonstratedanabilitytolearnandrecoverfrommistakes.Afterall,mistakesareinevitable.What’scrucialistheabilitytobouncebackandnotrepeatthesameones.

It’saninterviewer’sjobtoprobeforpossibleshortcomings,andmanywon’tquituntilyou‘fessuptosomeweakness—soyou’dbewisetohavea“lessonlearned”storyreadyasananswerratherthanadmittingacharacterflawunderduress.Buthowdoyoutellastoryaboutmakingamistakewithoutlosingyourcredibility,orleadingyourinterviewertowonderwhetheryou’llmakethesamemistakeagain?Herearefourkeytips: Beware of TMI (too much information) syndromeSuchstoriesmaybestandardfareonrealityTVshows,butdoesyourprospectiveemployerreallywanttoknowabouthowyoulearnedthehardwaynottodateyourcoworkersorthedangersofcocktailsbeforeboardmeetings?Savethesestoriesforyourfriends—they’llonlymakeyourinterviewerworryaboutyourjudgment,nottomentionpossiblesexualharassmentlawsuitsanddrinkingproblems.

Keep it work-relatedYoumayhavelearnedalotwhenyourgrandmotherpassedawayrecently,butdoyoureallywantyourinterviewertorememberyouasthepersonwhosegrandmotherdied?Itwouldbemuchbettertotellthestorytoafinancialplanningfirmofhowyoudiscoveredhowmuchmoreyouenjoyedtheclientproblem-solvingaspectsofwebsitedesignthantheactualcoding.Thenyou’llberememberedasthemulti-talentedapplicantwho’dbeanaturalathelpingclientsfindworkablesolutions.

Make your interviewer your allyIfyou’reinthesamelineofworkasyourinterviewer,chancesareyourinterviewerhasexperiencedsome

ofthesametrialsyouhaveandwillappreciateyourgracefulhandlingofafamiliarsituation.Let’ssayyou’rebothinthemoviebusiness,andinyourfirstproductionassistantgigyoumadethemistakeofputtingyourcellphonenumberonaposterforanopencastingcall.Thisstorywillprobablywinyouasympatheticgroanfromyourinterviewer,whowillappreciatethepredicamentofbeingfloodedwithcallsfromaspiringactors.Thendescribealessonyoulearnedfromitthatwillhelpyououtatthejobyou’reinterviewingfor—maybethiswasthecrashcourseyouneededinmovie-makingprotocolormaybeittaughtyoutobegraciousandunderstandingevenwhenyou’reinundated.

Explain how the lesson learned relates to this positionIfyousayyoulearnedthatyoureallydon’tlikeelephantsandthejobyou’reapplyingforisincarpentry,thatstoryseemslikeabizarrenonsequitur.Butifyoulearnedthatyoudidn’tlikeworkingwithelephantsasmuchasyouenjoyedbuildingsetsatthecircus,thismayactuallybeahelpfulstorytogetyouthejob.Inotherwords,besurethatlessonlearnedisrelevanttothepositionyou’reinterviewingfor.

cAsE IN POINT: PErFEcTIONIsTs ONlY NEED APPlY

If you’re not sure of the personal skills your prospective employer seeks in an employee, take another look at the job description. If you’ve applied for a high-volume sales job in a fast-moving company, for example, you might expect that grace under pressure and results orientation might come in handy.

“Once an interviewer asked me, ‘Are you a per-fectionist? I mean the kind of person who will contemplate the perfect usage of a comma for hours?’ And I said, ‘Well, no, I can’t say that I am that obsessive about punctuation, really,’ and then he just got up and walked out of the room, as if I’d just insulted him.”


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INTErEsTs“I’vealwaysfoundinsurancebillingsofascinating...”Holditrightthere!Beforeyoumakeabogusblanketstatementofinterestlikethisinthehopesofpleasingyourinterviewer,beawarethatsuchaclaimmightactuallysowtheseedsofdoubtinthemindofyourinterviewer.Thisstatementisfartoobroad—whichofthemanyandvariedtasksofinsurancebillingarefascinating,exactly?It’salsoeasilyrefuted:Ifyou’vealwaysknownyouwantedtoenterthefield,whydidyougotoschoolforinterpretivedanceinsteadofgettingyourcertificationininsurancebilling?Youalsorisksoundingnaïveanddreamy-eyed—yourinterviewerislookingforacandidatewhoknowsthechallengesaheadandispreparedtotakethemon,notsomeonewhoisgoingtoquitindisillusioneddisgustupondiscoveringthatinsurancebillingisnot,infact,endlesslyfascinating.

Sobeforeyouenteryourjobinterview,thinkcarefullyaboutwhatinterestedyouinthejob,andhowittiesintootherlong-standinginterestsofyours.Whichofyourinterestsdoesinsurancebillingsatisfy?Doyouenjoypuzzlingthroughmathematicalproblemsortakeparticularsatisfactioninreconcilingdiscrepancies?Yourinterviewerislookingtohiresomeonewhoisgoingtobepassionateenoughabouttheworktostickwithitevenwhenitgetschallenging—orworseyet,tedious—ratherthansomeonewhowantsthejobjustbecauseitpayswell,hasreasonablehours,oroffersaflexibleschedule.Whathappenswhenyoudon’tgetthatbonusoryouhavetoworklatetofinishaproject?Employersarelookingforthepersonwhohasalong-terminterestinthejobbeyondshort-termpracticalconsiderations.

mAkING ThE lEAP: ADvIcE FOr cArEEr chANGErsIfyou’retryingtoswitchcareers,apersuasiveexplanationofyourinterestscanhelpyoumakeaconvincingcaseforthechange.Let’ssayyou’retryingtomaketheleapfromacareerasamuseumcuratortoapositionwithaconsultingfirmthatspecializesineducationalpolicy.Youmightbegintobuildacase

basedonyourinterestsbyansweringthefollowingquestions:

1. Why does the position interest you?Asanadvocatefortheartsandaparent,you’velongbeenconcernedthatpublicschoolsarenotprovidingkidswithsufficientopportunitiestothinkcreativelyanddiscovertheirpassions.Thispositionisjusttheopportunityyou’vebeenlookingfortohaveanimpactoneducationalpolicyatabroadlevel.

2. What evidence do you have of your interests?Youdevelopedprogramsforschoolgroupsatthemuseum,servedontheboardofyourstate’sartscouncil,andtestifiedatstatehearingsabouttheimpactofcutsonschoolartsprograms.

3. How are your interests relevant to the position?Lobbyistsoftenhirethefirmtohelpthembuildaneffectivecaseforfundingschoolprograms,andduetoyourlong-standingcommitmentto

cAsE IN POINT: GO WITh WhAT YOu kNOW

Don’t exaggerate your skills so that you’ll be sweating bullets your first day on the job! Emphasize your personal strengths and relevant experience, and you may land the job as “the candidate with the most potential.” If you don’t get the job but make a positive impression on your interviewer, you’ll be first on the list of people to contact when an appropriate position does become available. You never know where

a good connection may lead, as this story proves:

“I once had an employer tell me: ‘If we could use your set of skills, I’d hire you in a minute, but we currently don’t have need of them. However, I happen to know a guy over at this company who is looking for someone with your skills, and I will recommend you to him, and give you his number to call.’ That led to a job for me.”



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theissue,you’dbeboththoroughandpassionateinmountingcampaignsanddevelopingwinninggrantproposals.Sinceyou’vegiventestimonyyourselfinstatehearings,youcanalsohelpcoachclientsonbecomingeffectiveadvocatesfortheirprograms.

GOAlsOnceyouknowhowthepositionmatchesyourstrengths,experience,andinterests,youneedtodeterminehowitcontributestoyourlong-termgoals.Evenifyou’redetail-orientedandresourcefulandhaveademonstrableinterestinlegalresearch,thatdoesn’tnecessarilymeanyou’redestinedtobeaparalegal.Maybeyoushouldgotolawschoolinsteadorbecomealegallibrarian.Youneedtobeclearabouthowbeingaparalegalfitsinwithyourlifeplan—foryourownsakeandtopresentaconvincingcaseforgivingyouthejob.

Yourinterviewerwillwantassurancethatyouchosetopursuethisjobaboveallotheroptions,ratherthansimplybydefault.Perhapsyoucanconvinceyourinterviewerthatyourgoalistobeaparalegalwithoutbeingentirelysureyourself,butwhathappensafteryougetthejobandrealizethatyou’dbemuchclosertoyourcareergoalofbeingaheadlegallibrarianifyou’dtakenthatjobinlibraryscienceinstead?Spendsometimeconsideringyourcareerpathbeforeyourinterview,andyou’llsaveyourselfalotofbacktracking.

YOu’rE NOT JusT IN IT FOr ThE mONEYWhenyou’reconsideringyourcareergoals,thinkbeyondcoldcash.AccordingtotheInternationalCenterforEducationStatistics,Americansaremorelikelytodaytohaveabachelor’sdegreetodaythan30yearsago,andtheymakemoremoney,too.Butthat’swherethegoodnewsstops.“Backin1981,astudentcouldworkfulltimeallsummerataminimumwagejobandearnabouttwo-thirdsoftheirannualcollegecosts,”wroteNellieMaeeconomistHeatherBousheyina2006report.“Today,however,astudentearningtheminimumwagewouldhavetoworkfulltime,[for

a]fullyeartoaffordoneyearofeducationatafour-yearpubliccollegeoruniversity.”Morestudentsthaneveraregraduatingwithrecorddebt.High-payingjobsarealsoveryelusiveandextremelyvolatile,andevensuccessfulcareersinhighly-paidfields(suchassports)areoftenshort-lived.

lONG-TErm PlANNINGEventhoughthe“Wheredoyouseeyourselfin5(or10or15)years?”questionisnotasubiquitousasitoncewas,manyinterviewerscontinuetoclingtoit,soyoushouldbepreparedwithananswer.Interviewerswhousethisquestionaretryingtogaugesomecombinationofthefollowing:yourlevelofinterestinthefieldorindustryyou’repursuing,yourcommitmenttothecompany,andyourlong-rangeplanningskills.

Thiscanbeaverydifficultquestiontoanswerforthosejuststartingout.Considertheskillsthatyoumightdevelopinthepositionyou’reinterviewingfor,andhighlightthoseinyouranswer.Ifyou’reinterviewingforanentry-levelposition,it’sagoodideatofigureoutwhatthenexttwopositionsinthehierarchyareandmentionthat,aftermasteringthepositionyou’reinterviewingfor,youhopetobepromotedintooneofthose.

Ifyou’reamidcareercandidate,focusyouransweronpotentialcareerdevelopmentareas,suchashoningyourmanagementskills,orlearningmoreaboutanaspectofyourcareerthatyou’veyettoexplore.It’sagoodideatofindoutaboutpossiblecareerpathsinthecompanyyou’reinterviewingwith—youdon’twanttosuggestthatyou’deventuallyliketoworkintheoperationsdepartmentifthecompanydoesn’tevenhaveone.

Ifyou’rehavingtroublecomingupwithagoodresponse,takesometimetoconsiderthefollowinggoalsandrelatedquestions:

1. Impact:Willthisjobofferanopportunityforyoutochangeyourcommunity,industry,ortheworldforthebetter?


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2. Pride:Doesthejobdescriptionreflectyouraptitudes,strengths,andinterests?

3. Achievements:Whatopportunitieswillyouhavetoshineinthisjob?

4. Learning:Whatsubjectswillyouhaveanopportunitytoexploreinthisjob?

Ifyoucan’tanswerallofthesequestions,don’tworry—thefullrewardsofapositionmaynotbeimmediatelycleartoyouuntilyou’vebeenonthejobawhile.Butifyoucan’tthinkofanycareergoalsthispositionwillhelpyouattain,there’saproblem.Maybethisisn’ttherightjobforyou,ormaybeyourcareergoalsareinconsistentorcontradictory.

Ifyougettheimpressionfromyourinterviewthatthepositionisnotgoingtobeaspromisingforyourcareerasyou’dhoped,youshouldthinktwicebefore

acceptingtheposition.Ideally,bothyouandyourinterviewershouldleavetheinterviewconvincedthatthisjobisnotjustanotherjobforyou,butratherasoundcareermove.

lIne up YOur referencesMany people dread approachingtheircolleaguesandformerbossesforjobreferencesbecausetheyfeellikethey’reaskingforspecialfavorsorfishingforcompliments—butit’sallamatterofwhatyouask.Ifyouweretosay,“Robert,IneedyoutovouchformewiththiscompanywhereI’mtryingtogetajob,”itmightsoundabitpresumptuous.You’reaskinghimtoputhisgoodnameonthelineforyou,butsinceyoudidn’ttellhimanythingabouttheposition,hehasnowayofknowingwhetheryou’reactuallyagoodfitfortheposition.Don’tputyourreferencesinanawkwardpositionbydemandingtheirblindfaithinyou—theymightbewillingtodoitonce,buttheyprobablywon’twanttorepeattheexperience.Keepyourrequestlimitedandspecificinstead,andyourreferenceswillbemuchhappiertooblige.

GIvE ADvANcE NOTIcEWhenyourinterviewercallstosetupaninterview,don’twaituntilyou’reaskedtogatherreferences.Therighttimetoaskyourcolleaguesforareferenceisnotwhenthey’resmackinthemiddleofaproject,andyouhavetointerruptbecauseyou’vepromisedtogetreferencestoyourinterviewertomorrow.Ifyou’recallingordroppingin,thefirstthingyoushouldaskisnot“Couldyougivemeareference?”but“Isnowagoodtimetotalk?”Youshouldalwaysapproachfourorfivepeoplewhohavehadsubstantialexperienceworkingwithyou,incaseoneormoreisinaccessible.

ExPlAIN YOur PlANsSendane-mailtoeachpossiblereferenceexplaining

cAsE IN POINT: NIcE PEOPlE, WrONG JOb

They loved you, they called you in for four interviews, they took you out to lunch . . . and they hired someone else. These things happen in the selection process. But any positive contact in an interview may help you later on and can really boost your professional confidence, as this Case in Point illustrates:

“I recently found a letter I received from the head of a museum after I’d interviewed with her for a position there. That was one of the better interviews I had, and I got along so well with all the

personnel that I met at the museum, but the position I was applying for, as I recall, wasn’t a great match for my skills. It says, ‘Thank you for going through the whole, long interview process. It was a pleasure getting to know you better. You’re a wonderful person and a strong candidate. . . I’m sure your job hunt will go well, with your skills, background, and winning ways, the perfect match between person and position. I wish you all the best.’ I kept the letter because it’s so sweet.”



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theopportunity,whatyouhavetooffer,andtheabilitiesyou’dlikethemtoattestto.Sinceyouknowexactlywhyyouwanttopursuethisjobandhowitmatchesyourstrengthsandinterests,itshouldbeeasyforyoutoexplainyourinterestandqualificationstopotentialreferences.Thisisgoodpracticeformakingyourcasetoyourinterviewer!

There’salwaysachancethatapersonyoucontactwon’tfeelcomfortableprovidingareference—maybeacurrentteammateisafraidthatgivingyouareferencewouldbeperceivedasencouragingyoutoleavethecompany,orsomeoneyouworkedwithinadifferentindustrydoesn’tfeelabletospeaktoyourabilitiesinanotherfield.Don’tputanyoneonthespot—agrudgingreferenceisworsethannoreferenceatall.Instead,poseyourrequestasanopen-endedquestion,preferablyinane-mail,alongthefollowinglines:

suPPlY ThrEE POINTsOnceyou’vemadetheinitialapproachandscoredafewyesesfromprospectivereferences,thenextstepistomakeitaseasyaspossibleforyourreferencestogive

glowingrecommendationsbyprovidingtalkingpointsaboutthepositionandthethreemainstrengthsthatmakeyouanidealcandidate.Ifyouhaven’tworkedwithyourreferencesinawhile,youmightremindthemofprojectsthatyouworkedontogetherthatillustrateyourstrongestqualificationsfortheposition.

Assureyourreferencesthatthiswouldonlyentailaphonecallandthatyou’dbemostgratefulfortheirtimeandsupport.

FOllOW uPIf,aftertheinterview,youdecidethatyou’renotinterestedintheposition,letyourreferencesknowthattheywon’tbecontactedafterallandexplainwhy.They’llappreciateyourtakingthetimetokeepthemintheloop.Likewise,ifinthecourseofinterviewing,youdiscoverthatyourpotentialemployerisconcernedaboutaspecificskillorstrengththatisn’tevidentfromyourresume,taketheopportunitytoletyourreferencesknowthatanypositivecommentstheycanofferinthatdirectionwillbemosthelpful.

Ifyouhearthatyourreferenceswerecontacted,sendthemanicethank-youcard—andifyougetthejob,youmightconsidersendingthemasmallgiftasatokenofyourappreciation.Everyonelikestofeelappreciated,andareferencethatisenthusiasticenoughtohelplandyouajobdeservestremendousgratitude—andnotincidentally,alittleaddedencouragementtokeepthepraisecomingforfuturejobs.

Withyourresearchinplace,yourreferenceslinedup,andastrongsenseofhowyouaretheidealcandidatefortheposition,thehardestpartofyourinterviewprepisnowover.Infact,you’reprobablyraringtogotothatinterview—butfirst,lookoverthenextchapterandbesureyou’vegotallthebasicscovered.

π AskING FOr A rEFErENcE

“I’ve applied for a position as _____________ at _____________, and I’m really excited about this opportunity, which will put my abilities in _____________________ to good use doing ___________________. This would be an ideal chance for me to pursue my interest in ____________________, so I’m delighted that I’ve been invited in for an interview. Since we’ve worked together on projects that require similar _______________________ as this job, would you be willing to provide a reference attesting to my abilities in this regard? Obviously I’d like a strong reference to support my application, so please think it over and let me know if this is something you’d feel comfortable doing.If you could get back to me with an answer by [date], that would be ideal. I’ll send further details about the position and my qualifications. I really appreciate your thoughtful consideration, since this would be a big career move for me.”


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4Basic Interview Expectations

Look the Part ��36

Tips from Head to Toe��37

Bring the Right Stuff ��40

Make an Entrance �� 41

Say it with Body Language ��42

Build Rapport ��44

Master the Art of Q&A ��45



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Think of a jobinterviewasaformalsocialevent,likeaweddingorcompanyholidayparty,wherecertainsocialgraces,attire,andothertrappingsareexpected.Youdon’tnecessarilyneedtoobeyalloftheseconventions,butyoushouldknowwhattheyaresoyoucanmakeaninformedchoiceaboutwhethertoobservethem.There’salwaysabalancetobestruckinaninterview:Youdon’twanttounintentionallydo,wear,orsaysomethingthatwillmakeyoupersonanongrata,butyoualsowanttobesurethewayyoupresentyourselfisanimageyoucanlivewithafteryougetthejob.

lOOK the partMost job applicants spendhourstailoringtheirresumesandcraftingcoverletterstomakesuretheyputtheirbestfootforwardwithemployers.Yetsomanyotherwisefirst-impression-savvycandidatesgetdressedina15-minutemaddashbeforeaninterview.Thisisanerrorinjudgment:Whenyouwalkthroughthatdoor,it’syoutheemployerisgoingtosee,notyourresume.Ifyoucomeinlookingdisheveledandoutofplace,yourinterviewermayfindithardtobelievethoseclaimsyoumakeonyourresumeaboutyourattentiontodetailandconsummateprofessionalism.

Spendanhourortwoonyourpersonalpresentation,andyou’llremindtheemployerofwhyyouwerecalledinforaninterview,namely:

Career aspirationsNoemployerwantstowastevaluabletimeonacandidatewhodoesn’tseeminterestedinthejobandpreparedfortheinterview.Showthatyoucareaboutthepositionbytakingthetimetolooksharp,andmakesurethatyourattireisconsistentwiththeprofessionalexpectationsoftheposition.Thiscouldmeanthattousled,beachgoerhairdomayrequireamakeover—unlessthejobyou’veappliedforisinoutdooreducationorthesportsandentertainment

industry,youdon’twanttoconveytoyouremployerthatyou’remoreseriousaboutsurfingthanyouareaboutstakeholdervalue.

Industry insightMakesureyourattireisindustry-standard. Ifyoucomeintointerviewforafinancepositionlookinglikeacomedianinsteadofabanker,youmaygetthehookfromaninterviewereagertomoveonto“serious”candidateswhoaren’tsportingafishnecktieandrainbowsuspenders.Likewise,ifyoushowuptointerviewforacomedygiglookinglikeabanker,yourinterviewersmayfeellikeyou’retryingtomakeajoketheydon’tget—andyoumightlosethegigtoacomedianwhosehumorislessesoteric.

Individual strengthsLookoveryourresume,andvisualizethepersondescribedthere.Istheinnovative,award-winninggraphicdesignerwhosecareeryou’veoutlinedsomeoneyou’dexpecttoseeinaboringgrayflannelsuitandwhiteshirt?Isthelicensedpracticalnursewithadecadeofhands-onexperiencesomeoneyou’denvi-sionincowboybootsandimpracticallytightjeans?Consideryourinterviewattireanoutwardreflectionofyourinnerstrengths,andletitbeneitheracostumethatinadvertentlydisguisesyourprofessionalcapabili-tiesnorauniformthathidesyourindividualstrengths.

ATTIrEAimforalookthat’smorespareandconservativethanyouwouldnormallywearandabitmoreformalthanseemstypicalforemployeesinthatorganization,basedonyourbackgroundresearch.Candidateswithinsiderinformationabouttheorganizationmaybetemptedtodressasitsemployeesdo,butthatmaybeperceivedaspresumptuousbyyourinterviewers.Youhaven’tyetlandedthejoborearnedtherighttowearsneakersaslong-timeemployeeshave.Plus,there’snothinglikethesuddenrealizationthatyou’reseriouslyunder-dressedtodecimateyourconfidence.Theacceptedruleofthumbistodressuponenotchmoreformallythanyouwouldifyouweretolandthisposition.


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tIps frOm head tO tOeYou will be lookedoverfromheadtotoeinaninterview,sogroomyourselfaccordingly.Considerthesetipsforanappropriateinterviewlook.

hAIrTidyisthewaytogo,evenifthatentailsstylingproductsandablowdryer.Thatdoesn’tmeanyouhavetoshowupcoiffedandlacqueredlikeananchorpersonforthesixo’clocknews,butyoushouldn’tappearshaggyor(heavenforbid)showupwithwethair.Someadditionalconsiderations:

• Short hair:Short-hairedwomenandmenshouldappearcleanandwell-styled,withthebackofthe

neckshavedasnecessaryforespeciallyshortlooks.Hairthatwastrimmednomorethantwoweeksbeforetheinterviewwillgiveyouthatneat,kemptappearanceyou’reaimingforinaninterview.

• Long hair:Womenwithlonghairmaywearitdownorpullitbackinabarretteoraneat,butnotoverlyelaborate,updo.Ribbonsandglitteryhairclipsaretobeavoided,sincethey’regenerallymoreappropriatetoahighschoolcheerleadingsquadthanaprofessionalsetting.Menwithlonghairdonothavetochoptheirlocks,ashasbeenadvisedinthepast—longhairformenismorewidelyacceptedthesedays,thoughshoulder-lengthisgenerallyconsideredthelimitformostpositionsthatdon’tincludethewords“rockstar”inthejobdescription.Theseconventionsvaryaccordingtolocation,withlonghaironmengenerallyconsideredmoreacceptableinlargercities.Menwithhairshoulder-lengthorlongershouldpullitbackinaneatponytail,andmenwithhairchin-lengthorlongershouldconsiderusingstylingproductstokeepitoutoftheirfacesoasnottothwarttheinterviewer’sattemptstolookthemstraightintheeye.

• Hair color and style: Whilethethoughtofchangingyourhairforaninterviewmaybeanathematoyou,understandthatyourinterviewerscouldbesodistractedbyyourarmy-stylebuzz-cut,GeorgeClintonrainbowweave,orfoot-highblueMohawkthattheymightnotheareverythingyouhavetosay.Youmightbeusedtolookingatyourradicalhairstyleeveryday,butyourinterviewermaynothavehadthatmuchpractice—andlikeitornot,couldhaveahardtimelookingpastyourhighlyindividualhairwhenpicturinghowyouwouldfitinwiththeteamorrepresenttheorganizationanditsculturetoclientsorconstituents(especiallyinarisk-averse,conservativeorganizationalsettingsuchasabank).Thisdoesn’tmeanyouhaveto“sellout”andlooklikesomeoneyou’renotandneverwant

π PlAN AhEAD

Pick out your outfit at least three or four days before your interview, to leave yourself time to make any necessary wardrobe fixes. You might discover that your suit needs dry cleaning or that your stockings have a run. Model your entire interview outfit for someone else (preferably someone with impeccable judgment), and ask whether your look seems appropriate for the job, company, and industry for which you’ll be interviewing. If your fashion consultant confirms

any of your suspicions that something about your look seems to send the wrong message, make adjustments no later than the day before your interview—you don’t want to be frantically shopping for socks the day of the interview. Then the night before the interview, lay out your clothes, jewelry, socks, and shoes and make sure they’re all clean and free of rips, wrinkles, lint, loose buttons, and hanging threads. That way, you can rest assured you’ll look your best.



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tobecome.Butifyoudon’twantyourhairtobethefactorthatmakesorbreaksyourchancesatarewardingcareer,youmightwanttotoneyoursignaturehairstyledownacoupleofnotches—pullthatvintagehairdobackinabarretteinsteadofa1940ssnood,orgatheryourdreadlocksinatidybundleatthenapeofyourneck.

• The hair that’s not on top of your head: Menwithfacialhairshouldkeepitwell-groomedandshortratherthanbushyandareadvisedtoadoptacontemporarybutnotoverlytrendystyle.Goateesandnarrowsideburnshavegraduatedfromunconventionaltowidelyaccepted,whilemustaches,longbeards,andchin-strapbeardstendtoseemdated.Eyebrowsshouldnotbeadistractionforinterviewers,soyoushouldgroomthemaccordingly.Youmaystartleyourinterviewerwithhairinunexpectedplacestoo,soconsiderkeepingthathairoutofsightorgroomedinaccordancewithcurrent,culture-specificsocialconventions.Forexample,noseandearhairshouldbetrimmedforbothmenandwomen,sincethismaybeconsideredunsightlybysomeinterviewers.Womendon’tnecessarilyneedtoremovelegorarmpithair,buttoavoiddistractingtheirinterviewers,womencanalwayschoosetowearpantsoropaquestockingsandshirtsordresseswithsleeves.

mAkEuPUnlessyou’repursuingacareeronstage,thereshouldbenothingparticularlydramaticaboutyourmakeup.Thismeansnobrightlycoloredeyeshadow,lipstick,orblushandnoheavymascaraoreyeliner.

JEWElrYYoudon’twantinterviewerstobesoblindedbyyourflashyaccessoriesthattheyoverlookyouraccomplishments,sokeepjewelryunderstated.Remembertheclassictruismaboutaccessories,andtakeoffonepieceofjewelrywhenyou’refullydressed.Ingeneral,avoidjewelrythatmakesnoise,suchas

banglebracelets.Iftheshirtyouareplanningtowearrequirescufflinks,besuretogoforatraditionallookingpair.Necklacesshouldbeminimalandtasteful.Formenandwomenalike,earringsshouldbesmallerandsimplerthanyoumightweartypically,soasnottoattractattentionawayfromyoureyes.Facialjewelrysuchaseyebrowhoops,lipstuds,noserings,ortonguestudsshouldbekepttoaminimum.Eveninmoreprogressiveorganizations,thereisagenerationalgapintheU.S.whenitcomestoacceptanceoffacialpiercings,soyoumightconsiderremovingfacialjewelryorwearingsmall,demurestudsinplaceofheavysteelbarbellsorcolorfuljeweledhoops.

NAIlsYourhandswillbenoticedbyyourintervieweratkeytimesduringtheinterview:whenyoushakehands,whenyouhandoveryourresume,andwhenyoureceivefurtherreadingmaterialonthecompany.So

cAsE IN POINT: bEING YOursElF Is NOT AlWAYs A bAD ThING

Making the tricky decision to remove a piercing, cut your hair, or purchase a suit may be an important decision for you to make in your job search—but before you take the leap, find out if it’s actually necessary in the company, industry, and interview setting you’re entering. Consider this case in point:

“I was just out of college and had splurged on two very conservative business suits—never mind the nose piercing, which I decided not to take out, since no employer

I wanted to work for would demand that I remove it. But the interview that got me the job I wanted was conducted over the phone, so none of this mattered. I remember going for a jog, coming home, grabbing a beer, lighting a cigarette, and waiting for the phone to ring. There I was, sweaty, stinky, and basically doing things more appropriate to a bar than an interview, convincing these people to hire me. And hire me they did! I never wore the suits again; I eventually donated them to charity.”


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besuretomakeagoodimpressionwithhandsthatarecleanandwell-kept.Men’snailsshouldbeshortandclean.Womenshouldalsohaveclean,shapednails,andanynailpolishwornshouldbeneatandrelativelyinconspicuous.Women’snailsshouldbeshortormid-lengthratherthanlong—verylongnailsareusuallyimpracticalforofficejobs.

shIrTMenandwomenalikeshouldinspectanyshirttobeworntoaninterviewtomakesureit’sclean,wrinkle-free,stain-free,andshowsnootherobvioussignsofwearsuchasholes,yellowedcollar,frayedcuffs,orpulledthreads.Womenusuallykeepthetopbuttonoftheirshirtunbuttonedtoconveyamorerelaxed,confidentair,andmenmayopttodothesameinamorerelaxedworkplacesetting.Women’sshirtsshouldnotbeoverlyrevealingorshowmuchskinbelowtheclaviclebone,however,andmenshouldwearundershirtsunderbuttonedshirtstokeepchesthairandpectoralmusclesoutofsightandofftheinterviewer’smind.Th egoalhereistomakeiteasyforinterviewerstokeeptheirattentiononyourprofessionalcapabilities,ratherthanonyourphysicalassets.Shirtsshouldfitwellandcomfortably,withoutbeingclingyorconstrictingaroundtheneck,bust,shoulders,orarms.Baggyshirtswillshowmorewrinklesthanonesthatfit,sobesureyoubuytherightsize.Youshouldalwayshaveashirtappropriatetotheseasonandclimate(longsleevesforaBostonwinter,shortsleevesforHawaii)andneversettleforsomethingthatmakesyoufeelitchyorawkward.

NEckWEArWiththewidespreadacceptanceofbusinesscasualattireintheU.S.,fewprofessionsrequiremaleemployeestowearatieeverydayanymore,andinsomeindustries—suchastechnology,non-profitsocialservices,arts,laboratorysciences,sanitation,entertainment,andadvertising—itmightevenseemstrangeformentoweartiesininterviewsunlesstheyareapplyingforexecutive-levelpositions.Butwhenindoubtoftheindustryandcompanystandardsonneckties,wisemenresorttoatiefortheinterview.Meninmorecreativeprofessionscanaffordtowearbrighterandmoreboldlypatternedties,whereasmeninmoretraditionalfieldsmightgofortheclassicregimentalstripeorsubtlypatternedred“powertie.”Womendonothavesuchwardrobeconstraints,butmaychoosetowearasimplenecklaceorscarfasanaccent.

JAckETJacketsarenotalwaysrequiredinofficesettingsandareseldomrequiredinblue-collarjobs,butwearingtheminaninterviewdoesgivemaleandfemalecandidatesaliketheadvantageofaneat,structured,professionalappearance.Whenselectingmen’sjacketfabric,takenotonlyclimateintoaccountbutcorporateculture,too:tweedsandcorduroyaremoreappropriateforacademic,research,andscientificjobsthanforcutting-edgetechnologycompaniesorconsultingfirms.Denimandkhakiaregenerallytoocasualasfabricsforinterviewjackets,eitherformenorwomen.Womenhavemorelatitudeotherwiseintermsoffabricorcolor,thoughwhitemightleaveyoufeelingoverlyconcernedaboutwhereyousitorrestyourpen.

OuTErWEArSinceyouwillentertheofficeinyourouterwear,yourcoat,scarf,gloves,hat,andumbrellamaywellbethefirstimpressionyouconvey.Somakesureyoushowthesameprofessionalisminyouroutwearasyoudointherestofyourinterviewoutfit.Double-checkthattherearenogapingholes,loosethreads,stains,orunravelingseams;thatit’sallclean;andthatthecolorscoordinate.

tIp>Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of wearing a shirt that isn’t quite right and planning to wear a sweater or jacket over it for the duration of the interview. You can’t predict what the climate control in the interview room will be like, and this solution will only make you hot and uncomfortable when the pressure is on.



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PANTs/skIrT Contemporaryandcoordinatedarewhatyou’relookingforinpantstoweartoaninterview.Yourpantscanbeseparatesyou’vepairedwithacrispshirtandcoordinatingjacket,oryoucangotheformalrouteandwearasuit.

Khakisandjeansaretoocasualformostinterviewsettings,sooptforadarkcolororneutralshadeofgrayorbrown—orforwomen,aneutraltoneorcolorthatmatchesyourjacketwillbeflatteringandappropriate.Womencanchoosetowearskirts,thoughtheyshouldnotbemorethananinchortwoabovethekneetokeepthelookappropriatelyprofessional,andtheyshouldbehigherthanankle-lengthformobility’ssake.

sOcks/sTOckINGsMenshouldweardarksockstocomplimenttheirdressshoes,butwomenhavemorefashionchoices(anddilemmas)inthisregard.Noveltysocksandbrightlycoloredstockingsarebestavoided.Womenusedtobeexpectedtowearflesh-coloredpantyhoseorsheertrousersocks,butnowsubduedneutraltonesofblack,brown,andcharcoalinopaqueorsheerstockingsarewidelyacceptable.However,stockingsshouldbeonlysubtlypatternedatmost,andfishnetstockingsareoutofthequestion.Barelegsareoftenconsideredacceptableatworkplacesinwarmclimates,aslongastheskirtislongenoughthatyou’renotflashingawholelottaleg.

shOEs Wearprofessional,polished,sensible,low-heeledshoestoyourinterview.Whatevershoesyouchoose,besureyou’vewornthematleastafewtimesbeforethedayofyourinterview—painful,blisteredfeetareonesurewaytostartyourinterviewoffonthewrongfoot.Womenhavetheoptionofwearingshoesinbrightershadesthanmencanusuallygetawaywithinaninterviewsetting,butareadvisedtobesurethecoloroftheshoeisn’ttooloudandistheexactsameshadeassomeotheraspectoftheiroutfit—suchattentiontodetailwon’tgounnoticedandmayboostyourconfidencetoo.

brInG the rIGht stuffLeaving a good impressiononyourinterviewerstakesacertainamountofpoiseandgrace,butitalsotakestherightequipment.Everyoneknowstobringextracopiesoftheirresume,butwhatreallygivesyouacompetitiveedgeisactual,physicalevidenceofwhatyou’veaccomplishedforotheremployers—andcoulddoforyourprospectiveemployer.Considerthefollowingpossibilities.

POrTFOlIO Takeatipfromthedesigners,advertisingexecutives,andothercreativeswhoselivelihooddependsontheirabilitytoselltheirskills,andcreateasharp

cAsE IN POINT: ThEsE bOOTs WErE mADE FOr WAlkING

Footwear may seem like a minor detail, but attention to detail is a key criterion for many employers, as illustrated in this case in point:

“We were hiring a research specialist to whip our corporate research and development center into shape, and it was my bright idea that rather than bringing in still more disorganized eggheads or consulting firm types with their incomprehensible acronym-based systems, we should try to hire an actual librarian to create a functional system.

Unfortunately, only one librarian responded to our posting, and she arrived for the interview in a faded, flowered, ruffled shirt; clashing plaid kilt; and knee-high red rubber wading boots, carrying a battered manila folder with papers spilling out. It was the ultimate interview outfit fashion faux pas, like Paddington Bear meets the Nutty Professor! We finally hired a consulting firm guy whose acronym system actually made sense and whose shoes I can’t remember—and perhaps that’s as it should be.”


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professionalportfolioofworkthathighlightsyourstrengthsandaccomplishments.Whetheryou’reapplyingforajobasaprojectmanagerorengineer,chartsandgraphsthatshowearningsorsavingsduetoaprojectorprocessyouimplementedaresuretoimpressprospectiveemployers.Ifyourreportswerepublishedoryouwroteanewsletterorsectionsoftheannualreport,addthosetotheportfoliotoo,alongwithanypositivefeedbackyoureceived.StillsofWebpagesyouhelpeddevelopwouldbeaterrificaddition,particularlyifyoucansupplementthatvisualwithdataononlinesales,pageviews,sitetraffic,orotherquantitativemeasuresofyoursuccessfulefforts.Createa“networkmap”ofkeyrelationshipsyouhelpedyourdepartmentororganizationbuildbyforgingconstructiverelationshipswithkeyvendors,clients,otherdepartments,newhires,investors,andyou’llshowthevalueyoucanofferyouremployer.Inthebackoftheportfolio,includeanarrativebiothatsumsupyourstrengthsandworkhistoryinoneparagraph,accompaniedbyafullcurriculumvitaeorresume.

Offertowalkyourinterviewerthroughyourportfolioonceheorshehashadachancetoaskyouafewgeneralquestions,andattheendoftheinterviewoffertoleavetheportfoliobehindtoperuseoverthecomingweek.Bygivingyourinterviewerachancenotonlytohearaboutyouraccomplishmentsbuttoseethem,youdoubleyourchancesthatyourstrengthswillberemembered.Mentionthatyoucanstopbyinaweekortwotopickuptheportfolio,sincethisgivesyouanadditionalpointofcontactwithyourinterviewertomakealastingimpression.Ifyoudon’tliveneartheoffice,provideapreaddressed,stampedenvelopetoreturnyourportfolio—thisshowsyourconsiderationforyourinterviewer’stimeandbudget.Butdobesurethatthere’snothingirreplaceableintheportfolioyouleavebehind.

PrEsENTATION SincePowerPointpresentationshavebecomeanessentialaspectofdoingbusinessformanyorganizations,whynotshowemployersyoucomeprofessionallypreparedbycreatingabriefPowerPoint

presentationforyourinterview?ThisisanespeciallygoodchoiceforthoseinterviewinginafieldthatmakesfrequentuseofPowerPointpresentations.Forafirstinterview,youmightopttoprintoutslidesfromafice-toten-minutepresentationthatyoupreparedforapreviousemployerorclient.

Interviewersarelikelytomentionchallengesfacingtheteam,organization,orindustry,sowhenyou’reinvitedinforasecondorthirdinterview,considerpreparingapresentationfocusingonsound,creativeapproachestotheseissues.Printouthandoutstoaccompanyyourpresentation,andyou’llgiveyouremployeranotherleave-behindthatconveysyourstrengths.

ArTIclEs Eventhemostskeptical,hard-to-pleaseinterviewerwillbeimpressedbyindependent,third-partyvalidationforyourprofessionaleffortsinthepress.Soifyouhavereceivedfavorablecoverageforyourworkintradepublications,magazines,newspapers,orwebsites,byallmeansbringaphotocopyoftheseclippingsasahandoutforyourinterviewers.Also,provideabibliographylistingallthearticlesthatshowyouandyourworkinagoodlight.Withclippingsandabibliographytoyourcredit,yourcandidacywilllookevenmoreimpressive.

maKe an entranceYour interview begins longbeforeyoumeetyourinterviewer.Everypersonyoumeetfromthemomentyoustepthroughthedoortothebuildingmayhavethepowertoinfluencethedecisiontohireyou:thedoormanwhochatseverydaywithyourprospectiveboss;thebuildingsecurityofficersyouaskfordirectionswhoareonafirst-namebasiswithyourfuturecolleagues;thepeopleontheelevatorwhomaybeyourfutureteammembers;thereceptionist



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whoknowseveryoneintheorganization;andthatotherwomaninthebathroomwhohappenstobetheadministrativeassistanttotheheadofthedepartment.Sobewareofinadvertentlysnubbinganyoftheseinfluentialpeoplebyneglectingtosayhelloinarushtogettotheoffice,givingacurtresponsetoaninquiryaboutthetime,orforgettingtogivethanksfordirectionstotherightoffice.

Whenyoudomeetyourinterviewer,youcanfollowasimplefour-stepprotocoltogettheinterviewofftoapromisingstart.Here’sastep-by-stepbreakdown:

1. Gettoyourfeetquicklywhenyourinterviewerenterstheroom.Womenaren’tobligedtodothisbycustomasmenare,butrisingfromyourseatisagoodwayforbothmenandwomentoshoweagernesstomeetinterviewers.

2. Makeeyecontactforatleastafewseconds—don’tjustglancequickly,thenglanceaway.Youmaydoitbecauseyou’reshy,butit’softeninterpretedasrudenessoraloofness.Ifyoudolookaway,yourinterviewermayspendtherestoftheinterviewwonderingifthere’ssomethingcaughtinher

teeth.Ifyourinterviewerisawoman,keepyourgazestrictlyabovetheneck.Fewmistakescanbringaninterviewtoagrindinghaltfasterthanawaywardglancethatcouldbeconstruedasasexualadvance.

3. Smile—andmeanit!Thispersonwasintriguedenoughbyyoutopickyourresumeoutofastackandisdedicating30minutes(oftenmore)ofabusydayjusttotalkwithyou—andwithanyluck,willsoonbesingingyourpraisestocolleaguesandpossiblyofferingyouajob.That’splentytosmileabout.

4. Shakehandsfirmly.Notwithfingerslimplikewetnoodles,butwithanice,firmgrasp.Knowyourownstrength.Afewsecondsofshakingshoulddothetrick—pumpyourinterviewer’shandmorethanacoupletimes,andyoumaycomeacrossasdesperate.Ifyourpalmsaresweaty,subtlywipeyourpalmonyourthighsasyoustandtoshakehandssothatyoudon’tofferaclammyhandshake.Practicewithaprofessionallysavvyfriendortwotofindoutwhetheryourhandshakeseemsaboutrighttothem.

saY It wIth bOdY lanGuaGeNonverbal cues can beeverybitasimportanttoyourintervieweraswhatyouhavetosay.Abrilliantremarkcanbeunderminedbyashyoruncertaindelivery,andyourinterviewermaythinkyou’remakingupyouraccomplishmentsifyouavoidmakingeyecontactwhileyou’rerelatingthem.Throughouttheinterview,makesurethatyourbodylanguageconveysyourconfidence,openness,andenthusiasm.

π GrEET EvErYONE As IF ThEY WErE YOur INTErvIEWEr

Being polite, friendly, and relaxed with everyone you meet is a great way to ensure a warm welcome into the organization. Approach people politely, look anyone you meet straight in the eye and offer a friendly greeting, apologize for interrupting if you need to ask a question, thank everyone who

takes a moment to help you, don’t hesitate to engage in conversation if someone approaches you or asks you a question, and mention that you’ve enjoyed your chat when you need to wrap up the conversation. Treat everyone with respect, and they’ll reciprocate with a warm reception.


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cONFIDENcEEvenifyouoccasionallylookaway,besureyoubeginandendyourresponsesbylookingyourinterviewersteadilyintheeyesforafewseconds.Whenyoudolookaway,trytomakesureyoureyesaren’trollingupwardstotheleftorright,sincethisindicatesyou’regraspingforideas.Trytokeepyourgazeateyelevel,andbynomeansfixateonsomephysicalpartofyourinterviewer.Th ere’safinelinebetweenanabsent-mindedstareandaperceivedoffense,sobeawareofwhereyourgazeisaimed.

OPENNEssCrossedarmsindicateacertainwarinessordefensiveness,andthat’snothowyouwanttoapproachyourinterviewer.Trykeepingyourhandsinyourlap,orholdapeninonehandandyournotepadonyourlapwiththeother.Tightlycrossedlegscanmakeyouappearinaccessible,andlooselycrossedlegs(withonecalfrestingontheoppositeknee)mayseemoverlyrelaxedforaninterviewsetting.Trytobeconsciousaboutnotbouncingyourkneeeither—thiscanmakeyouappeareagertoleaveorgotothebathroom.

ENThusIAsm AND AlErTNEssSomepeoplegettoonervousandfidgety.Somearemellowtothepointofnarcolepsy.Butnomatterthereason,thereisneveragoodexcuseforneglectingtoshowactiveinterestinaninterview.Ifyoudon’tshowgenuineenthusiasmandengagementwhenmeetingyourintervieweranddiscussingthepositionavailable,yourinterviewermayjustlyconcludethatyou’rejustwastinghisorhertime.

Followthesesimpletipsforusingbodylanguagetoconveyyourenthusiasm:

Listen activelyRememberwhatyourgrandmotheralwaystoldyouandsitupstraightinyourchair.Th ismakesyouappearconfident,alert,andinterestedinwhatyourinterviewerhastosay.Trynottorestyourheadinonehand,asthiscanmakeyouappearboredorsleepy.

Nodwhenappropriate,respondtoyourinterviewer’scommentswithappropriateinterjectionsorexclamations,crackasmilewhenyourinterviewerinjectssomehumorintotheproceedings,andaskquestionsforclarificationwhenneeded.

Give your undivided attentionLeanforwardalittlewhenyourinterviewerisspeakingtoshowyourinterest.Youdon’tneedtostareintentlyatyourinterviewertheentiretime,butyoushouldn’tbegazingidlyattheceilingoroutthewindowwhileyourintervieweristryingtomakeapointorposeaquestion.Alwayslookdirectlyatyourinterviewerwhenyoubegintorespondtoaquestion,sothatit’scleartowhomyou’readdressingyourremarks.

tIp>Your voice should remain steady through the interview. If you fi nd it’s beginning to shake, clear your throat and take a breath.

cAsE IN POINT: ATTENTION, PlEAsE

If you’re in a panel interview, make a conscious effort to share your attention with each of the interviewers so that no one feels slighted by inadvertent inattention. Consider this case in point:

“As a career counselor, I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen interviewees make the mistake of addressing their remarks

exclusively to male interviewers on a panel, especially if they’re white men. There’s this subconscious belief that that’s where the decision-making power lies, and that’s certainly not always the case. Sharing your attention among multiple panelists can be a hard habit to learn, but it’s essential in an ever more diverse workforce.”



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Be responsive Don’tletyourexpressionbecomewoodenorfixed,stareblankly,orzoneoutinthemiddleofyourinterviewer’scommentary.Takenotesperiodicallyifthatwillhelpyoustayengagedwhileyourinterviewerembarksonaparticularlylongmonologue,butdon’tstaredownatyournotestheentiretimeoryoumightmissoutonsomenonverbalcueyourinterviewerisgivingyou:rolledeyes,asmile,agrimace.

Don’t fi dgetIfyougiveintoascratchmorethanonceortwiceinyourinterview,yourinterviewerislikelytothinkyou(a)haveanervousticthatindicatesyoumightnotbeabletowithstandthepressuresofthejob,or(b)areimpatientandcan’twaitforthisinterviewtobeover.

buIld rappOrt Consider your interviewer’s pointofview:Wouldyouratherhirethequalifiedcandidatewhoeasilyengagesyouinconversationandwouldmakeagreatteammemberandlunchpartner,ortheequallyqualifiedcandidatewhoisstony-facedandtense?Bytheendoftheinterview,youwanttoleavevisionsdancinginyourinterviewer’sheadofwhatadelightitwouldbetoworkwithyouonadailybasis. Trytoputyourintervieweratease.Th isincludesseekingcommongroundandshowingyoursenseofhumor.

sEEk cOmmON GrOuND Fromyourbackgroundresearch,youmayalreadyknowofoneortwothingsyouhaveincommon—aninterestinscubadiving,say,orabackgroundinmarketing.Findawaytoworktheseintotheconversation,ifyourinterviewerdoesn’t.Nothingestablishesrapportlikeasharedpassionorexperience.

Becautiouswhenyouprofferopinions,though,becauseyouneverknowwhetherthebookongardeningyoufoundpointlessmighthavechangedyourinterviewer’slife,orviceversa.Findsome

positiveaspectofthebooktocommentonevenifyouweren’tcrazyaboutit,andbepreparedtoexplainanyreservationsyouexpress.Ifyou’reanavidfanofthebook,avoidgettingdefensiveifyourintervieweroffersacritiqueofit,andperhapsinvitefurtherdetailsonthesubjectinstead.

ExhIbIT A sENsE OF humOr Duetothejudgmentinherentintheprocess,interviewshavethepropensitytobeanxiety-producing,awkwardlyformalsituationsforeveryoneinvolved,soitisoftenapleasantsurpriseandahugereliefwhensomeonebreakstheicewithwitorhumor.However,off-colorjokesarecertainlynotappropriate,andself-deprecatingremarks,cheapgags,andpainfulpunsmayactuallyloweryourestimationinaninterviewer’seyes.Humorthatistoohighbrowcanbackfire,too.Ifyoumakeajokethat’sacomplicatedplayonwordsormakesaneruditereferencetoShakespeare,there’sachancethejokemaygorightoveraninterviewer’shead—andnoonelikestofeelleftoutofajoke.Someinterviewersmayevenmisconstrueyourmeaningandthinkthatyou’remakingfunofthem.Sosticktolow-keyjokes,andrelyonhumoronlywhenitseemsappropriateornecessarytobreaktension.

tIp>Whenever points of commonality arise with your interviewer, explore them enthusiastically with follow-up questions.


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master the art Of Q&aAfter the obligatory introductionsandpreliminarychitchatwithyourinterviewercomestheheartoftheinterview:thequestionandanswersession.Thisisthepartoftheinterviewjobseekerstendtodreadmost,butitdoesn’thavetobethegruelingoralexaminationyoumayhaveimagined.Infact,thesecrettomasteringthispartoftheinterviewistoloosenupandmakeitapleasantpeer-to-peerinteractioninsteadofalowly-applicant-to-all-powerful-examinertransaction.Inthisexchangeofideasandinsights,youshouldbeinterviewingyourinterviewerasapossiblecolleague,co-conspirator,andevenfriend,ratherthanappealingtoapowerfulentitytoputyouonthepayroll.Yousharecommoninterestsintheorganizationandindustry,andyouaremeetingtoexplorethosesharedinterestsandseehowyoumightcollaboratetoaddressthem.It’sassimpleasthat.

PAY ATTENTION TO cluEsAslongasyouapproachtheinterviewasadynamicinteractionratherthanagrillingsession,you’llfindthereisnocauseforpanic.Thereisnomagicrightanswertoanyquestionsyourinterviewermayask—onlyanswersthatarethoughtful,well-reasoned,andmemorable.What’smore,interviewersoftenprovidecluesaboutthekindofresponsethey’relookingforbyaskingleadingquestions.Forexample,let’ssayyou’reaskedhowyouhandleaparticularproject,andafteryourresponsetheinterviewerasksthisfollow-upquestion:“Andhowexactlymightyouinvolvetherestofthetechnologyteaminthatprocess?”Thisisastronghintthatyourinterviewerconsidersinvolvingthetechnologyteamimportant,andyoushouldspecificallyaddressthisconcerninthisresponseandinfutureresponses.

PrEPArE FOr ThE OlD sTAND-bYsManyinterviewersdon’thaveenoughtimetospare

fromtheirdailydutiestodreamuphard-hitting,uniqueinterviewquestions,sotheyoftenresorttogeneric,tried-and-truestand-bys.Youshouldalwaysbereadytoanswerthesecommonquestions,soyoucanarriveatyourinterviewpreparedwithexactlythekindofsharp,memorableresponsesyourinterviewersexpectfromaprimecandidate.

Belowaretenofthemostcommoninterviewquestionsyou’llcomeacrossinyourjobsearch.You’llnoticethatthey’renotnecessarilygoodquestions,butthatshouldsuityoufine—youcanuseavague,ill-definedquestiontosegueintoastorythathighlightsoneofyourstrengths.

Ten Commonly Asked Questions

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself? Whatthisreallymeans:“I’mlookingforpersonal

insightsaboutyouthatwouldmakeyouseemlesslikealistofcredentialsandmorelikeapersonI’dliketoworkwitheveryday.”

Goodanswer:Frommyresume,youcanseethatI’manexperienced[jobtitle]with[number]yearsin[field]andspecializedexpertisein[desiredskillarea].Butonethingyoumaynotbeabletotellfromreadingaboutmeonpaperishow[personalstrength]Iamwhenitcomesto[requirementofjob].Justtogiveyouanexample,...[successstory].”

2. What are the best and worst jobs you’ve ever had, and why?

Whatthisreallymeans:“Doesthisjobmatchyourideal,orareyougoingtoleavethisjobinsixmonthsforsomethingbetter?”

Goodanswer:“WhenIwasjuststartingout,oneofmyfirstjobswasasa[nameposition].Itwasatoughjobbecauseofallthe[jobcharacteristicunrelatedtojobyou’reapplyingfor]involved,butIstuckwithit,andintheendIthinkittestedandstrengthenedmy[personalstrength]andgavemeagreaterunderstandingofhow[jobcharacteristicrelatedtojobyou’reapplyingfor]works.Sothat



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jobultimatelyhelpedmebecomeabetter[jobtitle],andlandagreatjobat[company]thatallowedmetohonemyskillsat[jobrequirement]andreallyfocuson[areaofjobspecialization].Ononeprojectthere,Iwasevenableto...[successstory].”

3. What project are you most proud of, and why? Whatthisreallymeans:“Whatcanyoudoforme

andmyorganization?” Goodanswer:Tellasuccessstoryrelatedto

theposition,andwrapitupasfollows:“Thatprojectresultedin[impressivenumericalproofofsuccess]forthecompany,butI’mparticularlyproudofthepositivepersonalimpactitmadeforour[keyorganizationalconstituency].Iheardfrom[number]of[keyconstituency]thatoureffortschangedthewaythey[positivefeedbackfromotherstodemonstrateyoursuccess]forthebetter.Onepersoneventoldmethat[personalanecdote].”

4. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Whatthisreallymeans:“Provetomethatyou’dbringvaluetothisorganization,andshowmeyou’reawareofandcanlearnfromyourmistakes.”

Goodanswer:Again,mentionastrengthrelatedtothepositionandillustrateitwithananecdote.Thenfollowthiswithaweaknessthatstemsfrominexperienceratherthanalingeringpersonalityflaw.Showyourknowledgeofwhat’simportanttotheindustry,anddescribewhatstepsyou’retakingtoworkonit.Considerthisexample:“Ilearnedthehardwaythatevenifyou’reonlyrequiredtosubmitinvoicesonceamonth,it’sbettertosubmitthemtheminutetheycomeintokeepyourkeyvendorshappy.Vendorsaren’tgoingtotellyouthey’reunhappyaboutgettingpaidmoreslowly,ofcourse—they’lljusttakelongertorespondtoyourrequests.That’swhathappenedtomeinmylastpositionwithagraphicdesigner,rightinthemiddleofadeadlinepush,

andIendeduphavingtopullateammemberoffanothertaskatthelastminutetogetthejobdone—notsomethingIliketodototheteam.Inourbusiness,reliable,responsivevendorsareworththeirweightingold,soI’mlearningtopayattentiontothesesubtlesignalstogettheverybestworkoutofvendorsthatIcan.”

5. Why did you leave your last position?/Why are

you thinking of leaving your current position? Whatthisreallymeans:“Wasthereanytrouble

withyourlastemployer?Areyouachronicjob-hopper?”

Goodanswer:Ifyouwerelaidoff,explainthat“thepositionwaseliminatedaspartofabroadershiftinthebusinessplan,astheorganizationshifteditsemphasisfrom[businessniche]to[anotherbusinessniche].”Thatway,it’sclearthatyouweren’tdroppedfornotdeliveringenoughvalue.Thatshouldbeenoughofanexplanationtosatisfyyourinterviewer—thesedays,everyoneunderstandsthatdownsizingsusuallyaren’tpersonal.Ifyouwerefired,brieflymentionthat“itwasn’tagoodfit”forreasonsspecifictotheposition.Don’tblameitonpersonalityconflicts,becauseyoudon’twanttoleadinterviewerstospeculatethatyoucan’tworkwellwithothers.Careerchangerswhoaremakingashift“topursuetheirtruecalling”shouldbepreparedtoshowevidenceoflong-terminterestinthefieldthey’reentering,sothatemployersdon’tthinkofthemascareer-hoppers.Ifyouareconsideringleavingyourcurrentcareer“becausethisseemsliketooperfectamatchformyskillsin[specialization]andlong-terminterestin[field]topassup,”byallmeanssayso—thisisthekindofthingemployerswillbegladtohear.

6. Could you describe for me a time when you had to perform under pressure?

Whatthisreallymeans:“You’regoingtobeaskedtoperformunderpressurehere,andIwanttomakesureyoucanhandleit.”


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Goodanswer:Thinkofahigh-pressurescenarioyourinterviewerwillrelateto,andthendescribehowyouhandleditandthepositiveoutcomeyouachieved.Justbesurethatthesituationyoudescribewasnotmadedifficultbyfactorsinyourcontrol—youdon’twantinterviewerstothinkyoucreateneedlessdramaintheworkplace.Forexample,“Twoweeksbeforeaclient’sannualconferenceinKansasCity,therewasatornadothattooktheroofoffofthehotelwhereattendeesweresupposedtobestaying.Butasanyeventplannerknows,thisiswhyyoualwayshavetohaveaplanB.I’dhadablockofroomsinanotherhotelweregularlyuseforothereventssetasideincaseofoverflow,andbypullingafewstringsIwasabletoexpandtheblocktoaccommodatealltheregisteredattendees.Anotherconferenceendeduphavingtocancelforlackofaccommodations,butourconferencewentoffwithoutahitch,andreceivedhighmarksfromattendees,too.”

7. What kind of people do you enjoy working with most and least, and why?

Whatthisreallymeans:“Howareyougoingtogetalongwithmeand/ortheothersontheteam?Areyougoingtofitinwithourcorporateculture?”

Goodanswer:Thinkaboutwhatyouknowoftheorganizationandthepositionbeforeyouanswer.Ifit’sabuttoned-down,conservative,financialsetting,youmightexpressyouraffinitywithcreativetypesas“peoplewhoaresolidlygroundedintheirownbusiness,butneverlosesightofopportunitiesforcompetitiveadvantage”ratherthanfor“wild-card,out-of-the-boxthinkers.”Thereversewouldbetrueforamorecasual,creativeenvironment.Butbecauseyouneverknowiftherewillbeexceptionstotheruleonyourfutureteam,youshouldalsomentionthatyougetalotoutofworkingwithpeoplewhohavedifferentstylesandskillsetsfromyou:“BecauseI’m[personalitycharacteristic]myself,IfindthatIlearnthemostfrompeoplewhoare[personalitycharacteristic].”Ifyou’repressedtonamealeast-

favoredpersonalitytype,mentionauniversallyunlikabletypeinanoffhandway,“Well,IguessIwouldn’tparticularlyenjoyworkingwithaverymean-spiritedperson,butI’vereallynevercomeacrossanyoneinourlineofworkwhofitsthatdescription—haveyou?”

8. Tell me about one success and one failure

you’ve had in your career. Whatthisreallymeans:“Howdoyoumeasure

success,andhowdoyouhandlesetbacks?” Goodanswer:Mentionasuccessstorythatrelates

totheposition,withnumbersandanecdotalevidenceofsuccesstobackyouup.Thendescribeafailurethatdatesfromearlyoninyourcareerduetoinexperience,anddescribewhatyou’velearnedfromit.Themistakeshouldbeunderstandable,forgivable,unrelatedtothejobathand,andhavehadnolastingconsequences.Forexample:“OnesummerincollegeIhadaninternshipasalobbyist,andIwasgivenacallsheetof20electedofficialsadaytocall,alongwithtalkingpointsforeachone.Unbeknownsttome,onedaytherewasaglitchinthedatabase,andallthetalkingpointsweremismatched.SothereIwas,passionatelyurginglegislativeaidesabouttheimportanceofmeasuresthatweren’tevenintheirdistrict.Thefirsttwolegislativeaidesontheotherendofthephonesoundedgenuinelypuzzled,andsaid,‘I’msorry,therepresentativedoesn’thaveastanceonthisbill,’whichItookasaninvitationtopressfurther.Finallyonthethirdcall,Ispoketoanaidewhosaid,“Ithinkyou’vegotthewrongdistrict.”Ifeltaboutaninchtall—butnowI’velearnedmylessonnottothinkoftechnologyasinfallible,andtoalwayscheckoveryourfactstwicebeforeyoupresentthem.It’shelpedmealotingivingfundraisingspeechesforthelastnonprofitIworkedfor,andsavedmesomeheartachetoo!”

9. Where do you see yourself in three to five years? Whatthisreallymeans:“Areyougoingtostick



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aroundsothatwecanreapthebenefitofthetrainingwe’dinvestinyou?”

Goodanswer:Startoffyourresponsebysaying:“Righthere.”Don’tmentionadvancementrightaway,becauseyoudon’twantyourinterviewertothinkyou’llbeunhappyintheposition,andyou’rereallyaftersomeoneelse’sjob.Mentionwaysyouhopeyouandtheorganizationwillgrowintandem:“Icanseethisdepartmentbecomingarealprofitcenterforthecompanywithagrowingconsumerbaseamong[targetmarket],soIanticipatethatI’llhaveanopportunitytofurtherhonemyskillswithinthatmarketnicheandpossiblyexpandthedepartmentaswegrow.”

10. Why should I hire you over other qualifi ed candidates?

Whatthisreallymeans:“Let’scuttothechase—whatcanyouoffermethatotherscan’t?”

Goodanswer:Th isisyouropeningtoreiterateyourthreestrengths.Th enclosewithastatementofyourenthusiasmforthejob:“Idon’tthinkyou’relikelytofindanothercandidatewhohasmypas-sionandcommitmenttothiswork,andthatwillbeclearoncewe’vehadachancetoworktogether.”

ANTIcIPATE sOmE TOuGh QuEsTIONsEventhebest-craftedresumeprobablyraisesafewawkwardquestionsaboutdetoursalongyourcareerpath.Whydidyouleavethatveterinarian’sofficeafteronlysixmonths?Whydoyouwanttobeastockbrokernow,afterfinishingvetschool?Whatwereyoudoinginthatyearoffbetweenyourlastpositioninfinanceandnow?Don’tgetcaughtunprepared—haveanswersreadytoquestionsaboutthefollowing:

Gaps in employmentAnunexplainedgapofsixmonthsormoremightraisequestionsinyourinterviewersmindaboutyourcommitmenttoyourcareerorevenyourworkethic,sobepreparedtoaddresstheissuehead-on.Don’tapproachtheissuedefensively—“Iwasraisingmykids,okay?”—butpresentyourdecisionasaconsidered

choiceconsistentwithyourlong-termgoals.Maybeyouwantedtohavekidssoonerratherthanlater,sothatyoucouldconcentrateonyourcareer.Agoodexplanationgoesalongway—thatdecisiontospendayeartravelingaroundthewildsofMadagascarmightbeperfectlyconsistentwithyourinterestinbiodiversityandeasilyfactoredintoyourdecisiontopursueenvironmentallaw.

Layoffs and fi rings Ifyouwerelaidoff,youcansimplyexplainthatyourpositionwaseliminatedaspartofabroaderinstitutionalbusinessdecision—arestructuring,merger,orshiftinthebusinessplan—andleaveitatthat.Noneedtodescribewhatahugemistakeitwasorhowsorrytheyoughttobe.Ifyouwerefired,brieflyexplainwhytheroleand/ororganizationjustwasn’tagoodfitforyouatthetime,andleavepersonalityandanypendinglawsuitsoutofit.Mentionanylessonslearnedorvaluedrelationshipsyougleanedfromyourtimeintheposition,andyou’llsoundthewiserforit.

Any stated qualifi cations not evident on resume Ifyou’vementionedthatyou’reanaccomplishedwriterbutyouhavenobibliographyofarticlesonyourresume,explainwhy.DoyouwritespeechesforyourCEOthatalwaysgetravereviews?Haveyouwrittenagrantasavolunteerthatsecured$20,000foranafter-schoolprogram?Bringuptheseaccomplishmentsbeforeyourintervieweraskstoresolveanylingeringdoubtsaboutyourqualifications.

tIp>Everyone knows someone who has been laid off or fi red, and your interviewers might have been laid off or fi red themselves at some point. Interviewers are predisposed not only to understand termination of employment, but actually sympathize with it—provided you can discuss it without sounding bitter or accusatory.


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Evidence of job hopping Ifyou’vehadfivepositionsinthelastthreeyears,yourinterviewermayhavereasontosuspectyou’dleavetheorganizationassoonasyougetabetterofferelsewhere.Explainthecircumstancesthatprecipitatedsomanymovesandhowthosecircumstancesaredifferentnow.Maybethefrequentchangesweretheresultofacombinationofadownsizing,yourspousegettingreassignedtoanotherstate,andtakingsomeshort-termcontractpositionswhileyouwerelookingfortherightjob(thisjob,naturally!)tocomealong.

Inconsistent array of jobs Ifit’snotclearfromyourresumewhatyouwanttobewhenyougrowup,youneedtoshowyourinterviewerthatthere’sacommonthreadinyourinterests.Ifyoucanexplainthatyourcareergoalhasalwaysbeentomakeadifferenceinkids’lives,suddenlyitwillmakealotmoresensethatyou’vebeenatrackcoach,avolunteerfortheMarchofDimeswhileyouwerepursuingacareerinfinance,andultimatelyleftyourjobasabankertobecomeasocialworkerfordisabledchildren.Insteadofbeingperceivedasflaky,you’llcomeacrossascommittedandwell-rounded.

Career changesWhyshouldafloristhiresomeonewhohasspentmostofhisorhercareertodateasanautomechanic?Ifthiswillbeyourfirstpositioninanewfield,youneedtoexplainhowyourskillsandstrengthsarerelevanttotheposition.Youmightexplainthatcreativeproblem-solvingandclientinteractionwerealwaysyourfavoritepartsofyourjobatthebodyshop.Andnothingwinsoveraninterviewerlikeasharedpassion—themoneywasgreatasanautomechanic,butyouknewfromthefirsttimeyouwalkedintoanIkebanaclassthatyou’dfoundyourtruecalling,eventhoughitmeantthatyou’dhavetostartoverinanewfieldfromthebottomup.Withananecdotelikethat,whowouldn’twanttogiveyouashot?

Money, money, money Perhapsthetrickiestquestionyoumightbeexpected

toanswerinaninterviewiswhenyou’reaskedhowmuchyou’dexpecttobepaidfortheposition.Mostinterviewingexpertsagreethatyouwanttoavoidbeingthefirstpersontonameanumber,ifatallpossible.Thereareanumberofpotentialresponsestotheinitialsalaryquestion.Herearejustafew:• I’mwillingtoentertainanyfairoffer.• I’velearnedalotaboutthepositiontoday,andI’dneed

totakesometimetothinkabouttherolesandrespon-sibilitiesdescribedbeforeIcanarriveatananswer.

• Thereareanumberofelementsthatmakeupacompensationpackage,soIprefernottodiscusssalaryinisolation.Canyoudescribeatypicalcompensationpackage?

It’sbesttowaitaslongaspossibletodiscusssalary.Youdon’twanttodiscusssalaryuntilafteryou’veconvincedyourpotentialemployerthatyou’retheonlychoice.Thebestleverageyouhaveinthesalarydiscussionisthattheywanttohireyou.

Foramorein-depthdiscussionofsalarynegotiations,turntoTheWetFeetInsiderGuidetoNegotiatingYourSalaryandPerks.

π ThE Abcs OF $1 $2 $3

When it’s time to discuss salary, be sure that you have researched median salaries for the relevant position, industry, and geographic location. Your research should enable you to complete this sentence: “I know [$X to $Y amount] is the standard salary range for a [position] in [geographic location],

and given my [years of experience, specialized training/degree, skill set], I’d expect to come in at the [middle/upper] end of that range.” Never suggest that you belong on the rock-bottom end of the pay scale, even if you’re just starting out. You need to communicate your value to the organization.



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rEmEmbEr ThAT IT’s A cONvErsATIONThemostimportant(anddifficult)thingtorememberincraftingappropriateresponsestointerviewquestionsisthatthisisreallyjustaconversation,sokeepitconversational.Lengthymonologuesandcurt“yes”or“no”answerswouldbeconsideredrudeinanyconversation,soavoidtheminaninterview,too.Role-playyourresponsestoafewquestionsyouexpectyourinterviewertoaskwithafriendandastopwatch,timingyourselftomakesureyouranswerisnottooshort(under30seconds)ortoolong-winded(longerthan2to3minutes).Thoughyoumaywanttojotdownafewpointsyou’dliketomakeandquestionsyou’dliketoask,don’tmemorizeyouranswersorspendallyourtimestaringatyournotepad.Youruntheriskofsoundingtoorehearsedorphony,andyouwanttoberesponsivetoyourinterviewerandallowyourpersonalitytoshinethroughinyouroff-the-cuffremarks.

FOcus YOur rEsPONsESomequestionsmayseemtoughtoansweratfirst.Sinceinterviewersgetnervousandflustered,too,theymayaskquestionsinaroundaboutorlong-windedway.Ifyou’renotquitesurewhatisbeingaskedofyou,byallmeansaskyourinterviewerforclarification.Askforconfirmationofwhatyouthinkyouheard,withaquerythatbegins:“LetmemakesureIhavethisright....”Yourintervieweralsomaypresentyouwithcomplicatedcasequestionsanddetailedhypotheticalscenarios,andinthissituationyoumaywanttobuyyourselfalittletimebybriefly(30secondsorless)summarizingthecaseandseekingconfirmationonthosedetailsbeforegivingyouranswer.Trytokeepyourresponsesfocusedandsuccinct,sothatyourinterviewerdoesn’tloseinterestorbegintothinkofyouassomeonewhoisbigontalkbutshortonconcretesolutions.Ifyougetthesensethatyourinterviewerisdissatisfiedwithyouranswerorislookingformore,youcaninvitefurtherinputwithafollow-upquerysuchas“Doesthatansweryourquestion?”

DEFlEcT INAPPrOPrIATE QuEsTIONsThemostawkwardquestions,ofcourse,arethosethatareutterlyinappropriateinaninterview.Ifyourinterviewerasksapersonalquestionthatseemsintrusivetoyou,politelygiveyourinterviewerawayoutbysaying,“I’msorry—I’mnotsureIunderstandthequestion.”Ifyourinterviewerrepeatsthequestioninsteadofdroppingit,youcanchoosetorespondorattempttoreturntheconversationtolesspersonaltopicsbysaying,“Whydoyouask?Doyouexpectthatthiswillcomeupinthecourseofthejob?”Thatputstheonusontheinterviewertoexplainthepointofthequestion.Iftheinterviewerpersistsandyoustillfeelextremelyuncomfortableansweringthequestion,youcanalwaysgraciouslyevadethequestionbysayingwithasmile,“Well,tobehonest,Ifeelputalittleonthespottalkingaboutthissincewe’veonlyjustmet.Youknowhowthatis.”Andknowthatnomatterwhat,youarenotobligedtoansweranyillegal

cAsE IN POINT: WATch FOr A sPArk

Gauge your interviewer’s interest in what you have to say, and tailor your responses accordingly, as in this case in point:

“I’m a senior manager, so I’ve spent time on both sides of the interview table. I always talk to interviewers with the same interest that I would getting to know someone at a party that I’m interested in knowing. This means paying attention to details, the words they use, inflections, the questions they ask—it’s really just like any

other social interaction. I follow their lead in the conversation, and watch them as they speak and listen to my response. If I see them spark with an idea I’ve brought up, I explore it; if not, I drop it. I’m not going to spend ten minutes going on about something they have no interest in, even if it’s the hottest, newest thing in business. It’s all about building rapport, and not at all about giving the ‘right’ answer—that’s too stilted and two-dimensional.”


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questionsalongthelinesofthoselistedinthetable.(Formoreresourcesonthissubject,seetheForYourReferencechapterattheendofthisbook.)

Questions You Shouldn’t Have to AnswerAccordingtoHumanResourcesPowerhouse(www.hrpowerhouse.com),anyofthefollowingquestionsaboutanapplicant’s“protectedcharacteristics”couldprovidegroundsforalegaldiscriminationclaim:• AreyouaU.S.citizen?• Whatisyournationality?• Haveyoueverbeenarrested?• Haveyoueverfiledforbankruptcy?• Doyouhaveaphysicalormedicalcondition?• Areyoumarried?• Whatareyourchildcarearrangements?• Areyouamemberofaunionorlabor

organization?• Haveyoueversuedaformeremployer?• Haveyoueverfiledaworkers’compensation

claim?• Whatweresomeoftheproblemsinyourlastjob?• Whendidyougraduatefromcollege(orhigh

school)?• AreyouavailabletoworkonEasterSunday?• Areyouplanningonstartingafamily?• Whattypeofmilitarydischargedidyoureceive?

5Interviewing Types

Phone Screen ��54

Online Screen ��56

Job Fair Interview ��60

Office-Visit Interview ��62



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Now you’re equipped foryourinterview—butwhatkindofinterviewwillthatbe?Differentinterviewtypesrequireslightlydifferentstrategies,soreviewthetypesdescribedinthischapterandplanyourapproachaccordingly.

phOne screenMany job seekers thinkofaphonescreenasaformality:Theemployerisclearlyinterested,soallyouhavetodoissoundrelativelycompetentandsetupanin-personinterview,right?Wrong.Thisisactuallyafirst-roundinterview,andyoushouldbepreparedtomakeastellarimpressionoverthephonejustasyouwouldifyouweremeetinginperson.Butinsteadofhavingaweektoprepareyourself,youmaybeexpectedeithertorespondtoquestionsonthespotortosetupaconversationinadayortwoatmost.So,you’llneedtoreviewthejobpostingcarefullyanddoasmuchinterviewprepasyoucaninthetimeallotted.Thenyou’rereadytofollowthesetenstepstophonescreensuccess.

1. mAkE surE YOu hAvE A PrOFEssIONAl-sOuNDING OuTGOING vOIcE-mAIl mEssAGEImagineyou’reanemployerlookingtofillamidlevelmanagerposition,andyou’retakingachancebycallingacandidatewhodoesn’thavemuchmanagementexperience,butseemscapableenoughtotakeonaddedresponsibility.Howdoyouthinkyou’dreacttoanoutgoingmessageofyourpromisingcandidatesinging“I’mwastingawayagaininMargaritaville—can’tgettothephone”?Youprobablywouldn’tevenbotherleavingamessage.Themoralofthisstory?Recordaprofessional-soundingmessageonyourvoicemailwithnosinging,nogimmicks(e.g.,amessagerecordedbyyourfour-year-oldcousin),andnoslang(“Yo,whatup?”isout,andsois“Howdy—leaveamessage,y’all!”).

2. ExPrEss APPrEcIATION FOr ThE cAllEvenifyou’recaughtcompletelyoffguardbythecall,bewelcomingandenthusiastic.“Hello,I’msogladyoucalled!”Smilewhenyousayit—thepersonattheotherendofthephonecan’tseeyourexpressionbutwillbeabletohearthewarmthinyourvoice.

3. mAkE surE IT’s ThE rIGhT TImE AND PlAcEMaybeyougetthecallwhileyou’reatwork,withyourbossbreathingdownyourneckforthatquarterlyearningsreportandyourcolleagueshoundingyouforthelatestsalesfigures.Orthephoneringswhenyou’retelecommutingfromhome,withkidsinthekitchenyellingtomakethemselvesheardoverthesoundoftheautomaticice-maker.Eitherway,thisisnottheidealscenarioforaphoneinterview—youneedtobeabletogiveyourinterviewerthebenefitofyourfullattention,withoutanydistractions.Iftheinterviewercatchesyouatabadtimeandasks,“Isthisagoodtimetotalk?”yourresponseshouldbesomethingalongtheselines:“Actually,isthereatimeIcanreachyoutomorroworthedayafter?I’mveryinterestedinthepositionandIwanttogiveyoumyundividedattention,butI’mafraidnowisn’tthebesttime.”Makeplanssoyoucanreceivethecallinaquietplacewhereyouwon’tbeinterrupted.Asktheinterviewertoreachyouathomewhereyou’llbemorefreetotalk,andsendyourroommatesoutforpizzaifyouhaveto.

4. bE surE YOu’rE sPEAkING ON A lAND lINEApoorcellphoneconnectioncanleavebothpartiesfeelingfrustrated,andyoudon’twanttoinadvertentlyhanguponyourinterviewer.Ifyou’respeakingonyourcellphone,askifyoucancallyourinterviewerrightbackonyourlandline.

5. hAvE YOur rEsumE, NOTEs, AND DATEbOOk IN FrONT OF YOuYourinterviewermayaskyouspecificquestionsaboutyourworkhistory,andgivingvagueanswerswillnot


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makeagoodimpression.Th ephonescreenislikeanopen-bookexam:Youcanhaveallthenotesyouneedrightinfrontofyou.Yourcheatsheetshouldinclude:• Explanationsforanyinconsistenciesinyourwork

history.• Ananecdoteabouteachofthepastpositionsthat

aremostrelevanttotheoneyou’veappliedfor.• Storiesoutlinedandreadytorelateabout

yourstrengths,weaknesses,andproudestaccomplishments.

• Afewquestionsaboutthepositionandthecompanytodemonstrateyourinterestandenthusiasm.

6. bE AN AcTIvE lIsTENErHearoutyourinterviewer’squestionsinfull,withoutinterrupting,andmakesureyouaskfollow-upquestionsforclarificationifneedbe.Yourinterviewercannotseeyounod,andmayinterpretyoursilenceattheendofthephoneasadroppedline—sobesuretointerjecttheoccasionalactivelisteningcues,suchas:“Isee,”“right,”“okay,”“that’sinteresting,”and“absolutely.”

7. ExPEcT ElImINATION QuEsTIONs TO cOmE FIrsTUnlikein-personinterviews,phoneinterviewsoftencutrighttothechase,withoutalotofpreliminarychitchat.Preparefortough,awkwardquestionstobeaskedrightaway,suchas:• Whydoyouwanttoworkforus?• Whydidyouleaveyourpreviousjob(s)?• Whatareyourgreateststrengthsandweaknesses?

• What’soneproblemyouwishyouhadhandleddifferentlyatyourlastjob?

• Whattraitsdoyoulikemostandleastinasupervisor?

• Whatsalarywouldyouexpectinthisposition?

8. AvOID vErbAl TIcsYouknowhowsomepeople,whenthey’re,like,allnervousandstuff,saythingsinawaythat,ummm,makesthemsound,youknow,kindof,well,lessthanprofessional?Beawareofyourverbalmannerismsonthephonesinceyourinterviewerwillhavefewothercuesbywhichtojudgeyourprofessionalism.Ifyouknowyoutendtohemandhaw,practicewithafriendoverthephoneuntilyoucanmakeyourcaseclearlyandsuccinctly,withoutmumbling,speakingtooquickly,orclearingyourthroatoften.Tapeyourself,andnotehowmanytimesyousay“umm,”“like,”and“youknow,”andmakeanefforttodecreasesuchverbalticsinfuturepracticesessions.

Anotherverbalticthatinterviewerstendtoassociatewithyounger,lessexperiencedcandidatesis“upswing,”atendencytohavethecadenceofthevoiceriseasthougheverysentence(orportionofasentence)endsinaquestionmark.Forexample,listentoyourselfsaythisoutloud:“Th enIworkedinLondonforthreeyears?andasyou’llnoticeonmyresume?Iwaspromotedtwice?sobythetimeIleftIwasinchargeofateamoften?”Withupswing,thisstatementsoundsmuchmoredubiousandlessimpressivethanifyousaiditusingamorefactual,evencadence:“Th enIworkedinLondonforthreeyears,andasyou’llnoticeonmyresume,Iwaspromotedtwice—sobythetimeIleft,Iwasinchargeofateamoften.”

9. EArN YOur 15 mINuTEs IN ThE sPOTlIGhTWithin-personinterviews,mostinterviewerswillgrantyouatleast15minutesoutofsheerpoliteness,evenifyou’reclearlynottherightfitforthepositionavailable.Butoverthephone,interviewersfeelmuchfreertoabruptlyterminateinterviewsthatdon’tseempromising.Sodon’tsaveyourbeststoriesforlast—

tIp>Don’t inquire about money or benefi ts just yet, unless your interviewer asks you about your salary point-blank—now is not the time for you to negotiate. Finally, be sure to have your calendar handy so you can set up an in-person interview right away.



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makeafavorableimpressionearlyon,anddoyourbesttomaintainitthroughoutthephonecall.

Whenyouansweryourinterviewer’squestions,makesurethatyouaredirectandtothepoint,trynottorambleorflounder,don’texaggerateordownplayyourexperience,andtellstoriesthatpresentyourabilitiesinapositivelight.Insteadofansweringyes-or-noquestionswithasingleword,followupwithacommentaboutyourpastexperience.Forexample,insteadofresponding“Yes,”tothequestion,“Areyoucomfortableoccasionallyworkingweekends?”youmightsay,“Yes—infact,duringmytimeasapublicrelationsrep,Iworkedmostweekends.”

10. INQuIrE AbOuT NExT sTEPsWhentheinterviewertakesstepstoconcludetheinterviewbythankingyouforyourtimeoraskingwhetheryouhaveanyadditionalquestions,respondwith,“I’mveryinterestedintheposition,andIwouldliketoknowaboutthenextstepsinthehiringprocess.Couldwesetupatimetomeetinperson?”Evenifyourinterviewerdoesnotseemparticularlyenthusiasticduringtheinterview,youshouldstillask—HRrepsinparticulararetrainedtogiveaslittleindicationofinterestaspossible,totestyourperseveranceandtoavoidraisinganycandidate’shopesprematurely.Ifyourinterviewerdeclinesyouroffertosetupaninterviewonthespot,askwhenyoushouldfollowup.

Finally,enthusiasticallythankyourintervieweragainfortakingthetimetocall.Yourgraciousness,appreciation,andinterestwillleaveapositiveimpression.

OnlIne screenRather than weed throughstacksofresumestofilltechnicaloradministrativepositions,manyemployersarenarrowingdowntheirlistsofviablecandidateswithautomatedonlineformsortests.Thesetestsuseanswersentered,keywordsearches,andred-flagquestionstosortcandidatesaccordingtoskills,experience,andexpectations.Sometimesthesetestsaren’tevenreviewedbyanHRrepresentativeuntilafterthey’reputthroughanautomatedsortingprocesstoscreenouttestswithundesirableresponsestoyes-or-noquestions.SincetheseformsareWeb-based,anunexpectedtechnicalglitchorlapseintheInternetconnectioncouldmeanyouranswersarewipedout.Tomakesureyoudon’thavetorecompletetheentireformfromscratch,youmightwanttofillyouranswersoutinaword-processingdocument(orongoodold-fashionedpaper)beforecuttingandpastingorcopyingthemintoanonlineform.Usingthismethodwillalsoallowyoutorunspell-checkonyouranswersbefore

cAsE IN POINT: bE ThE ANsWEr TO ThEIr PrAYErs

If you think a phone screen is stressful, consider your interviewer’s point of view: Most managers who do phone screens probably have dozens of other items on their to-do lists for the week and would like nothing better than to wrap up this candidate search and get on with their previously scheduled work program. Be the calm in the storm of your interviewer’s hectic schedule, and you may win yourself the job. Consider this advice from a gainfully employed individual who has survived many a phone screen:

“If a manager is taking time out of a busy day to call me, I know it’s because they really, really need help. They’ve probably put off hiring far too long

already, and now they probably only have time to meet with the three or so top candidates. So I’m always calm and reassuring, and I ask them how they’d describe the most pressing demands of the position. Once I’ve heard this, I respond by saying, ‘That sounds manageable to me. I’ve been in the business for ten years now, so this would not be the first time I’ve handled that kind of situation. . . .’ Then I go on to describe a time I’ve faced a similar problem to the one the interviewer described, and achieved a good outcome. I keep the conversation positive and low-key. You can sometimes hear the sigh of relief at the end of the phone”


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youpastethemintotheform.Takeextracarewhencraftingyourresponses,since

youcan’tbacktrackinwritingthewayyoucaninconversation.Alwaysreadthequestionscarefullytobesureyouunderstandeachone,thedirectionsprovided,andratingsscales—onlinescreensareintendedtotestyourattentiontodetail.Whenyoucraftyourresponse,thinkstrategicallyaboutwhatyou’resaying.Mistakesmadeareirrevocableonceyouhitthesendbutton,soreadovereachansweronceforcontentandonceforspellingbeforeyousubmitthem.BelowisanexampleofaWebscreenforasenioradministrativeposition,alongwithhintsaboutwhatanswersmightqualifyordisqualifycandidatesforthejob.

sAmPlE WEb scrEEN

1. Why are you interested in leaving your current position, or why did you leave your most recent position?

✘ Red light: “Bored”or“Gotfired”areprobablynotthebest

answers,sincethesemayraiseredflagsforthescreener,andgetyourapplicationtossedontothe“no”pileafterthefirstquestion.

✔ Green light: Instead,tryalongerexplanationwithoutred-

flagbuzzwords:“Havingeffectivelymanagedathree-personteamfortwoyears,I’mreadytotakeonresponsibilitiesforalargerteamandfurtherhonemystrengthsinpersonnelmanagement.”Anotheroption:“Mypositionbecameredundantafteramergerthatchangedthebusinessmodelofthecompanyandeliminatedallsupportstaffpositions.”

2. What is your current or most recent salary? ✘ Red light: Inflatingyoursalary.Youremployercaneasily

findoutifyou’retellingthetruthbycheckingyourreferences.

✔ Green light: Tellthetruth—butdon’tbeafraidtoaskfora

highersalarythanyourcurrentone,either(seenextquestion).

3. What salary are you seeking? ✘ Red light: Askingforthesameamountorlessthan

you’recurrentlypaidforapositionofequalresponsibilitywoulddiscountyourvaluebeforetheemployerhasgottentoknowyourmerits.Unlessthispositioncomeswithmuchlessresponsibilitythanyourpreviousposition,alwaysaskformorethanwhatyouwerepaidatyourlastposition,inaccordancewithindustrystandardsforyouryearsofexperience,geographiclocation,andotherfactors.Thisshowsthatyouareawareofthevalueyouaddtotheorganization.

✔ Green light: Provideasalaryrangethatstartsfromjustabove

yourcurrentpayscaletoonenotchhigher,andexplainthereasonforyouranswerintermsofstandardsalaryranges.Forexample:“Sincethispositioncomeswithgreaterresponsibilitiesthanmycurrentposition,Iwouldexpectthepaytobehigher.ThesalaryrangeIproposeisinaccordwithindustrystandardsforthisposition.”Here’sanotherexample:“Sincemylastpositionwasatanon-profitorganization,thesalarystandardswerebelowindustryaverageforequivalentpositionsinthefor-profitsector.Inaprivate-sectorcompany,Iwouldexpectmysalarytoreflectindustryaveragesforthepositioninfor-profitenterprises.”

4. Has your current position or a recent job required you to support more than one individual on a daily basis?

✘ Red light: Ifthey’reasking,itmustbeimportant—a“no”

answercoulddisqualifyyou.✔ Green light: Thinkabouthowmanypeopleyousupport

regularly:yourimmediatesupervisor(s),seniorexecutives,cross-functionalteamleaders,andco-workers.Countthemcarefully—yourinterviewer



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maydouble-checkthisnumberwithyourreferences.

5. Please rate the frequency with which you use the following skills in your current position (or used them in your most recent relevant position if currently in a career transition), using the following scale:

1=dailyoralmostdaily 2=weeklyoralmostweekly 3=monthlyoralmostmonthly 4=quarterlyoralmostquarterly 5=rarelyifever ___Drafting,editing,andproofreading

professionalcorrespondence ___Creating/developingpresentations ___Creating/preparingreports ___Coordinatingmeetingarrangements ___Creatingandmaintainingdatabasesand

spreadsheetfiles ___Coordinateandassistinimplementing

websiteupdates ___Coordinate,proofread,anddistributeemail

newsletter✘ Red light: Don’tjotdownonly1sand2stoimpressa

potentialemployerwithyourmulti-taskingabilities,unlessit’sactuallytrue.Rememberthatafteryou’rehired,you’llbeexpectedtoliveuptothereputationyou’vebuiltforyourself!

✔ Green light: Staytruetoyourexperience.Evenifyoudon’t

updatewebsitesofteninyourcurrentjob,youmaybeabletodevelopthoseskillsinyournewjob.

6. Please rate your level of expertise with each of the following technologies on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows:

1=expert 2=professionalcompetency 3=basicproficiency 4=somefamiliarity

5=unfamiliar (Note:Inadditiontoanumber,pleasegivean

exampleofataskorprojectthathasrequiredyoutouseandfurtherdevelopthisskill.)

____Word ____FileMakerPro ____Excel ____PowerPoint ____CrystalReports ____HTML ____XML✘ Red light: Ifyou’relookingoverthislistandthinking,“I

don’tknowhalfofthosetechnologies,”don’tdespair.Aslongasyouhaveafirmgraspofthetechnologiestypicalfortheposition(e.g.,Wordanddatabasesforadministrativepositions),youshouldstillbeaviablecandidate.Thelistprovidedhereincludesmanytechnologiesthatarenottypicallyexpectedofadministrativespecialists—forexample,XMLisacomplexcomputerlanguagemorecommonlyrequiredintechpositions.Thislistprobablyrepresentsthecompany’swishlistoftechnologicalskills.

✔ Green light: Gowithwhatyouknow.Somefamiliarityis

obviouslybetterthannoneifthey’reasking,butit’sbettertobehonestupfrontsoyoudon’thavetogiveyourselfacrashcourseinCrystalReportsbeforeyou’rebroughtinforaninterviewandtestedonit.

7. In case we wish to conduct a telephone interview with you, what number should we use to reach you during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time), and what is the best time of day to contact you?

✘ Red light: Providingaworkphonenumberthatgoes

throughthereceptionistinsteadofdirectlytoyourdeskmightnotbeagoodidea.Imaginehowthatpagemightsound:“Betsy,ourcompany’s


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biggestcompetitorisholdingforyouonlinetwo.”Yourcolleagues—nottomentionyourboss—willsurelywonderwhatyou’reupto.

✔ Green light: Ifyou’recurrentlyemployed,youmightprovide

acellphonenumberandrequestthattheprospectiveemployercallyouduringyourlunchhoursothatyoucanspeakmorefreely.

8. If we decide to bring you in for an in-person interview, how much lead time do you need to make arrangements?

✘ Red light: Saying“twodays”tobeaccommodating,when

thatmeansyoumighthavetotakeanexpensive,uncomfortablered-eyeflighttogettoaninterviewforajobyoumightnotget.Ontheotherhand,amonthisprobablytoomuchtoaskfor—theemployerneedstofilltheposition,andcan’taffordtowaitaroundforyouforever.

✔ Green light: Bereasonable.Ifyou’relocalandyouhavea

flexibleschedule,there’snoreasonnottosaytwodays.But,ifyou’renotlocal,twoweeksshouldbeenoughtogetareasonablypricedticketandmakearrangementsforsomeonetocoveryouforadayatwork,ifneedbe.

9. If you live outside of commuting distance from our company headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, please answer the following questions:

WhyareyouthinkingaboutrelocatingtoBoulder?

Wouldyouexpectthecompanytopayyourrelocationexpenses?

✘ Red light: “Ilovetoski”isclearlythewronganswertothe

firstquestion,evenifit’sanimportantreasonforyou.“Forthisjob”mayseemappropriatelyenthusiastic,butit’saninsufficientanswer.Thecompanyisprobablyaskingthisquestionbecausetheyareconcernedaboutturnover;theydon’t

wanttohirepeoplewholovetheirjobbutcan’tstandtheweather,orotherwisediscoverthattheyareill-suitedtolifeinBoulder,andvacatetheirpositionsquickly.

Obviouslythecompanywouldrathernotpayrelocationexpenses,iftheyaretakingthetimetomentionithere.ThesecondquestionisalsosomethingofaCatch-22:IfyouhavesomeotherreasonformovingtoBoulderotherthantheposition,whyshouldthecompanypayforyourmovingexpenses?

✔ Green light: Forthefirstquestion,tryananswerthat

demonstratesyourfamiliaritywithorconnectionstothearea.Forexample:“Thispositionisabigdrawforme.IalsohavefamilyinColorado,andithasbecomeapriorityformetolivenearertothem.”Youcanalsouseyourresearchontheareatoappealtoyourprospectiveemployers’civicpride:“Thispositionwouldbeamajorimpetustorelocate,butBoulderhaslongappealedtomeandmyfamilyonitsownmeritsasoneofthemosthighlyratedsmallAmericancitiesforitsqualityoflife,manyculturalactivities,andofcoursethescenicsetting.WehavebeencontemplatingamovefromDetroittoasmallercityforsometimenow,andthispositionoffersaprimeopportunitytotakethelogicalnextsteptoBoulder.”

Bothoftheseanswersnamethepositionastheprimereasonformoving,soit’slegitimateforyoutosuggestthatthecompanycoversomeofyourcostsifitiswithintheirbudgettodoso.Here’showyoumightwordthatsuggestion:“Amodestmovingstipendwouldbehelpfultodefraysomeoftherelocationcoststobeincurred,ifsuchastipendisavailable.”

OThEr ONlINE scrEENING FOrmsTheprecedingexampleisthetypeofbrief,basicscreenyouaremostlikelytocomeacrossasacandidatefornon-technical,non-governmentalpositionsintheU.S.,butonlinescreensfortechnicalandgovernmentalpositionsandjobsoverseascanbe



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muchmorelaborious.Onlinescreensfortechnicalpositionsoftenincludeasectionthattestsproficiencywithspecifictechnologies(e.g.,Oracledatabases,programminglanguagessuchasJava)orunderstandingoftechnologicalfunctions(e.g.,networking).Technologycompaniesmayalsouseonlinescreenstotestyourinterestinandknowledgeoftheircompany,theirproducts,andtheirapplications.Formsforgovernmentalpositionsmayincludequestionsintendedtoassessyoureligibilityforsecurityclearanceandmayalsotestthespecificskillsetsrequiredforthepositions.SomeU.S.governmentalagencies,suchastheForeignService,requireallcandidatestotakearigorousexambeforetheirapplicationswillbeconsidered.

JOb faIr IntervIewDon’t let the namefoolyou:Jobfairsarenotallfunandgames.Th eHRrepresentativesandrecruiterswithboothsatthefairmaybeallsmiles,buttheyhaveseriousbusinesstoattendto:identifyingalimitedpoolofqualifiedapplicantsfromtheoceanofjobseekers.

Jobfairsaren’tjustforyoung‘uns,either;anyoneconsideringswitchingcareersorindustriesorsimplyexpandingtheircareerhorizonsmightbenefit.(However,ifyou’recurrentlyemployed,youmaynot

wanttoadvertisethefactthatyou’reattendingajobfair.)Lookforjobfairsinyourregionorganizedbylocaluniversitiesornon-profitprofessionalassociationsaroundaspecifictheme,likejobsoverseas,publicserviceopportunities,oranindustryofinteresttoyou.Th eseareoftenopentothepublicforamodestentrancefee(usuallylessthan$150,andevenlessforstudents).Youshouldbeabletocheckthelistoforganizationsscheduledtoattendandidentifysomeyoumightliketotargetinyourjobsearch.

WhY bOThEr?Th ere’sacommonmisunderstandingthatthebestcompaniesdon’tneedtorecruitatcareerfairs,andthatjobfairsarecompletelydivorcedfromthehiringprocess.Onthecontrary,somecompaniesrefercandidatestocareerfairsasafirststeptogettingtakenseriouslyasacandidate,especiallyforentry-levelpositions.Feworganizationsactuallyhireonthespotatcareerfairs,it’strue—butasuccessfuljobfairscreeningcancatapultyourcandidacytothetopoftheheapofapplicationsthatfloodappealingorganizations.Acareerfairmightbeagreatplacetogetyourstartinanyofthefieldslistedin“IndustriesthatRecruitatCareerFairs.”

mOrE ThAN A FAcE IN ThE crOWDOneglanceatthecrowdsatacareerfairmightmakeyouthinkthatmakinganimpressiononaprospectiveemployerisalongshotinthissetting...atleastwhenyousendinyourresumeforaposition,youdon’thavetocomeface-to-facewithyourcompetition!Butifyoucangiveanemployeragoodreasontorememberyouatajobfair,yourresumeisalotlesslikelytolanguishatthebottomofthatbigstack.Hereareeighttipstomakethathappen:

1. Target three organizationsGooverthelistoforganizationsthatwillbeinattendance,andidentifyatleastthreeboothsyouwanttobesuretovisit.(Iftherearen’tatleastthree,youmaywanttoreconsiderponyinguptheentrancefeeforthisparticularjobfair.)Th endosomebackground

tIp>Positions overseas may be subject to different labor laws and require knowledge of languages other than English, and these requirements may be refl ected in online screening forms.


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researchoneachoftheseorganizationsasdescribedin“GettingReady”,identifyingcompetitivepressures,keyopportunities,andmajormilestonesforthatcompany.Jotthesedownonanotepadtotakewithyou,andthenaddthreequestionstoaskeachtargetorganization.Knowyouranswerstothetenthemostcommonlyaskedinterviewquestions,anddosomeresearchtoidentifyFAQsfororganizationsinyourchosenfield(see“BasicInterviewExpectations”).

2. Bring four (yes, four!) versions of your resume Tailoryourresumeforeachofyourthreetargetcompanies,andprintoutacouplecopiesofeachtailoredresumetohandoutattheappropriatebooth.Thenprintoutseveralcopiesofyourstandard,all-purposeresumeforpositionsinyourfield.Makesureyoudirectthecorrectversionintotheproperhands.

3. Map out your plan of actionLocatetheboothsforyourtargetorganizationsonthemapofthejobfairsothatyoucanfindthemeasilyamidthethrong.Butinsteadofplanningtomakea

beelineforyourtargetbooths,makearrangementstoarriveearlysothatyoucanwarmupwitharoundortwoofinterviewsatotherboothsbeforeyouapproachanyofyourtargets.

4. Browse through handouts Ifthere’sacrowdaroundtheboothwhenyouapproachoralinetospeakwithrecruiters,bideyourtimepatientlyandproductivelylookingthroughtheliteratureonhand.Youmaythinkofotherpertinentquestionsorcomeupwithaninsightfulcommenttoopenaconversationfromsomethingyoureadinthebrochure,mediaclipping,orannualreport.

5. Strike up rewarding conversations Recruitersarerequiredbytheiremployerstoscreenmanycandidatesatajobfair,butyoumaketheirjobseasierandsetyourselfapartbyapproachingthemproactivelywitharelaxed,confident,friendlymanner.Checkoveryournotesbeforeyouapproachyourtargetbooths,sothatyou’renotleftawkwardlyfumblingthroughpaperswhenyoushouldbemakinganup-closeandpersonalcareerconnection.Rememberthat

Industries that recruit at career Fairs

Industry company Types

biotech Agricultural and pharmaceutical companies, biotech research and development laboratories, biomedical research institutions

consumer goods Food and beverage manufacturers, major retail chains, fashion merchandisers

Engineering Environmental engineering firms, consulting and construction firms, aerospace companies, governmental research and monitoring agencies, non-profit advocacy organizations, utility companies

Entertainment Talent and literary agencies, publishing houses, entertainment conglomerates, special effects studios, video game companies

Finance Investment banks, stockbrokerages, financial services companies, venture capital firms

Government Education, parks, Peace Corps

Non-profit agencies Direct service providers, research institutes, advocacy organizations, cultural/arts organizations, religious charitable organizations

Technology Computer/software companies, technology systems/infrastructure service providers, online retailers, wireless and satellite technology companies, semiconductor manufacturers



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thisisaninterview,nomatterhowrelaxedorrusheditmayseem,soyou’llwanttocarryyourselfwiththesameprofessionaldemeanorfromtheminuteyouapproachthebooththatyouwouldwalkingintotheofficeofaprospectiveemployer.

6. Work up an elevator pitch Preparea30-secondmonologuethatsumsupyourinterestsandstrengthsinthefield,andyourinterestintheorganizationinparticular,thenturntheconversationovertoyourinterviewerwithaninformedquestion.Asanexample,tryfillingintheblanksinthisspiel:

“Istudied/workedasa[positiontitle]at[nameofuniversity/organization],whichwasgreatbecauseitallowedmetohonemyskillsin[nameofdiscipline].IfoundthatIparticularlyenjoyed[specialtyarea],soI’mexcitedtolearnmoreabouthowImightmakeuseofmyabilitiesin[nameofdiscipline]whilepursuingmyinterestsin[specialtyarea].Th at’swhyIwantedtoseekyououttoday.Iknow[nameoforganization]iswell-respectedinthe[nameofdiscipline]field,andI’mcurious:Inthefuture,whatroledoyouthink[specialtyarea]mightplayinyourorganizationandtheindustryoverall?”

7. Make good use of your time—and the interviewer’s Plantogoearlyandstaythroughlunchlateintotheday,sothatyoudon’tmisstheopportunitytochatatlengthwithrepresentativesofyourtargetorganizationswhenthecrowdthinsout.Someorganizationsmayhavetopackupearly,though,sodon’tputoffvisiting

yourtargetorganizationstoolong.Don’ttakeuptoomuchoftheinterviewer’stimeorrambleon,especiallyifthelinesarelongbehindyou.Stickaroundfortenminutesoruntilyourinterviewerbeginstolosefocusonyou,andthenoffertopickuptheconversationlater.Agracefulexitgoessomethingalongtheselines:“Idon’twanttokeepyou,butthisisafascinatingdiscussion.Maybewecanchatmorelatertoday,whenthingsareabitlesshecticforyou?”Iftheintervieweragrees,stopbylaterandatleastsayhello,offerthanksfortheconversation,inquireaboutnextstepsinthatorganization’shiringprocessifyou’reinterested.Someinterviewersmayevensetupalongerinterviewlaterinthedayforyou.

8. Gather key information Besureyougetabusinesscard,sothatyoucanfollowuponyourconversationlater.Makenotesimmediatelyaftereachconversation,sothatwhenyousendathank-younotelater,you’llbeabletorefertoaspecificinsightorcommentyourinterviewersharedwithyou.

OffIce-vIsIt IntervIewLast but far fromleastisthetypeofinterviewthatloomslargestinourimaginations:theofficevisit.Andwithgoodreason,too—office-visitinterviewsareonestepclosertogettinghiredthanjobfairscreensorphonescreens.Ifyou’vediligentlydoneyourhomeworkandtakenthepreparationsoutlinedintheprecedingchapters,youshouldbesettoimpressinyouroffice-visitinterview.

Th atsaid,youmayhavetogothroughseveralroundsofoffice-visitinterviewsbeforeanactualjobofferismade.Th eapproachestotheseoffice-visitinterviewsmayvarytoo:thefirstmeetingmightbeaone-on-onebehavior-basedinterviewwithanHRrep,thesecondajobsimulation,andthethird

tIp>Just like in a formal, in-offi ce interview, greet your interviewer with a handshake, smile, and at least a few seconds of steady eye contact.


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apanelinterview.Oryoumightfindthatyouhavetogothroughseveralroundsofinterviewsusingdifferentapproachesinoneday.Sotakeadeepbreath,paceyourself,makesureyouhaveafirmgraspofthevarioustypesofoffice-visitinterviewapproachesoutlinedinthesectionsthatfollow,andpreparetogothedistancebetweenthatfirststepacrossthethresholdandthefinalhandshakethatconfirmsyouremployment.

bEhAvIOr-bAsEDOneofthemostwidelyacceptedaxiomsabouthumanbehavioristhatthebestindicationoffuturebehaviorispastbehavior,soitshouldbenosurprisethatthebehavior-basedapproachisthemostcommontypeofoffice-visitinterview.Thisapproachprobesyourpotentialtomakepositivecontributionstotheorganizationinthefuturebyaskingyoutodefinepastcontributionsyou’vemadetoteams,organizations,andvolunteerefforts.

What to expect Mostbehavior-basedquestionswillbeginwith:“Canyoutellmeaboutatimewhenyou...”“Pleasedescribeaninstancewhereyou...”“Couldyougivemeanexampleofasituationwhenyou...”Whenyouhearthiscue,knowthatyouarebeingaskedtorelateaspecificanecdotethatshowshowyouappliedyourtalentstohelpanorganizationtackleaproblemormakethemostofanopportunity.Youranswerwillbejudgedaccordingtosetcriteriathatyoucanrememberasthe“StraightA’s”ofbehavioralinterviewing:• Analyzingtheopportunityorproblemeffectively• Approachingtheopportunityorproblem

creatively,toovercomemajorobstacles• Accessingappropriateteamresourcesto

implementsolutions• Achievingconcreteresults(withfigureswherever

possible)

Sample behavioral questions 1. Pleasetellmeaboutatimewhenyouhada

conflictwithsomeoneandhowyouhandledit.2. Canyoudescribeaninstancewhenyouhadto

juggleseveraltasksatonce,anddescribehowyouprioritizedyourwork?

3. Canyougivemeanexampleofatimewhenyoutooktheinitiativetoseizeanopportunityyourorganizationmighthavemissedotherwise?

special preparations Nowallyourhardworkpreparingbriefanecdotestohighlightyourstrengthswillpayoff.Besuretofocusonachievementsthatwillberelevantandmeaningfultotheorganization,anddescribethemintermsyourinterviewerwillunderstand.Forexample,ifyouusedtoproduceatelevisionshowandyou’remakingthejumptocommercialadvertising,youmaywanttofocusonhowyourprogrammingchangeshelpedhittheshow’stargetmarket,asdemonstratedbyincreasedviewershipfortheshowandadvertisingdollars,ratherthanhowmanycomplimentaryemailsyoureceived.Butdon’tmakeyourstorystraightfacts,figures,andindustryjargon,oryourinterviewer’seyesaresuretoglazeover.Makeyourstoryarollickingadventureoftrials,tribulations,andtriumphs.Considerthisexample:

“WhenIstartedworkingatChannelZNews,itwasthelowest-ratednewsprogram,andweweresellingprimecommercialairtimeforasongtolow-budgetpurveyorsofhairplugs…Well,Ianalyzedtheratings,anditshowedthatwewereactuallyholdingourowninthefirstfewminutesofthebroadcast,buttherewasasteepdrop-offafterourhardnewscoveragewrappedupandwemovedontosoftstories—youknow,humaninterest,traffic,weather,sports.ThenIanalyzedourcompetitors’broadcaststoo,andInoticedthatweweregivingouraudiencethesamethreeminutesofhardnewsasallourcompetitors.Sowedidsomeaudiencetestingandfoundthatpeopleactuallywantedmorehardnews,anditwasthetrafficandaccidentsthatturnedthemoffbecausetheyfounditdepressing.Welengthenedournewssegmentwith



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specialinvestigativereports,andcondensedourtrafficandaccidentreportinginto30secondsrightbeforeweatherandsports.Withintwomonths,ourratingshadshotupfromlasttofirstinthetimeslot,andouradvertisingrevenueshadgoneup35percent.That’sthekindofanalyticalandcreativeproblemsolvingIcouldcontributetoXYZAdvertising—it’sallaboutexaminingtheaudience’sneedsuntilyoufindthemarketopportunity.”

hYPOThETIcAlHypotheticalquestionsarethecurveballsoftheinterviewinggame.Interviewersthrowthematyoutotestyourabilitytothinkonyourfeetandreactusingyourbestprofessionalinstincts.Ajobinterviewseldom

consistsofonlyhypotheticalscenarios,sincetheyalonearenotaneffectiveapproachtogaugeajobcandidate’sskillsorcompetencies.Hypotheticallyspeaking,anyonemightbeabletoachievenuclearfission—butfewofuscouldactuallydemonstrateapotentialtomakeithappenbasedonpastperformance.

What to expect Hypotheticalquestionsbeginwith“Howwouldyou...”or“Imagineifyouwereto...”or“Whatwouldyoudoif...”Hypotheticalquestionsarebytheirverynaturehardtoanticipate,butdon’tallowyourselftobeblindsidedbythem.Ifyouneedto,usethesetrickstobuyyourselfsomethinkingtime:• Restatethequestion:“Letmegetthisstraight:

WhatwouldIdoif...”• Praisethequestion:“That’sagoodquestion.Let

methinkaboutthat...”• Askforspecifics:“Whatresourceswouldbe

availabletotheteamtosolvethisproblem?” Sample hypothetical questions1. Ifoneofyourteammateswasfallingbehindon

aprojectyouwereworkingontogetherbecauseofproblemsathome,howwouldyouhandlethesituation?

2. Howwouldyoudealwithanemployeewhomyoususpectedofaskingforinflatedtravelexpensereimbursements?

3. Imagineyouwereallowedtoinstituteanynewworkplacepolicyyouwishedforoneweek.Whatwouldthatbe,andwhy?

Special preparations Tiethehypotheticalproblemtoasimilarorrelatedpastexperienceyou’vehandledwell.Forexample,ifyouweretobeaskedthesecondquestionaboveaboutinflatedtravelexpenses,youmightanswerasfollows:

“Ialwaysfindthattheeasiestwaytodealwithasuspectedbreachofworkplaceethicsistofirstexplainthecompanypolicyinacasual,impersonalway,sothattherearenomisunderstandingsaboutwhatisexpectedandnofeelingshurt.IoncefeltthatIwas

cAsE IN POINT: NOT ON bEsT bEhAvIOr

An interview is a two-way process, so while your interviewers are trying to get a sense of what you’d be like as an employee from your past behavior, you should be scrutinizing their behavior to see what they’d be like as supervisors. If something about your interviewer’s behavior strikes you as odd, do your best to overlook it in the interview, but consider it carefully before you accept the job to be sure you can live with it. Consider this extreme case of a bad match:

“Once when I was in my early twenties, I was thrilled because I had made it past the first interview for what I thought was a

prime position in my field in New York. Then in the second round, I met with a bigwig in the company. She was perfectly coiffed and put together, but then she started chain smoking neurotically in the interview—and she was seven months pregnant! I was flustered and horrified, and I don’t think I was able to completely hide that fact during the interview . . . there were long, awkward silences. I definitely passed judgment on her, and [couldn’t focus in the interview.] I’m still embarrassed about it, even though I don’t think I would have wanted to work for her—if I saw her on the street I’d cringe.”


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beingoverchargedbyavendorwhowassendingininvoicesthatwerealittlevagueonservicesrenderedfordollarsspent.Iexplainedtothevendorthatwhilethecompanydidn’tnecessarilyrequireatimecard,thecompanydidneedadetailedaccountingfortimespentbyprojectoneveryinvoice.Loandbehold,theinvoicesthatcameinweresignificantlylowerthantheyhadbeen—andourworkingrelationshipwasstrongerthanever.SoIthinkImightgowithasimilarapproachinthiscase:I’daskeveryoneontheteamtoprovideannotatedreceiptswiththeirtravelexpensereport,thencheckoverthatemployee’sreceipts—andspotchecktherestoftheteam’s,too,justtobefair.I’dalsobesuretodothesamemyself,tosetagoodexample.”

cAsE ANAlYsIsThisisaninterviewingapproachmostcommonlyusedintheworldsofbusinessconsulting,finance,marketing,businessoperations,anddevelopment.Casequestionsareintendedtotestacandidate’sabilitiestoanalyzeaproblemoropportunity,performunderpressure,makeuseofappropriateresources,comeupwithcreativesolutions,andcommunicateandpresentideaseffectively.Someorganizationsreservecasequestionsforthesecondroundof

interviews,andevengivecandidatesachancetoprepareresponses—butmanyorganizationsfirecasequestionsatcandidatesintheveryfirstround,toweedoutasmanycandidatesaspossibleearlyonintheinterviewprocess.

What to expect Thesequestionsdon’tsoundlikequestionsatall,butmorelikethestoryproblemsyoumightrememberfromyourGREorSATtests.Theypresentaseriesoffacts,variables,andresources,andthenaskyoutoansweraspecificquestiongiventhisdata.Withcasequestions,yourinterviewermayormaynotrespondtoarequestforadditionaldetails,butyoucanusuallyaskyourinterviewertorepeattherelevantdatatomakesureyouhaveyourfactsstraight.

Therearefourcommontypesofcasequestions:1. Market-sizingquestionsaskthecandidateto

estimatethesizeofagivenmarket.2. Business operationscasesposequestionsabout

therunningofabusiness.3. Business strategyquestionsfocusonfuture

businessstrategyissues,usuallywithahigh-levelapproach.

4. Resumequestionstakeoneoftheprecedingtypesandrelateittosomethingfromyourresume(e.g.,careeroracademicexperience),andthusaskyoutoapplyyourspecializedknowledge.

Sample case questions 1. Marketsizing:Howmanygolfcartsaretherein

theUnitedStates?2. Businessoperations:Thegeneralmanagerofa

popularskiresorthascalledonyoutohelpherfigureoutwhyherresorthasbeenexperiencingdecliningprofitsoverthepastthreeyears.Howwouldyouhelpher?

3. Businessstrategy:AFrenchtechnologyoutsourcingfirmthathasdonegoodbusinesswithoneU.S.microchip-makernowwantstocultivateabroaderclienteleinSiliconValley,butthey’reanoutsiderinthatparticularmarketandareconcernedaboutpublicperceptionsof

cAsE IN POINT: hYPOThETIcAl vs. rhETOrIcAl QuEsTIONs

Technically, there should be no such thing as a wrong answer to a hypothetical question. But sometimes employers will turn hypothetical questions into rhetorical questions, hoping you will pick up on their cues and give them the answers they are looking for. If you don’t take the hint and

give another answer instead, it can be hard to recover, as described by this Case in Point: “At one interview, the guy who was doing the hiring asked me, ‘Do you love our software product? Do you?’ I decided to be honest and say ‘Actually, no. I don’t.’ That sent him around the bend, as they say.”



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offshoreoperations.Howwouldyouhelpthemidentifymarketopportunities?

4. Resume:Iseethatyouusedtoworkforamajorairline.Supposethatyourfrequentflierprogramisn’tattractingenoughnewrecruits.Listoptionstoimprovetheprogramwhilekeepingcostsdown,andthenprioritizethoseideasaccordingtotheirrelativecost-effectiveness.

Special preparations Mostorganizationsarecarefulnottousethesamecasequestionsfortoolongandevenvarythequestionsfromonecandidatetothenextjusttoensurethatnoonehasanunfairadvantage.Thatsaid,advancepreparationisessentialoncasequestions,justasitisforanystandardizedtest—familiaritywiththecommonformats,tricks,andlogicofcasequestionswillgreatlyimproveyourperformance.Casequestionsvarybyindustry,soyou’rebestoffgettingsomepracticewiththetypesofcasequestionsthataremostcommoninyourindustry.WetFeet’sbest-sellingAceYourCaseseriesgoesintomuchmoredetailandprovidesmanypracticequestions(alongwithexamplesofgoodandbadanswers)forthoselookingdownthebarrelofthecaseinterview.

JOb sImulATIONTheclassicexampleofthejobsimulationapproachisthetypingtest.Ifyoucanperformthejobwellinasimulation,youshouldbeabletodoitjustaswell(ifnotbetter)inreallife.Jobsimulationsaremostoftenusedtotestcandidatesinaspecificskillarearequiredforthejob,suchasdatabaseQAforasoftwaretester,forkliftdrivingforawarehouseoperator,oreditingforaproofreader.Thismaybeusedincombinationwithabehavior-basedintervieworasascreeningmethodtoidentifythecandidatesleastinneedofadditionaltraining.It’salsoawayoffindingoutwhetheryou’reasgoodasyousayyouare.

What to expect Ifyouknowyourfieldandhavefilledasimilarpositionintherecentpast,youalreadyknowwhattoexpectfrom

ajobsimulation.Yourjobsimulationmaytakeplaceonthepremises,andyoumayeitherbegivenastricttimelimitationorallowedtogoatyourownpace—butdon’ttakeyoursweettime,becausethismaybepartofthetest!Youmaybepresentedwithaproblem,andchallengedwithcomingbackandpresentingyoursolutionorfindings,suchasagraphicdesignerchargedwithtweakingalogo.Thisshouldbeagenuinetestofyourskills,notadishonestattempttogetfreelabor.Ifyouturninyourwork,neverheararesponse,andsuddenlyseeyourdesignonabillboard,youhaveeveryrighttocontacttheBetterBusinessBureau.

Sample questions Therearenostandardquestionsinthistypeofinterview. You’llbeexpectedtowalkthetalkandshowwhatyoucandofortheemployer.Followingareexamplesofprofessionsandrelatedjobsimulations:• Salesperson:Sellmethisbook.• Graphicdesigner:DesignanewlogoforBodo’s

Bagels.• Teacher:Developalessonplanandleadagroup

ofstudentsthroughthatlesson.

Special preparations Youmightwanttobrushuponyourtechnicalskills,incaseit’sbeenawhilesinceyou’veputsomeofthemtouse.Inparticular,youshouldcoveranyskillsyoulistedonyourresume.

PANEl INTErvIEWsTheoneinterviewapproachmostlikelytomakeajobapplicantbreakoutinacoldsweatisthepanelinterview.Twoormoreinterviewersmeetwithacandidateatonceinthisscenario,andafterthecandidateleaves,theinterviewerscomparenotesandassessthecandidate.Apanelinterviewcancomeatthebeginningofthehiringprocess,rightaftertheinitialphonescreenorjobfairscreen,oritmaycomeafterthecandidatehasalreadybeenthroughoneormorepreliminaryone-on-oneinterviewswithanHRrepresentativeormanagerand/orajobsimulation.


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What to expect Manyjobapplicantsthinkofthepanelinterviewasatensecourtroomscenario,wheretheyhavetomaketheircasetoskepticaljudgeslookingforinconsistenciesinthetestimony.Butapanelinterviewactuallyseldomresemblesamade-for-TVlegaldrama—infact,it’susuallymoresimilartoacongenialconversationoverlunch,withquestionsinterwovenwithdiscussionofsharedconcernsandpossiblesolutions.Infact,somepanelinterviewstakeplaceoveraperfectlypleasantlunch,ratherthaninsomestuffyboardroom.Interviewersactuallytendtobemoresensitiveaboutputtingthecandidateonthespot

inpanelinterviews,sothismayworkinyourfavor,too.Evenifoneinterviewerdoesstarttofiretoughquestionsatyou,chancesareanotherpanelmemberwillempathizewithyourplightandlobaneasierquestionyourway.

Special preparations Th esamepreparationsdescribedinthepreviouschaptersapplyhere:Doyourbackgroundresearch,knowwhichstrengthsyouplantoemphasize,preparestoriesthatillustratethesestrengths,andhavesomeinsightfulquestionsreadytoaskyourinterviewers.Th etrickypartismakingtheconversationcomfortableamongmultipleparticipants,muchasyouwouldasahostatadinnerparty.Ifyou’renotabigfanofdinnerparties,youmightroleplayapanelinterviewwithsomefriendstogetmorecomfortablewiththeidea.Th atway,ifyougettenseintheactualinterview,youcanimagineyouarejusttalkingwithyourfriendsagaintohelpyourelax.Intheinterview,putonyourbestdinner-partyhostmannersandmakesurethatyoushareyourattentionaroundtoallthepanelists.Makeeyecontactwitheachperson,andgreetandshakehandswitheachoneifpossible.Whenthequestionsbegin,youcandirectyourattentionprimarilytotheindividualwhoposedthequestion,butbesuretolookaroundandengageotherssothatitdoesn’tbecomeanexclusivetwo-wayconversation.Ifoneinterviewerisfiringquestionsatyouorotherwisedominatingtheconversation,redirectyourattentiontopullintheothers.

Physical screenings: Know your rightsDrugscreeningsandfitnesstestsarepartofthe

cAsE IN POINT: TEsTING TWIsTs

The skills immediately relevant to the job aren’t the only abilities that might get put to the test in an interview. Any special skills, talents, or credentials listed on your resume may be tested. Consider this story of an unexpected test that left an otherwise confi dent applicant tongue-tied:

“When I walked into an interview at an online retailer, I was feeling great. I’d done my homework on the organization—I had a fi rm grasp of its business model, main competitors, the platforms they were using, and the strengths I could bring to the organization to help it capture new business. I’d boned up on case questions, and felt sure I could ace those, too. But who knew that

of all the things they could have quizzed me on, it would be the profi ciency in Arabic listed on the bottom of my resume that would be put to the test? Turns out the comptroller had been in the Peace Corps in Tunisia, and he conducted the fi rst ten minutes of the interview in Arabic. I managed to stammer my way through it, even though I hadn’t spoken it in ages. Imagine my relief when he switched to English and said, ‘I’m glad to see you weren’t exaggerating your credentials. So many people do in business these days, and I think it’s important to call people out on it.’ After I survived that initial trial by fi re, the interview was much more relaxed—and I got the job.”

tIp>If you miss one of your interviewers’ names when the introductions are being made, don’t be afraid to interject and ask for it to be repeated so that you can call each person by name.



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selectionprocessinawidenumberofindustries,soyoushouldn’tbesurprisedifthesearepartoftheprocessforaninterview.Somecompaniesmakejobofferscontingentuponacleandrugtestresult,andpositionsthatrequirephysicalexertioncanalsorequestyoutotakeafitnesstestbeforeofferingyouthejob.However,itisillegalforemployerstorequireyoutotakeanypsychologicaltestsormedicalexaminationsbeforeyou’reofferedaposition.Youshouldbeawarethatasaconditionofproceedingtothenextstageofthehiringprocess,youmightbeaskedtotakeadrugscreeningtest.Evenifyou’reanadeptpilot,anairlinewon’twanttoentrustyouwithhundredsofpassengersifyouareoftenundertheinfluenceofcontrolledsubstances.Youcanrefusetotakethetest,ofcourse,buttheemployercanalsorefusetohireyou.


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6Concluding Gracefully

Ask Really Good Questions ��72

Have an Exit Strategy ��73

Follow Up ��75



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Congratulations! You’ve made astellarfirstimpression.Nowisyourchancetocinchthedealbyleavingyourinterviewerwithapositivefinalimpression.Beforeyouwalkoutthatdoor,besureyou’veaskedafewgoodquestions,executedaneffectiveexitstrategy,andarereadyandwillingtofollowthroughwithapost-interviewrecapandatimely,thoughtfulthank-younote.Ifyoudo,youmaysoonbecomingbackthroughthatofficedoorforasecondinterviewortoreportforworkatyournewjob.

asK reallY GOOd QuestIOnsMany candidates focus onansweringhardquestionsinaninterview,butthemostpromisingcandidatescomepreparedtoaskthem,too.Ifyoudon’taskquestions,yourinterviewermaytakeitasasignthatyoueither“arenotthatinterestedinthejob,orjustaren’tprepared,”saysRosanneLurie,licensedcareercounselor.Thisisnottheimpressionyouwanttoleavewithyourinterviewer—sobesuretohavesomequestionsreadytoaskattheendoftheinterview,iftheyhaven’tcomeupalreadyinthecourseoftheinterview.

INSIDER SCOOP Not asking any questions “leaves your interviewer thinking, ‘If you can’t be bothered to come up with a few questions, why should I bother with you?’” says career counselor Rosanne Lurie.

Howdoyouknowwhat’sagoodquestiontoask?Youshouldhavesomeideafromyourbackgroundresearchwhatkindsofquestionswouldbeappropriatetoaskaboutthepositionandtheorganizationtodeterminewhetherthey’reagoodfitforyouandyour

careerplans.Ideally,well-thought-out,insightfulquestionsshouldhelpyoulandtheposition.Agoodquestiondoesthisinthreeways:

1. It reveals your knowledge of the industry and/or company.Thetimeyouspentreadingnewsstories,tradepublications,andannualreportsenablesyoutoaskawell-informedquestionlike,“IknowyourecentlymergedwithCompanyX,andmergersoftenplacedemandsonthecommunicationsdepartmentonmultiplefronts—developinganewcorporateidentity,bridgingtwocorporatecultures,fieldingmediarequests.Whatdoyouseeasthegreatestburdenonthecommunicationsteamasaresultofthemerger,andhowdoyouthinkIcouldbeofthegreatesthelptotheteaminthisarea?”

2. It shows that you’ve been paying close attention to your interviewer.It’sfineifafewofyourquestionsarealittlegeneric—oddsare,yourintervieweraskedyousomegenericquestions,too.Butifyoutakeafewnotesduringtheinterview,youcanrefertocommentsyourinterviewermadetopersonalizeyourquestions.Insteadofasking,“Whatpersonalattributesdoyouthinkwillbemosthelpfulinthisposition?”useyournotestotailoryourquestionasfollows:“Youmentionedthatexcellinginthispositiontakesperseveranceandgraceunderpressure.Whatotherpersonalattributesdoyouthinkwouldbeespeciallyusefulinthisjob?”

3. It establishes a personal connection.Ifyouspendtheentireinterviewtalkingaboutyourselfandthejob,itwon’tbethekindofbondingexperiencethatwouldstandoutinaninterviewer’smind.Besides,mostpeopleliketotalkaboutthemselves—soprovideanopeningforyourinterviewertorevealpersonalinsightsbyasking,“Howdidyoustartworkingwiththisorganization?Whatkeepsyouhereandinterestedinyourjob?”


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Ten Very Good Questions to Ask and One Essential Question1. Whatthreewordswouldyouusetodescribethe

workenvironmenthere?2. Whatwouldyousayaretheorganization’sgreatest

opportunitiesinthenextthreeyears?3. Whatwouldyousayaretheorganization’sgreatest

challengesinthenextthreeyears?4. Howhas[majorbusinesstrendorcurrentevent]

affectedyourorganization?5. Whatarethegreatestlearningopportunities

you’vehadat[nameoforganization]?6. Whatdoyoulikemostaboutworkinghere?7. Whatdoyoufindmostchallengingabout

workinghere?8. Canyoudescribethreespecificopportunitiesfor

growththispositionoffers?9. Whatdoyouseeasthepotentialdrawbacksof

thisposition?10. Whatpersonalqualitiesdotheteammatesyou

valuemostpossess? …andthemostimportantquestionofall:> What are the next steps I should take to be

hired for this position?

TOuchY subJEcTsQuestionsaboutturnover,expectedworkinghours,andstresslevelscanbedifficulttobroach,butifyoucanaskthemsensitivelyyou’llfindoutwhetherthisisaplaceyoureallywanttowork—andshowthatyouknowyourworthandwanttobepartofanorganizationthatvaluesitsemployees.“Timingisimportantforthesedelicatequestions,”notesRosanne.“Waittoposethemuntillaterintheinterviewifyou’refeelingconfident,orholdoffuntilasecondorthirdinterview.”Whenyoudobroachthesubject,saysLurie,makesureyourtoneiscasualandconversational.Ifyou’vedevelopedrapportwithyourinterviewer,youcanaskpersonalquestionslike,“Isthisagoodplacetowork?Whatisitlikehere?”

“Thereshouldbenoanxietyorconfrontationalmake-or-breaktonetoyourquestion,”sayscareercounselorRosanneLurie.“Insteadofaskingadirect

andpotentiallyawkwardquestionaboutwhythelastpersonlefttheposition,askwhatchangescameaboutthatcreatedthisposition.”

have an exIt strateGYOnce you’ve asked atleasttwoorthreequestionsandreceivedanswers,you’llknowtheinterviewiscomingtoaclose.Don’twaituntilyourinterviewerisoutofsteamandalltalkedouttostartwrapping

cAsE IN POINT: TurNArOuND Is FAIr PlAY

If you’re less impressed with a job the more you hear about it, you might want to probe the positives and negatives of the position rather than focusing on selling yourself for a position you might not want. Consider the following case of an awkward interview and even more awkward job offer:

“After I sweated through a very difficult interview at a religiously affiliated organization, during which I was grilled about my qualifications and asked uncomfortable [not to mention illegal] questions about my religious beliefs and marital status, my interviewer finally invited me to ask a few questions. By this point,

I had a hunch that this might not be the easiest place to work and was willing to bet the last person had left due to stress, so I delicately asked how the position became available. Bingo! The interviewer admitted the last person left due to a nervous breakdown. So I wrapped up the interview politely yet swiftly. I only wished I’d spared us both the trouble by asking the question earlier in the interview! By then I’d sold them on my strong points and they actually offered me the job, so I had to backpedal and explain that it sounded like the work environment was more stressful than seemed healthy.”



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thingsup—it’salwaysbettertoleaveapotentialemployerwantingmore!Whenyousensetheenergylevelisbeginningtodipandbeforeyourinterviewercutstheinterviewoffabruptly,startputtingyourexitstrategyintoaction.

Asoundexitstrategyconsistsofsevensteps:

1. Make Amends Nowisyourfinalchancetomodifyanyanswers

youdon’tthinkyouansweredparticularlywell,orclarifyyourreasoningbehindananswerthatdidn’tseemtopleaseyourinterviewer.Aslongasyoucanleavethemsatisfiedthatyourreasoningissound,interviewerswon’tbesoconcernedtheydidn’tgetananswertheywereafter.“Idon’twanttotaketoomuchmoreofyourtime,butIdidwanttogetbacktothatquestionyouaskedmeabouthowI’dhandleatoughcustomer.Justtoclarify,Iwouldn’trecommendreferringthecustomertoasupervisoruntilI’dmadeeveryofferIamauthorizedtomaketoputthingsright.”

2. Make Your Final Pitch Remindyourinterviewerofthethreemain

reasonswhyyouareagoodmatchforthispositioninaminuteorless.Thinkofitthisway:Yourinterviewerisyourtargetbuyer,andyourstrengthsaretheveryspecialpackagedealyou’reselling.Accordingtothetime-honoredmarketingLawofSeven,theaverageconsumerdoesn’thearasalesmessageuntilit’sbeenstatedseventimes—sodon’tbeshyaboutrepeatingyourstrengthsonelasttime.Makeyourfinalsalesmessageclear,quick,andmemorable,andyoujustmightcinchthedeal.

3. Say You Want the Job Don’tleaveanydoubtinyourinterviewer’smind

aboutyourinterestintheposition.Sometimesinterviewerswon’tofferthejobtowell-qualifiedcandidatestheyfeararedisinterested,overqualified,orotherwisemightbe“settling”forajobtheydon’treallywant.Interviewersdread

rejectiontoo—noonewantstogettheirheartsetonacandidatewhothenturnsdownthejob.Soifyouletyourinterviewerknowyouwantthejob,you’veremovedonemorepossibleobstacletoajoboffer.Lookyourinterviewerrightintheeyeandsay,“IwasexcitedaboutthispositionevenbeforeIcameintoday,butaftertalkingtoyouI’mmorecertainthaneverthatIreallywantthisjob.”Butbesureyoumeanit,becausethere’salwaysachanceyourinterviewermayrespond,“Great.Whencanyoustart?”

4. Ask About Next Steps Iftheinterviewerdoesn’tgiveyouadefinite

answerrightawayandsaysthey’llletyouknow,don’tbedisappointedordissuaded.Thisisn’tnecessarilyaneasylet-down;theymayjustneedtocheckinwithcolleaguestoscheduleasecond(orthird)intervieworconfirmanoffer.Askhowsoonyoushouldfollowup,andmentionthatyou’dbedelightedtohavethechancetomeettherestoftheteam.

5. Ask Whether They Have Any Other Questions for You

Thisgivesyouachancetoaddressanyissuesthatmightbeleftunresolvedinyourinterviewers’mindsandshowsthatyouareattunedtotheirconcerns.Ifyourinterviewerssay,“No,thataboutcoversit,”youshouldtakethehintandthankthemfortheirtime.

6. Give Your Interviewer Something to Remember You by

Abusinesscardwouldbeideal,andanarticlebyoraboutyouwouldbeanimpressivebonus.Attheveryleast,handyourintervieweranextracopyofyourresume—everythingyoucandotokeepyourcandidacytopofmindandtopofinboxhelps.

7. Make a Smooth Move for the Door Lookyourinterviewerintheeyeandofferafew


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wordsofappreciationforhowmuchyougotoutofyourconversation.Here’sanexample:“Ihavetothankyouagainfortakingtimetomeetwithmetoday.Youreallygotmethinkingaboutthepotentialforgrowthinthisindustryandthisorganization,andIwouldwelcometheopportunitythispositionofferstocontributetothatgrowth.”Thenbesureyouhaveallyourbelongingsandofferyourinterviewerawarmhandshakeandsmile.Thisisapowerfullastimpressiontoleavewithyourinterviewer:personal,meaningful,andconsummatelyprofessional.Thishandshakeshouldmarktheendofyourinterview,andthebeginningofarewardingprofessionalrelationship.

fOllOw up Once the interview isover,youshouldreviewyournotesfromtheinterviewandstartplanningyourfollow-up.Ifyourinterviewertoldyoutofollowupinaweek,markthatdateinyourcalendarandbesuretocallthenfora“statuscheck”andreiterateyourwillingnesstomeetwithothermembersoftheteam.(Justremember,there’safinelinebetweentalkingandstalking—ifyou’vecalledtwoorthreetimesoverthecourseofacoupleofweeksandthere’sstillnodefinitiveresponseonewayoranother,youmaywanttodownshiftyourfollow-upcontactstoemailatlessfrequentintervals.)Takeaminutetoreviewyourperformance,andidentifyareaswhereyouexcelledandareasyoumightimproveuponinfutureinterviews.

ThANk-YOu NOTEsWhiletheinterviewisstillfreshinyourmind,sitdownwithanynotesyoutookduringtheinterviewandcraftawarm,personalthank-youmessage.Thereareentiretomeswrittenontheimportanceofprompt,personalthank-younotes—butalthoughvirtuallyeverycareeradvisoremphasizeshowimportanttheyare,manycandidatesoverlookthisperfectlysoundprofessionaladvice.Putothercandidates’oversighttoyouradvantage,andsendthanksnolaterthanthedayafteryourinterview.Atypednoteonbusinessstationaryoralegible,handwrittennoteonanelegantcard(nogagcards)wouldbeideal,butdon’tspendageslookingfortheperfectcardorwordsmithingyournotetodeath.Aquick,sincereemailispreferabletoastunningcardthatarrivestendaysafteryourinterview,whentheinterviewerhasalreadyforgottenyournameandofferedthejobtosomeoneelse.

Inadditiontoshowingyourappreciationforyourinterviewer’stime,athankyounoteisaprimeopportunityto:• Mentionsomethingyouneglectedinyour

resume.• Alleviateanyconcernsraisedintheinterview.

cAsE IN POINT: clOsING rEmArks clOsE ThE DEAl

When you make your final comments to your interviewer, remember that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Consider this last-minute success story:

“When I was 24, I interviewed for a job at a weekly newspaper in Budapest. The publisher and executive editor were jowly 40- and 50-something Brits with gray suits, who appeared to be interviewing me as a courtesy to the friend who’d recommended me. They asked a few rather standard questions and didn’t particularly seem to be listening to the answers; I was sure that I didn’t have the

job. So I had nothing to lose. After I was done answering their questions, I said, ‘Look, I’m a damn good editor and a damn good writer, and both are in short supply. And I know you’d prefer someone a bit older, with more connections locally—but I’m good, and I’m smart, and I’m willing to work awfully hard. So I think you should hire me.’ They sort of stammered and were taken aback, and I very sweetly closed things up—told them to call if they had any other questions, and said that I’d check back in a week or so to follow up. I got a call two days later. And a job offer.”



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• Conveyyourenthusiasm.• Reiteratekeystrengthsyoupossessthatrelateto

thejob.

Here’showathank-younotemightread:

Dear Ms. Gonzales,

Thank you again for a most inspiring meeting. I know how hectic a head chef’s schedule can get right before a restaurant opening and how many resumes you must have received for the assistant chef position, so I am especially appreciative that you took the time to meet with me and share your insights on the business. I picked up a copy of that issue of Gourmet you mentioned, and you’re so right—that feature article on Tuscany really missed the boat! There’s so much more to Tuscan cuisine than steak and white beans, as you’ve demonstrated in your cookbook. I look forward to branching out from Neapolitan cuisine, and am sure our regional specializations will prove a fitting complement for one another—and a delicious one, at that.

I look forward to continuing our conversation in the kitchen at LouLou in the near future.

Best regards,Sally

P.S. Your friend and mine, Ruthie, sends her best, and says to say thanks for the pork chop tips.

[AN ExAmPlE ]


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7For Your Reference

Additional Interviewing Resources ��80

General Interviewing Advice ��80

Job Search Resources �� 81

Background Research Tools �� 81

Salary Negotiation Tools ��82



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addItIOnal IntervIewInG resOurces With a little extraresearch,youcanprepareforsomeofthelessobviousquestionsinterviewerswillask.Ratherthaninventingthesequestionsthemselves,interviewersoftenpullthemfromprofessionalresourcesthatyou,too,canaccess:theInternet,humanresourceanddevelopmentservices,interviewbooks,andworkplaceadvicecolumnists.Here’showtofindthem:

INTErNET sEArchEs Google“interviewquestions”or“jobinterviewquestions”andcheckoutthesearchresultstofindthemostpopular(top20)websitesthatlistinterviewquestionsemployersshouldask.Chancesare,interviewerswhoarepressedfortimewillbeonthesamewebpageasyouwhenitcomestimetopreparefortheirendoftheinterview—somakeanoteofanyquestionsyoufindonmorethanonewebsite,andprepareyourresponsestothosekeyquestions.Sitessuchaswww.job-interview.netofferlistsofsomeofthetoughestinterviewquestionsandappropriateresponses,too.

hr AND rEcruITmENT sErvIcEs SpendawhilethinkinglikearecruiterorHRprofessional,andyou’llbebetterpreparedfortheirquestions.HRprofessionalsmakeanefforttostayonthecuttingedgeofinterviewbestpractices,soboninguponcurrentinterviewingtrendswillhelpyouanticipatequestionsyoumightfacebeforeanHRrepresentativeorrecruiter.LookupHRprofessionalassociationsandHRandrecruiterprofessionalwebsitesandrunakeywordsearchon“interviewing,”andseeifyoucanfindrecommendedquestionsorpractices.SitessuchastheHumanResourcesInternetGuide(www.hr-guide.com)offervaluablelistsof

interviewquestionsandoutlineotherwaysHRprofessionalstestcandidatecompetencies.

bOOks Ifyou’relookingforworkinafieldthatfollowsaspecializedinterviewprocess,lookforbooksthatspecificallyaddressthatinterviewtype.WetFeetpublishesthefive-volumeAceYourCase!seriesofInsiderGuidesforconsultinginterviews,whichrelyheavilyonthedreadedcasequestion.Forthoselookingtoworkintheinvestmentbankingindustry,checkoutBeattheStreet:InvestmentBankingInterviewsandBeattheStreetII:I-BankingInterviewPracticeGuide.

General IntervIewInG advIceFor a leg uponthecompetition,perusethesegeneralinterviewingadvicesources:

WETFEET.cOmwww.wetfeet.comWetFeetcoverseveryinterviewingscenariofrombrainteasingcasequizzestodeceptivelycasuallunchmeetings,andofferstipsfordealingwithtrickysituationssuchasgettingunflatteringreferences,arrivinglatetoaninterview,andturningdownajoboffer.

tIp>Your background research should help you identify the competencies interviewers will be looking for in candidates for specifi c positions.


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JOb-INTErvIEW.NETwww.job-interview.netInsightsfromtopcareercounselors,adatabaseof1,000commoninterviewquestionsandsamplesofexcellentanswers,tipstoperfectyourskillswithmockinterviews,andmuchmore.

NATIONAl AssOcIATION OF cOllEGEs AND EmPlOYErs’ cArEEr lIbrArYwww.jobweb.com In-depthinformationonjobfairs,thank-younotes,andotherinterviewconcerns,plussalaryandjoboutlookdata,jobfairlistings,collegecareercenterresources,andfeaturesonemployers.

msN’s INTErvIEWING ADvIcEmsn.careerbuilder.com/Custom/MSN/CareerAdvice/Interviewing.htmHelpfulhintsoninterviewfashionblunders,calmingyourjitters,puttingapositivespinonyourroleatanow-defunctcompany,andotherinterviewissues.

hr GuIDE TO lEGAl IssuEswww.hr-guide.com/data/075.htmIfyoufeelanemployerhasaskedyouinappropriateinterviewquestions,usethissitetoreviewthelegalitiesofinterviewingandlearnmoreaboutyourrecourseunderthelaw.

JOb search resOurcesbOOksNetworking Works! The WetFeet Insider Guide to NetworkingManyjobvacanciesarefilledbeforeanopeningisannouncedpublicly—butfollowthesestrategiesfor

effectivenetworking,andyou’lltapintothishiddenjobmarket. Job Hunting A to Z: Landing the Job You WantThisinformation-packedguidecoversnetworking,interviewing,andnegotiationallinonehandyreference,withtipsondrummingupcontactsandreferrals,handlingweirdinterviewsituations,andchoosingfromseveraloffers.

WEbsITEsAmerican Staffing Association www.staffingtoday.netThe“HowtoSelectaStaffingCompany”tipsonthissitecanhelpyoufindastaffingcompanythatwillseekoutjobsforyouandadvocateonyourbehalfinthejobmarket.

Employment Law Information Networkwww.elinfonet.comConcernedthatvisastatus,fitness,ordrugtestingrequirementsmightbebarriersinyourjobsearch?Getthelatestonlegalhiringrequirementsonthe“HotTopics”sectionofthissite.

bacKGrOund research tOOlsWetFeet’s Company Profiles and Interviewswww.wetfeet.comGetthelowdownonhundredsofhigh-profileemployers,includingkeynumbers,personnelhighlights,keyfacts,andanoverviewforeachcompany.

Fortune Career Resourcesmoney.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/rankings



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Fortune’sannualreportsonthebestplacestowork,mostadmiredcompanies,andthebestplacestoworkforwomenandminoritiesarekeybackgroundreading.Alsocheckouttheircolumnstodiscoverjobsyounevernewexisted(“YouDoWhat?”),thelatestonworkplacepracticessuchastelecommutingandcasualdress,andcareerquizzes.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbookwww.bls.gov/oco/home.htmSearchtheCareerGuidetoIndustriesandtheOccupationalOutlookHandbooktoresearchopportunitiesinyourfieldandexplorethemostpromisingcareeroptions.TheOccupationalEmploymentStatisticswillhelpyouidentifymeansalaries,thecurrentrateoflayoffs,andwagecomparisonsforyourindustryandgeographiclocation.CheckouttheOccupationalOutlookQuarterly’sspecialreport,“EmploymentInterviewing:SeizingtheOpportunityandtheJob,”atwww.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2000/summer/art02.htm. U.S. Census Bureauwww.census.govCheckoutthelatesteconomiccensusfigures,includingearningsforyourindustry,earningscross-referencedbyoccupation,educationlevelandgenderforyourgeographiclocation,andhardnumbersone-commerce.

Labor Market Information Centerwww.careeronestop.org/lmi/LMIHome.aspFindoutwhatoccupationsarehottestinyourgeographicareaandacrossthenation.

Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve Districtwww.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/BeigeBook/2008/Ifyou’reconsideringrelocatingtolookforwork,usethisgovernmentindexknownasthe“BeigeBook”toidentifywheretheeconomicprospectsarebrightestintheUnitedStates.

The Conference Boardwww.conference-board.orgConcernedaboutwhatthoseeconomicindicatorsmeanforyourindustry—andyourjobprospects?GetexpertperspectiveonbusinesstrendsusingtheConferenceBoard’sresearchinarticlessuchas“WillWeAllBeUnemployed?”and“EscapefromCorporateAmerica:TheNewWomenEntrepreneurs.”

salarY neGOtIatIOn tOOlsThe WetFeet Insider Guide to Negotiating Your Salary and Perks GetyourwaywithoutbreakingthedealorevenasweatwithWetFeet’scomprehensiveguidetothenicetiesofnegotiation.Coversbargainingpower,salaryhistories,extraperks,andevaluatingoffers.

America’s Career InfoNetwww.acinet.orgFindmedianwagesforyourchosenfieldinyourgeographiclocation,whatittakesforyoutogetaheadinyouroccupation,andwhichcareershavethestrongestoutlookrightnow.

Payscale.comwww.payscale.comFindappropriatesalaryandbenefitsforyourpositionandpickuptipsonhowtoraiseyourpayandnegotiatecost-of-livingincreases.

Professional Association for Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewardswww.worldatwork.orgCheckoutthelatestresearchonperformance-basedpay,stockoptions,overtimepay,andpaidleavethoughsurveybriefsandin-depthreports.


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AcE YOur cAsE - cONsulTING INTErvIEWsAce Your Case® I: Consulting Interviews, 3rd ed. Ace Your Case® II: Mastering the Case InterviewAce Your Case® III: Market-Sizing Questions Ace Your Case® IV: Business Strategy Questions Ace Your Case® V: Business Operations Questions

INTErvIEWINGAce Your Interview! Beat the Street® I: Investment Banking InterviewsBeat the Street® II: I-Banking Interview Practice GuideThe Wharton MBA Case Interview Study Guide: Volume IThe Wharton MBA Case Interview Study Guide: Volume II

rEsumEs & cOvEr lETTErsKiller Consulting ResumesKiller Cover Letters & ResumesKiller Investment Banking Resumes

JOb huNTINGGetting Your Ideal InternshipThe International MBA Student’s Guide to the U.S. Job SearchJob Hunting A to Z: Landing the Job You WantJob Hunting in New York CityJob Hunting in San Francisco

FINANcIAl sErvIcEs cArEErs25 Top Financial Services FirmsCareers in AccountingCareers in Asset Management and Retail BrokerageCareers in Investment BankingCareers in Venture Capital

FINANcIAl sErvIcEs cOmPANIEsDeutsche BankGoldman Sachs GroupJPMorgan Chase & Co.Merrill Lynch & Co.Morgan StanleyUBS AG

cONsulTING cArEErs25 Top Consulting FirmsCareers in Management ConsultingCareers in Specialized Consulting: Information TechnologyConsulting for PhDs, Lawyers, and Doctors

cONsulTING cOmPANIEsAccentureBain & CompanyBooz Allen HamiltonBoston Consulting GroupDeloitte ConsultingMcKinsey & Company

cArEEr mANAGEmENTBe Your Own BossChanging Course, Changing CareersFinding the Right Career PathNegotiating Your Salary and Perks Networking Works!

INDusTrIEs AND cArEErs: GENErAlIndustries and Careers for EngineersIndustries and Careers for MBAsIndustries and Careers for UndergraduatesMillion-Dollar CareersGreen Careers

INDusTrIEs AND cArEErs: sPEcIFIcCareers in Advertising and Public Relations Careers in PharmaceuticalsCareers in Brand ManagementCareers in Consumer ProductsCareers in Entertainment and SportsCareers in Health CareCareers in Human ResourcesCareers in Information TechnologyCareers in MarketingCareers in Nonprofits and Government AgenciesCareers in Real EstateCareers in RetailCareers in SalesCareers in Supply Chain Management

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Ace Your Interview! The WetFeet Insider Guide to Interviewing

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