Handling Rejection

No one likes rejection, but it is an inevitable part of life.  Whether being turned down for a date, a mortgage, a college application or after an interview the initial sting is always the worst. You just can’t take it personally. I know, this sounds trite, but it’s so true and important not to take it personally.  No one is saying you are a bad person, just not right for the position – relative to others who were in play.  Come to grips with what might have gone wrong (a bad credit score, in the a case of the mortgage or poorly answered questions, in the case of the interview).  Follow these tips to move on with your dignity intact: Not all eggs in one basket – Even if you believe you were born for this job, you aced the interview and there could be no better person for it, Learn more...

Interview Follow-Up

The way one follows up after an interview might not always help your chances of winning the opportunity, but bad form can certainly diminish your chances of winning.  Here are a few guidelines to make sure there are no faux pas. Sending “Thank You’s” – In this age of electronic mail, I find “Thank You” e-mails acceptable, but handwritten notes more memorable.  Even though the note takes a few days through snail mail, it can often convey a real personal touch that stands out.  It only needs to be a few lines to leave a good impression; just no flowery, scented stationary.  And yes, send a personalized note to every person you interviewed with (not everyone on one e-mail).  Follow-up materials – If you talked to your interviewer about forwarding a list of references, a more detailed résumé or writing sample, send this along electronically as soon as possible, even Learn more...

Interviewing Language

We have established that I am a language snob, especially in a formal interviewing setting.  I fear that text messaging and e-mail are adding to our poor writing and speaking skills.  We risk losing the history and essence of our language completely.  Now I also admit to enjoying the occasional hip-hop song (preferably by Jay-Z) which contains barely intelligible words and numerous “non-words“ that sound very cool (we won’t get into the propriety of certain other “words” at all).  Nevertheless, there is a time and place for everything and knowing when to drop colloquialisms (“Girlfriend, those shoes are smokin’”) and contractions (“won’t ‘cha”) can make the difference when trying to get the job or just be taken seriously.  Learn your standard local language well and leave the “street speak”, the dialect or other variations on what is standard at home for weekends and reunions. Here are a few words and Learn more...

Assessment versus Judgment

Hiring managers and recruiters are paid to assess people and their suitability for a particular role.  As much as one tries to abide by transparent, objective guidelines against which one makes the assessment, judgment, even bias, enters into the equation.  I admit to having a bias against athletes who 20 years later wear that on their sleeve now that they are an executive.  If I hear one more mention of “so-and-so was a quarterback at Penn” or “getting something over the goal line,” I’ll lose it!  Knowing this bias, I try hard not to judge and stick to the qualifications and personal characteristics of the person against the position specification.  Other people have a bias against people with an accent.  I’ve heard people say “well, his accent might not allow clients and co-workers to understand him and undermine his effectiveness.”  I suppose that is possible, but is that really the Learn more...

Interviewing at Every Age and Level

I was a college recruiter after I graduated from the University of California, Davis and I recall always being impressed with the students who had a sense of clarity and could articulate what they thought they wanted, even if it would likely change.  The same was true when I interviewed MBA candidates for Kellogg as a member of the admissions committee. Many years later as an executive recruiter interviewing senior executives, the same rules and approaches to interviewing still applied and the best candidates had self-awareness, focus and clarity of expression.  So regardless of where you are in your career, master the basics to nail every interview:    If you are at Entry Level: Your comments will convey ambition and knowledge of the role. Use course work and projects from your studies, and in-service training from summer jobs or internships, as a substitute for years of experience in the interview. Mid-Level: Learn more...

Manage the Interview

You are not at the mercy of the interviewer in an interview.  You don’t have to be pushy, but must have an agenda, albeit secondary to that of the interviewer.  Your primary goal is to convey key points about why you are qualified for this role and it must be the same key points to everyone you meet (formally or informally) at that employer. Your secondary goal is to learn what you need to know to make an informed decision about the role if you get it: It is imperative that you know how much time you have, so ask again, even if it’s been stated when the interview was scheduled; things change. If the interviewer is wasting time with idle chatter, get moving with something like “I want to be respectful of your time and have a few questions about the role, as well as points I want to Learn more...

Under the Glare of the Light

Interviews really shouldn’t feel like interrogations; there should be an exchange during which time you, as the interviewee, are able to make some assessment of the opportunity as well as convey your expertise and interest.  Going into the interview with a sense of confidence, composure and a base of knowledge ensures that you will put your best foot forward.  Here are a few more tips to make sure you dazzle your interviewer: Ask for the ground rules – How much time does this person have for you?  If there are others you are meeting, is the scheduled line-up still in place? If you find yourself getting nervous or anxious, take a breath, ask for some water.  If they ask you for an overview (in spite of having read your résumé), give the interviewer the short version (10-15 minutes max if an hour+ interview), allowing them to ask more detailed questions Learn more...

The Bad Interviewer

People often assume that the person interviewing them is experienced and/or skilled at interviewing.  Remember those who are experienced aren’t always skilled and vice versa. Then there are those interviewers who just have a bone to pick for no apparent reason.  Someone told me last week about an interview he had with a senior executive who was antagonistic, difficult and downright rude. The interviewer would be a peer to the role my friend was interviewing for; he asked overly-detailed questions about things that were irrelevant to the job and the company in an effort to discredit the interviewee.  In leaving, my friend worried if this difficult conversation would lower his ranking among the candidates or eliminate him from consideration all together.  Fortunately, he had already met with several other people at the company of various levels who suggested he was a strong contender for the role. As soon as he left Learn more...

The Thee-Minute Rule

Like in sports, there are basic rules of engagement and conduct for interviews.  One of the most basic is that the response to a question is never simply “Yes” or “No”.  The interviewer is almost always looking for more detail, unless it’s something like “Are you an American citizen?”  Even then, start with “Yes” or “No” and follow with a concise response, even if it is repeating the elements of the question – “Yes, I am an American citizen, though I was born in Canada”.  More importantly, the rest of the response must follow the Three-Minute Rule: No response should be more than three minutes.  After three minutes, pause and ask the interviewer if this is what they wanted to know before you go on. I can’t tell you how many interviews I sat in where people would drone on for 10 minutes in response to a simple question.   I Learn more...

Being Ready for Prime Time

Even though interviewing is an art, you must equip yourself with the proper tools to be able to make a good showing.  I found that job candidates can undermine strong communication and presentation skills, by not having their facts straight or worse yet, not having done any homework.  I am speaking from the perspective of an executive recruiter, but most of the statements are true for any interview directly with the employer: Know something about the search firm and the consultant who is interviewing you.  I had someone ask me “What is your role in the process?” Excuse me? Know even more about the open position, the company and your fit with the role and the organization.  Write out a cheat sheet for yourself. Insist that you get a written position specification before you agree to an interview. Check in with your network to learn more about the position, who Learn more...

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