Interviewing Tips

Preparation and Perspective-taking  Makes It Easier

by Leslie Rothman and Susan McClain

Does your stomach turn at the thought of an interview? Are you unsure how to most effectively showcase what you know and how you can contribute to a potential employer? You’re not alone. Interviewing can be hard because talking about ourselves is uncomfortable and our talents can be hard to identify and articulate.  Also, we don’t know what to expect as there isn’t a consistent approach to interviewing across employers and even within organizations.

The reality is:

• Interviews vary in length and approach: formal, casual, panels, individual conversations
• The people interviewing have different levels of interviewing skill and experience
• Typically several people are involved in the process and they don’t always have aligned views of the role

Doing  your research about the organization and who you’ll be speaking with is an important first step. Good preparation also includes gaining clarity about and conveying your unique value/contributions to the position.

Most people pore over lists of possible questions and answers, and commit them to memory. While this is helpful, you will gain an advantage by considering what is important from the hiring manager’s point of view:

1. What do you anticipate the manager cares most about in this role? What challenges might he/she be facing? Review the position posting to identify what is emphasized and apply your knowledge of common issues and goals for similar roles.

2. With this perspective in mind, what makes you uniquely qualified for this role? What relevant assets do you have that set you apart from other candidates? Both learned skills (competencies) and soft skills (how you get work done). Jot these down and think of specific examples from your work, school or outside activities that demonstrate these skills, attributes and knowledge.

3. With clarity about your most relevant assets, you’ll be able to answer many different questions such as:

• What do you bring to this position?
• What are your strengths?
• Why should we select you for this role?
• How would your boss or coworkers describe you?

4. Based on the job description and what you believe is most important to the hiring manager, identify 3 – 4 relevant accomplishments that highlight important skills for the position. Be able to speak briefly about them.

• What the task or assignment entailed
• Some of the challenges
• Your specific contributions
• Why it was an important accomplishment (impact and overall results)

5. Once you have identified relevant accomplishments, write up key bullet points and practice talking about them. Accomplishments can answer multiple questions such as:

• Tell me about your contributions in your last position
• What are you most proud of?
• What makes you qualified for this role?

With increased clarity about your relevant skills and accomplishments, you can focus more on what you want to convey about yourself and worry less about the types of questions you will be asked. In a more conversational interview, find opportunities to insert examples that highlight relevant experience and attributes. 

You will be able to better articulate and convey what you want them to remember about you as a candidate. And you’ll be able to respond to different types of interview styles and questions with increased confidence. This change in perspective and preparation will make interviewing less difficult and you more successful!

To learn more about interviewing, check out our April mini Zoom Lunch & Learns described on our Helpful Info page.

by Leslie Rothman

The dreaded “What’s your Greatest Weakness?” question; your hands get clammy and your stomach flip flops. Join the crowd. Questions that probe for your weaknesses routinely get asked, and when answered poorly can sabotage your candidacy. With a little practice, you can stand out from most candidates with a thoughtful answer to the “weakness” question.

Why the “Weakness” Question is Asked

To learn how to handle this question, and any other question that forces you to speak to a negative attribute or situation, it is useful to understand why they get asked. In my experience, this question is asked to reveal the following attributes – classified as “emotional intelligence”:

• Self-awareness–does this person understand what their own liabilities are -what they are not good at?
• Confidence–does this person have the confidence to acknowledge they’re not perfect and share some level of vulnerability?
• Self-improvement focused–does this person work at improving him/herself, recognizing that weaknesses do not disappear and will surface again without attention?

Additionally, the interviewer is trying to determine whether this job and work environment is a good match with this candidate –are the things this person is really not good at going to prevent them from being a strong performer in the job?

Approaches to Avoid

Here are some ways candidates frequently misstep on this question.

• Stonewalling – not offering up any weaknesses or difficulties. No one’s perfect, so this type of response can make an interviewer question your honesty, self awareness and confidence.
• Giving a “fluff” weakness – one that is so superficial that it’s as good as not owning up to any weakness (i.e., I’m not a good speller). With this response, you may get asked for another.
• A “tell all” spilling your guts response. Getting flustered and naming several weaknesses.
• Naming a “killer” weakness -a weakness that will directly impact your ability to be effective in the job.

I’ve seen these all happen; sometimes an individual will make all of these mistakes, in succession.

Develop an Effective Answer

The formula to answer the “Weakness” question successfully has three steps.

Step One: Do your homework

Think about the job you’re interviewing for and identify the core responsibilities. List the skills, abilities and traits these responsibilities require. Sometimes you are given that information in a job description, posting or advertisement. Often these attributes aren’t specifically named, but are critical to uncover.

Step Two: Identify your weaknesses

Think about your weakness (these can be personality traits, lack of a skill, interest or expertise) and identify a few that are “real” weaknesses, but not ones that indicate you’d struggle with a core job responsibility. For most of us, any strength carried to the extreme can turn into a liability. So you can speak to a strength that has an “up side” and a “down side”.

Step Three: Plan for improvement

For each weakness, think about how you’ve worked on improving that weakness, or have learned to compensate for it. If you haven’t ever thought to work on improving your weaknesses, now is the time to come up with plans to do that. Let’s work an example and some possible responses:

• If you’re interested in coding/ programming, administrative or accounting work, requirements for all these jobs can be detail orientation and the ability to methodically follow steps. Based on this, you’re not going to name a weakness like“ I am not always as careful as I could be” or “I get bored following sequential steps.” These could be “killer” weaknesses in these jobs, and would indicate a job mismatch.

 

• If you’re truly a detailed, methodical person, these abilities taken to the extreme can be turned into a non-threatening weakness. “I’ve always been good at following established procedures, being methodical and I have never considered myself a creative person”, or “spontaneously brainstorming ideas that push the envelope is hard for me.” OR, name a skill-based weakness that isn’t linked to “core responsibilities” –“I don’t consider myself to be a strong writer.”

 

• Now, the self-improvement part. “I’ve been reading a book on creative thinking and trying to incorporate some new ways to approach my work.” (Be ready to talk about what these new approaches are!) Or “I’ve enrolled in a college level English grammar course this spring.” Obviously, you only want to mention what you’ve actually been doing or really plan to do; this isn’t a time to make things up.

 

• Compensating for the weakness is another way to respond. “I know I’m not particularly creative, so I look to team up with individuals who are when I work on a project. The work benefits, and I learn from them.” (Again, be ready to share a specific example!) OR, “After I write something, I carefully use my grammar check. I also have developed a template which was reviewed by a peer who writes really well, and I use this for my routine correspondence.”

This last strategy works for any type of question that forces you to speak to a negative situation. Sometimes you can unintentionally take a positive response to a negative place, of your own doing. Catch yourself sounding negative and turn it around to a positive by talking about what you’ve learned from a difficult experience. This shows maturity, self-awareness and a desire to grow.

Listed below are some variations of the weakness or negative response questions you may get asked:

• What is your greatest weakness?
• What two personality traits do you like least about yourself?
• What developmental or critical feedback have you received from past supervisors?
• What would your peers say you could improve on?

You’ve named your strengths, now name your weaknesses.

• Tell me about a situation where you feel like you blew it.
• Tell me about a professional mistake you’ve made.
• Describe a boss that has been challenging for you to work with and why.

By preparing ahead and applying these basic steps, you can effectively handle these tough questions, turning your responses into winners!

 

“What’s Your Greatest Weakness?” is reprinted with permission by Jobsinme.com and is a copyrighted publication of Career & Work Directions, LLC and cannot be copied without express written permission of Career & Work Directions, LLC.

 

by Leslie Rothman

Interviewing, from the employer’s perspective, is an information gathering process that is used to make a decision about your suitability for a position. During this process, an interviewer is trying to determine three fundamental things about you.

Fundamental Questions

• Can you do the work? (ability)
• Will you do the work? (motivation)
• Will having you on board be a positive experience (chemistry)

If there’s an interest in you as a potential hire, the interviewer will also begin “selling” the organization and position to you. From the candidate’s side, interviewing is – first and foremost – selling what you can offer to a prospective employer. Interviewers have various levels of experience and skill with interviewing, so you can’t always count on them to ask “good” questions. You’ll need to:

• Be ready to insert relevant examples of your experience and skills
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for the type of work the position requires
• Pay careful attention during the interview, looking for ways to “connect” to your audience

A candidate is also on an information gathering quest to determine if the match is a good one – that the type of work and the organization is a good fit. If it sounds like a lot to keep track of and focused on, it can be.

Here’s where preparation, practice and these ten tips can help make your interviews more successful.

Improve Your Interview IQ

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior

Think about your past successes/achievements, so you can use them to showcase both your experience and abilities. Identify 2 accomplishments from your more recent or relevant jobs.

Know your strengths COLD

Most people have trouble talking about what they do really well. When asked about skills or strengths, they will often state only one or two and will give very cryptic, generic responses. Identifying what your core 5-6 talents are, describing them specifically and giving examples of situations where you’ve demonstrated them will set you apart. Write your strengths down and practice saying them out loud in front of a mirror. If you
don’t get asked about them, weave them into your responses to other questions.

Be ready for questions that get at your warts

You may get asked about your weaknesses or adverse situations you’ve faced in the past. Don’t stonewall these questions. Identify an example where you faced adversity and things didn’t work out the way you had hoped. Be prepared to talk about what you learned from that experience. Be ready to speak to a couple of weaknesses that you have. Speak to how you have worked on improving or compensating for these.

Be CANDID when answering questions

Presenting yourself as someone other than who you really are might get you the job, but both you and the employer run the risk of not getting what you need and being unhappy with the situation. This doesn’t mean that you have to “tell all” about yourself or volunteer information that may not be helpful to your candidacy, however when asked, be honest.

Think from the hiring manager’s position

What problems, opportunities, and challenges do the manager, department/organization face? How can you help with these? To do this successfully requires:

• As much research as possible prior to the interview
• Really listening as the interview progresses to uncover what the challenges and opportunities might be. For example, if several of the questions revolve around dealing with conflict, are there problems or opportunities to improve this department’s interaction with others around the company? At an appropriate time, ask about your observations. (See sample questions below.)
• Asking specific questions during the interview to better understand what the manager is dealing with. (See sample questions below.)
• Speaking to the skills, talents and experience you bring that will be most helpful in meeting the manager’s challenges.

Always pay full attention to the person who is interviewing you

Keep the interviewer’s attention, watch for non-verbal and verbal signals that he/she is “with” you (eye contact, nodding, etc.). Once you lose your audience, they aren’t hearing what you say.

• Your answers to questions need to be complete, but not long winded. You know yourself best. If you tend to be wordy, practice shorter responses. If you need to be drawn out, then practice giving more information than usual. Being nervous will often accentuate these tendencies.
• If you are getting prompts to expand your answers, you need to give more information. If you are getting cut off, or the interviewer looks like he/she is wandering off or getting restless, you need to be more concise.

The interview is a two-way information gathering process

You want to find out if this is a place and position that you will really enjoy and be successful in. To do this you’ll need to be clear about what’s most important to you in your work situation. Once you’re clear, develop a prioritized questions list (8-10) that will help you determine if the key elements of your desired work situation are present. Some questions may get answered during the course of the interview. Plan to ask at least 3-5 questions from your list, and a few more if there’s time.

Pay attention to the work environment

Look for the subtle things. Do people seem happy? Quiet? Lively? Stressed out? If not offered, ask if you can have a tour of the facility as well as the specific area where you would be working.

Put your best face forward to all

Everyone you meet during the interview process (receptionists, administrative assistants, co-workers, etc.) will form an impression of you. You want that impression to be positive. You never know who has the hiring manager’s ear.

If you want the job, SAY SO

Countless times candidates leave an interview without clearly indicating their interest level. This leaves the hiring manager guessing, and may put you below someone else who seems more excited about the opportunity. Successful interviewing requires both a marketing and investigative mindset. With good preparation, which includes packaging what you offer and practicing speaking about yourself, combined with concentrating to be fully present in the moment – you can dramatically improve your interviewing ability and ultimately your results!

Sample Questions

Here are a few sample questions that you might ask in an interview:

• What do you enjoy most about working here? Least?
• What do you see as the major challenges that face the organization? This department? This position? What changes may result from these?
• What do you think are this department’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What kind of person does best in this job?
• How much _________ is involved in this job? (Ask about the specific skills/abilities that YOU want to be able to use at work – problem solving, writing, data analysis, innovation, etc.)
• During my interview(s) here, I’ve been asked several questions about ______  (e.g., conflict management, juggling multiple priorities, handling ambiguity). How is this an aspect of this department’s work?

 

“Ten Tips To Improve Your Interviewing IQ” is reprinted with permission by Jobsinme.com and is a copyrighted publication of Career & Work Directions, LLC and cannot be copied without express written permission of Career& Work Directions, LLC.

by Leslie Rothman

A well constructed Thank You note can seal the deal after the interview. It is a key part of the interview process, and it is a correspondence that isn’t often utilized to its full marketing potential. Let’s re-define what is meant by a “note”. This is not a quick “text” or a handwritten card that acknowledges the interviewers time and simply expresses your interest and thanks. It should be much, much more.  And it can make the difference between moving on to a next round, or receiving the offer.

Well-written Thank You

Of course any timely, well-written thank you says positive things to a prospective employer.  It communicates that you:

• are interested in the position
• have follow up skills
• have effective written communication skills (assuming it’s well written!
• are professional and courteous
• appreciate their time

It can be more!

 A Thank You note is another important opportunity to differentiate yourself because many candidates don’t send them, and most if they do, send a less than impactful note. 

• It puts your name in front of the interviewers again, “In sight, in mind”.
• Most importantly, it gives you another chance to “sell” your attributes, great experience and enthusiasm for the position.  

To do that you can:

• Re-state your interest in the position and speak to specifically why the position appeals to you, using knowledge gained in the interview.
• Highlight things about yourself that you recognize are most important to success in this position, based on what  you’ve learned in the conversations.
• Add something relevant that you forgot to mention in the interview process, or reinforce a specific aspect of your candidacy.

Effective Thank You email

Many consider a card more personal, but that misses a few important points. 

• This is a job, so it’s a professional image you want to convey.
• Handwriting is less legible and takes up more space, and you want to make some important marketing points to help “sell” you as the best candidate.  Think about the space the above 3 bullets would take up if handwritten.
• When emailed the note is immediately received and even better, you may get a reply and maybe a sense of your status, which is something that is atypical in the job search and interview process.

Thank You Note Tips

• Keep it brief, the reader shouldn’t have to scroll down to read it.
• Make sure the note is error free.
• Send a note to all the people who interviewed you.  You never know who is a key influencer  in the hiring decision.
• Timely means within two days of the interview.
• A same day response is not best, unless you know they are making a decision that day.  You want the interviewers to be reminded of you the next day, “In sight, in mind” and over eager isn’t the image you want to project.
• It is wise to draft the note while the conversation is fresh, then save it and review again the next day.  Other things might come to mind after having “slept” on it. 

As a hiring manager, I can tell you first hand that with strong finalist candidates, a great thank you note has changed my decision about who to make an offer to.  

Doesn’t it make sense to make this correspondence one that “closes the deal” for YOU as the RIGHT candidate?

by Susan McClain

Congratulations, you’ve worked hard (developing a resume and compelling cover letter) to get to this point!  The next step in the process is often a phone interview, or from the Recruiter perspective, a phone “screen”.  Typically it’s a brief interview to identify qualified candidates to bring on site for the next round of interviews.

In order to do this the interviewer wants to better understand your work experience and history and address any up-front questions regarding you as a candidate. It could be as simple as determining where you live and whether or not you need to relocate. Or to verify aspects of your work history such as reasons for leaving current or prior positions. Often the interviewer is also assessing your communication skills and preparation.  

Make the most of this opportunity by taking the time to anticipate and prepare answers for questions designed to gauge motivation and qualifications.  Time is limited so it is important to be concise and preparation helps with that. Below are frequently asked questions you’ll want to be ready for:  

Motivation

Questions related to motivation  (what interests you about the position?)

• 
What specifically interests you about this position?
• What interests you about our organization: our products and/or services?
• What is the most important thing to you in considering a new position?
• Tell me about your work history, for instance why did you leave your last job?
• What would you change in your current position that would make it more satisfying?

Ability

Questions related to ability (to put it simply, can you do the job?)
 Be prepared to provide specific examples in response to questions targeted to probe deeper into your skills, knowledge and experience.

• Tell me more about a “specific task or accomplishment”.
• Tell me more about “your role in this project”.

• Explain exactly how you “extracted and organized information from the database”.

• What specific experience do you have that is most applicable to this position?

Salary

What is your current salary? Many people try to dodge this with a vague response but it’s best to provide a straightforward answer to a straightforward question. The interviewer is trying to determine if the position is reasonably comparable to your skills and experience. Your past salary isn’t necessarily what you want or need to make in your next job, so you can also add the salary you are looking for in a new position.

What are your salary requirements? Again, it’s another way for the recruiter to ascertain if your expectations are in line for this position. You can get a good sense of the median salary and range for many positions by researching sites like Glassdoor.com and Indeed.com. Another approach is to ask the recruiter what the salary range is for the position, and frequently they will give you that or at least an idea of what they are expecting to pay.  You can then let them know if that matches what you are looking for.

Close the Deal

It’s okay to ask a question or two at the end, but understand that this first round is a preliminary “filter” to determine if your skills, experience, and interests are a good match for the position. It’s too early in the process to ask about vacation time or specific job related questions. It’s certainly appropriate, and advisable, to ask questions related to the selection process such as what is the next step and anticipated timeline, etc.

Always follow-up a phone interview with a brief thank-you note, reiterating your interest in the position and why you believe you would be a good fit.

 

“Yay, I have a Phone Interview” is a copyrighted publication of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC and cannot be copied or printed without express permission of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC.

Written by Susan W. McClain

       
Phone interviews have become a standard first step of the employment interview process. From a recruiter’s perspective, they are an effective and efficient way to narrow down a pool of potential candidates. Along with confirming knowledge, experience and background, a recruiter can assess an individual’s listening and communication skills, professionalism, and attitude. 

From the candidate’s perspective these phone screenings are critical to moving forward in the selection process and yet these initial interviews typically last only about 30 minutes.

Preparation is Key

So, how do you establish rapport while being concise and presenting your “best self”?  Preparation! Treat this type of interview with the same level of importance as you would a face-to-face meeting.



Communication: non-verbal cues

Keep in mind that body language speaks “volumes”.  While statistics vary, there is widespread agreement that more than 60% of what we communicate to others is through non-verbal cues. With no visual cues, the interviewer will, consciously or unconsciously, focus in on audio cues.  It’s not just what you say, it’s also how you say it.  For example, tone, pace and choice of words, can influence how you are perceived with regard to degree of friendliness, happiness, confidence, etc.



Roadmap to Success

Ten recommendations to help you make the most of the opportunity.



1. If called unexpectedly, avoid interviewing “on the spot.” Simply explain that this is not a good time.  Setting a date allows you to be better prepared. Make sure to get the interviewer’s name and title.



2. Do your homework; use all available resources (internet press releases, company website, networking, etc.) to become well informed about the company and the job. This includes using LinkedIn when possible to become familiar with the recruiter’s profile.



3. Be prepared with specific examples to explain why your experience, knowledge, interests and personality are a good fit.



4. Upon completing steps 2 and 3, develop bullet points for easy reference and have your resume handy.  Although you are well prepared, knowing you have notes available can go a long way in easing your nerves.

5. Identify a space to talk without distraction. Anticipate and eliminate as much background noise as possible; barking dogs, children, traffic, loud machinery, etc.



6. If you are currently unemployed or have taken a personal day off, consider dressing as though you were interviewing in person to put yourself into a “workplace ” frame of mind.



7. Beware of treating a phone interview too casually. Be friendly and show your sense of humor as appropriate, however maintain a level of professionalism.

8. As noted earlier, tone of voice and level of enthusiasm can have a substantial influence on the interviewer’s impression of your personality, general outlook on life and workplace attitude and, consequently, whether or not you will be considered a good fit.



9. It’s perfectly okay to pause a minute or so in order to consider the answer to a question. Simply acknowledge the silence by saying something like: “I want to take a moment to think about an example that best demonstrates my response to your question.”



10. If, at the end of the conversation, you remain interested in the position, “close the deal” by saying: “ I appreciate your time and hope to meet more members of the team.  Can you give me a time-frame for notifying candidates of the next round of interviews? Is there anything more I can do to demonstrate my interest and appeal as a candidate?” 


 

“Move to the Next Round, Successful Phone Interviews” is a copyrighted publication of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC and cannot be copied or printed without express permission of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC.