For Job Seekers

Effective Name Dropping

One minor but not unimportant "controversy" in the field of interviewing — what to say, what not to say — regards name dropping. Experts disagree as to whether it's an effective technique, or just as annoying in an interview as it is in a social setting.

Whether it creates an advantage for you, the job seeker, comes down to how well you do it.

Let's start with how not to drop names. In an interview, when describing what you bring to the table, randomly throwing around names of well-known people you happen to be acquainted with ... not good.

The trick is to work the names of well-known people into the "success stories" you share, in such a way that these names (and even the fact that they are well-known) extends the impact of the success story.

Here's an example. Let's say you've been asked to share a recent accomplishment that you're proud of. Let's further suggest that you are involved in a local advocacy group that helps students start to plan their careers. Here's an answer that illustrates effective name dropping:

"StudentFuture recently decided that helping connect students to local businesses would help them start to think about the jobs they wanted to prepare for. I helped take a lead in the project. I reached out to several local business leaders, such as [insert names of a few well-known local business people] and asked for their help. They were quite receptive, and I was able to coordinate three "field trips" to local companies."

This approach makes all the difference in the world. There is nothing gratuitous about including the names of well-known people you have interacted with. In fact, their identities are key to the success story. Furthermore, the emphasis is on how you effectively interacted with them, rather than just the fact that you're acquainted with them.

One last observation about this approach. You'll note that volunteer activities are the most effective way to create these stories where you can constructively drop the names of key people. Hint, hint...

Perfect Answers To Interview Questions?

I stumbled across a web site for job seekers the other day. The author was selling an ebook on interviewing. His compelling sales pitch was "I know what questions you'll face, and I can tell you the perfect answers." It got me thinking.

The premise is flawed. There are different types of interviews, and the agenda for each is significantly different. So are the questions you'll face, and the right answers. Furthermore, there are no stock "perfect answers." They will always be contextual, based on your qualifications and what that particular interviewer wants to hear.

Having said that, here are basic types of interviews/interviewers, and a few notes about each:

Human Resources. This interviewer may have no technical knowledge of your field. Their job is to try to look out for candidates who don't match the company culture, who have "employability" issues like unacceptable employment gaps or who say negative things about past employers.

Your potential manager. This person will typically have a better technical grasp of your field, or will at least be much more concerned about your knowledge, experience, etc. He or she will also be evaluating how well you stack up against the things they want to see in a subordinate -- innovation, attention to detail, work ethic, communication skills, etc.

Peer/colleague. Many companies will have you meet the people you would work with. Unlike the others, this group may come closest to evaluating you as they might a potential friend -- do they like you? Hopefully they will also be concerned with how well you can do the job (so they won't have to do your work for you).

Granted, this is an oversimplified picture. Not everyone who fits into these categories will correspond to the generalizations I've made. That's exactly the point, though: there are no stock answers to interview questions. The challenge you face is to size up each interviewer, guess what their agenda is, and adapt accordingly.

Thank You Cards

My grandmother was really big on thank you cards. Then again, the same grandmother used to lecture the family dog about manners, for hours on end.

When it comes to job seeking and thank you cards, I'm a big fan. Despite the apparent futility: they won't get your hired. Neglecting to send one won't prevent you from getting hired. And, as Career Coach Wendy Terwelp recently pointed out, a bad one can prevent you from getting hired.

So, what's the upside? More than anything else, differentiation. Postive differentiation. The job seekers who I interview who send thank you cards -- perhaps 15% -- tend to be the really good ones, even if they aren't right for the job, and getting a card from them reinforces and confirms that impression.

So, again, what's the upside? I've already admitted that whether they send a card or not probably won't influence hirings decision. True, but that's not the only possible pay off. Consider the case of one candidate I recently interviewed. He was impressive, but he wasn't right for my job opening.Two days later, I got a thank you card from the gentleman. That evening, I was talking to a professional colleague, who was describing an opening his company had -- it was a good fit for "Mr. Thank You Card." And, I had a very fresh and positive impression of him in my mind. I was quick to recommend him.

This is just one example. Thank you cards may not produce automatic hires, and they may not pay off immediately, but they help. Think of them as "good job hunting karma brownie points," which you can steadily accumulate.

The Inside Scoop

In a display of unprecedented candor, I'm going to share the real inside hiring scoop. In my current job, and for the last several years, I am a job seeker's nemesis. I am... a "gatekeeper." I am your first interview. Fail to get past me, and you won't even reach the next step. So, what am I looking for?

(Disclosure: my criteria are just that; my criteria. But, they aren't unusual.)

First and foremost, I look for a positive attitude. Easy ways to blow it: say bad things about current/past employers.

Second, I want to see evidence of a really strong work ethic. It's hard to root this out, so I look for job seekers to give it up. Ways to blow it: the utlimate way is to convince me you are a hard worker, get hired, and start coming in late and/or going home on time.

Third, I will ask you to help me brainstorm allegedly hypothetical challenges that you would face on the job. Ways to blow it: demonstrate that the experience you bring to the table doesn't prepare you to think effectively and innovatively with respect to the on-the-job challenges you'd face.

Four, I want to hear evidence that you are an independently motivated learning machine. What you know now is good, but I assume it will be obsolete soon enough. Give me evidence (tell me stories demonstrating) that when confronted with new challenges, you muster the necessary resources and initiative to get past them. Ways to blow it: don't mention anything you have done independently to learn new skills.

Five, I want to hear LOTS of good questions. Questions that show you did you homework. Questions that show you're listening. Questions that indicate you are making a thoughtful decision about what will be a long-term career commitment. Ways to blow it: tell me that I've answered all your question.

Ninjas have been dispatched from the HR departments of many local employers to destroy me for leaking this information. Use it wisely [sounds of doors crashing in and windows being broken]. Don't tell them I revealed the inside scoop ...

Ask The Career Dog: Interview Attire

Dear Career Dog,

I have an interview at a company that has a casual dress policy. Not business casual ... really casual, like shorts and t-shirts. I don't have to dress up for this interview, do I?

- Signed, Casual in Columbus

The dog says: No need to dress up, if you don't want the job.

For corporate jobs, there are two different rules for attire, and neither allows shorts and flip-flops. 1) Suit and tie always, no exceptions. 2) Dress one "notch" better than the interviewer. (If she's in shorts & a tank top, you're in khakis and a nice shirt. If he's in khakis, you're in a pant suit. If he or she is in a suit, so are you.)

No matter how an employer feels about dress code, it's almost certain that showing up for a job interview dressed casually will compromise your chances. Why risk it?

-Mattie The Career Dog

Taking Advantage Of Job Seekers

Businesses that prey on the vulnerable really irk me. Since many job seekers are desperate to some degree, they can be vulnerable. So, of course, there are businesses out there that take advantage of this fact.

Let me tell you about one of them, and share what you need to know to avoid being taken to the cleaners.

First, this slimeball company advertises as if they were an employer actually hiring. What you should know: If you "apply," they get back in touch with you promptly and invite you to come meet them. They'll pretend it's an interview, but if you fall for it, you'll be setting yourself up for a sales pitch with all the appeal of a vacation time sharing presentation.

Second, they will tell you that they have a special powerful way of getting you hooked up with top executives in town. What you should know: this claim is actually legitimate: the magic technique is called networking. Anyone who knows people holds a similar set of "keys to the kingdom."

Third, they will offer to help you with your interviewing skills, resume, etc. What you should know: this is great -- these are very useful skills. There are many other experts out there who can help you with these skills as well, for a lot less $ -- see next item.

Finally, the kicker. These scumsuckers will ask you how much you think you're worth a year (i.e., what you think your salary should be). Whatever you say, they'll laugh and say "come on, really .. someone with your talent? How much do you really think you're worth?" They will push you up as high as you'll go. They will take that number, then, and base their fee on it. Let's say you go as high as $100k, and they shoot for 10% -- that's $10k you'll pay for services that any self-respecting career coach would offer for much, much less. What you should know: if you have this much extra money sitting around, drop me an email. I can help you redistribute your wealth even faster.

Ignored? Don’t Take It Personally

I recently read a career advice column featuring a job seeker who wrote in to complain about employers who didn’t respond when she applied. Anyone who is currently job hunting may be able to relate, as this has become a common occurrence. Without defending this discourtesy, the following insights may help you understand why it occurs. And the more you understand about what’s happening on the employer’s side of the fence, the better you can adapt your job hunting strategies.

Why do candidates (even those who have interviewed) and resumes often get ignored?

1. Today’s job market is flooded with candidates, and the web makes it so easy to apply for jobs, quickly and in large quantities. Candidates “mass market” themselves. Back when employers got a dozen applications for an opening, it was feasible to respond personally to each. Now that employers often receive hundreds of applications for any position they post online, that is no longer true. You wouldn’t believe how often candidates give inaccurate or confusing contact information! Some examples… The resume and cover letter list different phones numbers. Or, a call to a phone number listed on a resume leads to a voice mail under a different name. Another common occurrence is that a call to the candidate is answered by an uncooperative roommate. Then the real topper — candidates who provide their phone number at their current job, even though their job hunting is secret. When called, they can only talk at a whisper, or they panic altogether. As far as other methods of contact, such as email and postal addresses, many online submissions lack the necessary info, or it’s wrong. This is what employers are up against. So, they get a little callous about following up and responding to every applicant.
2. Many employers have developed special internal processes to accommodate the flood of applications they usually get when they post a job. These processes aren’t designed to provide good communication with candidates, and they don’t. Rather, they create a one way flow of resumes through an initial screener to the executives who make specific hires. This means there is no single individual responsible for follow-up. Once the “screener” approves a candidate and passes a given resume along, he or she doesn’t know what occurs after that. And the executives who receive the pre-screened resumes have no relationship to the candidates (after all, they haven’t yet met them) so they have no sense of ownership or obligation to follow up with candidates.
3. Many employers have no set timeline for hiring, at least with regards to some openings. Even with the semi-promising candidates they interview, they never really decide not to hire them. Instead, they just never actually decide to hire them. It’s like window shopping: you may see many things you tentatively consider buying. In many cases, you never get around to making the purchase, even though you never actually decide “no, I’m not going to buy that.”

I’m not justifying the practice of leaving candidates in the dark — just explaining why and how it happens. This article hopefully sheds some light on what’s happening inside the “black box” of the employers you apply to or interview with. Hopefully, knowing this will help alleviate any hurt feelings over being ignored. It’s unlikely anyone specifically decided that you weren’t worth responding to.

So don’t take it personally. Just keep plugging away.

Don't Show Up Empty Handed At Interviews

Gimmicks play almost no role in effective job searches, interviews, etc. One exception is a nice leather portfolio (with writing pad) for interviews.

First, as far as props go, a classy portfolio is tasteful and memorable. Second, it gives you something to do with your hands. Third, it helps keep your resume in nice shape (always have extra copies of your resume on nice paper).

Most importantly is its main functional purpose: taking notes. Notes can help you when it comes time to write a thank you letter. Better yet, taking notes when an interviewer talks sends a very powerful message that you value what they are saying.

Adversarial Interviews & Group Interviews

Most job interviews are casual, cordial, one-on-one situations. But there are other types of interviews, which may prove tricky. Especially if you aren’t expecting them, or — worse yet — aren’t even aware they exist or how to face them.

You may face an interviewer who is adversarial throughout the interview, or suddenly becomes irate or challenging. This may well be a ploy to test your response to confrontation. (This would most commonly occur if you are interviewing for a position where conflict is anticipated.) Conflict resolution is way beyond the scope of this article, but here are a few tips: don’t respond to the apparent animosity. Remain calm, keep the discussion factual and focus on answering questions. Speak quietly and slowly.

Keep in mind that it may not be a ploy. Sometimes interviews turn ugly. Remember that you have the right to terminate the interview at any time. Just politely excuse yourself.

A second unusual type of interview is a group interview. There are two general types of group interviews.

In the first, you find yourself as part of a group of candidates being simultaneously interviewed. This will often occur if the interviewer specifically wants to see how you interact with others — they will be watching group dynamics. In other words, how you interact with the group is the key to success in this type of interview, and is often more important than anything in particular you say.

Most likely, they are looking to see that you work well in a group setting. This being the case, make sure you’re heard, but don’t try to trump other candidates by interrupting, raising your voice or trying to debate them. In this setting, you may even score extra points by facilitating — for example, asking a quiet group member for his or her opinion.

Alternately — depending on the opportunity — perhaps the interviewer is looking for a candidate who is aggressive and assertive, and won’t hesitate to dominate a group conversation. This would be uncommon, but there are jobs where this sort of behavior would be desirable. Use your judgment: based on what you know about the employer and the job, what sort of group behavior would they most likely be looking for?

The second type of group interview is quite different, although it’s also an attempt to gauge group dynamics. It involves you, alone, facing a panel of interviewers. (This is not the same as when you are meeting with a number of people at a potential employer, and they sometimes will meet with you simultaneously for convenience.)

In this scenario, they may interrupt each other, rapid fire questions and try to throw you off balance. Again, remain calm. Try to answer all the questions. Make eye contact regularly with everyone on the panel. Remember, the quiet one just may be the real decision maker.

One-to-one, amicable interviews remains the most common, but there are other formats. Interview often enough, and you will encounter some strange situations. Sometimes these are by design, and for good reasons.  Other times, based on an interview, you may want to reconsider whether the employer is someone you want to work for!

Desperation

In the great movie Broadcast News, Albert Brooks mutters the words "Wouldn't this be a great world if insecurity and desperation made us more attractive?" He's talking about romance and relationships, but (as in so many other ways) there's a direct parallel to job hunting.

Here's a cruel irony: as a job seeker, you need to be on top of your game, radiating confidence and cool in interviews. But as a job seeker, you may well be struggling with fear, depression and desperation (especially if you are unemployed and your termination was traumatic).

There's no easy solution here. But you need to figure out what you have to do to get back into the zone. Or at least be able to appear that way in interviews. It sucks, but it's the nature of the game.