Table of Contents How to tum the job interview into your finest hour. Guidelines for succeeding in any interview “The Greatest Executive Job-Finding Secret”... ‘The “PAR” formula for presenting your qualifications in their best light A temptation you must always resist in your interview ...0.00.00 Never use this word in an interview .. ‘The easiest way to get the interviewer to like you immediately . A simple way to establish rapport with your interviewer .. “Honesty will please most people and astonish everyone.” Speak like a free agent, not a bench-warmer... How to demonstrate your integrity... Never be negative about anything, Surprise! The best-qualified candidates usually DON'T get the job... Show loyalty to your former employers Comport yourself as an equal, not a beggar. If you wish, take notes, but ask first... Never give out foo much information in the first phone call.. How to make the law of averages work for you. Don't start salary negotiations too early... The master key to reducing nervousness and pecoming brilliantly in interviews..11 Clear the decks for incoming calls........ ‘The real reason why athletes “choke,” and how to use this knowledge to perform brilliantly when your “dream job” is on the line....... Easiest way to make yourself three times more likely to get hired Worst day of the week and worst time of day to be interviewed ... How to meet your interviewer's greatest emotional need. 25 biggest interview “tumoffs”.. : The three most important qualifications your interviewer is looking for... Be prepared for tough interview questions Visualize your success... The unexpected personality trait preferred by 98% of hiring executives Men vs. women in job searches...n.unwnsninnsn Do your homework If you really want to impress your interviewer, do this 12 “little things” that mean a lot in an interview Etiquette Checklist The right things to do BEFORE your interview .. How to dress for your interview. Why you should treat receptionists ‘with utmost respect. Never, but never, bring your spouse or a friend along Etiquette Checklist—The right things to do AT THE START of your interview... The three most important minutes of your interview... Best place to sit when being interviewed Best way to break the ic i [ i 1 ; tFtiquette Checklist—The right things to do DURING your interview... Should you pay for your own meal?... i Never have more than one drink, Why you should avoid salads during an interview at a restaurant. Points to remember no matter where your interview takes place .... What about smoking during your interview? ... Nervous habits to avoid. (De you commit any of these “interviewing sins” Survey: The likes and dislikes of executive interviewers. The interview mistake made by 90% of discharged managers... Never let any of your answers take more than two minutes A few annoying verbal habits you may not realize you have. Never respond this way to your interviewer's question, no matter how dum How to modulate your voice so the interviewer will almost surely like you When in doubt, ask a question : How to be an effective listener—a short course on everything you need to know....26 Best way to establish rapport with any interviewer. How to pay your interviewer the ultimate compliment ‘The greatest and simplest secret of the most effective listeners. ‘The number one secret af the mast successful salespeople and how to use it in your interviews snus If your interviewer is ever interrupted by a ‘phone call, make sure you do this. Most people—including your interviewer—are starved for attention. How to use this to your advantage... Never interrupt your interviewer before he’s finished asking his question. ‘New research: what interviewers prize most in candidates... How to use body language to your best advantage.. How to use eye contact... ae The most powerful body language secret of master salespeople How to handle the most sensitive interview subjects How to trumpet your achievements without sounding like a braggar The easiest way an employer can know when a candidate is not telling the truth.. How to handle the two most difficult types of interviewers you'll ever face. The dreaded “stress interview’—how to come through with flying colors The five biggest interview mistakes. an How to handle the garden variety “hostile interviewer” . How to liven up an apparently disinterested interviewer ‘Smartest questions to ask during your interview . en Simple questions that tell you what your employer is most looking for Questions to AVOID until after you're offered the position. ‘The right way and the wrong way to “close the sale” at the end of your interview. The easiest way to get better and sharper with every interview. ‘Two most important secrets of effective follow-up... How to make the final cut—get yourself invited back and then be selected #1. 12 easiest ways to make yourself more likable to any interviewer...How to Turn the Job Interview into “Your Finest Hour” General Strategies for Succeeding Brilliantly in Interviews And Making It to the “Short List” of Final Candidates 1. Apply “The Greatest Executive Job-Finding Secret.” Remember this secret, these twelve magic words, in every phase of your job search, but especially your interview: you can get victually anything you want in lite if you first find out what people want, then show them how to get it. During the interview, your most important objective i to uncover your interviewer's most ardently felt want, problem, need, desire, goal or priority. It's foolhardy to start selling yourself and your qualities until you know what the employer's greatest needs are. As master Salespeople know, don’t sell anything until you know what the buyer is buying. Of course, the problem becomes, how can you accomplish this when the interviewer begins by asking you to teli him about yourself? Here’s a good way to do it, but one that will tak little rehearsing before your interview... After the small talk, be ready to seize the initiative by saying, “Before we get started, could you fill me ina iittle bit more about this position? All I know is what I heard from the executive recruiter (read in your advertise- ment...or whatever the case may be)." This first question can lead to other questions, each of which can help you know how to position your qualifications and thereby sell what the interviewer is buying, You should rehearse Luis approach so that you are sure to bring it off tactfully, almost nonchalantly, to avoid the impression that you’re trying to take over the interview, But you must do it if you truly want to be a master at giving the interviewer what he wants. If, after the introductory small talk, your interviewer a oo STObeats you to the punch by asking the first question, you must of course answer it, but then try to regain the initiative by asking him to reveal more about the position and therefore how you can better present your qualifica- tions in light of his needs. For example, let’s say that your interviewer ends the small talk by saying, ‘Well, I've read through your resume, but why don’t you tell me a little bit more about your qualifications,” Your best answer would be to give a 30-second to one-minute summary of your strongest qualifi- cations and then, without pausing, immediately continue by saying, “I have a number of accomplishments that I’d like to tell you about. So that I can make my answers relevant to your areas of greatest interest, may I ask a question or two about the position? All T know about it is what I got from (name the source of your information)...” Then you have your interviewer’s permission to ask several questions which draw out his greatest need, want, desire, goal or problem. No matter which question your interviewer asks you at the beginning of the interview, you should give but a brief answer, and get back to this strategy of uncovering his greatest want. Applying this strategy is not necessarily easy. You have to practice it to feel comfortable and natural with it. But it is the only way to maximize your opportunity to sell what your potential employer is buying. Tf you try to sell yourself before you know what your interviewer needs, you may well stress qualifications and accomplishments of little interest to him. You must, absolutely must, get him talking about his needs before you talk about how you can fulfill those needs. An excellent way to get the ball rolling is to ask questions such as, “What would your highest expectations be for the person who fills this job?”....0r, ‘Why is the position open?”....0r, “What would be the highest priorities for the person who fills this position?” Once your interviewer begins to talk about his wants and needs, keep his dialogue going with further probing questions such as, “That's interesting...why is that the case?"....0r, “How would you like to see this situationremedied?"...Or, "What would the person in chis position have to achieve to be considered a great success?” Once you have this critically important intelligence of what the interviewer is looking for, you have everything you need to make a masterful presentation, one that matches his greatest wante with your most relevant credentials and accomplishments. You should then proceed lo describe anecdotes of how you achieved success in similar situations. Keep the descriptions of your achievements and the problems you've solved concise, no more than a minute to two minutes. Use the PAR formula to describe your accomplishments -- the Broblem you faced, the Action you took and Results you achieved. Allow your interviewer to interrupt with more questions if he so desires, By all means, resist the temptation to offer an on-the- spot solution to the interviewer's greatest wants, aveds, problems, desires, goals, etc. The purpose of your "achievement anecdotes” is to demonstrate how you think, how you approach problems, and that you are an achiever who knows how to get results. You are not there to solve his Problems on the spot. Rather, you are presenting anecdotes and credentials to show you have outstanding qualifications as someone who can help solve those problems once you come on board. Stick with what you've done for others, not what he or she should be doing to solve a particular problem. Also, remember not to use the word “problem” in acknowledging what the employer is looking for. Nobody likes to admit to someone else that they have a “problem,” even if they do. Use words such as “highest priority," “most important goal," or “greatest desire.” 2. Listen well to your interviewer. Pay him the ultimate compliment. of being an attentive, even riveted listener. Show him that you understand his needs, and then make an excellent case as to why your qualifications fit his needs so well, After the basic assumption that you are qualified for the position, the most important reason an employer will hire you is because he likes you, And the easiest way to get other people to like you at the start of your relationship is to listen to them attentively. By suchattentive listening, you show them respect and consider- ation, two qualities which all people crave. 3. Use this technique to establish rapport. A classic management principle that encourages a bonding between two individuals is to switch a situation from, “you against me,” to "you and me against the problem.” If there is some need or problem that the interviewer has and which you can identify with, perhaps you can use the "you and me against the problem’ technique. 4. Be yourself. Sounds trite, but in interviewing, one of the most important pieces of advice is simply to be yourseif and not try to be someone else. Giving yourseif permission to be you takes some of the pressure off the interview and enables your natural strengths to come through, 5. Be truthful. If you don’t know how to answer a question, say so. If you‘re not sure of what the interviewer is driving at, don’t be shy about asking him to clarify the question. Also be honest in your answers to questions. As Mark Twain once said, “Honesty will please most people and astonish everyone.” 6. Speak like a free agent, not a bench-warmer. In describing your achievements, generally speaking, don’t fall into the “we” syndrome..."we did this, then we did that,” ete, The interviewer wants to know what you contributed. He’s not hiring your former team. 7, Demonstrate integrity. Never divulge confidential information about your previous employers, even if pressed to do so, whether in a friendly or high-pressure manner, if only for your own self-interest. Some interviewers will test you by trying as hard as they can to pry such information out of you, showing outright annoyance if you don’t yield. Hold your ground. Yhis is usually a ruse designed to bring maximum pressure bear on you to test the limits of your Lrustworthiness. You will pass this “test” only if you steadfastly refuse to divulge such information. If you eagerly serve up confidential information in your desire to please the interviewer, you will almost certainly be eliminated from consideration, and rightfully so. 8. Never be negative about anything, including former| Why the Best-Qualified Candidates | Usually DON'T Get the Job! Research indicates that about 65% of | the time, the hired employee meets fewer than 50% of the job qualifications. i How can this be? The reason is because job offers are given most frequently to those candidates who, regardless of formal qualifications, | sell themselves best, intimidate least and | | listen the most. eee] LL bosses, former companies or former employees. 9. Never get into an argument with your interviewer, even if you strongly disagree with what he or she is saying. This is not to say that the interviewer is always right. You are free to state your own viewpoint enthusiastically and positively, without bickering. Just remember that if you get into an argument, you cannot win either the argument or the job. 10. Always show loyalty to former employers. Your interviewer will assume that you are a loyal person, and this same loyalty will be given to his company in the future. 11. Comport yourself as an equal, not a beggar. your interview as a meeting between equals. needs good executives like you company. Being subservient is chances as being arrogant. interviewing you was impressed invite you for the interview. Look upon The company as much as you need the just as damaging to your Remember that the person who’s enough with your resume to This is a positive start and should be the basis for optimism, 12, Be on your toes at all times, with every person you meet. remark made, is for a reason, point in the interview process your answer through or giving i assume that anyone you meet may your candidacy, including a sec: guard down and assume that a gi the hiring decision. 13. If you wish, take notes, but ask first, to take notes, ask permission help you write a dynamite follo You must assume that every question asked, and every Never be so casual at any that you're not thinking = your best shot. Also have the power to derail retary, Never let your ven person is unimportant in If you’d like ret. Accurate notes will w-up letter. If you choose fo go through the interview without taking notes, be sure to jot down the main problems, desires, goals, - 10 ete. of yourinterviewer immediately after the interview. These will form the basis of a powerful follow-up letter. 14. Never give out too much information in the first phone call. Your goal is to gain an in-person interview, not a telephone interview. Initial telephone interviews have one purpose only -- to uncover a reason why you are not qualified. It's a screening out process. Therefore, your job is to give as little information as possible and instead, ask a few questions about the position and why it’s open, then assume the caller is desirous of setting up a personal interview. 15. Don’t let untalented, insecure or insensitive interviewers get you down. Try not to feel offended, intimidated or otherwise put off by anyone you may encounter during your job search. Take it all in stride and try to be yourself as best you can in each situation. Just bear in mind, it’s a numbers game, and look forward to your next interview. The more leads you generate, and the more people you see, the more offers you will receive. That's making the law of averages work for you. 16. Finally, don’t ask the employer about salary until you're offered the position. To get into a salary Giscussion too early will handicap your negotiating ability. Make sure they want you first, then you will negotiate from strength. The Master Key to Reducing Nervousness and Performing Brilliantly in an Interview... can be summed up in two words: thorough Preparation. And it begins long before anyone responds to your resume. 1. Clear the decks for your incoming call, Before you can perform well in an interview, you must secure that interview. If you invest considerable time, expense and effort to generate qualified job leads, it only makes sense to be ready to capture them when opportunity knocks! First and foremost, remember that when someone in the business world places a phone cali, he or she is accustomedto getting through to someone -- a secretary, receptionist or voice mailbox -- capable of taking a message. This expectation carries over to you, even though you may be out of work and using your home as your new “office.” Make sure that you have some way to receive incoming calls at all times, even if it’s an answering machine. If you have just one phone line that you and your family tie up for long periods, the smartest thing you can do is install a second phone line during your search. If @ potential employer enthusiastically responds to your resume but gets a busy signal two or three times in a row, you may have lost that lead forever. Make sure that the initial impression the caller gets isa first-class image. Always have a responsible, sh-speaking adult or reliable answering machine available to answer your phone. If you have an answering machine, never use one of those novelty tapes to answer your phone (imitations of celebrity voices, musical messages, etc.). Neither should you have ene of your children record the message. You should record it, and re-record it if necessary, un! sounds highly professional, it If you‘re using an answering machine and you go on a trip, try to be in touch with your recorded messages every day. Few things are more irritating to someone who's trying to reach you than receiving the same recorded message several times in a week, without a clue as to how long you'll be gone or when you can return the call. It's most unprofessional...and damaging to your chances of employment with that caller. At least once a week, call your answering machine yourself and leave yourself a message. You'll not only appreciate how someone else perceives your message, but you'll be double-checking the reliability of the machine. 2, To minimize nervousness and fear of rejection, realize that you’re playing a numbers game, The real reason that some athletes choke in a big game is not because they lack skill or don’t care enough, It’s because they care too much. They want success so badly that they try to force their skills, making themselves so nervous and so tight ='49 5that they simply cannot relax enough to let their Easiest Way to Make Yourself skills perform to their Three Times More Likely highest level. The same To Get Hired can happen to you in your “According to executive recruiter, job campaign. Robert Half esearch has shown tha he irst yn interviewe »ts the job onl See era Ie perrthe tine But the sl peson | nervousness is always gOind | interviewed is hired 55.8% of the time, ot to be present during a job | more than three times more frequently. interview. Rut if you find yourself so nervous that ‘The reason: As in most human endeavors, people are wary of accepting your tightness is not the first choice offered, Therefore, do allowing the real you to whatever you can to position yourself shine through, then take a | among the last candidates interviewed, tip from master salespeople | and definitely not among the first. who face this problem e11 This means you may wait a couple of | the time. weeks before responding to help wanted ads that interest you. You may ask your | executive recruiter to send you in last. ‘And, if your interviewer asks you when fo succeed, on the one hand, you must prepare thoroughly. But on the | you cari set up an appointment, try to | other hand, you cannot push the day back as far as possible. | er frp Worst Day of the Week... Obviously, this can be hard Woat Timent Day to do, especially when To Be Interviewed you're out of work, | Also according to Half, another desperate for money and | research study has shown that Monday is, by far, the worst day of the week to be interviewed for a job. The worst time for | ajob interview is late afternoon. your “dream job" is riding on the outcome of your interview. eee oa . fou needn't become a slave to these But precisely because guidelines, merely use them to your the stakes are so high, you | advantage whenever possible. must learn the skill of lowering your desire in — order to lower your level of nervousness. You will give yourself your best shot of capturing the position only if the “best you” shines through, and that can take place only when you are not in the death grip of desperation and fear of blowing the opportunity. You must. tell yourseif before the interview that if landing this position is meant to be, it’s meant to be. You must also look at your job search as a numbersgame, just as master salespeople do. They get rid of nervousness by not trying to force each situation their way. Rather, they rehearse themselves and polish their presentation until they are truly masterful in knowing theic information cold. But they never know which specific prospect is going to be the one out of three or one out of fifty who buys. So they don’t worry about it. They know if they give fifty masterful presentations, somewhere along the line they will get their ample share of sales. This strategy -- of thinking of the interview process as a numbers game -- is the key to being able to relax enough in all your interviews to let your knowledge and genuine personality come through. Paradoxically, by having a more relaxed attitude, you will raise your “closing ratio" (number of job offers) much higher. 3. Know that your interviewer’s greatest emotional need is almost certainly SAFETY. All great salespeople know that you will be far more successful in selling or persuading anyone if you address their emotional needs during the sale. In your job search, this means that you will do much better in interviews if you go into them realizing that your interviewer is quite anxious and his or her greatest emotional need is most likely the safety of his or her hiring decision. To understand this, you must realize that for most executives, interviewing is a function performed only occasionally. So it brings with ic the inherent discomfort of unfamiliarity, As a rule, most executives would much rather be doing what they do best instead of interviewing you. Greatly magnifying the inherent discomfort of performing an activity outside their daily comfort zone is the onerous consequences of making a mistake. If they hire someone who turns out to be a disaster, that disaster may be hung around their neck like an albatross. So a bad hiring decision can impede their own career. It can also cause them a loss of prestige at the firm, disrupt previously harmonious work teams, hurt employee morale and lower productivity. Hiring someone who doesn’t work out can also mean that pet projects get botched or essential work is postponed until someone qualified is found. = 1¢ =i 4 a Finally, a hiring mistake means that the hiring executive, after ail these bad consequences have befallen him, his career and his firm, will most likely have to undo the damage, fire the person he recently hired, and go through the process all over again. In sum, it’s a very high-risk situation. Therefore, you will have much greater success in interviews if you give che interviewer what he or she is emotionally seeking most. And that is safety, a reduction of the risks that hiring you represents. And how do you do that? By doing everything you can to make the interviewer feel safe and secure about you. Specifically, to feel safest with you, the interviewer will be looking for you to meet three criteria: 1) You are qualified to do the job. You are motivated to do the job. You are “their kind of person.” (There's an old saying in executive recruitment that 2) 3) ‘The 25 Biggest Interview “Turnoffs” Ina major study conducted by the Placement Center of Northwestern University, employers were asked to name the traits or responses they found most objectionable in job ‘candidates, Their responses, in order of intensity of dislike, were as follows: 1, Arrogance, cockiness. 2. Poor communication, presentation skills. 3. Lack of interest. 4, Lack of knowledge about the company and industry. 5. Early discussion or questions about salary and benefits, 6. Being unprepared for the interview and making excuses. 7. Egotism, over-confidence. | 8, Tardiness, not showing up for interview. 9. Poor eye contact. Abrasive, rude, demanding. | Dishonesty, fabricated answers in interview or resume. Poor language usage, slang, poor grammar. No career direction, not knowing self. . Shallow, inappropriate questions or answers. Lack of experience, education, skills. | Lack of professional appearance, . "Know-iteall” attitude, Inappropriate attire. ‘Untealistic goals, career and job | expectations. | Overly aggressive, hostile, manipulative | behavior. Lack of enthusiasm. i Poor grooming, hygiene. Does not communicate qualifications effectively, no elaboration or examples. 24, Deficient social, conversational skills, 25, Lack of professionalism and poise. eee = is =“like likes like." The more you are like the people already working at a firm, the safer your interviewer 11 feel about you and, in short, the more he or she will tend to like you. So, as much as humanly possible, you should try to reflect and embody the interviewer's corporate culture...to look, talk, think and act like they do and share their interests and values.) The closer your presentation comes to assuring the interviewer about these three requirements, the safer the interviewer will feel about you and the greater your odds of being hired. This holds true for every position at every company that interviews you. So the bulk of your preparation for any interview should be targeted at meeting these three essential criteria. 4, Review your resume before your interview...and be prepared to use it as your “script” in answering interview questions. Remember that your cover letter and resume were impressive enough to have gained your interview. In other words, so far, it’s a winning combination. So before your interview, study your resume, no matter how many times you reviewed it before. Keep your greatest achievements fresh in your mind, ready to feed to Lhe interviewer and match up with his company’s needs, 5. Be prepared for tough interview questions. Throughout your job campaign, you should regularly review the questions in your accompanying report, How to Answer the 64 Toughest Interview Questions, and rehearse your answers. Pay special attention to the answers you plan to give to questions about why you've left each previous position ...your greatest weaknesses...what salary you want...and other sensitive matters most likely to come up. You do not want to find yourself ad-libbing your answers to these questions. As you rehearse your answers to anticipated questions, make them concise enough to fit into one or two minute segments. No answer to any interview question should go beyond two minutes. If your interviewer wants more information, he or she can ask after you finish your one to two minute summary. 6. Visualize your success. Another high ly effective agitechnique for preparing for top-flight interview performance is to use the same method employed by championship athletes. That is, videotape a rehearsed interview. You can ask a friend or your spouse to interview you for the position you are seeking, and videotape the entire session, To make it easy for them, you can have them ask you questions from your report, How to Answer the 64 Toughest Interview Questions. Then review your performance as if you were watching someone you are thinking of hiring. Make any improvements you deem necessary. Then go through ‘The Surprising Personality Trait Preferred by 98% Of Hiring Executives A. 1986 survey by Hodge-Cronin & Associates found that 98% of 737 chief executives interviewed would hire a candidate with a good sense of humor over a humorless type. Says Forbes magazine, “A mounting body af research says the preferences | well-grounded, Researchers have found a connection between a well-developed. sense of humor and problem-solving. | Professor of history Joseph Boskin, who | teaches a course on humor in 20th-century | ‘America at Boston University, says | humorous people are usually wiser and | have broader perspectives. And they are often better workers.” So, don’t be afraid to smile or even laugh when appropriate during your interviews. But don’t crack jokes yourself Pe the process again, until you feel that your interview technique is in tip-top shape. because few of us like to see or But it’s an invaluable way to sec uncomfortable exercise, hear ourselves on tape. For many people, this is an what you may be doing wrong and correct any problems in practice before they hurt your chances in an actual interview, when it will be too late. A related technique, and a great interview stress- reducer, is simply to use your own mind to visualize the interview unfolding as you would like. See yourself succeeding brilliantiy in listening to your interviewer, uncovering his main wants, letting him finish every question completely before responding, and then providing an answer which perfectly matches his needs with your qualifications. impressed with your credentials. Imagine seeing your interviewer quite Imagine Lhat you sense very strongly that he or she likes you and would get along well with you, and that the chemistry between you is fabulous.| “Men vs. Women in Job Searches | A recent study by the Daniel “Yankelovich Group for the Association of Outplacement Consulting Firms found that: ‘ Female job hunters tend to be younger than their male counterparts by about five years, with an average age of 40. © 90% of the men in the study were married, compared to 42% of the women. Women in the study were more flexible regarding their career and tended to make faster and easier transitions, Such visualizations, especially performed at night before you 90 to sleep, are exLremely powerful in harnessing your subconscious mind to bring your best resources and personality to bear during your interview the next day. Following this practice on a regular basis will work like a tonic to put you in the right frame of mind and build your confidence. Another similar exercise is Lo stand in front of a mirror and imagine how your body would look and feel if you were naturally and genuinely brimning with confidence, enthusiasm and drive. Get to know and feel comfortable with your own "success posture,” and then, whenever you want to project an image of success and self-confidence, just assume that posture, whether you're initially feeling that way or not. You'll be surprised how the posture itself will trigger these positive emotions within you...and thereby project a strong, confident image to anyone in your presence. 7, Do your homework. Another great. confidence-builder for any interview is to be sure you do your homework. Gather as much information as you can about the company and the department where you may be working, and study it thoroughly, formylating intelligent questions, Few things will impress a potential employer more than a sincere interest in the company as demonstrated by intelligent questions. Your homework will also help you identify the possible problems, needs, goals or desires that you may uncover during your interview. If it’s a publicly-held company, be sure to read its annual report for its most recent fiscal year and even further back if you can get copies (lint: call the Investor Relations Department at the firm and ask for whatever material they can send you.) Read ail such material over several times, identifying the corporate - 18culture and dominant ideas you see expressed. Also try to get a few copies of the company’s internal newsletter. It will give you a good overview of how the company sees itself as well as the corporate culture. I£ you know anyone who works at the company, supplies the company, or knows anything about it from any angle, try to get as much information as you can from them as well. Respond to the company's advertisements and carefully review the material you receive. If practical, buy some of its products. Send for any information that the public relations department may be able to give you. In addition, research the company’s competition, a topic very much on the mind of every company. Also check out the iibrary and read whatever articles you can find on the firm. Many libraries subscribe to electronic data bases, such as Dow Jones and Nexis, that can serve up @ cornucopia of information about the company. Use these resources and see what you can find before going to your interview. These steps will help you create a very informed list of questions that you can bring up at appropriate times in the interview. They will enable you to get a mile-long headstart on many interviewees who will blurt out in the interview, “I’m really not that familiar with what your company does...." Such a statement conveys a feeling of indifference and perhaps even arrogance to your potential employer whose life is wrapped up in his company’s operations. 8. But don’t show off your knowledge. while you want to be well-prepared for your interview, you don’t want to flaunt your preparation or force your knowledge on the interviewer. Let it come out naturally and it will make a much stronger impression. It won’t seem as if you're trying too hard, as if to say, "See how much I know about your company?...Aren‘t you impressed?” In raising questions, ask those which could not have been answered by research in the annual report. Ask only those questions in which you have a genuine interest ana which your research coulda‘t answer. - 19 -9. Little things mean a lot. For example: + Before the dey of the interview, get a good night’s sleep, go you can be well rested. * Review the directions to the interview to make sure you're not going to get lost. «Listen to the weather forecast in advance to see if you'll need an umbrella or boots. It won't help your image at the moment of your big interview if you look like a drowned rat the cat dragged in. + Be sure you bring extra copies of your resume, as well as a pen and note pad, should you need them. * Have change for phone calis, tolls, parking meters, etc. * Never wear wrinkled clothes to en interview. * polish your shoes. Some people will judge your character by your shoeshine. Never wear shoes with worn-down heels. They may be the last impression you leave on your way out of the interviewer's office. + press conservatively and tastefully. When in doubt, dress more forwally rather than less. * Go lightly on cologne, perfume and makeup. * Of course, observe all the basics o£ good grooming. * Try to arrange your most important interviews for cuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Mondays and Fridays are the busiest days in an interviewer's week...and the days least likely to result in a job offer. * Throughout your job campaign, and for the rest of your life, bear in mind that two of the best ways to project a strong, relaxed, confident image in all situations is to exercise every day and get a good night’s sleep, going to bed before 10:00 p.m. Etiquette Checklist -- What To Do Before Your Interview Many of the following points will seem obvious. Nevertheless, they are presented here for two reasons. First, to be thorough. And second, because etiquette cam be @ funny thing. Sometimes you'll know 19 out of the 20 rales that govern a situation but break the one rule you Gon’t know about. As a result, you may lose the job offer. ~ 20So while most of these rules are painfully obvious, be assured that supposedly sophisticated executives have broken every single one of them. Don’t you be caught breaking even one! 1. Don’t insist on making your appointment at a time that your interviewer indicates may be inconvenient. Try to be as accommodating as possible. 2, I£ you are offered reimbursement for travel, hotel and food, it's best to be frugal with your potential employer's money. 3, I£ you’re sick or otherwise under the weather, reschedule the interview for another time. Don’t try to tough it out when you’re not at your best. 4. Dress conservatively. And remember that appropriate attire in one part of the country may seem quite out of step elsewhere. For example, cowboy boots worn with a suit may be fine in Arizona, but will raise eyebrows in Boston. A blazer with slacks may be okay in southern California, but never on Wall. Street. 5. Go light on jewelry, cologne, perfume, cosmetics. 6. Never wear sunglasses. 7. Never chew gum. 8. I£ your glasses are broken, fix them before the interview. 9. Don’t take up the time of an important executive, asking him or her for instructions on how to find the building. Call the receptionist and find this information out from that person. 10, Always confirm your appointment by calling the interviewer’s secretary one day before your interview. 41, Always be on time, at least five to ten minutes early so you can dash into the rest room for a final check. You may be brilliant at what you do, but if all your inter- viewer sees when he looks at your smile is a piece of spinach salad wallpapered to your front tooth, your prospects are dim. 12. Always treat receptionists and secretaries with utmost respect. They are often asked their opinion of candidates, and even if not, they can sabotage you with a single cutting remark. They are also the gate-keepers who can -21-make your life much easier in follow up appointments. Iz you go out of your way to be nice, it can pay big dividends. It’s your best way to get strangers inside the company to put in a good word for you. 13, TI£ you come into the office wearing a coat, hat or other outdoor clothing, take them off in the reception area. Tf you carry them into the interview office, you'll be emphasizing your image as an outsider, a commercial visitor, and not one who already belongs in the company. 14. Never invite your spouse or friend along. Your spouse may be very important in helping you make decisions, He or she may even have made a long-distance trip to scout your potential new location. But to have your spouse waiting in the reception area sends a signal that you may be too dependent on your spouse. Wrong signal. Etiquette Checklist -- At the Start of Your Interview (How to Handle the Most Important Three Minutes of Your Interview) The most important three minutes in any interview are the first three minutes, because that’s when your inter- viewer will form his or her first and lasting impression of you. Here’s how to make the best impression possible: 1. Begin and end every interview with a firm handshake and direct eye contact. (Yes, you should actually test your handshake on friends, who will tell you if it’s too firm or toc squishy. As with your shoeshine, a good number of people judge your character by your handshake and eye contacl.) 2. Be gracious and enthusiastic in your greeting, but not artificially so. 3. Never address the interviewer by his or her first name, unless you are invited to do so. If he or she calls you by your first name, you may ask whether he minds if you do the same. 4. If your interviewer is a female, wait until she offers her hand before you offer to shake hands. 5. If your interviewer is female and you do not know her marital status, address her as “Ms.” - 22 -6. Don’t be seated until the interviewer is seated or invites you to be seated. 7. ‘ry to choose a chair that’s adjacent to the interviewer’s desk and move it slightly so that you can face the interviewer. Try to avoid sitting in e chair that will put you at an uncomfortable disadvantage, such as sitting side-by-side with the interviewer, forcing you to look over your shoulder to make eye contact. Also, try to keep yourself out of the line of the sun coming through the interviewer's window so that your eyes won’t seem squinty and shifty. If the sun is in your eyes, there’s no harm in asking if the blinds can be adjusted. 8. Sit with good posture, back streight, feet planted flatly on the floor. 9, Remember that the most important three minutes of the interview are the first three minutes. How you look, smell, sit and comport yourself will pley a major role in whether the intorviewer likes you as a person, so try to relax and let your best self shine through. 10. Best way to break the ice in the initial few minutes of the interview: talk about something that the interviewer seems interested in. You may look around the interviewer’s office and find some clue of common interest. As Paul Ivey says in his book, Successful Salesmanship, “there is one sure-fire way of arousing interest: find out what they are already interested in and then talk about it. If you talk about what they are interested in, they will later on be willing to consider what you are interested in." Etiquette Checklist -- During Your Interview If your interview is at a restaurant. 1. Offer to pay for your own meal. If your host insists on paying (as he should), accept graciously and thank him. 2. Avoid liquor at meals. If your host insists and you feel like it, have a drink, but never more than one. If your host insists and you don’t feel like it, politely decline and choose a non-alcoholic beverage. Don’t be pressured into anything you don’t really want to do. You needn't compromise your dignity merely because you’relooking for a job. 3, Avoid sloppy or hard-to-manage foods. Stay away from splashy sauces, multi-colored salads which can leave multi- colored salad bits on your teeth. Avoid anything that requires a bib and any food that can easily result in stains on your clothing. No matter where your interview takes place... 4, Smile easily and warmly. 5. Use correct grammar. 6. Feel free to use the interviewer’s name in your conversation. This shows respect, and we all like to hear our own names. But don’t use a person’s first name unless he or she invites you to do so, Some people resent the presumed familiarity Lhat goes with use of their first name. 7, Never light up and emoke during an interview unless your interviewer is already smoking. Don’t smoke a cigar unless your interviewer is already smoking one and invites you to join him, (Even a cigarette-smoking interviewer may take offense at your [illing his office with cigar odor.) And leave your pipe at home. Pipe-smoking executives are sometimes perceived to be like college professors -- too contemplative and not action-oriented. 8. Avoid nervous habits such as pulling your ear lobe, rubbing your nose, straightening your tie, tugging your wristwatch or rubbing your chin. 9. Never try to read documents on the interviewer’s desk. 10. Never pick up objects in the interviewer's office. This is offensive. 11, Never talk while your interviewer is reading, especially when he's reading your resume. 12. Always hold your temper in check, despite any provocation, which may be intentional as part of a “stress interview.” (More on this later.) 13. Keep your ego under control. Never practice one- upmanship with your interviewer, You can only lose. cageWhen speaking. . 14, Don’t mask your nervousness by talking too much, At least 90% of discharged managers seeking new jobs make the mistake of talking too much. Be concise. Say what you want and no more. Maximum time for each answer is two minutes. Rehearse your answers to anticipated questions in advance, and make them concise enough to fic into one- or two-minute segments. If your interviewer wants more information, he can ask after you finish your one- to two-minute summary. 15. If you frequently use “verbal filler” in your sentences, try to break this annoying habit. Eliminate such phrases as you know,” “uh,” and “1 mean.” They are distracting to most people and unbearably grating to some. 16. seem like an egomaniac in tak: Executive Interviewers According to a poll conducted by executive search consultant and author Allan Cox, two-thirds of employers frown of dirty footwear. The only thing that will turn them off more is a woman who comes to an interview dressed in a see-through blouse. Other interesting findings: 40% of hiring executives reacted negatively to a bracelet or neck chain worn by @ man. While 17% of middle managers frowned upon anyone wearing a beard, 22% of top executives took a dislike to those with beards. Mustaches tumed off 7% of the top executives and 6% of middle managers. Being five minutes Jate for the interview upset about 60% of executives. Being 15 minutes early | annoyed 12% but favorably impressed 45%, Drinking alcohol during lunch was frowned on by 25% of executives, but was viewed positively by 21%, Asking reflective questions about the company impressed more than 80% of all executives surveyed. In describing your achievements, you don’t want to ing credit for everything done in previous positions. However, you should generally give yourself ample credit. Forget the “we” in every description. Remember that you’re no longer on the old team. Use “I” instead. Focus on Lhe new firm and what you can do 17. answer it this way.” That is your interviewer's question 18. your interviewer. If he spea x it, not on where you used to work. Never say, “Well, I would rephrase that question and a not-too-hidden criticism of Try to modulate your voice and pacing according to ks slowly and methodically, Surprising Likes & Dislikes of |it’s likely that he will not have rapport with somebody who gives rapid-fire answers. The reverse is also true. Notice how your interviewer speaks, and try to present your thoughts in a similar manner, When you do speak, don’t mumble. Try to avoid nervous gestures such as touching your face, lips or glasses. Keep your hands still. Don’t twist your pen or rubber band and never glance at your watch or clock on the interviewer's desk, even if you think that he wouldnt see you. When in doubt, ask a question 19. If there is a long pause in the conversation, you can always ask a question. 20. Indeed, the best way to establish rapport with an interviewer is to ask intelligent questions. Almost all interviewers enjoy being asked about Lheir companies, departments, or the position that’s open and what is expected of the person who will be hired. Questions will not only tell you how to position your own qualifications, but will also demonstrate your genuine interest and allow the interviewer to feel very comfortable with you, (More on intelligent questions later.) On Effective Listening... 21. Pay the interviewer the ultimate compliment by listening intently to his questions. Listen closely and think through your answer before replying to any question. 22. The greatest and simplest secret of the most effective listeners: having a sincere interest in what the other person is saying. And you should have such an interest, because the more the interviewer talks, the more he is telling you what you should say in order to get yourself hired. Laymen think that the best salespeople are Lhe best talkers. Not so. The number one secret of the greatest salespeople is that they are the best listeners because they let their prospects tell them everything they need to know to close the sale. Let your prospect talk -- indeed, use questions to encourage him to talk -- and he will pour forth the information you need to sell him, namely what he’s looking for, what qualifications he most wants you to have, the problems he hopes you can help him solve, etc. - 26 -23. Another excellent listening skill: after the interviewer makes an important statement, feed back your understanding of it in your own words, to be sure you understand and to show the interviewer how well you were listening. Sxample: “If I understand you correctly, your greatest concern in this area is...." 24, As part of demonstrating your attentiveness, be on your toes if your interview is interrupted. When telephone calls, urgent messages or other people in the office interrupt your interview, take note where you were in the interview. Often the interviewer will turn to you after the interruption and ask, ‘Where was I?” If you haven’t a clue, it will seem as if you weren’t even listening to him or her. 25. Another way to demonstrate your sincerity in listening is to ask permission to take notes, and then on a small pad or an index card, jot down key words which will help you write a powerful follow-up letter about the interviewer's greatest concerns and key ideas. But perhaps the most important effect is to show the interviewer how interested you are in his thoughts. This enhances his self-esteem and shows what a good listener you are. 26, Finally, on the importance of listening: remember that most people are starved for attention. Your interviewer may feel that his wife doesn’t listen to him, his children don't listen to him, his customers don’t listen to him, even his dog doesn’t listen to him. When you hang on his every word, it’s extremely flattering. It establishes instant rapport and shows respect. And everyone in this world is desperately searching to have relationships with those who will give them respect and enhance their self- esteem. Rapt attention while listening is your most powerful tool for fulfilling these universal needs. 27. Never interrupt your interviewer before he is finished asking his question. The last few words of his question may altogether change the meaning or carry a subtle hint as to how you should answer. Resist the temptation to jump the gun when your interviewer seems near the end of his thoughts. Allow him to finish completely, and even then allow a second or two to compose your own Lhoughts. Pew habits are more irritating than when someone perpetually grabs the conversational football before the speaker isWhat Interviewers Prize Most In Candidates Researchers at the Indiana University Placement Office videotaped employment | interviews and found surprising j differences in the ways that successful job seekers performed during interviews | versus those who were later unsuccessful ‘The study found that many of the candidates who were given the highest ; marks “on paper” before they were interviewed did not make the final list of candidates to be hired. ‘The biggest difference the study found between those who are successful in interviews and those who are not, is the interviewee’s communication skills and ability to exploit the face-to-face interview. |__ The successful candidates identified | | with the potential employer's greatest wants, neecis and desizes. They were positive and assertive in answering questions and asking questions which | | demonstrated that they were trying to | uncover the employer’s greatest needs and then show why they were qualified to meet them, ‘This same study showed clearly that the most successful interviewees refer to the organization by name four times as often as unsuccessful applicants. They also mention receiving information about the firm from employees and from written sources. In other words, they | demonstrated a genuine interest inthe | | company. | telling the truth. xeady to hand off, only to zace downfield toward the wrong goalpost because he didn't wait to hear Lhe final words of the sentence. Using body language to your advantage. 28. Related to good listening skills, use your body language to show your interviewer that you are listening by occasionally nodding your head in agreement. Leaning slightly forward in your chair is another sign of interest. 29. Maintain good but not unnatural eye contact. Keep your eye movements relaxed and steady. If your eyes are darting everywhere, your inter- viewer may mistake your nervousness for shiftiness. Be especially sure to maintain good eye contact when you are answering questions. Don't look away or look down, as this could indicate you're trying to hide something or not If you're naturally shy, practice speaking forthrightly and confidently either with strangers or in front of a mirror, 30. In general, sit up straight in your chair, but don’t be too rigid. Try to convey a [eeling of enthusiasm and confidence. Never slouch in your chair. > 28 This is taken asa sign of laziness, sloppiness and disinterest. 31. Never yawn. you need more air, take deep belly breaths. Taking deep breaths, using your abdomen as a bellows and inhaling and exhaling through your noge will also relax your entire nervous system. (Try it two or three times in a row and you'll see it works like a tonic.) 32. Never tap your foot, twirl a pencil or show anxiety through your legs, feet and hands, the most common ways the body expresses tension. 33. Never drum your fingers or crack your knuckles. 34. Remember that closed postures such as crossed arms and/or crossed legs, convey dislike and distrust, Open positions and a forward lean express openness and enthusiasm. 35. Use this fascinating (and very powerful) body language technique of master ealespeople: Subtly mimic the body language of your interviewer. If he leans towards you, you lean toward him slightly. If he holds his hands in a certain way, you should hold them in a similar pose. (IE you'll notice yourself next time in a nervous situation such as an interview, this is probably what you're already doing without realizing it.) But here’s the interesting twist master selespeople have developed to enhance rapport, After your body language has generall mimicked your interviewer's for several minutes, then you can start subtly changing your body language to be more open and receptive, and you will be surprised to see that his body language starts to mimic yours. This is a highly effective way to establish subconscious rapport. Before you dismiss this as New Age gobbledygook, try it on one of your less important interviews, or in any conversation for that matter, and be ready for a shock when you see how easily you can get people to start mimicking your body language and become more open and receptive to you. How to hendle the most sensi interview subjects... 36. ¥irst and foremost, regularly review the report, How to Answer the 64 Toughest Interview Questions. It covers the most commonly asked tough questions and suggests the ive ~ 29 -best strategies for answering them. 37. Never discuss controversial subjects, including race, religion or politics. 38. Never discuss personal problems you may have. 39. Don’t reveal to your perspective employer the other positions you may have been turned down for. 40. I£ you are physically challenged, talk only about your abilities, not your disabilities. 41. Never disparage former bosses, former companies or former employees. 42. Never be negative about anything. 43. Never bring up the subject of money, If your interviewer brings it up, try your hardest not to give salary information, either past, present or future. You can answer such a question by saying, “Well, I am somewhat flexible on salary. What is the range for this position?” If you are asked what was your salary for your previous position, be prepared to answer with a range which includes a generous allocation for all your fringe benefits and other perks. 44, Uncover problems, but don’t try to solve them on the spot. Though one of your most important goals is to uncover your interviewer’s greatest wants, desires, needs or goals for this position, you don’t want to tell the company what it should do or how to solve its problems. You may well come across as being arrogant and uninformed. ‘Though you don’t mean it this way, you could be seen as trying to upstage those at the firm who are too dumb to see what you've spotted in a matter of minutes. Instead, you should focus on portraying yourself as someone who has achieved outstanding success in meeting those same kinds of challenges, needs, etc. for others, and then back that statement up with the most relevant achievements from your background, citing as many examples of specific results as you can. How to brag without sounding like a braggart... 45. The best way to talk about your achievements without seeming full of yourself is to talk about specific results ~30-and let the specific The Easiest Way an Employer | fe numbers and achievements Can Know When a Job Candidat. carry the weight of the Is Not Telling the Truth... description. (This is another instance where a thorough resume will help you immeasurably. You can use it as @ basic script for reviewing the achievements that your interviewer would like you to review.) So instead of saying, *I am the best salesman at the firm," you might say instead, “For each of the last eight years I have never placed below the top 10% in gross commission production." Then follow this up perhaps with additional sales volume figures. Another technique: Describe what other people say. For example, “My immediate supervisor has described me as...” Or, “My staff tells me I get such superb results out of them because...” Or, “Last year I was named manager of the year thanks to the results I achieved by...” A similar technique: Describe evidence of top performance, including promotions, special awards, citations, performance appraisals, etc., always citing the specific resulls that caused you to win them. Such “third party evidence” puts the praise in the mouths of others, not in your own mouth. Another technique: Express how proud you are of a certain achievement and express that pride in your delivery. For example, after the Gulf war, General Swarzkopf proved himself a master at effectively and graciously acknowledging his own accomplishments by stating how proud he was of the brilliant performance of his troops. Of course, we automatically attributed much of the credit to him, but the fact that he did not try to claim all the credit positioned him as an even wore admirable manager. Instant stardom and a multi-million- doliar book contract were just two of the rewards showered upon him not only for his brilliant performance in the war, but for his skill in telling the world what a great job he had done. Another technique: State your abilities in terms of what you enjoy doing most. For example instead of saying, consistency between the resume, interview and references. | is when there is little or no | -31-wAai-eus L1ide | KELEN PANY oleDducDiE “I am an outstanding creative thinker,” it sounds a little less bragay if you say, “I really love the creative aspects of this work, and I think I’ve shown my ability in this regard with ideas such as these...” (Then describe why the ideas were so strong and what results they achieved.) Additional phrases that can come in handy: “I really - have shown outstanding ability in situations thet call upon me to... (fill in the blank, then prove your claim with specific achievements and results)." Or, “There is nothing that gives me a greater sense of satisfaction than to... (£111 in the blank, then prove your claim with specific achievements and results) ." The Two Most Difficult Types of Interviews The two toughest interviews you'll ever run across are The Relaxed Interview and The Slress Interview. Let’s take a look at each: e #1: The Disarmingly Relaxed Interview i A relaxed, casual manner that immediately puts you at ease is usually the mark of the most highly-skilled of interviewers. Such a person realizes that most candidates are well-rehearsed and know all the “right” answers to expected questions. $o he does the unexpected. He creates such a casual, friendly and disarming atmosphere that you irresistibly lower your guard and, without realizing it, spontaneously reveal more about yourself than may be prudent . He will often go so far as to seem to be on your side in many little ways. He'll take pains to establish common . ground with you and sometimes allude to a shared camaraderie as members of the same craft, industry or Profession. All of this is designed to lull you into : thinking, “Hey, this guy really likes me....We’re on the same wavelength. This one’s going to be a piece of cake.” : Indeed, he probably does like you, as the best interviewers genuinely enjoy meeting new people and making them feel right at home. 2375All of this, in turn, works an irresistible, inevitable magic, inducing you to feel relaxed and comfortable as you unconsciously start to lower your guard and speak more spontaneously. This is exactly what your interviewer wants. As part of his technique, he won’t exhibit the slightest trace of surprise or disapproval should you slip and say something negative about your former boss. ..or perhaps reveal something confidential you shouldn't have... or inadvertently bring up something incriminating about your credentials or current situation. Yet despite his lack of reaction, you may rest assured that your unguarded comments are all being taken in, recorded in his memory for scrupulous review and evaluation later on, The best way to deal with this type of interviewer is to accept and appreciate his warm hospitality, and be gracious in return, as always. But do not allow yourself to relax too much. Remember the purpose of the interview which is being masked by the disarming manner. That is, you are being evaluated according to how well you might fulfill the firm’s needs. So by all means be pleasant and cordial yourself, but don't let all this brotherly love and cordiality derail you from your main mission, which is to uncover the greatest wants and needs for the position, and then explain why your past achievements make you especially well-qualified to meet those needs, giving lots of specifics to back up this premise. In short, regardless of how the interviewer behaves, your master strategy is still the same, i-e., The Greatest Secret of Executive Job Hunting -- find out what people want, and then show them how you can help them get it. This also holds true for the second type of difficult interview. . #2: The Stress Interview This type of interview is far less common than the @isarmingly relaxed variety, and you will probably never -33-even run across it. But if you do, you'll never forget the experience. In this type of interview, your host does whatever he can to place you under maximum stress, the better to observe your reaction to frustration and pressure. Some people believe this is the only way to get a quick read on your ability to handle stress, In certain professions, such as union negotiator, press spokesperson or customer service manager, the ability to handle hostility and stress are at the very top of the qualifications list. Your best strategy Don't let yourself get defensive and caught up in emotion. Remember that you are personally not the target for the interviewer's hostility and that this interviewer is, in reality, merely playing arole. Your role in this stage drama is to be the cool, calm and collected one, an unflappable authority figure who addresses the issues, not the emotion or stress the interviewer is Lhrowing off. A few other stress Ft " 5 " 5 Biggest Interview Mistakes According to Business Week magazine, these are the five biggest turnoffs that get interviow candidates disqualified: 1. Playing hard to get. Acting nonchalant will usually be interpreted that you aren’t interested enough in the position. 2. Talking too much. Never ramble nor entertain the interviewer with chitchat about the Super Bowl. 3. Boasting. You must sell yourself, but beware of embellishing your responsibilities, exaggerating your accomplishments, covering up short- comings or bragging too much. 4, Not listening. Candidates are often so | anxious to prove themselves that they | don’t listen carefully to the interviewer's questions. As a result, their answers are off target. 5. Being unprepared. If you haven’t done your homework to learn about the ‘company and its culture, you can’t ask the right questions. Other Factors That Have Caused Well-Qualified Candidates to Lose Out Poor posture...a limp handshake...bow ties...smoking a pipe...too much jewelry... nervous tics...nervous demeanecr. Finally, if you're a man, and you cross your legs, make sure your socks rise high enough to cover any bare skin. If they don’t, do not cross your legs. Believe it or not, an exposed hairy calf ranked highest in one survey of what turns women off most. } interview techniques you may run into: -34-* The broken chair technique. One leg of the chair is intentionally shorter than the others, placing you ina very awkward position. Every time you shift your weight, the chair threatens to deposit you on the floor. Best response: simply change chairs, asking permission first. You may also be seated in direct line of the sun. Were you can ask the interviewer to adjust the blinds or to change your seat. * The peasant-at-the-feet-of-the-king maneuver. The interviewer puts you at a disadvantage by placing you at a great distance from his desk or at a lower height from his “platform” position. Not much you can do, unless you see an allernate place to sit. * The kangaroo court proceeding. You may be interviewed by two or more people at once, caught in a withering crossfire of hostile, impatient questions. Again, make Lhe best of the situation, but if the stress level becomes ridiculous, simply get up and leave. You don’t want to work for people like these. The Garden Variety Hostile Interviewer Not all hostile interviewers are conducting a purposeful stress test. Though this may come as a shock to you, there are actually a few S.0.B,9 in the business world. Even more shocking, every now and then, you may run into one. It’s all part of the numbers game you're playing. On those rare occasions when you may be confronted by a genuinely hostile interviewer, your smartest approach is to empathize with the upset feeling behind the hostility and tactfully ask a question or two to get to the bottom of what seems to be bothering him or her. Example: Your interviewer is obviously under great pressure at the time of your interview. He's trying to put out three fires while the phone rings off the hook. The secretary reminds him of a meeting in ten minutes and there are other people shouting outside. In the middle of this extremely tense atmosphere, your interviewer says with noticeable impatience, “Look, you'll have to pardon me, but we've got a ton of work to get out of here today. You're the fourth person this week Bill has sent to me for aninterview and frankly, I’ve got more pressing concerns to think about right now. So we’ll have to make this fairly brief." You could offer to come back at another time. But he'll likely be just as gruff and harried then, or even worse. $o you can try to salvage the interview by empathizing and then uncovering his greatest needs. For example, you might say, "It sure seems like things are hopping today and it’s not the best time for an interview. But let me ask you a fast question. Assuming someone will be hired for this spot, what is Lhe one way that person could best help you be more productive, especially at busy times like this?” The Disinterested Interviewer Another difficult situation you may run into is when your interviewer seems distracted or uninterested. The best approach here is to ask a few questions to draw out his chief area of interest, and then talk about why you can help him in that area. Since we've once again touched upon the subject of asking questions, let’s really get into it now.... Questions to Ask During Your Interview Asking questions in your interview is essential, for four reasons: 1, To achieve your master strategy, that is, uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs before you start to sell your own qualifications. You must sell what the buyer is buying. And before you can do that, you must find gut what the buyer is buying. 2. To demonstrate your interest in, and enthusiasm for, the position and company. 3, To get enough information so that you can judge whether you want this opportunity or not. 4. To demonstrate to the employer that you place a high value on yourself -- that you're carefully evaluating the company as much as the company is evaluating you, and that you're obviously not someone willing to jump at or settle 36 -for just anything. (This last item is a very important point that many job-hungry executives overlook. You can greatly enhance an employer's desire for you by not appearing desperate, and questions will go a long way toward helping you avoid such an image.) Let's now examine the questions you might ask to achieve each of these objectives. Questions to Achieve Your Master Strategy -- Uncovering Your Interviewer’s Greatest Wants and Needs for the Position once again, let’s repeat The Greatest Secret of Executive Job Hunting. You can get anything you want in life if you first Cind out what people want, then show them how to get it. During the interview, your most important objective is to uncover your interviewer's most ardently felt want, problem, need, desire, goal or priority. You’re not going to sell anything until you know what the buyer is buying. The only way to accomplish this is by asking questions. Let’s repeat Lhe example mentioned earlier. After a few introductory remarks, you can seize the initiative by saying, “Before we get started, would you fill me in a Jiltle bit more about this position? All I know about it is what I heard from the executive recruiter (read in your advertisement...or whatever the case may bel.” If, however, your interviewer asks you the first question, answer it and, as soon as you feel the timing is appropriate, try to regain the initiative by asking him to reveal more about the position. The key point is, no matter how your interview begins, you get back as soon as possible to your basic strategy of uncovering his greatest want. And you must do it nonchalantly, so that it doesn’t seem as if you are aggressively and inappropriately trying to grab control of the interview. Here, listed roughly in order of their effectiveness, are some excellent questions to help you uncover what theinterviewer wants most. Several of these questions overlap, so choose the variations you feel most comfortable with and always be ready to ask them in your interviews... * What would you say ace the three things you would most like someone to achieve in this position? wait for an answer, then follow up with: And of these, which is the most important? Then, if it’s not clear why this goal is so important, ask, “And just so I‘1l understand, why is this especially important to you at this time?” * What major strengths should a person possess to perform well in this position? * What would your highest expectations be for the person who fills this job? * What would be the highest priorities for the person who fills this position? * Why is the position open? * If you had a magic wand, and with one wave, could take away a given concern or fulfill any given challenge in this department, what would that be? * I ama strongly goal-oriented person. What would I have to achieve in the coming year for you to consider my work very successful? What would you most like me to achieve in this position? * Which areas of this position could be better performed than they have been in the past?” * What kind of performance would you like to see in the person who takes this position? * Are any major responsibilities in this position not currently being met? * what major changes or improvements would you most like to see brought about by the person who takes this position? * What obstacles might stand in the way of realizing this achievement ? Once your interviewer starts to open up about his strongest priorities, goals, etc., be sure to probe a little to flesh out details with questions like, “That’s interesting...why is that the case?"....Or, “How would you like to see this situation remedied?" With this information in hand, you will be in an 30Oe-2a-eeWs 111S> RELUN FANN sipducD1s pees infinitely stronger position to present your qualifications in the manner that will most impress your prospect that you are so well qualified for the job. Uncovering your interviewer's greatest wants, needs, goals, etc. is by far the most important function of your questions. But as your interview proceeds, or as you are invited back for second or third interviews, you will want to raise other questions that help you evaluate the opportunity the position represents and whether you will be happy there. For example, you may wish to ask questions such as.... “what are the unique opportunities in this job? * To whom would I report? * Who are the key people I would work with? How long has the position been open? What happened to the individual who previously held this position? How will I be evaluated,..what criteria? How would you define the firm's objectives? How is the company doing? what are the organization's greatest strengths and weaknesses? Also, since most interviewers will give you high marks for the intelligence and thoroughness of your questions, never be shy in asking about. * The company -- its products, services, distribution channels, sales, growth, profitability, problems, strengths, weaknesses, ownership, competitors, market share, etc. seas * Youx place in the company your job title, responsibil- ities, place in the organizational structure, reporting relationships, authority and the expectations management has of you. * The department where you will work -- its place in the organizational totem pole, present reputation within the firm, goals, functions, budget, problems, personnel, strengths, weaknesses, history, etc. * Potential office politics -- why is the firm hiring from the outside rather than from within? Might your being hired create any problems for any individuals in the - 39 -D-eeWE 111S> KEUIN FANN siupdvenis Press company? * Your position -- what are the technical requirements, what would a typical day be like, will you have the resources you'll need based on your past experience of what such a position requires, etc. Questions to AVOID Until After You Are Offered the Position * Questions about the hiring arrangements -- salary range compensation package...medical, hospitalization and dental plan...life insurance,..retirement program...pension plan :+-vaecation...and other perks. Also, when you are offered the position and wish to inquire about these, be casual about it. You don’t want to seem overly interested in them. Your employer may quickly get cold feet if he senses the tiger he was about to hire starts to look like a benefits chow-hound, someone who's suddenly more worried about vacation time than setting new sales quotas. Remember that even once you've been offered the position, there are several runner-up candidates in the wings, candidates your interviewer may have liked just a hair less than you. Don’l give these contenders the chance te come back off the canvas and beat you in the 1Sth round. Don’t get greedy or cute in your final negotiations. * Questions about relocation. You don’t want to bring these up before you're offered the position, but once the offer is extended, you will want to know the firm’s relocation policy. Are all relocation expenses paid? Just some? Does the firm have a policy regarding travel expenses to scout out a new home or living arrangement before you make the move? Again, don't make a federal case of these issues. Just raise them and find out what the employer believes is reasonable and fair The Right Way and the Wrong Way to “Close the Sale” at the End of Your Interview Many executive recruiters tell their clients (i.e., the ~ 40 -hiring companies) that if lwo candidates are more or less equally qualified, they should hire the person who wants the job more. This is because the two greatest predictors of success are inevitably: (1) a person's qualifications for the job, and (2) their motivation to do the job well. This means that you should always indicate that you would like to be hired. Salespeople call this closing the sale. But there are right ways and wrong ways to close the sale. Here’s the right way: At Lhe conclusion of the interview, you should try to close the sale with a three-part statement: 1. A summary of your qualifications, especially teilored to the potential employer's greatest needs. 2. An expression of your desire for the position. The best ways to express this interest without sounding too pushy or desperate would be with statements such ai A) “My approach to all my work is to give more than expected. This is what you can expect should you decide to hire me.” “Should you hive me, Ms. Kelly, T will not let you down.” B C) "Mr. Forsythe, it’s been my experience that the best candidates for any position are those who have the knowledge to do the job and who are highly motivated to do the job well. As I've tried to show in my resume and in my responses to your questions, I certainly have the knowledge to do the job well. And I assure you that no one is going to be more motivated than I in giving you \he outstanding results you seck from the person in this position.” (To appreciate how powerful these statements are in influencing the person with the authority to hire, try to remember your own hiring decisions when you were evaluating candidates. If there were several people with relatively equal credentials, wouldn’t you be most impressed with the candidate who sincerely uttered one of the above statements?) 3, An expression of your interest in how the procei willproceed, You don’t want to push too hard to force a commitment, but there's certainly no harm in asking, “What happens next?”...or, “Where do we go from here?” One final point about not pushing too hard. Believe it or not, some resume books advise you to close the sale the same way a hard-sell encyclopedia salesman might, saying something like, ‘Well, Mz, Smith, I think we have a perfect match here, I could start either on Monday the 15th, or Monday the 29th, Which would you prefer?" Even more incredibly, some executives have actually followed this idiotic advice, invariably with disastrous results. An executive job search is NOT the type of sale that can be closed with high pressure. To show your sincere interest in the position, stick with the three-part formula and specific phrases mentioned above, and you will strike the perfect balance. Finally, another extremely powerful tool for closing the sale is a well-crafted follow-up letter, one which again applies The Greatest Rxecutive Job-Finding Secret. That is, you will use the follow-up letter to thank the interviewer for the opportunity to discuss the position and then immediately review your understanding of the employer’s greatest want, desire or goal for the position. Then you will proceed to explain why you believe you are uniquely qualified to give him exactly what he wants most. Allow your follow-up letter to be as long as needed to paint a full picture of why you are so we]l-qualified to give him what he wants most. Even if you go to six pages, it’s fine. he more you tell, the more you sell. Remember that your potential employer is hungering for more information that will guide him in making a correct decision. This means he can’t get enough information about you and the other candidates he is considering. Don’t hold it back because some resume book says your follow-up letter shouldn't be longer than a page. This is utter nonsense. In professional direct mail, long letters invariably pull more orders than short letters because they give more information to help close the sale. The same holds true in follow-up letters for job openings. Nothing will rocket you on to the short list of final candidates, if not winning you the position itself, than a thorough, araWA-LE-EKUS 12156 KEUIN FANN siupdecDis raed thoughtful follow-up letter spelling out why you are uniquely qualified to meet the employer's greatest desires for the position. The Easiest Way to Get Better And Sharper with Every Interview... .+.is to conduct an easy-going self-examination afterward. You should do this as scon as possible after each interview, but definitely no later than the same evening. This should be an “easy-going” review because your objective here isn’t to beat yourself up and hurt your possibly already-wounded self-esteem. Keeping your spirits up and your self-esteem high are among the most important tasks of your job search. Rather, you want to take an objective, non-threatening look, as if you are doing it for a friend’s benefit, at what you did right, what might have gone better and, most importantly, how you could improve your presentation for the next go-round. Which case history stories could have been expressed more forcefully, more dramatically, more concisely? Which questions threw you off guard and how could you improve your answers? Every human activity gets better from practice and since you're playing a numbers game anyway, you're not going to worry too much about how any particular interview might: have gone. If you didn’t get this job, it only means that it wasn’t meant to be and there’s probably something even better in store for you. If you practice these easy-going self-evaluations after each interview, you will virtually assure yourself that bigger and better opportunities await you and, when they arrive, you will be ready with your best presentation ever.Wr Ld-ekAe 1156 KEIN FANN siusduedis wae Two More Points About Following Up After Each Interview 1, Don’t dally in providing requested material or information. If your interviewer asks you to forward additional information or material after your interview, provide it as quickly as possible. Many people in this world say they will do something, then don’t. You want to jump at this opportunity to prove you're among the few in the business world who will actually do whal you say you will. So do it in a hurry. Every passing day will brand you as less and less reliable. 2, Always follow up an interview with a letter. How to Make the Final Cut (How to Get Invited Back for the Second and Third Interview, and Then Be Selected as the #1 Choice) You'll hardly ever be hired for an executive position on the basis of one interview alone. But the dynamics of second and third interviews are somewhat different from first interviews. Let's see how.... First, before any second or third interview, you should once again review all the information regarding first interviews presented already in this report. All of these rules still apply, plus a few more we'll now cover. Second, you should realize that the odds of success are much greater in your second interview. About sixty percent of the time, when an executive is invited back for a second interview, he or she is virtually certain to be offered the job. So the very fact that you are invited back for a second interview is extremely favorable. But you're not yet a lock, Success in the second interview actually begins at the end of the first. Before your first interview is over, ask for any material that you don’t have: annual reports, product information, brochures, catalogs, anything else that may have come up during your first interview. Then make it your business to study these materials as if the job offer depended on it.In addition to your further preparation, map out your strategy for the second interview. Realize that since you have been invited back, you've made the first cut and have obviously done a number of things right. Figure out what these were. Think hard about why this company seems to want you and build your follow-up plans around the conclusions you reach. Especially bear in mind, and be ready to address, the greatest wants, desires, priorities and goals you have uncovered, and why you have such outstanding credentials for meeting then. You can also assume that your first interviewer is now likely to be on your side and feeling a little more friendly, a little more comfortable about you. Don’t be afraid to seek his or her guidance on how you can succeed in your follow-up interviews. Asking his advice will win him tc your side even further, and if he's cooperative, he can give you extremely insightful guidance on how to succeed from here. Don’t be afraid to ask him about the identities of the people you will meet on your follow-up interviews, and what each may be looking for in the hiring decision. You should also realize that since you obviously did well your first time out, you now want to repeat the pattern with each new person you meet. Before your second interview, mentally review what you did well during your first interview and plan how you can repeat and build upon that performance. Should you meet with a group, treat each person with respect and make eye contact with all parties. Take no one for granted. Assume that everyone you meet has the power to turn thumbs up or down on your candidacy. Believe it or not, we've sometimes seen a recently-hired management intern, invited to sit in on a group discussion merely as a courtesy, make the most influential comment in turning the tide against a senior manager's candidacy. Remember that second and third interviews go into more depth about the position than the first interviews. So be especially prepared to show why you are a problem solver that can help this company with its specific needs. But also remember not to use Lhe word “problem” in describing the company’s needs. Use “challenges,” “goals” or “priorities” instead.Also use the second and third interviews to ask questions based on the information you've already gathered. Ask questions about the nature of your role in the company, the company’s commitment to your division, department or project, the opportunity for growth in your position, the scope of everything that this job entails and any other questions of concern to you in determining whether this position is a good fit for you as well as for the company. At the end of each interview, make sure that each key “hiring authority” knows you are interested in the position. You can do this with the three-part method described above or, more simply, with a short statement of your definite and enthusiastic interest in the position. When you are offered a position, don’t feel pressured to say yes or no on the spot, In general, you should never accept or reject an offer on the spot. Accepting immediately can make you appear desperate. Feel free to allow yourself 24 hours and, if you wish, 48 hours to weigh the pros and cons and talk it over with your family. However, as with all rules and guidelines, there may be an occasional exception, a time when it’s clear to both you and the hiring company that this is an outstanding opportunity, that you both want the match to take place and have already talked through all the relevant issues. In these rare cases, when both your heart and head are screaming "Yes! Go for it! Take it!,” go with your judgment and close the sale on the spot. - 46 -wac11-ewRs 1155/ KRULN FANN siupduc>i8s rise ‘The 12 Easiest Ways to Make Yourself More Likable to Any Interviewer No matter what your qualifications, be sure of this: no one is going to hire someone he or she doesn’t like. So in a strange and terribly unfair way, your likability | is perhaps the single most important factor in getting hired once you reach the i interview stage. | This is understandable in one sense, because your boss is likely to spend as much | time with you as with his or her spouse. Compatibility is essential. | ‘Tips on being more likable to any interviewer: 1 Leave the obituary face at home. Most people are understandably tense before an interview. Don’t let this tension reflect itself in a frown or stern look. It makes you | unlikable and threatening. Look at the interview as an opportunity to meet anew and likable friend. 2. Be positive. Almost everyone dislikes negative people, and almost everyone likes positive people. For this reason, don’t say anything negative about anybody or anything in your interview. Try to be as positive as you can about all things that you ‘talk about, 3, Almost all people like confident people, and dislike weak, self-doubting, suspicious, confused people. | 4, Almost everyone likes someone with a pleasant manner, a ready smile and a good / sense of humor. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should tell ethnic jokes or do your Richard Nixon imitation, 5. All people like goal-oriented people, and dislike those without focus or direction. 6, Almost all people like other people who are honest and straightforward and dislike people who seem to be otherwise. 7, Almost all people like others who show a genuine interest in them and enhance their sense of importance, respect and self esteem. They dislike those, sometimes intensely, who in any way slight their sense of self respect. 8. Most important of all, people like others who like them, and dislike others who project feelings of suspicion or dislike. TIP: Make a genuine effort in your interview, as early on as possible, to find something you genuinely like about your interviewer, Don'tbe afraid to compliment the office decor, the building or anything else that can be complimented. Any sincere compliment or genuinely-felt liking of something | about the interviewer will come across and the interviewer will like you in return. | 9, Almost all people like others who are good-natured and open, and dislike those who come across as suspicious and wary. | 10. Almost everyone likes other people who are down-to-earth, and dislike those (iaciiaastaeeseese Sage[Who are haughty. Of course, you may not be haughty, but your behavior may make it Seem s0. For example, if you let the interviewer carry the burden of doing all the talking, of treating him or her as if they are the host and you are the honored guest, |youmay well seem aloof and unfriendly. 111. Almost all people like others who are interesting, and dislike those who are boring, To be more interesting, talk about what you find interesting, as long as it's relevant to the conversation at hand. 12 Almost all people like others who take responsibility and don’t blame others, Good luck in your job search!—The editors2D ere