Category: Interviewing

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 10 – The Interview Lunch

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The Luncheon Interview

 

 “The world was my oyster but I used the wrong fork.” 
~Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde's quotation is a metaphor for the choices he made. Its meaning for you is although you've made it this far, all can be forfeited if you fail the final test that many employers require: a demonstration of your table manners. Many positions require attendance at meetings and events that involve dining; exhibiting top-notch table manners proves that you can be trusted to represent the company well. In a close race, the smallest details can reveal the victor.

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 8 – The Panel Interview

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The Panel Interview


Opportunity dances with those who are already on the dance floor.
~ H. Jackson Brown, Author, Life's Little Instruction Book

Panel interviews have become popular with many companies because it involves various stakeholders in the hiring process for a particular position and often cuts down on or eliminates the need for successive interviews. The panel interview can save time and money for everyone involved, including the candidate. 

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 7 – Connecting With the Interviewer

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Building Rapport with Your Interviewer

You want to work with people who you like
and have an easy rapport with.
~ Mike White, Writer, Actor, Producer

Building rapport with your interviewer is crucial to a successful outcome. You’ll recall that this is one of the 12 Hot Tips for Making A Show Stopper of a First Impression that I mentioned in a previous entry. 

The truth is people prefer to work with those they like and with whom they get along, identify and have something in common. With this principle in mind, the following dozen techniques, and some reminders, can help you to build rapport with your interviewer:   

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 5 – That First Impression

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12 Hot Tips for Making A Show Stopper of a First Impression


Be Nice to the Receptionist (see Tip 6) and 11 Other Hot Tips

As we continue our Job Search Series after a break for National Etiquette Week and a guest post last week by fellow business etiquette authority John Daly, today’s focus is on providing a show-stopper first impression at the company to which you are interviewing.  Here are a dozen tips and reminders to help you dazzle your interviewer, and progress to the second interview -- or to the job:

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 4 – What Men Should Wear

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What Men Should Wear

“Vestis virum facit.” ~ Erasmus (c. 1466-1536)

“What a strange power there is in clothing.”
~ Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

Regardless of the century in which one has lived clothes have always been important to a man’s image. Erasmus and Singer both recognized the authority and influence that dressing well commands. (I recently discovered that it was Erasmus, not Mark Twain, who first uttered the famous sentiment about clothes making the man!)

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 3 – What Women Should Wear

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What Women Should Wear

“Good clothes open all doors.” ~ Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) 

"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress;
dress impeccably and they remember the woman."
~ Coco Chanel (1883-1971) 

Thomas Fuller and the great Coco Chanel were right. There's no question of the importance of clothes to one’s image, no matter your age or the circumstances. It's no different in the workplace, where your brand will help you to gain respect, admiration and career advancement. There are few more important occasions when the way you dress will help determine your future than the job interview. Consequently, an investment of thought, time and a little money will be essential to your success.

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 2 – Prep

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Interview Prep

“One important key to success is self-confidence.
An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” – Arthur Ashe

In a recent poll of chief financial officers nearly half said that job candidates make the most mistakes during the interview. Swell, you say, just what I needed to hear. But, you needn’t worry; if you adopt the tips and techniques offered in this Job Search Series, you’ll be better prepared -- and increase your confidence -- to nail the interview.

Job Search Series – Nailing the Interview – Part 1 – Types of Interviews

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Types of Interviews


“Besides getting several paper cuts in the same day or receiving the news that someone in your family has betrayed you to your enemies, one of the most unpleasant experiences in life is a job interview.” ~Lemony Snicket

It is my hope that Mr. Snicket will read the next few blog posts along with you so that he, too, might gain some snippets of advice that will help smooth the way to the job interview process. 

Let's start by taking a look at the various types of interviews you can expect to come across: 

Job Search Series – Telling Your Story

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"You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you
 had to overcome to reach your goals." ~ Booker T. Washington

An important element of your communications strategy is to identify and demonstrate to others your ability to get the job done through stories about your accomplishments.  Employers, as well as recruiters and others who can connect you to employers, want to know about your problem-solving, leadership and team building skills and these can aptly be portrayed through stories that may be told at job interviews as well as -- when appropriate -- networking events, casual conversations and correspondence (cover letters, follow up thank-you letters, etc.). 

Job Search Series – Going For The Gold

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"Not that you root for failure," Vasgersian said,
 "but he needs one more crash to guarantee a spot in the next round."
 ~ NBC 2014 Winter Olympics Announcer Matt Vasgersian   

The above-captioned statement was uttered during the men’s freestyle aerial ski jumps last week in Sochi during the play-by-play commentary. The speculation was that for American Mac Bohonnon to qualify for the finals one of his competitors would have to make a mistake, thereby making Mr. Bohonnon’s point score sufficient. No sooner were these words spoken when Renato Ulrich of Switzerland took his turn at the aerials and crashed.