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.
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:
Conversing and Connecting
“It occurs to me that our survival may depend
upon our talking to one another.”
~ Dan Simmons, Hyperion
I agree with author Simmons’s pithy observation. Of course, there are many types of survival. Learning how to turn strangers into strong relationships will make you a survivor of the networking circuit!
This week I’d like to focus on getting in and out of groups and conversations gracefully.
Balancing Mingling with Food & Drink
"Sometimes, idealistic people are put off the whole business of
networking as something tainted by flattery and
the pursuit of selfish advantage. But virtue in obscurity
is rewarded only in Heaven. To succeed in this world
you have to be known to people" ~ Sonia Sotomayor
A networking event should be approached in the same manner that you would a job interview. Prepare, dress and behave as though you will meet your future boss, because that could very well happen.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou
Attributing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as from other sources such as the 2011 study conducted by Right Management, which is part of Manpower Group (Forbes, June, 7, 2011), career and employment professionals have generally concluded that the percentage of jobs that are attained through networking range anywhere between 40%-80%. The truth is probably closer to 40%, but that is still a huge number and indicates that at least half of one’s time and energies should be devoted to networking.
"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.).
“A good reference can seal the deal for a candidate.”
~ Shawn VanDerziel,
Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief of Staff at Chicago’s Field Museum (Renowned U.S. natural history museum and home base of the celebrated archaeologist / adventurer of the Indiana Jones movies)
A key element of the job search is one’s references; yet candidates often fail to give this component the attention it deserves. Neglecting to research, update and nurture your references can trip you up just as you’re about to cross the finish line.
"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.
“Today you are You, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
~ Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!
Now that you have completed your prototype resume that you will customize for each position to which you apply, and have an understanding of the principles of the cover letter (see the previous three guest posts by Lyn Nelson), let’s turn now to your positioning statement. This composition is also referred to as your 30-second elevator pitch because it should be short and concise enough to recite between floors as you are riding up or down in an elevator – because you never know when you will run into someone important and you only have a few seconds to take advantage of the opportunity to make your case.
I consider it a good rule for letter-writing to leave unmentioned
what the recipient already knows,and instead tell him something new.
~Sigmund Freud
Guest Post by Lyn Nelson
Now that we've addressed your most important job search tool in Five Steps to a Modern, Effective Resume and Putting Together Your Resume, this post is about your resume's right hand man - the cover letter.
Jeanne Nelson 