Whether you are an accountant, virtual assistant, or a corporate executive, your job skills are constantly refined. A new sales presentation you’ve organized or the new spreadsheet package you’ve mastered should be included on your r
Tags: career, cover letter, job seekers, resume
Have you ever been on a date where you had nothing in common so you spent your time asking questions about the other person’s past?
“Where did you work before that? Where did you grow up? Where did you move to after that? How many brothers do you have?”
You get the idea. Your brain is in escape mode and your mouth is simply buying time until you can leave.
Many people find themselves in the same situation at interviews and spend all their time talking about the past, trying to defend their resume. This a really bad sign and if you find it happening to you then you’re probably not going to get the job.
But there is a devastatingly simple way you can turn the interview around.
What if you asked this question instead:
“You want to hire someone to make something *happen* - so what is it you want to have happen from this job?”
Asking an employer what outcome or what they want to happen from this job completely turns the interview around and an interviewer or employer will start to tell you what they want… Now you can give them examples from your PAST (your resume) that demonstrate you can deliver the outcomes the employer is looking for.
Now instead of talking about your past, you can now talk about your potential.
Now instead of giving the usual staid examples of how you handled a bad situation with a customer, you can talk about the job itself, and the challenges these guys are trying to overcome. You can then take them by the hand and reassure them that not only is your past not your potential but you’ll show them how your talents, skills and experience can deliver all they’re looking for and MORE.
Not bad, eh?
There’s one caveat on this approach though. When you ask the “what do you want to have happen” question of the interviewer, they may not know the answer!
This can be especially true of HR people who spend their days thinking up hard interview questions and have NO idea that the people they hire are the fuel for their company’s growth and innovation. If you were to ask the manager of a hotel restaurant what they want to happen when they hire a waiter you’ll get a totally different response than if you ask the same question to the HR manager of the hotel.
Nonetheless, asking “What do you want to have happen if you hire me for this job?” gives you a fantastic opportunity to talk about the job and the challenges they’re facing.
Hopefully the person you will be working for will be in the interview as well, but if it’s just the HR people then ask the question and explore their answers. More than likely there will be a second interview in which case you’ll most probably be interviewed by your potential manager. Make sure you ask them what THEY want to have happen and explore the answer with them.
So, before you head off to your next interview, make sure you print a piece of paper with the question “What do you want to make happen” printed on it and space to make notes underneath. (Yes! You are allowed to take notes in with you and to ask questions! Hard to believe I know!)
This simple thing will turn you into a candidate that stands apart and commands respect.
Hi - I’m a marketing junkie who gets off on helping job seekers find their talent at my site http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com. I’m also a paraglider pilot to which people suggest I have a death wish but to me it’s more of a life wish.
Tags: application, career, cover letter, employment, job, resumePreparing for an interview over the phone is primarily a mental exercise, and something that is easy to prepare for. It is the second impression that you will make on a hiring decision maker - the first impression was obviously made for you by your resume and cover letter, and must have been positive, or you would not have this interview appointment. That being the case, it is worth while to prepare for it and be ready to put your best foot forward.
Step one in getting yourself mentally prepared is to rehearse. Practice in front of the mirror, or with a friend or your spouse listening to you, asking questions and playing the part of the interviewer. Make a list of questions you expect the interviewer to ask and have good answers prepared, but have them on the top of your head in general and not memorized. Memorized answers can sound canned and not real, and will not help you. You need to appear genuine and real.
Step two is preparing and practicing two or three ideas that you want to get across to the interviewer as to why you are the right person for this job. If you are having trouble thinking of ideas, read your resume again. Look for the key points, qualifications or accomplishments you have written, and be ready to discuss them.
Step three is to think of what you can do for the company. The hiring manager really doesn’t care why you would like the job; he cares about how you can help his company if you are hired.
Step four is, on the morning of the interview get dressed. Wear the same clothes when you are on the phone that you would wear if you were in front of the interviewer in person. Dress for success and your attitude will reflect it. Dress in your pajamas or an old sweat shirt and your attitude may reflect that as well.
Step five is to smile. Smiles are contagious, even if they can’t be seen. Good salesmen know this and practice smiling on the phone. There is something in your voice and attitude that is conveyed when you smile, and the person on the other end of the phone can sense it. There is truth in the old saying, “Smile and the world smiles with you.” It is basic human nature.
Step six is to speak clearly and enunciate. Use a good quality phone, a land line not a cordless. If at all possible do not use a cellular phone for the interview. Crackling noises are distractions and bad cell sites, leading to dropped calls, are a negative. You only want positives during your phone interview.
Step seven is the interview itself. Relax, be yourself and do your best. When it is over remember to thank the interviewer for his or her time, and offer to provide any other information they might need to make a decision. Be professional and you may well be rewarded with a job.
Are you guilty of sabotaging your own job search along with the
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