JOB SEARCH MANUAL

The main source for this section is Hire Power, by Irv Zukerman (1993)

We tend to think only of our own nervousness in job interviews, but most interviewers are not trained and have a significant stake in finding the right individual for the job. A wrong decision can result in lost profit, lowered morale, and valuable time.

An attack of nerves is normal. After all, this is an important event in your life. The section on preparation will help reduce this unpleasant aspect. If the interview is with a Contact, you have a significant inside track because you have met before. Your contact already feels comfortable with you and knows you meet most if not all the job criteria.

1. For You

The risks for you are Rejection, Indecision, Self-Doubt and, Knocking the Opportunity.

Rejection, particularly if it is one of a series of rejections you've had lately, can be the worst. Sure, it's nothing personal. The form letter will explain that there were others who seemed more qualified and that your resume will he kept on file.

Indecision is part of the inevitable playback that follows rejection. It begins during the elevator ride after the interview when you begin to assess how you made out. When the promised time for a callback slips by, that indecision becomes magnified. Should you call the Decision-Maker? Would that be considered "pushy?' Should you continue to look for a job elsewhere? Then, what happens if this one (the one you really want) comes through?

Self-doubt sets in. Are you really as good as you think you are? Do you have all that much to offer to a potential employer? In its most advanced stage, self-doubt can lead you to wonder if you were cut out for this line of work in the first place. And all because the interview didn't go your way!

So, to defend yourself, you begin to Knock the Opportunity. It wasn't such a good job after all. The commute is terrible. The neighborhood? Worse. The job itself--a dead end. And boring. And who, in his or her right mind, would want to work for that Decision-Maker? Not being chosen was the best thing that could have happened to you. (Hold on a minute--was that the phone?)

2. For the Decision-Maker

The Decision-Maker is looking for the right person to fill the job. That person, once hired, could brighten his/her future by taking on a share of the workload, by helping to improve productivity, and might even facilitate a promotion for the Decision-Maker!

But the Decision-Maker's risks are Responsibility, Insecurity, Self-image, and Knowledge of Everything but How to Interview. Responsibility is something that everybody has to somebody. This is never more true than when a Decision-Maker is choosing an addition to the staff. Responsibility to superiors for the quality of the decision is pretty obvious. Then there is responsibility to those within the organization who feel they should have the opportunity and have applied for the job. Dissension could spread the message that the Decision-Maker isn't much of a manager.

Which is where Indecision rears its ugly head. Does the Decision-Maker take the safe route and hire someone within the profile recommended by management or someone with a personal recommendation, if available? For now there appears to be more concern with how you make the organization look today than how you can help it to look in the future. That's why Knowledge of Everything but How to Interview is such a handicap in making the most productive choice. Decision-Makers rarely consider interviewing a skill requiring training, thus the likelihood is that both you and the interviewer will be amateurs.

How can you tell? The biggest giveaway is when the interviewer's first question is, "Tell me about yourself." A whole section is given below on how to get the most from job interviews. Remember: you are both at risk and you both have things you want to accomplish in the interview.

B. AGENDAS

The overall agenda is to explore a fit between the experience and abilities of the candidate and the present or future needs of the company.

1. Your Agenda

• To present your experience and abilities to the employer in the most relevant manner.
• To get the company excited about the possibility of hiring you.
• To assess the company re: your own needs.

2. Interviewer's Agenda:

• To get a clear picture of the candidate's experience and strengths.
• To define accurately the usefulness of this candidate against the company's needs.
• To evaluate candidate against others with similar backgrounds.

3. Subjective/Intangible Criteria

While directly related job skills are usually obvious and relatively easy for you to demonstrate and the interviewer to determine, many hiring decisions, especially at senior levels, are based more on the following intangible areas:

You would rarely attend a key business meeting without considerable thought and preparation. Successful interviews result from similar careful preparation.

1. Anticipate the agenda

• A first interview can be expected to last 30-60 minutes.
• Assessment of you have to offer.
• Looking at possibilities of a fit for both parties.
• Analyze the interviewer's needs.

2. Provide pertinent information

• What have you done? The interviewer needs a clear indication of what you know and what you have done to picture how the organization can use you.
• How well did you perform and what were the results of your efforts, i.e. the impact on the organizations goals (increased sales, reduced complaints, etc.)?
• What are your values and attitudes? What turns you on? What do you find challenging? These questions will give him some indication of how you would fit with their potential situation.
• What do you want to do? Can they give you responsibilities that will be challenging to you?

3. Research the Company

Try to get information on the company before the interview through reading and your contacts. Worksheet #21 provides an Interview Planning Form as a summary of information about the company that you want to remember going into an interview. Every job interview is unique, so the worksheet also helps you work out an approach to the specific job vacancy.

Decide:

• What impression you want to make.
• What you plan to cover in experience and accomplishments.
• What examples you will use to validate these accomplishments.
• How you will add colour to your examples.
• What you are looking for.
• How you will handle the first casual salary inquiry.
• How you will describe your future aspirations.

4. Develop Presentation Material

Relying on the interviewer's questions to prompt you is a poor idea since few hiring managers are skillful interviewers. You will impress better if you show your clear thinking by being able to present the relevant information without prodding.

1. Capsule Profile
   This is a capsule statement defining how you want to be seen. It is built around your achievements that are the most relevant to the company. (1-2 minutes)

2. Career Overview
   A chronological overview of previous periods or positions. Name companies and your titles if they are relevant to the position. (2-3 minutes)

3. Proof of Suitability
   Salesmen often use a "brag book" to illustrate their product's story. You are selling yourself, so build a ring binder with the following:
   1. letters from superiors attesting to your work habits, work skills, and work achievements.
   2. Documents that specifically quantify the results you have achieved: sales increased, errors reduced, time saved, business expanded, etc.
   3. Records of educational or work accomplishments that show you're a fast and efficient learner.
   4. Samples of the kind of work you've done that best demonstrate your skills.

4. Answers to Common Questions
   The good interviewer is trained to ask open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no answer. Unfortunately, most interviewers are not adept at interviewing so in the next session we've suggest a strategy that helps both you and the interviewer arrive at their mutual destination--deciding if the job is right for you.

   However, some interviewers have a list of prepared questions and are unwilling to deviate. You should be prepared to give good answers to common questions. Appendix G includes many frequently asked questions. Take this appendix with you to review before interviews. Such preparation greatly reduces nervousness.

1. Physical Behaviour:

Studies show that most hiring decisions are made in the first five minutes of the interview. Obviously the interviewer hasn't had time to thoroughly explore your qualifications, but five minutes is long enough to gain a positive or negative impression based on appearance, speech, attitude, and composure.

1. Your dress and appearance must be beyond reproach. Dress reinforces your attitude towards the interview. It can be used to great advantage. The way you dress and groom yourself tells a lot about what kind of person you are. Always dress appropriately for the position you are applying for. If you are applying for a position in an office, wear professional office attire. If you are applying for a position as a labourer, wear work clothing. Your research on the company should indicate if you can wear casual clothing.

2. Use a firm handshake and hold it just long enough to establish a sense of equality. After all, you have a high quality product to offer the employer--yourself!

3. Always speak in an articulate, clear manner! Even if your everyday speech is more relaxed, use proper grammar and avoid slang. Never swear.

4. You must have eye contact. Failure to look your interviewer in the eye is a serious detractor. It is usually a sign of fear or timidity. Also, you will miss the interviewer's signals of approval, boredom, doubt, or disagreement. While interviewers seldom say anything aloud, they do telegraph their reactions constantly by their facial expressions. Adjust to the interviewer's non-verbal expressions. Keep the interviewer involved by looking him/her directly in the eye.

5. Pay close attention to your body movements. This would include gestures, facial expressions, posture, manner of walking and general use of the body. It is helpful to follow two basic principles when working on body movements. Whatever the movement, it should be natural and meaningful.

6. Gestures should arise from genuine impulse to clarify or give emphasis, but at the same time they must be unobtrusive; they must support the stated idea rather than detract from it by drawing attention to themselves.

7. Composure. Almost everyone suffers from an attack of nerves. The subsequent feeling of butterflies, weak knees, shaking hands is due to sudden increase in the adrenaline flow in the body. This natural body state often incapacitates you because you are trying to control it, to avoid letting it show to others. The more you try to control these reactions, the less time you spend on thinking and managing yourself. Admit you're nervous. Most interviewers are, too. Deep breathing often helps to restore calmness.

2. Taking the Lead

The central idea is to reduce the level of risk for both parties involved in the interview. Remember some compromise on both sides will be necessary.

The most usual opening question, "Tell me about yourself." usually has you floundering as you try to read the interviewer's mind as to what is important. Imagine instead:

You: (Opening your case and taking out your neatly arranged corer letter; resume, and yellow legal-size pad.) Thank you for taking the time to see me, Mr. Deems. As I explained in the material I sent you, the after market industry may have a particular need for the kind of timely, accurate data flow I can achieve--like the branch reporting program I designed that helped to improve productivity by twenty-five percent. But to make sure, may I ask just one question?

a. How to ask the one question that puts you and the Decision-Maker on the same side.

As you already know, the best way to start a conversation that reduces stress is to ask a question that is easy to answer. The best way to reduce the stress on yourself is to rehearse what you are going to say and do until you at least appear confident and relaxed. Since the Decision-Maker knows the criteria by which he/she will select the person for this job and you wish to know them, a natural, stress-lowering question would be:

You: By what criteria will you select the person for this job?

Sound familiar? It should. It's just a slight variation on the question you asked for information interviews.

Once again, you've asked a question about a topic with which the Decision-Maker should be comfortable. By doing so, you've reduced the stress. And when you reduce the stress of a job interview you reduce the R-I-S-K factor.

b. How to listen to answers and record them

Here's where you might get a little nervous. Taking notes during a CONTACT CONVERSATION is OK because you're doing research and would be expected to record the information. But at a JOB INTERVIEW? This is the one for all the marbles. Why take notes here? And suppose the Decision-Maker doesn't welcome the idea of someone taking notes?

To note or not to note is easily decided. Simply ask, "Do you mind if I take notes?"

c. The Process

1. 1. Assuming a positive response, you are now in a listening role. Take notes in this manner:
   • draw a line down the middle of the page
   • block print "CRITERIA" at the top left
   • number and print the criteria on the left hand side, leaving lots of room between items
   • on the right hand side, note the ways you will prove you meet the criteria, e.g. parts of your brag book
   • don't interrupt the interviewer for clarification--time enough for that later

2. When the interviewer runs down, suggest some more criteria that balance the scale in your favour. These may include the intangibles such as: dedication, hard-working, job-oriented, works well under pressure, and gets work done on time.

3. Read back to the interviewer the list of criteria. Give him/her an opportunity to add or rephrase anything.

4. Clarify anything that is not clear to you, for instance, strange terms or acronyms. You may also ask about such things as, "WILLING TO WORK OVERTIME FREQUENTLY." You have a right to ask, "How much overtime and how frequently?"

5. Now you are ready to make your own presentation. The key is to keep it S-H-O-R-T (about 90 seconds for all the following).
   • S - Select the criterion. Start with one that make a strong lead.
   • H - Highlight the work history that best meets the criterion. For best impact, borrow from your achievement statements. This is where practice really pays off.
     
   • O - Offer proof. Anybody can say they've done something--you have proof in your brag book. Use it at every opportunity.
     
   • R - Relate your skills to the job. Show how what you have done can help the Decision-Maker achieve his/her objectives.
     
   • T - Test the effectiveness by asking for the interviewer's reaction, e.g. "Is this what you're after?" "How does that compare with what you had in mind?" "How well does that meet the criteria?"

d. How to negotiate criteria you can't meet

There are three basic ways;

1. Signal a competent, confident attitude in the way you determine the criteria by which the Decision-Maker will select the person for this job. This permits you to capitalize on that positive atmosphere in order to add enough criteria to balance those you can't meet.

2. Make the most of every criterion you can meet with the kind of S-H-O-R-T presentation that gets you a positive response to your test question.

3. Use each criterion you can't meet as the basis for negotiation rather than a confession.

Suppose you were on top of every criterion with one exception. You were not familiar with desk-top publishing. You recognized the names of the programs but that was the extent of your expertise. You have a choice. You can confess and throw yourself on the mercy of the court;

You: I'm sorry but when it comes to desk-top publishing, about all I know is the names of the programs you mentioned.

Or, you can convert your "can't do" into an opportunity to negotiate. This means that after a series of S-H-O-R-T presentations of all the criteria you could meet, you'd make an offer:

You: Another criteria on your list is FAMILIAR WITH DESK-TOP PUBLISHING. From what you've learned about me so far how long do you think it would take a person with my skills to master desk-top publishing?

Where does the offer come in? It depends on the Decision-Maker's answer. For example, suppose the response is that all you would have to know about desk-top would be enough to edit the work of others, and that you could pick it up in a few weeks.

No offer necessary. In fact, the criterion you could not meet has been reduced in weight. The balance is easier to attain. But suppose the answer made the criterion a heavy one requiring an extensive learning curve--even for a fast learner like you. You'd have to make an offer:

You: Suppose, for the three months you feel it would take for me to get up to speed, we negotiate a lower starting salary. Then, after I have mastered the system, we could review it. OK?

The Decision-Maker who is interested in buying the most skills for the least money would find that an attractive offer. He might insist that your learning be done on your own time so that it does not interfere with your other responsibilities. He might insist you take outside training which requires that you pay a tuition. Whatever the case, most everything is negotiable.

E. Frequently Asked Questions

A: There are a number of possibilities. If the person is the screener; he or she may be responding to the "will you select" phrase in your question. That is, they know the criteria by which you make it to the Decision-Maker, but they don't know the deciding criteria because they won't be making the decision. If that happens, it's perfectly proper to amend the question to determine by what criteria people will be selected for the short list.

Another possible response is that only the Decision-Maker (generally, there's a name here--make a note of it) can answer that question. This is your opportunity to either ask what criteria will decide who gets on the short list or to ask for the opportunity to get the criteria on which the final decision will rest directly from the Decision-Maker.

Q: What if the Decision-Maker refuses to answer the question? Suppose the Decision-Maker says that he or she wishes to ask the questions--not listen to yours, and then you get the tell me about yourself routine?

A: You have a choice here. Remember, this is not a contest of wills with the Decision-Maker. You could take a moment to explain why you're asking the question:

You: I'm sorry. Perhaps I failed to make dear why I was asking that question. It was to help us both.. If you tell me your criteria, you will be sure to get all the information about my background that you need. And I will be sure to cover all the essential points.

Or you could forget all your efforts up to this point and take the chance that telling about yourself would be on target. It's your call.

Q: What if there's more than one Decision-Maker and you have to go from interview to interview as you move up the ladder? Do you ask each Decision-Maker the same question about their criteria?

A: Yes. But you let them know the results of the previous interview:

You; When I met with Mr. Deems, he was kind enough to explain the job in terms the following criteria. (Review your notes briefly) Is there anything you feet should be added?

At this point, Decision-Maker #2 could choose to approve the list or add a few thoughts of his/her own. In case of the latter, you would add them to your list. Some of them may be in need of further definition, so you ask for more information. When that's done, you're ready to tell about yourself in terms of your updated list of criteria.

Q: What if the criteria have already been established by the ad or the headhunter? How could you ask about something you already know?

A: You can count on there being more criteria than fit into an ad or head-hunter's outline. At the start of the interview, your yellow legal-size pad would already have a listing (block printed with the necessary space intervals, of course) of the criteria you know about. Then it's just a matter of adding the other criteria:

You: According to your ad (agency), the job calls for the following criteria. (Review your notes.) Is there anything you feel should be added?

Q: What is the reason for leaving the right-hand side of the pad blank?

A: The right-hand side of the pad is your control area. You use it to make sure you've covered each criterion by placing a check mark next to it as you begin. This will encourage you to refer to your notes and thereby keep the conversation on track.

If time permits, or you know some criteria from an ad, you can also use the right side to remind you of the points to mention in your SHORT presentation.

You also use the right-hand side to note any further reaction to your presentation. For example, your question to test the effectiveness of your presentation may generate more than an approval. You may hear additional details about that phase of the job. Note them. Or, you may hear a correction of your impression of the job. Note it. The more you know about the job, the better your chance of getting it.

E. IF NO IMMEDIATE JOB IS AVAILABLE

1. Other Job Leads

If the interviewer says that no positions are available at this time or that you are not qualified for the available job, ask about job leads at other places. Write down the name and address of the company as well as the name and the telephone number of the person you should contact. Obtain as many of these leads as you can. The interviewer will have become fairly familiar with your skills and will usually be able and very willing to tell you about other job possibilities.

2. Part-time Job

Tell the interviewer you would be interested in a part-time job if no jobs are available. Part-time jobs often develop into full-time jobs in a short period.

3. Call Back

Before you leave, tell the interviewer you would like to call in a few days to learn of the decision. By calling back, you will make certain that you have not missed out on a job because of some unforeseen problem in contacting you. Ask when it would be convenient for you to call back. Also, if the employer has narrowed the choice down to a small number of equally qualified applicants, your call may well result in your being chosen rather than the others. If you learn during your call back that you were not chosen, you can still use that opportunity to ask for other job leads. As you leave, be sure to thank the interviewer and repeat your desire to hear from him/her soon. Make sure you smile. Have good eye contact, shake his/her hand, and tell him/her you enjoyed your interview.

Activity Twenty-eight - Conducting a Job Interview

Get together with members of your support group and role play job interviews with a variety of types of interviewers: easy, tough, helpful, terse. Prepare yourself for any contingency.

Check off this activity on your summary.

F. FOLLOW UP

1. Interview Overview

Every job interview deserves a follow up letter, fax or e-mail. Get it to the interviewer with no more than a two day delay. The following is an example letter:

A follow-up letter or thank you letter after every meeting or interview serves two purposes. It keeps your name, qualifications and candidacy in the forefront. It also provides another opportunity for you to sell yourself.

The letter should mention the necessary qualifications that the employer had mentioned. Show genuine interest in the organization and the position. Emphasize some of your expertise which will apply to the position. Suggest you would like to continue discussions and will follow-up with a phone call. Additional interviews may be required before you convince the Decision-Maker that you are right person, so take the initiative and offer to meet again.

2. Getting more than a rejection

When you don't get a job, especially one you really wanted, it's natural to be depressed. But consider the process a dress rehearsal. Where one door closes, another opens. The important thing is to gain from the experience. If the interviewer phones you the bad news, ask some questions, such as:

• I'd like to learn from this experience and I'd value your advice.
• What were the key factors that made you decide?
• May I ask what you thought were my strong points?
• How do you feel I could have presented myself better?
• What should I have added?
• What should I have left out?

And, of course, always ask for other leads:

I gained a great deal of information during our conversation, but obviously I need more preparation. Is there anyone you know to whom I should talk? Of course, I won't use your name without your permission.

If you are notified by mail, put these same points in a letter, ending with:

Before you can evaluate a salary offer, you must know two vital pieces of information:

1. The "going rate" for the occupation in your area. Your information interviews are one source of this information. The library or local government employment centre may also provide a range.

2. How much you need to maintain your lifestyle. It's no use accepting a job that doesn't provide the life you want because you will soon be looking for another position. Just make sure your desired salary is in line with industry rates. As painful as it might be, you may have to adjust your lifestyle in line with reasonable expectations.

Each employer has its own policy regarding wages. A union environment is the strictest and there is seldom any room for negotiation unless your qualifications can place you higher than the starting point on a salary grid. On the other hand, union rates are no secret, so you never wonder if someone else is getting more for the same job. Companies with nationwide or international branches often allow the local offices some leeway in hiring ranges. Small companies often try to get the most for their money and may even make the final decision based on who will accept the lowest wage. Generally speaking, the higher the education and experience level of the job, the more opportunity for salary negotiation.

If you can avoid it, never discuss salary until the end of the interview process, after they have definitely said they want you. If you are asked earlier, you might respond with a diplomatic attempt to postpone the question:

You: I'll gladly discuss that, but could you first help me to understand what the job involves?

If that doesn't work or is inappropriate, answer with a range, not a single figure. Your research should indicate the industry range for the job, so your answer should be at the top end of the range. Typically, the interviewer will be forthright enough to indicate whether or not you are in the ball park. Watch closely for body language that can give clues as how appropriate your answer was. If the interviewer demands a single figure and guffaws when you give it, chances are the interview will wrap up quickly. If you still think you want to work for that company, be bold enough to ask what the employer thinks the job is worth and indicate a willingness to negotiate.

Whenever the question does arise, if you can avoid it, don't be the first to mention a figure. This can be very difficult, but well worth it in the end. The best strategy is to jokingly throw the ball back into the interviewer's court.

You: Well, you created the position, so you must have a figure in mind, and I'd be interested in knowing what that is.

If they've decided they want you, this statement can be pulled off with a smile and a twinkle in your eye. If the interviewer is honest with you, there should be no need to disguise the fact that you are now in the middle of a negotiation, a form of human combat with its own peculiar rules. The first rule is that they give their lowest figure first and you give your highest. If either party jumps at the first figure mentioned, the other party usually kicks himself, thinking he could have gotten a better deal. For both to feel satisfied, a middle figure must be reached. Assuming you successfully hold out and they make an offer first, there are a number of possible scenarios:

H. THE JOB OFFER

Congratulations!! All your hard work has finally paid off. You have a job offer but before you accept an offer, review your career goals and the materials you used to create your resume. Does this offer meet all your needs? Does it satisfy enough of your goals to make it worthwhile. If it does, go for it. If it doesn't, hard as it may seem, you should probably not accept it. You are likely to be looking again in a short period of time. You don't want to have the reputation as a "job hopper."

To return to the page you were on before this page, click the BACK button in your browser.

Website design © 1997-2008 by SunRaye Enterprises

Email: service at sunraye.com.