Telephone interviews are becoming more and more common these days. Travel can be expensive and companies are practicing tighter expense management. The phone interview is now seen as a valuable tool to help in narrowing down the playing field. Job hunters should keep one key thing in mind as they prepare for a phone interview. This is your opportunity to advance to the next step, the face to face interview, so make every second count! This is also an opportunity for the interviewer to narrow the field, so their intent is to find the talent they want and screen out those that don’t make the cut.
The interviewer will likely ask questions specific to your work experience, life experiences, availability, and salary requirements. Your job as an interviewee is to provide facts that support your resume and career ambitions. Wherever possible you should use quantifiable accomplishments in support of your work performance. It is important that you sound professional and not desperate.
Preparation is the key to success!
Make sure you schedule the phone interview at a time that you can be free of distractions. It is best to do this away from work. Make sure that if you are on a cell phone that you can be in an area with good coverage, clear sound, and do not do a phone interview while driving. If called for a surprise phone interview, try to reschedule. Your simple answer can be to indicate to the interviewer that this is not a time that you can give them your undivided attention. Suggest a couple of alternative times when you can be distraction free. Make sure you approach the phone interview with the same level of energy and enthusiasm as you would the face to face interview. Research, prepare, research and prepare!
Things to have READY:
• Pen, paper, calendar
• Research you have done on the company, competitors, and position
• Your resume and the job description
• Short list of questions
Questions you MUST be prepared to answer:
• Tell me what you know about our company and our products?
• How would you add value to our business? (Help us grow or improve)
• What is motivating you to make a career change?
• If relocation is necessary, are you committed to relocate and how soon?
• Where do you see your career heading in 5 years?
Keys that will lead to SUCCESS:
• Relax and be yourself, speak directly into the phone
• Confirm the interviewer’s name and company, ask for their title if you don't already know
• Make sure that you answer questions with a high level of enthusiasm, and take time listen and think carefully for your answer, then speak clearly
• Avoid yes or no answers; elaborate and be prepared to sell yourself
• If you need more time to think, say so, and ask them to repeat a question if you are unsure. (Repeating a question and asking for confirmation is a good way of showing that you are listening and also gives you time to think about an answer.)
• Close! Re-affirm your qualifications; express your interest in the position and the company. State that you would appreciate the opportunity to meet in person to further discuss this great opportunity.
Things to AVOID:
• Smoking, chewing gum, drinking, and eating during the interview
• Poorly performing headsets and phones
• Unprofessional voice mail recordings or ring tones (your “hold music” while the caller is waiting for you to answer)
• Talking badly about past employers, competitors, or supervisors
• Rambling, stuttering, cursing (limit such phrases/words as “um”, “like” “you know” or “I think”)
• Asking any questions about compensation or benefits
(Compensation should only come up at the end of the interview process, never at the phone interview or 1st face to face interview stage.) If the question is posed, simply state that you would expect to be compensated fairly based on the position responsibilities and expectations.
Follow-up after the phone interview:
• Make sure you obtain the phone number, address, and email of the company and interviewer
• Follow-up with the company within a few days with a thank you
• Use this follow-up to clarify any answers you felt maybe you could have expanded on better during the phone interview. Also this is a great time to re-emphasize your qualifications, ask additional questions, or provide additional quantifiable accomplishments that are not on your resume. Use this as an opportunity to re-state your interest in the position!
This all sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Perhaps if you don’t really want to take time to prepare, then you may not be all that interested in the new job and in most cases, this will likely be evident to the interviewer during the phone interview. Remember – Preparation is the key to success!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Develop Your Personal Brand
Having a good professional reputation is an obvious key to success, but many people don't take the time to nurture it, or they don't know how. We find it helpful to think about a reputation as a personal brand. Developing your own unique brand is considered not a luxury but an essential for future employability and success.
We work with corporate clients in the area of brand development, and we've identified the DNA that makes up a good brand. This DNA, the basis which guides the development of a brand, also applies to individuals as well as to products and organizations.
DNA is, coincidentally, an acronym. To get you started on your journey of ongoing individual brand development, contemplate these three concepts, which form a similar acronym:
Dependability
A good brand is consistent. With a good brand, there are never any unpleasant surprises. You can count on a brand to help you quickly sort through an unlimited list of options to identify "a sure thing." In the old days, there was a sales adage that went something like this: "Nobody ever got in trouble for purchasing IBM." If you aren't old enough to recall exactly what that meant, it alluded to the fact that IBM was not always the "best" or "most innovative" or "most anything" for that matter, but it was certainly a dependable brand.
“Are you an IBM of today? Can your family, friends, customers, or your supervisors rely on you to not only do what is expected, but always impress them with a little more? Are you on time, or the person that is always late? Do you show up to a meeting or event prepared, or do you throw things together in the last minute? Are you organized enough to get things done before deadlines, or do people need to remind you about the deadline?
For whatever that you decide distinguishes you in the marketplace of talent, make sure consistency is the bedrock of your brand.
Novelty
OK, so what makes you different? It's not enough to be as dependable as everyone or anyone else. Brands always have substantive identifiable differences -- perceptually if not in fact -- in the mind of the marketplace. Being a generalist isn't a bad thing, but being a generalist without any discernible specialized skills, abilities, or talents isn't a great thing, either.
Fortunately, in today’s business world, it’s easy to be novel. Simple things can make you stand out. For example, personally hand written “Thank you” notes, whether personal or business, are almost a forgotten tool, but they can be incredibly effective.
Attitude
Attitude isn’t only about being upbeat or happy. Attitude is also about your desire to help others and perform your job at a higher level. Do you call on a client with something in hand that can improve their business, or just go to ask for more orders? When you talk to a neighbor, do you offer to help, or complain about your work day? A big step in attitude is to add value to the person you’re with. Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s business or personal. If you focus on making sure each conversation helps the other party in some way instead of being all about yourself, you will definitely be recognized!
DNA - Dependability. Novelty. Attitude.
As a first step toward marketing yourself better, take some time soon to write out the DNA of your brand.
We work with corporate clients in the area of brand development, and we've identified the DNA that makes up a good brand. This DNA, the basis which guides the development of a brand, also applies to individuals as well as to products and organizations.
DNA is, coincidentally, an acronym. To get you started on your journey of ongoing individual brand development, contemplate these three concepts, which form a similar acronym:
Dependability
A good brand is consistent. With a good brand, there are never any unpleasant surprises. You can count on a brand to help you quickly sort through an unlimited list of options to identify "a sure thing." In the old days, there was a sales adage that went something like this: "Nobody ever got in trouble for purchasing IBM." If you aren't old enough to recall exactly what that meant, it alluded to the fact that IBM was not always the "best" or "most innovative" or "most anything" for that matter, but it was certainly a dependable brand.
“Are you an IBM of today? Can your family, friends, customers, or your supervisors rely on you to not only do what is expected, but always impress them with a little more? Are you on time, or the person that is always late? Do you show up to a meeting or event prepared, or do you throw things together in the last minute? Are you organized enough to get things done before deadlines, or do people need to remind you about the deadline?
For whatever that you decide distinguishes you in the marketplace of talent, make sure consistency is the bedrock of your brand.
Novelty
OK, so what makes you different? It's not enough to be as dependable as everyone or anyone else. Brands always have substantive identifiable differences -- perceptually if not in fact -- in the mind of the marketplace. Being a generalist isn't a bad thing, but being a generalist without any discernible specialized skills, abilities, or talents isn't a great thing, either.
Fortunately, in today’s business world, it’s easy to be novel. Simple things can make you stand out. For example, personally hand written “Thank you” notes, whether personal or business, are almost a forgotten tool, but they can be incredibly effective.
Attitude
Attitude isn’t only about being upbeat or happy. Attitude is also about your desire to help others and perform your job at a higher level. Do you call on a client with something in hand that can improve their business, or just go to ask for more orders? When you talk to a neighbor, do you offer to help, or complain about your work day? A big step in attitude is to add value to the person you’re with. Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s business or personal. If you focus on making sure each conversation helps the other party in some way instead of being all about yourself, you will definitely be recognized!
DNA - Dependability. Novelty. Attitude.
As a first step toward marketing yourself better, take some time soon to write out the DNA of your brand.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Top 10 List-Candidate Dumb Answers/Mistakes During Interviews
Most of us take interviews quite seriously. Some don’t. Being that we talk to quite a few clients and we debrief quite a few candidates after their interviews, we have heard a lot of the “dumb” interview mistakes, but I’m sure we’ve not heard it all. I thought for this article we’d list a few of the “dumb” candidate answers or mistakes we’ve had the opportunity to witness, or hear about. We’ll list it like “Letterman’s top 10”. This is your opportunity. If you’ve heard something wild, let us know. If we get enough responses, we’ll print Volume 2 in the series. It could get quite humorous.
10. The candidate says he/she has great sales success and wonderful relationships, but lists only family members as references. This one probably didn’t make it to the interview. It only takes the question to the reference, “Well, how do you know the candidate?” It’s a tossup whether Uncle or Brother is the most common answer!
9. The candidate has been through 2 key face to face interviews and it’s down to 1 of 2 possibilities. There is a key person in the company that must conduct the final interview. Timing is critical. The candidate decides to schedule a vacation where he/she will be unavailable for a week. What’s your thought? Good idea or not?
8. The candidate shows up to the interview in a leisure suit…Didn’t those go out of style in the 70’s?
7. Here’s a story told to us by a client: He had the candidate on the phone for a first screening and all had gone well. Then at the end he said, “I don’t really want to relocate. I just thought it was a great opportunity to take my wife on a nice trip.”
6. The interview has been all set up. The recruiter gave instructions, directions, and the cell phone number of the interviewer for tomorrow’s interview. At 3 AM, the candidate calls the interviewer and indicates that he can’t make it to the interview tomorrow because he is drunk. This one rates a big, “Duh?”
5. Showing up late…This is a classic blunder, but it needs to be discussed again. If a candidate can’t show up on time for an interview, how in the world would a supervisor be able to believe that he/she could show up for work on time? Or, how about the candidate that doesn’t show up at all? Do you think there will be a second chance?
4. The position requires relocation to somewhere, let’s say Iowa. The candidate knows this but is asked in the face to face interview if he/she is okay with that? The answer…Well, I’ll have to convince my spouse, but I’m okay with it. Maybe it would be a good idea to discuss this with your spouse first?
3. During the interview, this question is asked, “What are the key responsibilities of the job?” That question sounds simple enough, however, if the candidate waits until the interview, then it’s obvious that no preparation has been done before coming to the interview.
2. Most of us are just vain enough about our appearance that we present well when meeting someone new, but how about this comment from a hiring manager, “I once had a candidate that had such bad breath, that I slid my chair all the way back to the wall and put my notepad on my lap to take notes.” Is that called a distraction?
1. This one is a classic, but many candidates never really understand the impact. The last question of the interview is asked, “Do you have any questions?” The interviewee asks, “Yes, what does this job pay?” Suddenly the interviewer becomes concerned that money may be the only reason for the candidate to consider this job. It’s best to leave this question for once the company decides they like the candidate and is ready to extend an offer.
While this “top ten” list is somewhat humorous, it is also serious. Believe us, the situations covered in this list is a serious, “do not let this happen to you” list. Do you have more to add to the list? We’d love to hear from you. You can disagree with any of these, however, we can also likely point you to examples of each one of these situations causing that candidate to not get that job offer. Want to know what you can say? Then let’s talk before you interview. We can help avoid the blunder.
10. The candidate says he/she has great sales success and wonderful relationships, but lists only family members as references. This one probably didn’t make it to the interview. It only takes the question to the reference, “Well, how do you know the candidate?” It’s a tossup whether Uncle or Brother is the most common answer!
9. The candidate has been through 2 key face to face interviews and it’s down to 1 of 2 possibilities. There is a key person in the company that must conduct the final interview. Timing is critical. The candidate decides to schedule a vacation where he/she will be unavailable for a week. What’s your thought? Good idea or not?
8. The candidate shows up to the interview in a leisure suit…Didn’t those go out of style in the 70’s?
7. Here’s a story told to us by a client: He had the candidate on the phone for a first screening and all had gone well. Then at the end he said, “I don’t really want to relocate. I just thought it was a great opportunity to take my wife on a nice trip.”
6. The interview has been all set up. The recruiter gave instructions, directions, and the cell phone number of the interviewer for tomorrow’s interview. At 3 AM, the candidate calls the interviewer and indicates that he can’t make it to the interview tomorrow because he is drunk. This one rates a big, “Duh?”
5. Showing up late…This is a classic blunder, but it needs to be discussed again. If a candidate can’t show up on time for an interview, how in the world would a supervisor be able to believe that he/she could show up for work on time? Or, how about the candidate that doesn’t show up at all? Do you think there will be a second chance?
4. The position requires relocation to somewhere, let’s say Iowa. The candidate knows this but is asked in the face to face interview if he/she is okay with that? The answer…Well, I’ll have to convince my spouse, but I’m okay with it. Maybe it would be a good idea to discuss this with your spouse first?
3. During the interview, this question is asked, “What are the key responsibilities of the job?” That question sounds simple enough, however, if the candidate waits until the interview, then it’s obvious that no preparation has been done before coming to the interview.
2. Most of us are just vain enough about our appearance that we present well when meeting someone new, but how about this comment from a hiring manager, “I once had a candidate that had such bad breath, that I slid my chair all the way back to the wall and put my notepad on my lap to take notes.” Is that called a distraction?
1. This one is a classic, but many candidates never really understand the impact. The last question of the interview is asked, “Do you have any questions?” The interviewee asks, “Yes, what does this job pay?” Suddenly the interviewer becomes concerned that money may be the only reason for the candidate to consider this job. It’s best to leave this question for once the company decides they like the candidate and is ready to extend an offer.
While this “top ten” list is somewhat humorous, it is also serious. Believe us, the situations covered in this list is a serious, “do not let this happen to you” list. Do you have more to add to the list? We’d love to hear from you. You can disagree with any of these, however, we can also likely point you to examples of each one of these situations causing that candidate to not get that job offer. Want to know what you can say? Then let’s talk before you interview. We can help avoid the blunder.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
What's Your Score?
It seems that everything is scored. For practically every sport we can think of, there is a score kept. Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, track and field, the Olympics, and more. The score is usually kept in the form of points, but it can also take the form of something else, such as the recent Kentucky Derby, win, place, or show, and how many lengths ahead.
Do you know what your score is at your job? Is there really a score at work, too? You bet there is. If you have a job, you may be receiving a score at every evaluation. If you are trying to get a job, you may have been scored by the hiring manager. Unfortunately, there usually are no points for second place. It’s either win the job or not.
Like it or not, we are all measured against some performance standard. It could be performance metrics. It could be a commission earned based on performance. Certainly, those that are in sales are measured all the time. Those in production are measured by how many produced, and possibly even the quality. Even those in academia are scored, which is often known as “publish or perish”.
So, do you know what your score is? If you don’t, shouldn’t you know it? If not, how else do you know how you are doing according to expectations? In some jobs, it’s rather easy to see. It may look something like a budget to achieve, or a sales goal that must be met. It could be a goal of cost containment, or it could be a number of machines or parts manufactured that meet specifications. Whatever your score should be, it likely revolves around your job performance expectations. Those expectations were probably given to you at the time you first started your job and likely have been regularly reviewed with you during periodic evaluations. Possibly you’ve been working long enough that you are long past those initial performance expectations and you don’t know what your new score is? Wouldn’t it be wise to find out what’s expected of you? That’s just part of good communication between you and your employer. You say you’re the boss? Then it’s likely your board of directors that expects performance.
Your score is how well you are doing compared to those expectations. Many times that score is tied to compensation in the form of commissions or bonuses, but it can also be tied to whether you keep your job or not. That may sound rough, but it’s also reality. For most companies, a score is important for many reasons:
1. It could be simply that a few notes were kept in your employee file during an annual evaluation
2. Scores may be kept for employees that could be ready for advancement
3. Scores are kept for how to split up a commission pool
4. Employees may be scored for consideration for transfer to other jobs
5. And employees are scored for those that need to be let go.
This could, for some employees sound quite tough to deal with and possibly unfair, but let’s look back at that sports team that always has to face the score. What happens to the teams that start with more 100 in training camp and must get their roster down to 60 by the season? More than forty have to be cut. Is that fair? Do you think they want their team to win? Then if they expect to be in the finals, whether that’s the Super Bowl, the World Series, or whatever the sport, they want the best, simply put.
It’s no different in our real life world of whatever employs us. Jim Collins puts it best in his book, “Good to Great”. We must get the right people in the bus and in the right seats. Most companies have to compete with other companies all the time. We have in this country what our forefathers considered fair when adopting the “free enterprise” system. That means that companies must compete to survive, grow, thrive, and “score”. Getting the right people in the right seats is a must for businesses. It’s even true in non-business settings.
So, your best bet is to continue to do the best job you can and strive for your best score. It may mean that you can keep your job for many years. It may lead to advancement and/or to a new position that is your goal to achieve. And, in some scenarios, it could be you that has the better score and gets to keep your job. If you are not on the right bus, then let us know, but in the mean time, keep striving for the best score. It is generally in your best interest.
Do you know what your score is at your job? Is there really a score at work, too? You bet there is. If you have a job, you may be receiving a score at every evaluation. If you are trying to get a job, you may have been scored by the hiring manager. Unfortunately, there usually are no points for second place. It’s either win the job or not.
Like it or not, we are all measured against some performance standard. It could be performance metrics. It could be a commission earned based on performance. Certainly, those that are in sales are measured all the time. Those in production are measured by how many produced, and possibly even the quality. Even those in academia are scored, which is often known as “publish or perish”.
So, do you know what your score is? If you don’t, shouldn’t you know it? If not, how else do you know how you are doing according to expectations? In some jobs, it’s rather easy to see. It may look something like a budget to achieve, or a sales goal that must be met. It could be a goal of cost containment, or it could be a number of machines or parts manufactured that meet specifications. Whatever your score should be, it likely revolves around your job performance expectations. Those expectations were probably given to you at the time you first started your job and likely have been regularly reviewed with you during periodic evaluations. Possibly you’ve been working long enough that you are long past those initial performance expectations and you don’t know what your new score is? Wouldn’t it be wise to find out what’s expected of you? That’s just part of good communication between you and your employer. You say you’re the boss? Then it’s likely your board of directors that expects performance.
Your score is how well you are doing compared to those expectations. Many times that score is tied to compensation in the form of commissions or bonuses, but it can also be tied to whether you keep your job or not. That may sound rough, but it’s also reality. For most companies, a score is important for many reasons:
1. It could be simply that a few notes were kept in your employee file during an annual evaluation
2. Scores may be kept for employees that could be ready for advancement
3. Scores are kept for how to split up a commission pool
4. Employees may be scored for consideration for transfer to other jobs
5. And employees are scored for those that need to be let go.
This could, for some employees sound quite tough to deal with and possibly unfair, but let’s look back at that sports team that always has to face the score. What happens to the teams that start with more 100 in training camp and must get their roster down to 60 by the season? More than forty have to be cut. Is that fair? Do you think they want their team to win? Then if they expect to be in the finals, whether that’s the Super Bowl, the World Series, or whatever the sport, they want the best, simply put.
It’s no different in our real life world of whatever employs us. Jim Collins puts it best in his book, “Good to Great”. We must get the right people in the bus and in the right seats. Most companies have to compete with other companies all the time. We have in this country what our forefathers considered fair when adopting the “free enterprise” system. That means that companies must compete to survive, grow, thrive, and “score”. Getting the right people in the right seats is a must for businesses. It’s even true in non-business settings.
So, your best bet is to continue to do the best job you can and strive for your best score. It may mean that you can keep your job for many years. It may lead to advancement and/or to a new position that is your goal to achieve. And, in some scenarios, it could be you that has the better score and gets to keep your job. If you are not on the right bus, then let us know, but in the mean time, keep striving for the best score. It is generally in your best interest.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Accepting a Counter Offer-Is that what you really want?
You’ve gotten all the way through the interviews and the new company likes you. You’ve got an offer pending. Then it strikes you – you’re in a great bargaining position. Right or Wrong?
In some cases this can be right. It’s often said that, “it’s easiest to get a job if you have a job.” But, how are you using that bargaining position and just what effects might using some leverage there cause?
Have you gone into the interviews for the new position with the thought that if only you can get an offer, then you could go back to your current employer and see if you can get them to ante up? If so, you could be playing with dynamite. Why is this dangerous? Let’s examine the point of view of your current employer.
We call this the Counter Offer. Counter Offers are usually accepted when compensation was the main reason the employee wanted to leave. The decision to accept the counter offer is usually an on the spot decision in front of the current employer. You interview for the new position, get an offer, tell your current employer, they hand over more money, you’re happy, end of story, right? Wrong.
Let’s look at the real outcome. Yes, your paycheck may have grown just a bit, but what else happened:
In some cases this can be right. It’s often said that, “it’s easiest to get a job if you have a job.” But, how are you using that bargaining position and just what effects might using some leverage there cause?
Have you gone into the interviews for the new position with the thought that if only you can get an offer, then you could go back to your current employer and see if you can get them to ante up? If so, you could be playing with dynamite. Why is this dangerous? Let’s examine the point of view of your current employer.
We call this the Counter Offer. Counter Offers are usually accepted when compensation was the main reason the employee wanted to leave. The decision to accept the counter offer is usually an on the spot decision in front of the current employer. You interview for the new position, get an offer, tell your current employer, they hand over more money, you’re happy, end of story, right? Wrong.
Let’s look at the real outcome. Yes, your paycheck may have grown just a bit, but what else happened:
- Loyalty is questioned. When it was announced that you had been given a big offer, your company and your supervisor now suddenly sees a total lack of loyalty in your company. You are no longer seen as stable. Once the announcement is made, the damage is done. The card has been played.
- Counter offers are seen as a threat. Most hiring managers and supervisors don’t like the feeling of being backed into a corner. Those survival reactions of “fight or flight” will come into play and they are likely to make some poor decisions.
- Counter offers buy time for the employer. The hiring manager may do whatever it takes to keep the employee, but may eventually begin the process of finding a replacement for the employee they may now view as disloyal.
- Open positions are troublesome. Hiring managers do not like to have an open position because it creates more responsibility for everyone else, and quite likely for themselves in particular. Offering a counter offer is a short-term solution. The most likely result – the hiring manager will begin looking for a replacement as a long term solution
- The promotion track. Have you been on a promotion track? If so, that may have been seriously derailed. Most companies have ideas for their top employees, a future promotion track if you will. A counter offer can wipe you off of that promotion track as fast as you can say – “Upset in March Madness”
- Counter offers do not provide TRUE change. If an employee wants to leave a company due to concerns over lack of leadership, challenges, or other difficulties, those problems will not get changed just because a counter offer is accepted.
The End Result – 75% of employees that accept counter offers are not in that same position 1 year later.
Thinking about a Counter Offer? Call us first.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Are you prepared for these interview questions?
When you go to an interview, it could be hard to imagine what kind of questions you may be asked, right? Well maybe. There are some questions that are almost always asked. The questions are really not trade secrets, but how you answer them may make the difference.
1) Are you sure you want to move here? Not only should you be ready for that question in how you answer it, but have you asked your spouse and family? Have you researched the necessary community facilities that are critical to your family? Be sure that you have done some research on the community before the interview.
2) Tell me about yourself? Have you thought about that? In just how much detail do you want to go in? Tell them about your background as far as it may relate to the necessary skills and experiences to the position. You may also want to add some of your outside of work activities, such as coaching duties, or industry association responsibilities. Those may show some good initiative and work ethic. This is a good practice question to go over with your Ag 1 Source recruiting consultant in your interview preparation.
3) So, how did you accomplish that sales growth? Or, save the company money as you indicate on your resume? You should be prepared to back up what you say on your resume. Know just what all steps you took to achieve what you indicate that you have done.
4) What are your weaknesses? This one will catch most interviewees just about every time. You are well prepared to answer how much you have accomplished, and talk about all the good things. Now, how do you explain that you’re not good in some area? Think about that beforehand.
5) So, what salary are you seeking? This is a hard one and really shouldn’t be asked by a hiring manager, however they sometimes do. Answer too high and you possibly eliminate yourself. Answer too low and maybe you passed up some salary that you could have had. The best answer here is: “I tell you what, when you decide that you want to hire me, then I’ll consider your best offer.” That leaves room for some negotiation. You both get a chance to evaluate the value of your potential contribution.
Remember that the key thing that you must convey in your interview is your potential value contribution to the company. The interviewer must see that you have the ability to attain the results, and be that person that can do that better than any other applicant they are interviewing. Proper preparation for your interview should help limit you from stumbling on a question. An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure!
1) Are you sure you want to move here? Not only should you be ready for that question in how you answer it, but have you asked your spouse and family? Have you researched the necessary community facilities that are critical to your family? Be sure that you have done some research on the community before the interview.
2) Tell me about yourself? Have you thought about that? In just how much detail do you want to go in? Tell them about your background as far as it may relate to the necessary skills and experiences to the position. You may also want to add some of your outside of work activities, such as coaching duties, or industry association responsibilities. Those may show some good initiative and work ethic. This is a good practice question to go over with your Ag 1 Source recruiting consultant in your interview preparation.
3) So, how did you accomplish that sales growth? Or, save the company money as you indicate on your resume? You should be prepared to back up what you say on your resume. Know just what all steps you took to achieve what you indicate that you have done.
4) What are your weaknesses? This one will catch most interviewees just about every time. You are well prepared to answer how much you have accomplished, and talk about all the good things. Now, how do you explain that you’re not good in some area? Think about that beforehand.
5) So, what salary are you seeking? This is a hard one and really shouldn’t be asked by a hiring manager, however they sometimes do. Answer too high and you possibly eliminate yourself. Answer too low and maybe you passed up some salary that you could have had. The best answer here is: “I tell you what, when you decide that you want to hire me, then I’ll consider your best offer.” That leaves room for some negotiation. You both get a chance to evaluate the value of your potential contribution.
Remember that the key thing that you must convey in your interview is your potential value contribution to the company. The interviewer must see that you have the ability to attain the results, and be that person that can do that better than any other applicant they are interviewing. Proper preparation for your interview should help limit you from stumbling on a question. An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Write a Business Plan
Whether you are an employee, a candidate for an employee spot, or an employer, this applies to you. Do you have a business plan? Well that can make sense for a business, but does it make sense for an employee to have a business plan? You bet.
What do you think would happen if you were interviewing for a job and you went in for your final interview with a business plan? Let’s look at the main components in a business plan? There are usually these main components:
1. Objectives
2. Resources
3. SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
4. Financials
5. Expected Results
Suppose you are a candidate interviewing and you go in with an idea of how you would handle the proposed job. You review the job’s OBJECTIVES. Then you confirm with the hiring manager the RESOURCES that would be at your disposal. You discuss your own STRENGTHS, your admitted WEAKER areas, the OPPORTUNITIES you can see that you will seek to tackle, and the THREATS to your success that you will need to mitigate. Then you discuss what your proposed success could be, i.e. FINANCIALLY what would it be worth in terms of a return to the company if you sold what you expected? The EXPECTED RESULTS – you probably impressed the hiring manager that, either you got that job, or you’ll be invited back for another position. Why? Because most other applicants did not take the time to build a plan!
Suppose you are the employer. What would you think if either one of your existing employees or one that you are interviewing came to you with a plan? Wouldn’t you be listening? Certainly it needs to be a well thought out or researched plan, but most any plan shows strong initiative and a serious interest in the job. A plan that shows good realistic financial returns will be getting to the real heart of the purpose of most jobs. Think about it. This is business. We’re in business to make a return on investment. The employees or prospective employees that can make the best return on investment are the ones that are going to get or retain the job and maybe more.
So you say that your job does not involve a return on investment? To borrow a slogan, then have a plan to be the best you can be. Getting or keeping your job is not simply being able to qualify for the minimum. It is about being the best choice from among all of the applicants. Put your plan together and you will most certainly improve your odds.
What do you think would happen if you were interviewing for a job and you went in for your final interview with a business plan? Let’s look at the main components in a business plan? There are usually these main components:
1. Objectives
2. Resources
3. SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
4. Financials
5. Expected Results
Suppose you are a candidate interviewing and you go in with an idea of how you would handle the proposed job. You review the job’s OBJECTIVES. Then you confirm with the hiring manager the RESOURCES that would be at your disposal. You discuss your own STRENGTHS, your admitted WEAKER areas, the OPPORTUNITIES you can see that you will seek to tackle, and the THREATS to your success that you will need to mitigate. Then you discuss what your proposed success could be, i.e. FINANCIALLY what would it be worth in terms of a return to the company if you sold what you expected? The EXPECTED RESULTS – you probably impressed the hiring manager that, either you got that job, or you’ll be invited back for another position. Why? Because most other applicants did not take the time to build a plan!
Suppose you are the employer. What would you think if either one of your existing employees or one that you are interviewing came to you with a plan? Wouldn’t you be listening? Certainly it needs to be a well thought out or researched plan, but most any plan shows strong initiative and a serious interest in the job. A plan that shows good realistic financial returns will be getting to the real heart of the purpose of most jobs. Think about it. This is business. We’re in business to make a return on investment. The employees or prospective employees that can make the best return on investment are the ones that are going to get or retain the job and maybe more.
So you say that your job does not involve a return on investment? To borrow a slogan, then have a plan to be the best you can be. Getting or keeping your job is not simply being able to qualify for the minimum. It is about being the best choice from among all of the applicants. Put your plan together and you will most certainly improve your odds.
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