Get That Job! PDF Guide to Winning Job Interviews

Get That Job! By Thea Kelley 16 September 2024 18:25 Get That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Job Interview Thea Kelley Foreword by Orville Pierson author of Citation preview Get That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Job Interview Thea Kelley Foreword by Orville Pierson author of The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search Copyright © 2017 by Thea Kelley All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse- engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Foreword copyright © Orville Pierson Published by Plovercrest Press, Albany, California USA eBook formatting: www.writingnights.org Cover design: www.lionsimprint.com Copyediting: www.sandyperlic.com ISBN 978-0-9983808-0-3 Dedicated to you. May you get a great job, sooner! Contents How This Book Will Help You Get the Job Section One: First Things First: Preparing Your Core Messages 1. What Makes You Stand Out? Your REV Points 2. Harnessing the Power of Stories 3. Acing the #1 Interview Question: "Tell me about yourself." 4. A Word about Practicing Section Two: Questions – Answering and Asking 5. How to Answer Any Interview Question 6. How to Speak Concisely 7. Common but Not Easy: Questions You'll Need to Answer 8. Quirky Questions: Puzzling, Stressful, Off-the-Wall or Even Illegal 9. Asking the Right Questions (and Not the Wrong Ones) Section Three: Nailing the Nonverbals 10. More Than Words Can Say: Body Language, Clothes and Other Silent Messages 11. Something Extra: Portfolios, Presentations and Plans 12. Calm and Confident: Here's How Section Four: Know What to Expect 13. Twelve Types of Interviews 14. Five Dangerous Myths about References Section Five: Happy Endings – and Great Beginnings 15. Ending on the Right Note 16. Following Up to Stand Out 17. The Big Moment: Handling Offers 18. You've Got the Job! A Moment for Career Management About the Author and Interview Coaching Acknowledgments Foreword I’m Orville Pierson, and I’m writing to tell you why I think Thea Kelley’s interviewing book should be included on a job hunter’s reading list. I also want to explain why I think she may have broken some new ground in job search assistance. But before I do that, I want to give you some background on my experience and tell you a bit about career services. I’ve been doing job search assistance work of one kind or another for about 40 years. I started with several smaller career transition companies. Then I spent 19 years as Director of Program Design and Service Delivery at the headquarters of Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH), a 300-office global career services and outplacement company. In that job, I led a team that created programs, books and websites for LHH to use in assisting recently laid-off job hunters in finding better new jobs more quickly. Our main how- Brain Dumb Page 1 recently laid-off job hunters in finding better new jobs more quickly. Our main how- to-find-ajob book has now gone through several editions and has helped over a million and a half people find good new jobs. I also trained hundreds of career coaches, usually in one- or two-day classroom trainings. These coaches were not newbies. They were typically people with 10 or 20 years experience in the field. My role was teaching them how to use the new materials and processes created by my team. But there were always discussions where the coaches talked more generally about what works and what doesn’t work in job hunting, so all in all, I think maybe I learned more than they did. Over the years, LHH was often approached by people wanting to sell their job-hunting materials or websites to a large career services company. When that happened, I was the person who reviewed those offerings and reported to our financial team on their value for job hunters. Later, when I began working outside of LHH with students and the general public, I also reviewed books and websites available to the general public. I saw everything: the good, the bad and the really, really bad. People with extensive experience in recruiting, HR and career coaching usually provided good advice. But there were also people with little or no job search assistance experience who thought they had clever new ideas. More often than not, those ideas were known by experienced career coaches not to work. The “really bad” category sometimes included advice that would do job hunters more harm than good: telling lies, for example, or trying to trick employers. Based on what I’d learned over the years, I wrote three books for the general public, in addition to the dozens that I wrote or co-authored for career services companies. Now, as an independent consultant and speaker, I continue to see new books and websites on job hunting. I recommend that job hunters looking to be more effective start with books rather than websites. I do that because Internet job search information tends to be a fragmented — and sometimes disjointed — collection of short articles on job hunting. It’s often written by a number of unconnected authors, with little or no bio attached, so you don’t know who’s advising you. It’s more like a collection of tips than a thoughtful overall approach. So I prefer books as a starting point, with the use of websites later in a job search. When I first started in career work, most job hunting books covered the full range of job hunting methods and skills – resume writing, interviewing, using recruiters, networking and the like – everything in one book. Now, in a more complex world, I don’t think it can be done in one book. The last time I looked, Amazon.com was selling about 15,000 books on job hunting, written by all kinds of authors. Most of these are only on one aspect of job hunting, not the whole thing. So with that for background, here’s what I have to say about Thea Kelley’s Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview. First and most important, she did her homework. In addition to her work experience in the career coaching field, she has taken courses and read up on job search assistance. I read her book from cover to cover, and the advice is sound. She gives good solid guidance. This book is an overview of the most important to-do’s and pitfalls. It’s especially useful for someone who hasn’t interviewed in a while or someone nervous about job interviews. Another thing I like about the book is its length. This is where I think she’s maybe broken some new ground. Her book is shorter than the average job hunting book, but offers more consistent and in- depth advice than you’ll usually find on the Internet. I think she may have found a “sweet spot” on length. A series of shorter books like this one would be more manageable for job hunters than a collection of full-length books. And Thea’s book is easy to read. It’s written in a way that you can easily scan it, looking for the areas most important to you. So it’s maybe more of an Internet style of writing. Reading the whole thing is not a chore. I very much like her emphasis on “authentic and strategic.” I think it’s important to be honest and to be yourself in an interview. But you have to be smart, too. You usually have only an hour. Brain Dumb Page 2 to be yourself in an interview. But you have to be smart, too. You usually have only an hour. You need to make strategic decisions about what to say and what not to say – thinking about what’s most relevant to the person you’re talking to, and what will help you take the next step toward employment with that particular employer. Thea provides some good strong guidance on this. So I’m glad you have this book in your hands. May you learn some things that will hasten your move to a great new job. And may you succeed and thrive in that work for a good long time. Orville Pierson Author of The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search Highly Effective Networking: Meet the Right People and Get a Great Job Team Up! Find a Better Job Faster with a Job Search Work Team How This Book Will Help You Get the Job Success depends upon preparation. – Confucius (and many other people) Asked what we do best, few of us would say "doing a great job interview." Yet this is one of the most highly rewarded abilities in life. Skillful interviewing can be the determining factor in how soon you start getting that new paycheck – and whether you land your dream job or have to settle for something less. This book will help you master this crucial skill so that you get the job and the career you want. Get the job by being well prepared and being yourself. Some people go into interviews thinking "I'll just be myself," but they're winging it, so it isn't their best self that the interviewer sees and hears. Others prepare by the cookie-cutter approach, memorizing answers recommended by experts and coming across as stiff and insincere. My approach is based on authenticity and strategy, the "yin and yang" that work together for a convincing interview. You'll be authentic – honest and natural – while being strategic in presenting what the employer needs to know about the value you can bring to their organization. You'll learn how to authentically and strategically use every aspect of the interview – from the first handshake to the last question and answer – to stand out and get the job. What are your challenges? Most job seekers face difficulties in interviewing. This book will explore issues like these: "I'm not comfortable with talking about myself and 'tooting my own horn.' " "I haven't interviewed in a long time (or ever)." "I have trouble with certain questions, like 'Tell me about yourself' and questions about weaknesses." "I tend to ramble. I start talking and don't know when to stop." "I get so nervous, sometimes I go blank and forget what question I'm answering." "I have a negative issue in my work history and I don't know what to say about it." "I can't think of a story or example when I need one." "I don't know what I'm doing wrong – I'm just not getting offers." This book will provide strategies to overcome obstacles like these, and more. In Section One – First Things First: Preparing Your Core Messages – you'll build confidence and clarity by identifying your key selling points and learning how to proactively emphasize those throughout the interview. Your answers will become more relevant, compelling and convincing. In Section Two – Questions: Answering and Asking – you'll gain strategies for handling any question that may come your way, plus specific tips on dozens of the most common questions. You'll also learn to ask insightful and well-targeted questions that help you assess the job and impress the interviewer. In Section Three – Nailing the Nonverbals – you'll polish the unspoken aspects of your presentation, including body language and clothes, and learn techniques for eliminating nervousness and self-doubt. We'll also explore how to stand out through effective use of "interview extras" like portfolios and presentations. In Section Four – Know What to Expect – you'll get familiar with 12 different types of interviews and how to succeed in all of them. We'll also clear up some Brain Dumb Page 3 types of interviews and how to succeed in all of them. We'll also clear up some misunderstandings about references to make sure you sail smoothly from the final interview into an offer. Finally, in Section Five – Happy Endings and Great Beginnings – you'll learn to conclude the interview effectively and follow up strongly, reinforcing the positive brand you've built up through the interview. You'll also get prepared to juggle offers, negotiate for the pay and working conditions you want and ensure a smooth transition into your new job! This book is quick to read. Preparing to be the winner of a competitive interview process, on the other hand, takes time. So start now. An interview can happen anytime. If you've sent out a single resume, or simply have a strong profile on LinkedIn, you could be called for a phone screening any day now. Recruiters like to take a casual tone in these "conversations," but don't be lulled: it's an interview. Even in-person interviews can happen on very short notice. Work your way through these five sections and you'll be well equipped to stand out from other applicants and get the offer. So let's get started and get you ready. Section One First Things First: Preparing Your Core Messages CHAPTER 1 What Makes You Stand Out? Your REV Points If you want to stand out, don't be different; be outstanding. — Meredith West In most interview situations, you have competitors for the job – maybe two, maybe half a dozen. You won't get the job just by being qualified – you need to stand out, and you need to be remembered. Completing this chapter will prepare you to do exactly that. Some applicants have tried to be memorable by using gimmicks – singing their interview responses, or wearing a tuxedo to show that the meeting was "a very special occasion." This will, indeed make someone stand out – but as a person of poor judgment, not as the right person to hire. Let's plan how you will stand out for the best possible reasons. I'm going to ask you to look at how you stack up against your competition. That may sound a bit daunting, but if you set aside your fears and take it one step at a time, by the end of the chapter I think you'll find your confidence has increased. Less Is More: The Importance of Focus Interviewing is a process of educating the interviewer. Educators know that if you hit someone with a huge bunch of facts willy- nilly, they may not learn anything. People learn better when the presentation is organized around a few core concepts. Interviewing is also like sales and marketing. People in this field know that you don't sell a car by running through every feature it has. You focus on just a few: it's hip, cheap and fits into the smallest parking spaces. Or it's rugged, good-looking and roomy. You're competing for customers' attention, so you grab it with something simple and easy to remember. In sales, these are often called "key selling points." In an interview, the "product" you're selling is you. If that sounds awful, let's remember that you're not selling your soul – just clearly communicating the skills, expertise and personal strengths that will make you valuable to an employer. In fact, let's get away from sales terminology. I call these your "REV Points," because they work best if they're Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable (REV). I'll say more about that later in the chapter. Listing Possible REV Points Right now, take a few minutes and jot down the top 10 reasons why an employer should choose you over the competition. (Later I'll ask Brain Dumb Page 4 reasons why an employer should choose you over the competition. (Later I'll ask you to narrow it down to no more than five.) To help think of these, ask yourself questions like these: What qualifications or skills do I have that are hard to find? What do I do better than most of my peers? What would my co-workers and managers say if I asked them what makes me valuable? What have they appreciated most about me? Am I the best at something, or the first, or the only one? Is there an important area in which I am exceptionally knowledgeable? What part of my job am I most passionate about? Am I especially good at that? Do I have an exceptional record of promotions or career growth? What is my most impressive professional accomplishment of the past five years? Do have more education, training or certifications than is usual? Have I won awards or been formally recognized for superior work? Narrowing It Down Now, let's pick the three to five points on your list that will be most impressive and convincing to an employer – the ones that will really sell you. To do that, as I suggested above, they need to be very Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable. Here's what I mean by these terms. Relevant: A relevant qualification is in demand by employers. Study several job postings for the type of job you want, and underline the important skills, qualifications and qualities the employer is looking for. Which seem to be the top priorities? Think about the likely pain points of your target companies – the problems that are eating into their profits or making them look bad. Skills that can help solve these problems are powerfully relevant. Exceptional: An exceptional quality or qualification is one that stands out. Probably all of your competitors have experience in multi-tasking. But can they all speak Mandarin with the company's Chinese clients? Working with me on his REV Points, Roger said, "The number one reason they should hire me is my integrity." But it didn't make his final list of points to emphasize. Why not? Yes, integrity is hugely important in life and in work. But it's something employers tend to assume or take for granted until proven otherwise. In most cases it won't make you stand out in an interview. Other qualities often seen as common include: hard working, intelligent, a people person, a good communicator. If you are truly exceptional in one of these areas, you'll need to prove it. Verifiable: By this I mean that the item is not just a claim or opinion. It's something you can prove or give evidence for. Facts are naturally verifiable. Let's say you believe your graduate degree is a key selling point. No problem, this is a fact and it can be verified with a background check. Likewise, your work experience is a collection of facts that can be verified. Skills can be tougher, especially soft skills like communication. Most job applicants claim to have excellent communication skills. By itself, this claim is so subjective – such a matter of opinion, really – that it's almost meaningless. Until you give evidence for it. Your evidence might be something like this: The skillfulness of your spoken and written communications with the interviewer. (Thus, you're demonstrating these skills rather than just claiming to have them.) A story about the time when you diplomatically sorted out a misunderstanding and kept a client from leaving. The fact that you were sought out to provide coaching or training to new hires – especially if you were the only member of the team asked to do that. The fact that you wrote documentation that reduced service calls 50%. The fact that you worked on the school newspaper or consistently got A's in your English classes (if you're a recent graduate). LinkedIn recommendations praising your communication skills. Now your claim of exceptional communication skills has credibility! You'll notice that we're using these terms – verify, prove, evidence – a bit loosely. We're Brain Dumb Page 5 You'll notice that we're using these terms – verify, prove, evidence – a bit loosely. We're not talking about proving your skills with legalistic or scientific precision. The point is to be able to back up your claims enough to make them reasonably convincing to the interviewer. Examples: Three Interviewees and their REV Points Linda Smith, Human Resources Manager 1) Broad, abundantly demonstrated expertise in Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Compensation and Benefits, HR Information Systems and Analytics 2) Talent for strategic thinking (with stories to prove it) 3) Several awards for creating successful programs and initiatives 4) Inspires a loyal and high-performing team (proven by stories, LinkedIn recommendations and team members' career advancement) 5) MBA Rick Johnson, Energy Efficiency Engineer 1) Five years experience in energy efficiency engineering 2) Experience conducting ASHRAE level 1, 2 and 3 energy audits leading to an average of 20% energy savings per building 3) Relevant advanced degree 4) Member of Technical Advisory Committee drafting Cordoba County’s first Green Building Ordinances Denise Williams, Sales Manager 1) Track record of consistently over-achieving goals and earning awards in Fortune 500 companies 2) Exceptional talent for effectively anticipating and navigating change through cross-functional collaboration (with stories to demonstrate this) 3) Learns quickly and positively impacts the bottom line within the first few months on any job (stories) Which of your top 10 points really REV? Pick the top three to five and prioritize those in the order of how Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable they are. Together, these points make up your REV Agenda: the messages you will make a point of communicating throughout your interviews. Now start memorizing these points. Put this list in a place where you'll see it every day. Look at it often. Do whatever you have to do to get it etched into your mind. Congratulations! You have just built an extremely powerful tool that will help you not only in your interviews but throughout your job search, by focusing the minds of potential employers on a short, easy to grasp, easy to remember list of what makes you stand out as the person to hire. Will Your REV Points Be the Same for Every Job? No, your REV Points may vary as you apply to different jobs. For example, Sheila was applying to various jobs in nonprofit development (fundraising). When she applied at health-related organizations her MA in Public Health became a key selling point. At animal welfare organizations, her years of volunteering in her local animal shelter became more relevant. However, if you're finding that all of your selling points are completely different from one interview to another, it may be that you're spreading yourself too thin in your job search. You may want to focus on identifying what you really do best, and proactively going after that. How Will You Use These REV Points? Emphasize them throughout the interview process. These points go a long way toward creating your brand or unique identity in the employer's mind. Know them by heart. It's hard to build your communications around these points if you're constantly having to go searching for the list. Take responsibility for educating your interviewer on these points. If you meet an unskilled interviewer – for example one who asks the wrong questions, or one who talks Brain Dumb Page 6 unskilled interviewer – for example one who asks the wrong questions, or one who talks the whole time and never listens – watch for opportunities to get your message across. Start the interview with them. People tend to remember what came first. A recent poll showed that 50% of employers believe they know within the first five minutes of an interview whether a candidate is a good fit. Focus those first minutes on what's important by making these points the basis of your answer to the first question in the interview, which is often "Tell me about yourself." End the interview with them. People tend to remember what they hear first, but also what they hear last. Include some or all of these points in your closing statement at the end of the interview, as well as your follow-up communications. Develop stories (examples) from your work to bring each of these key points to life in your interviews. (In brief bullet form, these stories can also greatly improve your resume and LinkedIn profile.) Speaking of stories, you've probably heard that these are important in interviewing, and that you'll need a lot of them. How many do you need? How can you remember them when you need them? How can you make sure you'll tell them in a way that's clear, concise and memorable? The next chapter will answer these questions, while helping you build an impressive, confidenceboosting tool kit of stories that vividly demonstrate why you're the right person for the job. Chapter 2 Harnessing the Power of Stories We learn best … from hearing stories. — John Kotter What if you had a technique that would physically activate an interviewer's brain to make them pay more attention to you, grasp what you're saying more clearly, believe it more easily, and keep you at top of mind longer? There is such a technique: storytelling. Ordinary business communication – "I have extensive skills in yada yada yada" – engages only a small fraction of the brain, the parts that process language and logic. Stories do much more, activating multiple brain regions that work together to create multisensory, three-dimensional images and feelings. It's not just a description but an experience, so it's more convincing and more memorable. Stories are a powerful way to communicate your skills in an interview, including those REV Points Brain Dumb Page 7 are a powerful way to communicate your skills in an interview, including those REV Points you developed in Chapter 1. A Familiar Story? I wonder if you identify with parts of this story. Dan's "Broken Phone" – and How It Finally Rang In four months of job search, Dan had completed a total of 11 interviews that went nowhere. He joked, bitterly, that his phone must be broken. It certainly wasn't ringing with offers. Dan was a talented professional. He knew he could do the job. He just didn't know how to talk about his abilities. Having read that he should tell stories, he had thought of a few, but not enough to get through a long interview. And when he told stories he would trip over his words, rambling on too long, uncertain where to stop and ending awkwardly. The interviewer would frown slightly, make a note, and move on to the next question in a neutral, uninterested tone. And Dan wouldn't hear back. Maybe this sounds like the story of your life recently. But the story's not over. The Interview Success Project One day, Dan said to himself. "Enough! I'm going to learn how to do this right." He decided to approach interviewing the same way he would handle any challenging project that could earn him a great promotion: He would do some research, follow best practices and do the necessary work to ensure success. Realizing that he might need 10 stories or more for each interview, and that employers in his field were requiring multiple interviews, Dan set a goal of developing 20-30 good stories that would illustrate his skills and demonstrate his value to employers. Setting aside a few hours one weekend, he followed the instructions in this chapter and was able to build a list of 25 stories. He identified interview questions that his stories could answer, practiced telling his stories, and got feedback from others on how the stories worked. His next interview sparkled with anecdotes as he painted a vivid, convincing picture of his outstanding work. The interviewer's eyes lit up with interest and the time flew. In the end, Dan's phone rang with offers – from two companies, and he was able to choose the job he wanted most. This chapter will guide you to overcome the difficulties that initially held Dan back and to transform your interviews and their results. You will learn: How to gather and develop stories that prove your REV Points, those key reasons why you're the right person for the job. How to have enough stories – more than you think you can – so that you don't run out even if you go through multiple interviews at the same company. How to tell your stories clearly and concisely. How to remember the right story at the right moment. SOAR: Anatomy of an Effective Story A good interview story tells about a challenge you faced, the actions you took to solve it, and the results you achieved. You may have seen acronyms like CAR (Challenge, Action, Results), PAR (Problem, Actions, Results) and SOAR (Situation, Obstacles, Actions, Results). Each of these acronyms provides a framework or model for telling a story. They're all good. ("Challenge," "Problem" and "Situation" all mean pretty much the same thing.) I'm going to use SOAR. So let's look at the parts of a SOAR story. Example: Rob's Story, "Implementing SuccessSuite" Situation: "At the Cooper Company I realized our business management software wasn't helping us work efficiently." Actions: "I researched the options, selected SuccessSuite, learned it, helped configure it and trained our staff on it." Obstacle(s): "Management initially said SuccessSuite was too expensive. I prepared a presentation that changed their minds." Results: "Efficiency was increased by 40%." You may have noticed that this particular story has Actions before Obstacles, as if it was an "S-A-O-R" story instead of "S-O-A-R." That's okay, because the parts don't have to go in any particular order, although it's important to describe the Situation early in the story in order to set the scene. Brain Dumb Page 8 important to describe the Situation early in the story in order to set the scene. The first thing you can learn from SOAR is how very concise a story can be. If Rob needs to tell his story in 15 seconds, he can do it (possibly leaving out the Obstacle for brevity). That will come in handy, as you'll see later. On the other hand, he can easily expand into more detail. Your Stories List Start a new document in your computer called Stories List. Save it someplace you can easily find it, because you'll be referring to it often. For each story in your list, I suggest you fill in the following: Title: Situation: Obstacles: Actions: Results: Let's get started. Think of any work accomplishment you are proud of. It may be a problem you solved, a process you improved, or a time when you went above and beyond your normal duties to get a job done. Now give that story a specific, unique title, like "Resolving Production Backlog last May" or "Filling In for Terry." Write that down in your list. Then jot down a few words about the Situation, any Obstacles that arose, the Actions you took, and the Results. There's no need to write full sentences or go into detail – you already know the story, and you won't be turning this assignment in! Once you've filled it all in, go ahead and tell the story out loud (of course leaving out the title, which is just for your own reference). Thinking about how you told your story, what worked well? What didn't? Making SOAR Stories Work Let's look at some tips for succeeding with each part of your story. Situation Put the story in context. Saying which job it happened at may be all the context you need. You may want to mention the year, particularly if it's recent, because employers especially value recent accomplishments. Identify the pain points. If the situation was causing wasted time, lost money or missed opportunities, make that clear (without casting blame on yourself or others in your company). Keep it brief. You're just setting the scene for the next three parts, which are more important. Obstacles Obstacles are optional – they're a "plus." You can have a perfectly good story that goes straight from Actions to Results. However, sometimes there was a big obstacle – an economic downturn, a microscopic budget, an aggressive deadline – that you overcame, making the story all the more impressive. Focus on the skillful way you overcame the obstacle or led others to do so. If the obstacle was overcome through sheer luck or someone else's efforts, why mention it? Be tactful if others in your company created the obstacles! Actions Give just enough detail but don't get too granular. If you're not sure how much to say, err on the short side, jump ahead to the Results, then ask the interviewer if they'd like to know more. Watch out for "we." The employer isn't considering hiring your team, just you. That doesn't mean you mean you can never say "we," just make it clear what part you played. Results, Results, Results! Don't skimp on describing the impact you achieved and how it benefited the company. Companies hire for results, so be specific and complete about this piece. Quantify. If you saved time or money, specify how much, even if you have to guesstimate. If you improved something, by what percentage? If you really can't quantify in numbers, use words. Did you improve morale just a little, or significantly? Substantially? Dramatically? Give evidence that your work was great. Did you earn a bonus or an accolade? Did your new idea become the standard operating procedure? Are they still using it three years later? Give a sound bite. Did your boss, a client or co-worker say something memorable about your accomplishment, either aloud, or in an email, or in a Brain Dumb Page 9 something memorable about your accomplishment, either aloud, or in an email, or in a performance review? Quote it! Again, the S-O-A-R parts don't have to be told in that order. For example, a brief mention of the results can be a dramatic way to start: "Let me tell you about how I doubled market share in two months." And throughout your story, remember that you're telling the story in order to sell yourself as the best person for the job. Don’t waste time on details that aren't relevant to that purpose. Connecting Your Stories to the Interviewer's Questions Of course, interviewers aren't going to say "Tell me a story." They're going to say "Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult person," or "Tell me about your experience with Excel tables / taking the lead on a project / team building / negotiation" (or whatever is relevant to the job). How can you help ensure that the right story will pop into your head? By keeping in mind what each story demonstrates, such as team building or negotiation skills. For example, Rob's story, "Implementing SuccessSuite," demonstrates his skills in evaluating, selecting and configuring software, training, problem-solving, workflow analysis, process improvement, innovation, initiative, learning quickly, documentation development, troubleshooting, cross-functional collaboration and so on. By noting these skills and strengths in his stories list, Rob increases the likelihood that he'll think of this story when asked a question like "Can you tell me about a time you collaborated cross-functionally to solve a problem?" Now go back to your own story list. Under your first story, list all the skills and strengths the story demonstrates. These are likely to include technical skills, "soft" skills like relationship-building and time management, specialized knowledge such as understanding best practices, rules or regulations, personal strengths such as dedication or initiative, and so on. So now your list will look like this: Title: Situation: Obstacles: Actions: Results: What this story demonstrates (skills and strengths): Stories are multi-purpose because most stories demonstrate multiple skills. So don't skimp in identifying the skills and strengths each of your stories demonstrates. Writing them down will help you connect your stories to the interviewer's questions. Tip: Create question-and-story flashcards. Get a bunch of 3x5 cards (or you can create digital flashcards in Evernote). On one side of each, write a common behavioral interview question like "Tell me about a time you identified a possible problem and took action to prevent it." (You can find lots of these questions by searching online.) On the reverse, write the titles of two or three of your stories that could be used to answer that question. (One story isn't enough; you might have already used it during the interview to answer another question, so you need alternates.) To practice with the cards, flip through the deck looking at each question to see if you can remember the stories that go with it. Just start with memorizing which stories go with which questions. Then, for more in-depth practice, you can actually practice answering the questions. More Stories, Please! How many stories do you need? Lots! It's not uncommon these days to have multiple interviews for one job, involving multiple behavioral interview questions in each interview. Plus it's a good idea to tell stories for some of your nonbehavioral questions as well. And it's best not to repeat the same stories in all of those multiple interviews, since the interviewers may compare notes afterwards. You don't want them thinking you have only a few noteworthy accomplishments. Shoot for 20 stories or more. Does that sound impossible? Here's how you can come up with more SOARs than you think you can: Look to your key selling points (REV Points). Do stories come to mind illustrating these? Such stories might be some of your most important ones. Practice answering behavioral interview questions. Go Brain Dumb Page 10 your most important ones. Practice answering behavioral interview questions. Go through dozens of them. Don't get stuck on any question you can't answer – move on to the next one. You won't have an answer for every question, but whenever you do, immediately add that story to your list. Use job postings. Find job announcements typical of your job goal. For each bit of experience or skill mentioned, ask yourself: "When have I done or demonstrated that successfully?" Add any stories to your list. Harvest stories from your resume, LinkedIn profile, performance evaluations and any kudos you've received. All of these sources may contain, or spark your memory of, useful stories. Once you do this, congratulate yourself on having created an awesome job interview tool that will help you get your next job, not to mention boosting your confidence and providing new material for your resume! The 15-second Story Often it's appropriate to take up to a minute to tell a story in an interview; or even two minutes. At other times you'll need make it very short. For example, if asked "Tell me your three greatest strengths," you should illustrate your answer with an example or two (or even three), while still keeping the whole answer down to a minute or less. So any examples would need to be very short, perhaps 15 seconds. A 15-second story can also be very convincing as part of your answer to "Tell me about yourself." I'll say more about that in the next chapter. Theoretically, any story can be told in as short a form as necessary. Here's The Lord of the Rings in 15 seconds: An evil magic ring that threatened all of Middle Earth turned up in a small country town. A diverse team of comrades combined their skills to carry the ring through many dangers – including a vastly powerful enemy who wanted it for his own evil purposes – to Mount Doom, where it was destroyed, saving the world. The key here is just to move through the SOAR steps with as little detail as possible. Here's that same story broken into SOAR components: Situation: An evil magic ring that threatened all of Middle Earth turned up in a small country town and had to be destroyed. Obstacles: Many dangers got in the way, including a vastly powerful enemy who wanted it for his own evil purposes. Action: A diverse team of comrades combined their skills to carry the ring to Mount Doom. Results: It was destroyed, saving the world. Try it with one of your own stories. Cut the story down until you can say it in 15 seconds, or 20, or 10. Time yourself. (Really do that!) You're learning to be concise, a crucially important interviewing skill. One of your first chances to use a very-briefly told story will come in the very first interview question: "Would you please tell me a little bit about yourself?" If you're like most interviewees, your reaction to that first question ranges from puzzlement to outright dread. What to say? Where to start? The next chapter may transform this into your favorite question, one that builds your confidence, makes you look good and gets the whole interview off on the right footing – on your agenda. CHAPTER 3 Acing the #1 Interview Question: "Tell me about yourself" You only get one chance to make a first impression. – Will Rogers The first handshakes are over and everyone is seated. "So," begins the interviewer, "tell me about yourself." I call this the #1 interview question, for two reasons – Brain Dumb Page 11 "tell me about yourself." I call this the #1 interview question, for two reasons – because it typically comes first, and also because it may well be the most important. Your answer is a crucial first impression: the first time they've listened to you talk. Like the first eye contact, it's a defining moment. (So in a way, you do get more than one chance to make a "first" impression.) If you're like most job seekers, you dread this question (technically, more of a command). Who can blame you? It's so vague. What on earth does the interviewer want to know? A better question would be, what do you want them to know? This question is a carte blanche invitation, an opportunity to focus the interviewer's attention exactly where you want it, on the reasons they should hire you – in other words, the REV Points (key selling points that are Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable) that we discussed in Chapter 1. Your answer to this question is your REV Intro. Let's look at how to prepare this powerful tool that will get your interview off to a very persuasive start – leaving you feeling more confident for the rest of the meeting. Less Is More Many candidates think they need to be complete in their answer, as if the employer had asked "Tell me all about yourself." Free yourself of that burden right now. You have the whole interview ahead of you. Details can come later. Your REV Intro will be a brief, mile-high overview of what you bring to the table and what's special about you. It's an introduction, not a book! Keep it down to a minute or two. No Matter How They Say It There are various versions of the opening question. They might say "Can you introduce us to your qualifications?" or "How about walking me through your background?" or even a blunt "What's your story?" No matter how they ask this question, what they're really saying is: "Why should we hire you (instead of one of our other qualified candidates)?" What do you have that the other candidates don't? Craft an Answer That Sells A REV Intro is based on those three to five REV Points you developed in Chapter 1. You can turn your REV points into a very effective "Tell me about yourself" answer by basically listing them. It's almost as simple as that. Examples: REV Intro You may recall Denise Williams, the Sales Manager in Chapter 1, and her key selling points: 1. Track record of consistently over-achieving goals and earning awards in Fortune 500 companies 2. Exceptional talent for effectively anticipating and navigating change through crossfunctional collaboration 3. Learns quickly and delivers results fast (These points have REV – they're Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable. Points 2 and 3 sound like opinions but Denise will "verify" them by stories she tells later in the interview.) So her answer to "Tell me about yourself" – her REV Intro – sounds like this: "(Interviewer's name), based on your job announcement and my phone screening with (recruiter's name), it's clear the new person in this role needs to hit the ground running and deliver results fast. That's what I've been able to do at Top Tier Technology; I transformed team morale and doubled revenues within three months. At Strong Solutions I achieved similar early wins, which my manager later mentioned in a recommendation on LinkedIn. "As a manager, and earlier as a rep, I've consistently been well over goal, as you may have noticed from the awards in my resume. There are some interesting stories behind those, which I would be happy to tell if you like. "Another need that was mentioned in the announcement – and something that's a specialty and a passion of mine – is to anticipate and capitalize on change. At Strong I saw how the new wearable technologies were creating opportunities for us, and I worked with Marketing and Product to maximize those. "Would you like to hear more about anything I've said so far?" For another example, let's look at Linda Smith, the Human Resources Manager. Linda's REV Points were: 1. Broad, abundantly demonstrated expertise in Brain Dumb Page 12 Manager. Linda's REV Points were: 1. Broad, abundantly demonstrated expertise in Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Compensation and Benefits, HR Information Systems and Analytics 2. Talent for strategic thinking 3. Several awards for creating successful programs and initiatives 4. Inspires a loyal and high-performing team (proven by stories, LinkedIn recommendations and team members' career advancement) 5. MBA Those points became this REV Intro: "I was excited to see that you're looking for someone with expertise in so many different areas within HR, because that's exactly what my background is like. I've been very fortunate that my 14year career at Niagara, Inc. and Davis Direct has allowed me to gain experience in all of them – Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Compensation and Benefits, HR Information Systems and Analytics. I've managed all of these areas, and solved complex strategic issues in every one of them. "For example… (two- sentence success story illustrating her strategic skills) … for which I was recognized with a Top Performer award, one of four I've won during my time with EFG Inc. "I couldn't have achieved any of that without a really engaged team. I'm very passionate about building that engagement. I get to know my staff individually and what their own goals are, then help them see the alignment between those goals and department's needs. It has worked well; in the past five years I've had four team members promoted. I was sorry to lose some of them, but at the same time it was a great feeling seeing them reach their dreams. "I'm also passionate about serving the business. My MBA has helped me partner closely with leaders in various departments. "How does that match up to what you're looking for?" Essentials of a Good Answer The examples above work because they have the following elements: A focus on REV Points. Just a little career summary. Humanity – a bit of insight into personality or motivations. Brevity – Denise's answer takes less than a minute and Linda's takes a minute and a half. A natural, conversational tone. The "Talking Points Outline" (A tool for being prepared while still sounding natural.) Planning your answer word-for-word and memorizing it – in other words, reciting from a script – does not make a good impression. Scripted answers… …don't sound natural, because people don't speak the way they write. …are less believable, as if they're not your own words. …may make the employer think you lack good communication skills or the ability to think on your feet. …are boring to listen to. Instead of a script, create a bare-bones outline of your "talking points" to practice with, so that the ideas are planned, but the words are fresh every time. Example: REV Intro "Talking Points" Outline To illustrate what I mean, let's take the example of Rick Johnson, the Energy Efficiency Engineer from Chapter 1. Here again are his REV Points: 1. Five years experience in energy efficiency engineering 2. Experience conducting ASHRAE level 1, 2 and 3 energy audits leading to an average of 20% energy savings per building 3. Relevant advanced degree 4. Member of Technical Advisory Committee drafting Cordoba County’s first Green Building Ordinances Rick planned a REV Intro that basically lists his key selling points, adds some reasons he is attracted to the job he's interviewing for, and finishes with a question that forms a smooth hand-off back to the interviewer. His outline may not make much sense to you or me, because he wrote it for himself. All you need to understand from it is how brief you can be, and how you can use bullets, sub-bullets, symbols and abbreviations to create an extremely skimmable, memorizable outline. REV Intro Outline "For the past five years…" >50 ASHRAE audits o 20% energy savings per building ordinances attracted to job because: o unique energy challenges o opportunities o born here & want to move back o after Master's, 1st job in IA o family in NV o backpacking Brain Dumb Page 13 here & want to move back o after Master's, 1st job in IA o family in NV o backpacking "What questions or comments do you have about anything I've said so far?" (Smile.) This outline didn't tell Rick exactly what to say. It just reminded him what to talk about. That allowed him to practice answering in a natural, conversational manner. Soon he had the outline memorized – but the answer itself was given in slightly different words every time, so it always sounded fresh. And of course, he made minor tweaks to fit the different opportunities he interviewed for until he landed his new job. Here's how his REV Intro sounded: "For the past five years I've been an energy efficiency engineer with Adams Associates in Des Moines, working on residential, commercial and public buildings, so I have more than the two to three years you're asking for. I've conducted more than 50 ASHRAE 1, 2 and 3 energy audits that have led to an average of 20% energy savings per building. "I also lead a team that consults to public agencies, and I recently served as a member of a Technical Advisory Committee that drafted Cordoba County’s first Green Building Ordinances. "I'm very attracted to this job with the State of Nevada because of the unique energy challenges in this state and the great opportunities in this organization. Also, I was born here and I want to move back. After I completed my Master's in Mechanical Engineering Iowa State, it was natural to get my first job there, but I have family in Reno so it feels like home. Plus, I love outdoor activities like backpacking, and the area is so great for that. "What questions or comments do you have about anything I've said so far?" 10 Steps to Your Great REV Intro Now you can create your own outline, practice with it and be ready to ace the #1 interview question with your own strategic, natural-sounding REV Intro. Get out the prioritized list of REV Points you developed in Chapter 1. Then follow these steps: 1. Get your answer off to a good start. Often the best way to start is by combining one of your top REV points with a one- to three-sentence summary of your career. (Think it's not possible to sum up your career in a sentence? Sure it is. How's this for a short career summary: "Dwight D. Eisenhower rose through the military to become a general and finally the 34th President of the United States.") Denise, Linda and Rick also did this in the examples above. So can you. Mention the number of years of experience you have only if that number matches or moderately exceeds what the employer is looking for. 2. Move on to another REV Point. Ask yourself: Which of my other points follows naturally after that? Segue into it. (Linda's answer is a great example of use of transitions: brief connecting statements that smoothly change the subject from one REV Point to the next. But don’t get hung up on this; a transition can be as simple as saying "Also…"). Continue until you have included all of your REV Points. 3. Include an example or two to illustrate your claims. Put the "V" in Verifiable! But you don't need to prove every claim in this answer; it's more like a spot check. Giving one or two examples implies that you can back up your claims in general. 4. Reveal yourself, without "TMI" (Too Much Information)! Somewhere in your REV Intro – probably toward the end – add a little insight into who you are: talk about what motivates or inspires you, discuss your philosophy about your job, or even share a personal interest if it supports your brand. Avoid irrelevant personal information such as your age. It's usually best not to talk about being a parent, unless life experience with children's needs and interests is highly relevant to the job. You don't want the interviewer picturing you getting personal phone calls from the kids, leaving early, and so on (whether that really describes you or not). Keep children and work separate, starting with the interview. Humor is a plus, as long as it's absolutely inoffensive. Of course, avoid anything controversial – politics, religion and so on. 5. Plan a good ending. Otherwise, you may find Brain Dumb Page 14 controversial – politics, religion and so on. 5. Plan a good ending. Otherwise, you may find yourself trailing off with something like "So yeah, that's about it." Clunk! One great way to end is with an open-ended question (i.e., one that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no") delivered with a welcoming smile. This helps the interview develop into a conversation, a dialogue rather than an interrogation. And wouldn't it be useful to know the interviewer's reaction to what you just said? If you're lucky you might get some useful information here, and at the very least you've shown an interest in the interviewer's thoughts. Advanced technique: A bolder and more memorable ending would be to ask a question that turns the conversation toward the employer's pain points – their most pressing needs – and how you can help meet them. "So that's a little about me. May I ask a question? How do you plan to respond to the challenge created by (industry trend about which you have strong expertise to offer)?" This approach can work especially well if you understand the business well and have a knack for consulting or consultative sales. OK, now you've got your rough draft. How do you work with this? 6. Type it up in a neat, outline form. Use bullets and sub-bullets to help organize your thinking. Use abbreviations and symbols to make it concise and visual. The more you make it easy to read, the less it will intrude on the process of expressing yourself in a natural way. There may be just a few spots where you want to memorize exact words. Put those words in quotes as Rick did, above. (Do this very minimally. Don't turn yourself into a recording!) 7. Speak your REV Intro out loud, using the outline as your road map, and time yourself. Your intro should be no longer than one to two minutes. If it's longer, prune it down. Remember, this is just the start of the interview. Whatever you delete can be said later, as the interview progresses. 8. Adjust the outline as many times as you need to. This is an iterative process, like "lather, rinse, repeat." Hone your outline patiently and it will guide you to success. 9. Now, practice without looking at the outline. (It may be helpful to memorize the outline. That's another reason for making the outline very concise and clear: it will be easier to memorize.) Did you forget something in one spot? Practice that spot, including whatever comes just before and after it. Continue until you can say the whole answer without looking at the outline. 10. Get feedback. Do some of your practice with a mirror, or better yet, take a selfie-video of your answer to see and hear how you're doing. Practice with a buddy or a coach and ask for feedback on what worked well and what could be better. Together with your REV Points and SOAR stories, with your REV Intro you've now completed what you need to prepare for a winning interview. You'll find the remaining chapters easier now that you have these three fundamental pieces in hand. I know, "practice, practice, practice" – it's easier said than done. How do you motivate yourself to practice? How can you practice in the right way so you're rewarded with substantial improvement? CHAPTER 4 A Word about Practicing An hour of practice is worth five hours of foot-dragging. — Pancho Segura Like any skill, interviewing improves with practice. You've probably thought about the difference between working hard and working smart. Here are some tips for practicing smart. Make it painless. What do you need to do to enjoy practicing your interview skills – or at least, not hate it? Start with a brief period of time for a practice session, like 30 minutes. Set a timer. When the timer rings, you're done! Easy peasy, huh? Associate practicing with enjoyment by rewarding yourself with a treat when you're done. It can be as simple as a little snack, a cup of tea or a few minutes of doing something you enjoy. I Brain Dumb Page 15 as simple as a little snack, a cup of tea or a few minutes of doing something you enjoy. I enjoy petting my cat. Focus on what you want rather than what you don't want. For example, if you tend to say "um" or "uh" too much, start focusing on pausing silently instead. (By the way, you can relax about the occasional "um." Even the best professional speakers say it occasionally.) Have a vivid vision of success. Make a list of the specific behaviors you want to see in your interviewing, such as pausing briefly to consider the question that has been asked, moving through the key points of your answer, smiling and so on. Take the time to imagine yourself doing the interview that way – what it will look like, sound like, feel like – and getting a positive response from the interviewer. Practice purposefully, not mindlessly. Remember when you were a child and you were great at pretending? Use that ability now to imagine you're really talking to an interviewer – one who likes what they're seeing and hearing. Role-play with the same alert, friendly tone of voice and body language you want to display in the interview. Do multiple sessions, not marathons. Several short practice sessions will do a better job of imprinting new skills in your memory than the one marathon followed by a week of ignoring the whole thing. If your practice isn't working, try it a different way. If one of my recommendations doesn't work for you, figure out something else. Have you ever practiced a sport, a musical instrument, a craft? What has that taught you about practicing? Bring that wisdom to interviewing practice. Enlist friends, web resources and/or a skilled interview coach. Mock interviews with a friend or spouse are a useful supplement to practicing alone. Ask for honest feedback on what's working and what could be better. Interview practice apps and websites can be helpful as well, ranging from general apps like Job Interview Question-Answer to technical interview practice sites like Pramp. For the most customized and in-depth assistance, consider working with a professional interview coach. Interview coaches can be found on LinkedIn, Yelp or through a general Internet search; and of course, see About the Author for information about my own services. Now that you've got ideas about how to practice, let's get back to the bread and butter of interviewing: answering questions. You'll come up with authentic and strategically smart answers to tricky questions like "Why did you leave your job?", "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" and dozens more. In fact, we'll start with tips for dealing with any question at all. Section Two Questions: Answering and Asking CHAPTER 5 How to Answer Any Interview Question Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. – Plato Brain Dumb Page 16 Answer Authentically and Strategically Authenticity and strategy could almost be called the "yin and yang" of good interviewing – except that they aren't opposites. The opposite of authenticity is phoniness, and the opposite of strategy is randomness, or carelessness. Many job candidates fail to be strategic. They may interview in an honest and straightforward way, but without being clear what messages they're trying to communicate or how their answers are going to get them the job (or not). Being strategic means asking yourself "How is this question an opportunity to sell my abilities? Keep your eyes on the prize! This will make your answers more compelling and relevant. Even "negative" sounding questions like "What is your weakness?" are an opportunity to sell yourself by showing that you are self-aware, realistic about your limitations and always striving to improve. Being strategic means proactively taking responsibility for making sure your message comes across. Let's say you've got some great stories prepared, but nothing the interviewer says gives you an opportunity to bring them up. Make your own opportunity. Say something like "Speaking of X, may I tell you about …?" or "(Name), we haven't talked about X, but there's something important I wanted to say about that, if we have a moment…" Being strategic also includes planning out answers to some of the more crucial or tricky questions you may be asked. Other candidates don't come across as being authentic. They give "right" answers that reflect what they think the interviewer wants to hear, but the answers sound "canned" and insincere. Maybe they found these "right" answers in a book. Or they thought up their own answers, but they've memorized them, word for word, like a speech. This kind of presentation doesn't build trust, nor does it demonstrate good communication skills. And it's boring! In mock interviews I often hear candidates struggling to give a perfect answer that has very little connection to what's true for them. I ask them, "Okay, forget about the interview version for now. Just between you and me, what's the plain answer?" You might think of this as your "best-friend answer" – one with no caution or polish, just the blunt truth. Usually this spontaneous answer, or at least part of it, contains the core of a perfectly good interview answer. It will probably need some pruning and polishing, but in the end, you'll be more authentic and believable than if you had gone straight for the safe and perfect, by-the-book answer. No discussion of authenticity is complete without a word about lying. As we all know, people sometimes lie about their qualifications. In the short run it may get them the job, but it may result in termination if the lie is discovered – and quite possibly, far- reaching damage to their reputations. Even if the lie is never discovered, they live in fear and must hide their secret from everyone they work with. This is not necessary. There's invariably a better way to address tricky issues such as a long career gap, having been fired, a negative work incident or even a criminal record. (Some of these will be covered in Chapter 7, Common But Not Easy.) Be both authentic and strategic in your interviewing and let the interviewer see the best of who you really are. Know What the Interviewer Is Looking for There are three unspoken questions an interviewer has about you, which you can think of as the Three C's of Interviewing. (The following is derived from a model developed by the outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison.) The three C's are Competence, Compatibility with the company culture, and Chemistry. Competence: Of course, the interviewer wants to make sure you can do the job, and do it well. This is what we all tend to think the whole interview is about: whether the candidate has the necessary experience, technical skills and soft skills. But actually there's more. Compatibility with the company culture: They also want to make sure you'll work well in this particular environment, especially if it's quite different from the organizations you've worked in before. For Brain Dumb Page 17 especially if it's quite different from the organizations you've worked in before. For example, some organizations are very hard-driving and competitive, while others are more collaborative; some are very hierarchical and formal, while others are more open and want everyone to be a leader. Show the employer that you understand and appreciate their company culture and will work well within it. If you have more experience with that type of culture than your resume indicates, clarify that. Chemistry: Last but not least, they want a sense that you'll "click" with the boss and team members and that they'll enjoy spending a big chunk of their waking hours with you, day after day. Don't underestimate or forget the importance of liking and being liked by the people you're meeting – all of them, including the receptionist, shuttle driver and so on. Much of this comes down to everyday things like friendly chitchat, showing an interest in people, active listening, and body language such as a firm handshake, eye contact and a warm smile. In many cases, chemistry is even more important than competence. Understand Before You Answer We've all been taught in school to answer quickly, but answering instantly in an interview can give the impression that you're not taking the question seriously, or that you have your answers memorized. Answering too quickly can also lead to the embarrassing experience of realizing, in the middle of your answer, that you've forgotten the question. So pause for a moment – usually two to five seconds is about right – and repeat the question silently to yourself. If the question is long or complex, repeat it aloud to ensure you've got it right. While you're at it, make sure you fully understand the question. Is it a behavioral question, requiring you to tell a story? Make sure you tell one. Does the question have multiple parts? Get ready to answer them all. Is the question vague or unclear? Ask for clarification if necessary. "I'd love to answer that, and before I do, could you just clarify for me which aspect of…" This is skillful communication – and it will enable you to give a more relevant answer. There's another major advantage in asking questions related to what's being discussed: it makes the interview feel more like a dialogue or conversation, and less like an interrogation. That makes it more enjoyable – and a person who enjoyed their conversation with you is more likely to want to work with you. Listen Between the Lines Think about what the employer is trying to find out with each question. Usually it's straightforward, as in "Tell me about your experience with (technique or task)." On the other hand, a question about your boss is indirect: it's really a question about you, and whether you're easy to manage, and whether you speak respectfully of others even when they're not present. Be Specific and Concrete Question: "What's your management style?" Answer: "I'm fair, my door is always open, and I coach my team to excel and help them move up." This answer sounds trite, uninteresting and vague. It neither informs nor persuades! Why not? Because it lacks the specific details that would make it real and convincing. What do you mean by "fair"? Can you give an example? Do you have a special philosophy or motto about coaching? Can you tell a story about a team member whose career you helped transform? Use Sound Bites Public figures use sound bites – short, memorable phrases and slogans – because they are easily remembered when more wordy, generic language has been forgotten. Of course, you can't always speak in sound bites – it would be difficult and just plain weird – but as you think about your answers, watch for the kinds of short, expressive language that we all come across every day. One candidate told me her motto at work is "Have fun, but get it done!" That's a memorable phrase. Another told me he Brain Dumb Page 18 work is "Have fun, but get it done!" That's a memorable phrase. Another told me he created a bit of software that caused a teammate in a staff meeting to say "That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!" It's not Shakespeare, but it packs a punch. Look for "sound bites" like these in your LinkedIn recommendations and performance reviews. Memorize them – they are quotes, after all – and sprinkle them into your interviews. Keep It Positive Never volunteer a negative about yourself, such as confessing to a weakness when the interviewer hasn't asked about your weaknesses. Don't say what you didn't like about any past job, unless asked to do so. Don't badmouth your former boss, co-workers or company. This is one of the surest ways to destroy your chances at a job interview. Occasionally, a story about your own accomplishments might unavoidably mention challenges created by others: a co- worker not pulling their own weight, or an underperforming employee you managed. Be very tactful, respectful, objective and brief about the behavior. Preserve this person's reputation by omitting any information that would allow anyone to identify them. Handle Negatives Skillfully Sometimes you have to address a negative, as when you're asked a question about your weaknesses, mistakes and failures, or why you left (or were fired from) past jobs. These questions can actually be opportunities to demonstrate strengths such as transparency, resilience, and learning valuable lessons from experience. To handle these type of questions effectively, follow these pointers: Plan and practice your answers. Planning your talking points is always smart, and these questions may even justify an exception to my warning about scripting exact language. And do practice with someone – a peer or an interview coach. Use the "sandwich" technique: surround the negatives with positives. "Why did I leave Positive Promotions? I loved my work there, and I played a key role in many major wins, such as (maybe three ultra-brief examples), which I can tell you more about today. Then I was diagnosed with Ravel Syndrome, and I had to take a year off to recover my health. Last month my doctor said I'm fully recovered and should be fine from now on. I feel great and I've been attending conferences and reading a lot to refresh my skills while looking for the right opportunity. I'm very excited about this opening." Keep the negative part brief. See the example above, where the reason for leaving the job takes up only one-fifth of the answer. It can be hard to be brief about something you have strong feelings about. Questions like "Tell me about a difficult person you had to work with" or "Why do you want to leave your job?" present a strong temptation to kvetch and commiserate, particularly when your interviewer has the natural empathy we often see among human resources folks. Resist that urge firmly. Set your feelings aside and speak in an emotionally neutral manner. This may require that you work through those feelings ahead of time. Try journaling, talking to a trusted friend, reading self-help books or getting professional help. As every pro athlete or performer knows, state of mind is crucial to success. Don't create negative sound bites. As author Jeff Haden has written, "Interviewers will only remember a few sound bites, especially negative ones. Don't say, 'I've never been in charge of training.' Say, 'I did not fill that specific role, but I have trained dozens of new hires and created several training guides.'" Rather than saying "I haven't" or "I can't," tell them what you have done and can do. Know that the Interviewer Wants You to Succeed Good news! The interviewer would like nothing better than to be wowed by you, to know that his problem – lacking an employee – is about to be solved. Begin thinking of the interviewer as a future Brain Dumb Page 19 lacking an employee – is about to be solved. Begin thinking of the interviewer as a future colleague who thinks highly of your skills, and with whom you'll soon have a friendly and productive working relationship. Be Concise Long-winded, wandering answers can be a deal-breaker. Employers don't want to hire people who ramble on and don't get to the point, or who don't leave enough air space for others to talk – especially themselves! How long should your answers be? Telling a complex and important story, such as "the accomplishment you're most proud of," may warrant two minutes, or even a bit more. But most interview questions can – and should – be answered in less than a minute. Does answering in less than 60 seconds sound difficult? Have you found yourself rambling in past interviews, unsure when or how to finish your answer? The next chapter will help you make a great impression keeping all of your answers concise and to the point. CHAPTER 6 How to Speak Concisely If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought. – Author Dennis Roth “Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland One of the most common ways to fail a job interview is to give long, wandering answers to the interviewer's questions. You need them to be excited about you – not overwhelmed or bored. Most interview questions can and should be answered in less than a minute. Others, especially where you're telling a story, may take two minutes or more. An answer longer than five minutes is probably a mistake. Be concise. You've heard that before, but it's not as easy as it sounds. How can you do it? Know What You Need to Say The main cause of rambling is a lack of clarity about where you're going in your answer. In Chapter 1 you saw that identifying the Situation, Actions, Obstacles and Results in your SOAR story can help you cover the key points efficiently, like checking items off a list. And in Chapter 3 you saw how a talking-points outline can help you prepare a clear and concise answer to "Tell me about yourself." Other common questions can be treated in the same way. Plan your answers by noting your talking points, then timing yourself as you use them to run through your answer aloud. After going through this process multiple times over a period of days, you're likely to find yourself being more concise even on answers you haven't prepared! Know How to End Sometimes we ramble because we're looking for an ending – something to tie up your answer neatly, like "…and they all lived happily ever after," or "…and that's how they saved the world." Interview answers can actually end in a similar way! Here are four ways to end your statements: 1. Results. If you're telling a story you can end with the impact and benefits of your work: "This new program increased revenues 20% and became the model for similar efforts in five other divisions." 2. Referring back to the interviewer's question. "So that's how I'd describe my management style." 3. Relating what you've said to the job/company you're interviewing for. "Have you had similar situations here?" or "Does that sound like a strategy that could work here?" 4. A question: "Is there anything more you'd like to know about what I've just said?" As you prepare answers, make a point of practicing each of these four types of endings, so that you get in the habit of using them. Brain Dumb Page 20 endings, so that you get in the habit of using them. Still "Going Long"? Here are two practice techniques that are bound to make a difference. Give too-concise answers (yes! actually too short!), followed by a question like: "Would you like more detail in any area of that?" Once you've practiced lots of too- short answers, you can then make your way back towards a perfect "Goldilocks Zone" where your answers are not too short, not too long, but just right. "Bottom line" your answers. In other words, when you find you're rambling, interrupt yourself with one of these phrases: o "To get straight to the bottom line…" o "And the essence of this story is…" o "To make a long story short…" …And then get straight to the point. By now you're probably itching to get your hands on some specific interview questions. In the next chapter we'll look at many of the most common questions, with tips for answering them in a way that shows you at your best. CHAPTER 7 Common But Not Easy: Questions You'll Need to Answer First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak. – Epictetus The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven't thought of yet. – Ann Landers We all know many jobs are being replaced by automation these days; even by robots. But if you're interviewing for a job, it means the employer doesn't want a robot. Interviewers are sick of robotic, "canned" answers candidates have read in books. So instead of feeding you readymade answers, I'm going to help you think through and prepare your own answers – ones that are both authentic and strategic. "Tell me about yourself." This question is so important it has a chapter all to itself. If you haven't already read and worked with Chapter 3, now is the time. "What is your greatest strength?" Think about those key selling points you identified in Chapter 1. What's at the top of that list? It should be a strength that has all the REV factors: one that is Relevant, Exceptional and Verifiable. Illustrate your point with a story. "Why should we hire you?" Focus on your key selling points and how they relate to the organization and its needs. This may be very similar to your answer to "Tell me about yourself," but say it a different way, using different examples. "Tell me about the accomplishment you are most proud of." If you've done your work with Chapter 2, you have plenty of SOAR stories to choose from in answering this question. Your answer may be taken as a reflection not only of your skills but also what makes you proud – in other words, what you find valuable and motivating. Make sure your choice is highly relevant to the job you're interviewing for. "Why do you want this job?" What is it about the role, the product, the mission and/or the organization that excites you? List these things in your mind. Your answer should be built upon the items that are central to doing the job, the things that will motivate you on a day-to-day basis, especially that the role is a good fit for your interests and skills, and that you love the product or believe in the mission. You can also add, as a secondary reason, that you feel like you'll be compatible with the company culture or that you've heard it's a great place to work. Avoid emphasizing that you're excited about Brain Dumb Page 21 you've heard it's a great place to work. Avoid emphasizing that you're excited about the money, the location or the hours. "What's your ideal work environment?" First, ask yourself why the interviewer is asking this question. Are they planning to go out of their way to make sure you have the ideal work environment? No? So why are they asking? Once you think about it, you undoubtedly realize that they're trying to find out (a) whether their environment is similar to what you're looking for, and (b) whether you're reasonable and flexible in your expectations. Focus your answer on common, reasonable factors that will motivate you to do your best – like a team environment, open sharing of information, or a focus on customer satisfaction. Don't talk about preferences that are more self-focused such as amenities or benefits, or superficial items such as the appearance of the office. And make it clear that you do not require ideal circumstances and can perform excellently under a wide range of conditions. "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Why are they asking you this? For one thing, they want to know whether the job aligns with your goals, and thus whether you'll stick around. They may also be hoping you have some ambition. Ambitious people often make better employees. They're more motivated, and they may work harder and smarter. They make a point of growing their abilities. On the other hand, those who come in with their eye on a higher position and view the current role only as a stepping stone may be impatient and lack commitment to the tasks at hand. So give an answer that combines a desire to grow, on the one hand, with realism, patience and commitment on the other. Before the interview, see if you can find information about paths to advancement from within the position. If the only position you can advance to is that of the person you're interviewing with, proceed with care! He probably won't like the idea that you have your eye on his job, so just talk about growing and taking on more responsibility. In most cases you won't have much information, in which case it's safest to start with a general answer followed by a question, like this: "Over the next few years I see myself building my skills, taking on more responsibility and moving up, if it's appropriate. Can you tell me about how others have advanced from this role?" Note: Although the question often includes the phrase "five years," you don't have to be that precise in your answer. More open-ended terms like "over the next several years" may be best. "Why do you want to leave your current job?" Some reasons are easy to talk about: You like your current job, and are only interviewing because you saw another opportunity too exciting to resist. You are successful in your current job but wish to make a career change that your current company can't offer you – e.g., a shift into a different industry. There is no path for advancement from your current role. You need to relocate to a different city or state, and your current company can't transfer you. It's trickier if you're leaving because of a problem – that the company is poorly managed, your boss is difficult, or such. It's ironic that while the number one reason most people quit jobs is because of their bosses, that is the last reason you can safely talk about in an interview. Likewise, it's poor practice to criticize your current company, especially if you would be revealing issues that are not publicly known. As with "Why did you leave your past job," take a look at all the reasons you might want to leave, and focus on reasons that present you in a good light. "Why did you leave your job?" If you left and immediately started a new job, this is easy: you left for a better opportunity (or what you thought was a better opportunity, if it didn’t work out). But leaving without a new job lined up is generally a red flag, so Brain Dumb Page 22 if it didn’t work out). But leaving without a new job lined up is generally a red flag, so this question is tricky. The key is this: although one reason may dominate in your mind – probably the most emotional one, such as a personality conflict or issue with the boss – usually there are more reasons. List them all on a piece of paper. Then see which of these reasons makes the best impression. Example: Joe quit his job for the following reasons: (1) his boss was a micromanager, (2) the company, a hospital, had toxic office politics, (3) the circumstances made it difficult or impossible to move up into a better department, (4) he couldn't stay until he found a new job because the job left him no time or energy for job search, and (5) he also had an itch to move into the pharmaceutical industry. Reasons 1 and 2 are a minefield that would be hard to discuss without presenting himself as a complainer who badmouths his former employer. But he doesn't need to go there; he can build a truthful answer out of reasons 3-5: "While Bayworth Hospital is a great institution in terms of patient care, and I had three excellent years there, with strong accomplishments like the ones we've discussed, there really wasn't a path upward for me there any more (reason #3). It was time to leave and pursue my longtime interest in pharmaceutical companies (#5) like this one. The job was intensely demanding and it didn't leave me the energy to conduct a search. (#4) So I gave notice, helped the department make a smooth transition, and then left to devote myself to a full-time process of transitioning into doing what I'm most passionate about." Why does this answer work? Because it's true, tactful, brief (30 seconds) and focused on the positive. It's also a great example of the "sandwich technique": surrounding a negative (the fact that he left) with positives (his respect for the hospital in certain ways, his accomplishments and his passion for the current opportunity). What if Joe had been fired? In a past chapter I said "Never volunteer a negative." Joe doesn't need to say he was fired, unless specifically asked (see the next question). His answer could be the same as above, with a slightly different ending: "…It was time to leave and pursue my longtime interest in pharmaceutical companies like this one. Since then I've devoted myself to a full-time process of transitioning into doing what I'm most passionate about." Because this subject is emotionally charged for Joe, he would be wise to rehearse this answer with great care. Joe also needs to be prepared for the likelihood the interviewer will ask additional questions that will reveal that he was fired. "Have you been fired? What happened?" First of all, realize that having been fired is probably more of a big deal to you than it is to the prospective employer. Keep your answer short and sweet: brief and emotionally neutral. Here are some effective ways people have explained being fired: I was a valued member of the team, as I've described, for five years. Then a new manager came in (or there was a reorganization, or the company was bought) and a large percentage of the staff and leadership were let go, including me. The new manager then filled the team with people he had worked with at a past company. The silver lining is that now I'm able to interview for this exciting new opportunity. Looking back, I've realized the job and I weren't really a good fit. I was successful with (aspects that are similar to the job you're interviewing for), but not as strong on (parts that are different). I'm much better suited to a position like the one we're talking about today. Although I did accomplish many milestones in that role, I realize I also made some mistakes. It's been a learning experience for me. What I learned was … and I took that learning with me to my next role, where I was much more successful. For example … Notice how these answers begin and end with something positive, with the negative sandwiched in between. You can use this "sandwich" technique whenever you need to address something negative. Whatever you say, it is important to say it without radiating anger, fear or shame. Work on your state of mind if you need to, perhaps with the Brain Dumb Page 23 radiating anger, fear or shame. Work on your state of mind if you need to, perhaps with the aid of self-help books or counseling. Don't take having been fired too seriously or personally. "Good people get fired every day," according to Tim Sackett, who runs a staffing agency. (Interesting surname, considering his occupation and the topic of his blog post!) "They get fired for making bad decisions. They get fired for pissing off the wrong person. They get fired because they didn’t fit your culture. They get fired because of bad job fit." Or because of office politics. Many of the most successful people in the world have been fired: Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, then returned years later. Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Lee Iacocca, J.K. Rowling and Thomas Edison all got the boot. Look up "successful people who have been fired" online. You'll see that the list goes on and on. You're in good company. Note: Being fired is not the same as being laid off. If your position was eliminated as part of a staff reduction, your answer is easier. You can say something like, "A business decision was made to eliminate a number of positions" – state how many, if it's a reasonably large number – "including mine." Surround this brief statement with positives as in the examples above. "What is your greatest weakness?" In most cases, the interviewer isn't just asking this to find out if there's a weakness that would disqualify you. They're even more interested in finding out whether you're self-aware and willing to openly discuss your shortcomings, which would indicate that you probably take feedback well. They want to hear that you are committed to continually improving your skills. With that in mind, try talking about… …a weakness that's closely connected to one of your greatest strengths. For example, if you're great at relationship-building and that's crucial to the job you're applying for, you might mention that you sometimes spend more time listening to a client or co-worker than you intended to. (But if it really isn't a weakness at all, it will sound evasive and insincere, so pick something else.) …an "elephant in the room" weakness that's already very noticeable to the employer – such as having less experience than they would prefer, or a thick accent – so you have nothing to lose by bringing it up. …a weakness you have largely overcome or that you compensate for very successfully. No matter what weakness you bring up, keep it brief and spend more time talking about how you're overcoming it than about what a problem it is. And avoid words like "weakness" and "problem" in your answer. Use more positive words like "challenge," "growing edge" and "area where I'm growing." Of course, don't bring up a weakness that would cause them to seriously doubt you can do the job. Realize that certain answers – especially "I'm a perfectionist" and "I work too hard" – have been used so often they've become clichés and should be avoided, unless you can put a fresh spin on them. "What's one area / three areas where your boss wants you to improve?" This is similar to the question above, and can be approached similarly, but with an even more positive spin, since they're not actually asking for a negative. You can talk about things you do well but would like to do even better, or a skill that's so cutting- edge that only a really committed professional would be concerned about it. And I've heard people succeed with approaches more frank and transparent than this, as long as the issue they mention is not major and good progress is being made. "Why is there a gap in your employment?" Employers tend to assume that everyone wants to be employed continually. If you weren't, they may wonder what the problem was. They may imagine a serious physical or mental illness such as cancer, major depression or alcohol/drug abuse. Or maybe that you lost your job Brain Dumb Page 24 cancer, major depression or alcohol/drug abuse. Or maybe that you lost your job and were unable to find a new one after many months. If other employers passed you up for a year, they may feel reluctant to take a chance on you. First, address how the gap started. Read the tips under "Why did you leave your job?" or "Have you been fired?" above. If the situation is not likely to recur, explain why – for example, that you were caring for an ill family member who has now recovered or for whom other caregivers have been secured. Talk about any positive activities you were engaged in, such as travel, education or volunteer work. You want to show that you're energetic and like to work, learn and grow. If you are unemployed and haven't worked in several months, I recommend you start participating in updating your skills, doing pro bono work and/or consulting now – don't put it off! – and mention those activities in your interviews. "Tell me about a major mistake you made." As with the "weakness" questions, the intention here is to see whether you are open to admitting, taking responsibility for and learning from your mistakes. No one wants employees who will sweep their mistakes under the rug or blame them on others. They also want to hear that you clean up after yourself where possible, going the extra mile to make things right. "On a software project I managed, a certain manager didn't come to the regular meetings until the final one where everyone was supposed to sign off. There, at the last minute, he objected to a great new feature the team was excited about. Later I realized how I could have countered that objection, but at the time it caught me by surprise, I didn't make a good case for it, and the feature was left off. What I learned for the future was to always make sure the key stakeholders are involved early, and that's what I've done since then. Anyway, I worked hard to ensure that the new feature would be in the next release – and it was!" "What would you look to accomplish in the first 30/60/90 days?" This question is typically asked of sales, managerial and executive candidates, among others. It tends to occur late in the interview process. Preparing a written plan to present is a good idea, as described in Chapter 11, "Something Extra." If other candidates don't do this and you do, you'll stand out. Your plan should demonstrate that you have learned from your previous interviews with this company, done additional homework and understand the company and its priorities, that you will get up to speed quickly, put in extra time, respect and learn from those who have been there longer, and add value soon after hire. "Tell me how you handled a difficult situation." This is a behavioral interview question; it requires you to tell a story. The employer is hoping the story will show that you have skills and strengths like resourcefulness, creative problem solving ability, emotional intelligence, resilience, team leadership skills, diplomacy, staying calm and rational under pressure, and possibly technical skills as well. Avoid using an example where you were the cause of the difficulty! At the same time, don't blame anybody else. Remember to be tactful; don't "talk down" your past company, boss or co-workers. As in any story, make sure you include the successful results, which in this case might be that you prevented or at least reduced the damage that could have occurred, and that you maintained morale and good relationships. Point out how you learned from the situation and implemented measures to prevent future occurrences. "Give me an example of a time you had to deal with an angry customer or client." Most of us have dealt skillfully with an angry customer, or an upset co-worker, or a very anxious client. What many of us have trouble doing is explaining how we did it. Brain Dumb Page 25 very anxious client. What many of us have trouble doing is explaining how we did it. Often our people skills are somewhat unconscious; we may have "helped the person calm down" but we don't know how. If you've ever had formal training in handling difficult interactions – for example, in customer service training – review that in your mind and apply the concepts and language to the incident you're remembering. This will help you describe it, as well as demonstrating that you have tools for such situations. If you don't have such training, review the situation carefully in your memory. What did you say or do that worked? Did telling the person "Calm down" help? (Usually it doesn't.) Did listening help? (Usually it does.) What else did you say or do? What was the outcome? Try to say more than just "He calmed down and was pleased." What did you specifically observe that tells you he was pleased? Did he stop yelling and thank you, renew his subscription, give you a "10" in a survey later, write a letter to your manager? Show empathy for the customer in the way you tell this story. If you don't feel any empathy for them, dig deeper – or tell a different story. "Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond requirements." Companies want employees and leaders who consistently go above and beyond. If you're having trouble thinking of examples, think of various projects and situations in which you excelled and showed great dedication, and ask yourself whether everything you did was really required. Sometimes going above and beyond means taking the lead. One recent graduate told the story of a school project on which the work was delayed due to a conflict between team members. She took the initiative to assign each team member a role and tasks that fit their individual abilities. As a result, the project was completed on time and received an excellent grade. "What do you know about our company?" This is where you need to have done some research, preferably going beyond simply skimming the website. Show that you know not only the basics of the company history, leadership, products and culture, but also understand its competitive position, financial condition, challenges and opportunities, and recent news coverage. Common related questions are "Who is our CEO?" and "Who are our competitors?" "What are your salary expectations?" Answering this question too specifically can lose you a lot of money, or an opportunity. Naming a figure that's too low can result in a lower offer, or even loss of the opportunity if your answer creates doubt about your value. A figure that's too high can immediately disqualify you. This is one of the few questions where formulaic, memorized verbiage may be the best approach. First, as soon as you apply for a job make sure you understand the range of typical salaries for the position and geographic area, because this may be one of the first questions you will be asked in a phone screen, which could happen at any time. You can research salaries via websites like Salary, Payscale, Glassdoor, Indeed, CareerOneStop, JobSearchIntelligence, via a simple Google search, and sometimes via word of mouth. Use more than one source, since a broader range may give you more negotiating flexibility. When the question is asked, respond with "Can you tell me what range you have budgeted for the position?" If they tell you a range, say something like, "That seems like a reasonable ballpark. I'm sure once we agree I'm the right person for the job, we'll be able to agree on a salary that's fair." If they won't state their range and put the question back onto you, say something like, "I've done some research and I'm seeing salaries anywhere from X to Y. I'm sure once we agree I'm the right person for the job we'll be able to agree on a salary that's fair." Brain Dumb Page 26 that's fair." "How much are/were you making at your current/previous job?" There are a couple of options here. You can decline to state, saying something like "I'd rather learn more about the position and how well I fit what you're looking for, before we discuss salary issues," or "It would be difficult to compare my last salary with this position for several reasons, including that I don't have enough information about your whole package. I'm sure we can agree on compensation." If you will be changing careers or industries, you might point out that this makes your current/recent salary less relevant. On the other hand, if your salary has been very similar to what you expect you would be offered – or if it appears you won't be consider

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