June 22, 2006

The Best Interview Advice You'll Get all Year

And it wasn't even written about interviews.

Jill Konrath writes a blog on selling to big companies. Today's advice jumped off the page because it's perfect for anyone preparing for interviews.

She talks about the mistakes many sales people make when asked the open-ended question: "Tell me more." According to Jill, most launch into a description of their process or their proprietary approach - exactly the wrong answer to give a busy, stressed executive looking for solutions to his problems.

Her advice is to deal directly with the executive's problems by:

1) Expanding on how tough it is for companies to achieve their objectives using outdated systems or processes. Talk about all difficulties that arise, the bottlenecks and the workarounds, the frustrations. Mention the ramifications on other areas in their business.

2) Sharing a story about a particular customer you recently worked with, how they were doing things when you initially started working together, the problems they faced and the impact of these problems on their business. Then briefly summarize the outcomes.

3) Then you wrap it up by asking a question that engages your prospect in discussing the issue in greater depth.

She then outlines how she would answer the "tell me more" question:

The biggest challenges facing sellers today is cracking into corporate accounts. Decision makers never answer their phone. They roll all calls to voicemail and they never call anyone back. Most all direct mail goes into the trash and emails from strangers are considered spam.

You may have the greatest product or service in the world, but if your people can't get their foot in the door, it's all academic. Most sellers I work with are extremely discouraged. They've tried everything they know, but it's not working. I help them figure out what it takes to succeed in this crazy business environment.

How big of an issue is this for your company?"

Can you see how this would work for an interview? Don't you dread the "So tell me about yourself" question? How about: "So, why should I hire you?"

Honestly, in my experience most interviewers don't even really know what they want to hear when they ask this question -- but we do. They want to hear an answer that tells them their problems are over.

Using Jill's formula, you can give it to them.

Posted by Louise at 05:11 PM | Permalink

January 27, 2006

Don't Take Reference Letters

Before I started my business, I worked as an HR executive and I interviewed hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. Like anyone who does a lot of interviewing, I came to spot certain warning signs about a candidate. One of them was this: people who come to interviews armed with a stack of reference letters are often trying to hide something. Many of these candidates think that if they can overwhelm you with lots of letters saying they are wonderful, you won't bother to call their last boss and find out the truth.

This came to mind because a resume client asked if he should take reference letters with him to interviews. This client has nothing to hide. He's just inexperienced at job search and keen to make a great impression. But if he hands experienced recruiters a sheaf of glowing letters, I have to believe that at least some of them will have the same reaction as me.

So don't supply references until you're asked for them, and then provide names, emails and phone numbers so that the recruiter can do his or her own research. If you believe that one of your employers will give you a bad review, avoid giving that name as a reference. If you can't avoid it, be upfront about the situation and make sure your other references are people who will say glowing things about you.

Going into an interview armed with reference letters is a little like talking about marriage on a first date. It makes you look way too keen and it sets off alarm bells.

Posted by Louise at 01:11 PM | Permalink

June 01, 2005

Be Yourself

I've been reading a lot lately about various interview methods - and in my prior life as an HR executive, I tried many of them. All are designed to try and find out the "truth" about a candidate. The company doesn't want to make a mismatch, so they employ group interviews, behavioral interviews, personality assessments,situational interviews, leadership tests ... countless different ways to try and find out if you can do the job and fit into the culture.

Recruiters have to work hard to identify the right candidates because so many job seekers go into interviews with one goal - to impress the interviewer. Because they view the interview as a test, they want to "pass." (Let's face it - no one wants to be rejected.)

But that's the wrong approach to interviewing - it's not a pass or fail test - it's an opportunity for you to determine whether this job and this company are a fit for you. Because, if the fit isn't right but you successfully "fake them out" and get the job, who wins?

The company loses because you're not what they're looking for and you lose for the same reason. You won't be happy there and you won't succeed unless you're able to keep pretending to be someone you're not. What a recipe for disaster!

So try this - go to your next interview ready to just be yourself. Of course, you need to be the cleaned-up, best-suit-and-tie version of yourself, but still yourself. Forget trying to pass a test, or giving the "right" answers. Just answer honestly and from your heart.

If they don't choose you, chances are it wasn't the right fit anyway.

Posted by Louise at 07:05 PM | Permalink

March 24, 2005

Group Interviewing

More and more companies are using group interviews to evaluate candidates. It has grown in popularity as a way to interview efficiently. It's important to be prepared for this type of interview and remember that this is not an attempt to intimidate, but an opportunity for the candidate and the interviewers to gain valuable information. Candidates should think of it as a chance to learn more about the company, department and position from more than just the Human Resources representative and the Hiring Manager. Group phone interviews can be challenging, but our best advice is to remember to speak slowly and clearly, and not allow nerves to get in the way.

Posted by Jean at 02:01 PM | Permalink