Interview Tips

Ronald S. Burt, professor of sociology and strategy at the University Of Chicago Booth School of Business, has done extensive research on the efficacy of diverse networks.

"Indeed, it might not be who or what you know that creates advantage, but rather more simply, who you become by dint of how you hang out — the disadvantaged hang out with folks just like themselves, while the advantaged engage folks of diverse opinion and practice."

If you are thrown for a loop by a question, take a minute to think about how you'll answer before responding. Introverts, Lees points out, often need time to process a question. You can buy time by summarizing the question or framing it in your own way.

"That's a really great question. When I answer it, I'm going to discuss..." The worst thing you can do is look or act flustered. That communicates incompetence. If you have to, tell your interviewer: "Let me think about that for a minute..." and then only answer when you're ready.

Do get to know the other person. Ask questions and show interest--in fact, be interested. Again, insincerity is usually easy to spot.

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Similarly, if you're attending an event organized by a professional association, it's likely that many of their board and advisory board members will be in attendance, and you can almost always find that information on the organization's website.

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Don't be unfriendly. Even if you are having a bad day or are extremely busy, try to be patient and pleasant in all your dealings with people.

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Don't just network with people you like and people like you. Our comfort zone is to hang out with people most like us, but research supports the benefits of diverse networks.

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>> How do I come across in general (communication style, voice, energy level, image)? What could I do to improve? >> If there were an actual job interview, would I be dressed appropriately?

>> Am I coming to this job search with any serious deficits in skills or experience?How might I bridge the gap? >> Do you know of anyone else I could speak to for further strategy advice?

>>Do back up any claims you make about yourself or your business with two or three concrete examples. >> Do use a minimum of words to have maximum impact. Don't ramble or be verbose. >> Do use proper business format.

>> Do use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. >> Don't have any typos or other errors in a letter. >> Do make sure that your hard copy letter is visually appealing--balanced on the page and printed on clean, unwrinkled paper.

>> Do you know of any positions available? >>Do you know of anyone I could speak to who might know of job openings? >> May I stay in touch with you for help with my strategy along the way?

>> Do you know of any organizations that often or occasionally have openings in my target area (whether or not you know of any current openings there)? >> How long should I expect my job search to take?

Whether you use old-fashioned paper or "high-tech" system, you'll want to list various data for each of your contacts. This includes the following:

>> First name >> Nickname (if applicable) >> Last name >> Title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) >> Job title >> Employer >> Address (office and/or home) >> Telephone numbers (office, home, cell) >>Fax number >> Email address >>Career field (industry and/or functional role/title) >> STARS categories >> Referred by

>>Do you know of any meetings, conferences, or other networking opportunities coming up soon that I could attend? >> What are the strengths and weakness of my resume? How can I improve it?

>> If you were a prospective employer receiving this cover letter (or follow-up letter), would you be impressed by it? How could I make it more effective? >>Can you help me refine my interviewing technique?

Communication How can I improve my communication style and interpersonal relationships in the workplace? Specifically, how can I.......... >>Deal with office politics more successfully?

>> be a better team player? >> be a more effective leader? >> manage other people more skillfully? >> Have more harmonious relationships with co-workers, bosses, or subordinates?

Effectiveness How can I be more effective on my job? Specifically, how can I.... >>manage my time more efficiently? >>be more productive? >>be more creative or innovative?

>> solve problems more quickly or effectively? >> deal with change in my organization?

Professional Image How can I enhance my professional image? Specifically, how can I..... >> Be a more confident or polished public speaker or presenter? >> Be more skilled at writing for business purposes?

>>Avoid making business etiquette or protocol errors? >> Improve my attire or personal grooming? >> Become more visible?

Written Communication >> Do review your objectives for the correspondence before writing (and keep them in mind as you write). >> Do state early on on in a letter why you are writing.

>>Don't start a letter with "Hello. My name is..." Who you are should be evident from your signature and typed name at the bottom or your name on the letterhead. >>Do use your personal pitch as the cornerstone of your correspondence.

>> which other job search methods are typically effective in this career field or industry? >> On which method(s) should I concentrate most of my time and effort?

>>How did you get your job when you were at my level? >> Are there newsletters or other publications that list jobs and contacts for this field? >> Which web sites do you recommend for my job hunt?

Career Advancement How can I advance and grow in my career? Specifically, how can I..... >> negotiate a raise? >> position myself for a promotion >> develop new skills? >> broaden my professional network?

>>gain more responsibility? >>move laterally to a new position for fresh challenges or a new routine? >> negotiate a different schedule or flexible working arrangement? >>plan my long-range career track?

Greetings. if this is someone you haven't met before, state you first and last name clearly and listen closely to the other person's name if you are uncertain about how to pronounce it.

Be sure to convey energy, enthusiasm, and confidence in order to make a strong first impression.

1. Effective networking involves focus, attention, and strategy.Many of us network haphazardly. We join some industry groups. We meet coworkers after work for a drink, but we don't have a plan. We might even think the more people we meet, the better.

But meeting the right people is most important. The right people are those that can help you reach your career goal. The right people are those people who are willing to speak up for you. You need to focus on people with whom you can build strong, mutually beneficial relationships.

Let's say you were laid off.You can say something like: "Like hundreds of other people, I lost my role when the company downsized.

But that gave me a chance to look at the skills I've developed and identify new areas of growth." Shift your answer from the past to the present and keep the conversation in a comfortable place.

Thanks.

Early in the meeting, thank the other person for agreeing to meet with you, being generous with their time, and offering to share their expertise.

Pre-script your own questions. You know you're going to be asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. "No" is always the wrong answer.

Have one or two good questions ready about the future of the company or the future of the role you are interviewing for.

Do be sincere. If you don't have a genuine interest in the people you're communicating with, you have no business talking to them.

Insincerity is easy to spot and is one of the quickest ways to squash rapport

What we discussed:________ Referred by___________ What this means for my decisions or strategy:______

Key information gained about the industry or the organization:_______ Key information gained about the person I met (experience, how she/he got into the field or company, personal info)_____

Of course, being nervous is normal but don't dismiss your jitters. Instead, be as ready as you can by doing the work of the interview well before you get into the room, says Lees. And he suggests you ignore anyone who tries to calm your nerves by telling you to "Just be yourself."

Of course you want be authentic, but you don't want to present an anxious, sweaty-palmed version of yourself. You want to be the best version of you — calm, confident, and prepared.

Don't interrupt. Wait until a pause in the conversation to speak. And when you do resume talking, make sure that what you say is related to the preceding points.

Otherwise, you give away the fact that you weren't listening to the other person.

People he/she referred me to for networking:____ People he/she referred me to for possible job (or business) opportunities_____

Overall evaluation of the meeting:______ Next steps (I am to do):_______ Next steps (the other person is to do):_____

Develop a real script. Most interview questions are utterly predictable, he says. You can probably sketch out the 10 or 12 things you will be asked. Why should we hire you? Why do you fit this role? I notice some gaps in your resume ... and so on.

Practice answers to those questions. Actually say the words out loud. It's not good enough to think about how you'll roughly answer. Lees calls that "false preparation." Really do it.

"It's about building up small narratives," Lees says, so that you have answers at the ready and you're freed up to be far more present in the interview room. Plus you'll probably give far more succinct and responsive answers.

Remember that the interviewer needs to learn a certain amount about you in a short span of time. If you ramble on with one or two answers, you might use up all your time and you risk coming off as a self-absorbed bore.

Have a few opening lines ready. The hardest part of interacting with a stranger is the opening. How do you get started? What do you say? That was the challenge facing a coaching client of mine, a talented executive from the West Coast.

She frequently attended high-powered alumni events but wasn't sure where to begin the conversation. We developed a few questions she felt comfortable using that didn't sound hackneyed, but opened the door to a more substantive discussion.

Invent a conference call to give yourself a break. One of my former bosses once passed on an excellent tip. If you're scheduled for back-to-back interviews, tell your contact in advance that you have a conference call you must attend and ask if there's a private room for you to do that.

That will allow you a small respite from the intensity of being "on" for several hours in a row. This trick is especially helpful for introverts but could help anyone who is likely to be exhausted from a long schedule of interviews (and who isn't?).

Keeping a To-Be-Entered File Valuable information can easily get lost-cards forgotten in the pocket of jackets sent to the cleaners, pieces of paper that slip through that crack between your desk and the wall and so on.

The way to solve this problem is to have one place where you keep this kind of information temporarily until you can enter it into your contract management system.

Talking about the weather only gets you so far before the other person's glaze over.

To make sure you always have something interesting to say in any sort of networking situation, make a habit of reading at least one newspaper every day, one popular magazine (relevant to your field) every week, and one professional or trad journal each month.

Make sure you're actually listening. When people are nervous, they tend to focus on themselves, what they're saying, how they're responding. But anxiety can be a blocker that stops you from listening, or makes you miss something vital your interviewer just asked.

Try to slow yourself down by taking slow breaths and focusing on the interviewer's words, not your ruminations. If it's a complicated question, it's OK to repeat it and then ask, "Have I got this right?" before you start to answer.

They don't have to be profound; the goal is to kick-start a dialogue. Possibilities include: >>What's the coolest thing you're working on right now? >>How do you spend most of your time? >>How did you hear about the event?

When there's a common tie, such as alumni group: What year did you graduate/what house or dorm did you live in? And when nothing else works, I've often simply said, "I don't know anyone here. Can I talk to you?" No one has ever said no.

Do smile. as you talk to someone, try to notice if your face is frozen. This can happen without your realizing it. Relax your facial muscles and smile naturally.

You don't have to beam incessantly as if you were on the lead float of the Rose Parade, but you try to have a generally pleasant look on your face.

Research in advance. Finally, it's easier to talk to someone if they don't feel like a stranger. Even if you haven't met them in person before, having some background information about them can suggest possible topics of conversation.

You don't have to become a stalker; educated guesses and light online research can carry you pretty far.

Prepare for questions you want to avoid. If there's something on your resume you'd rather not highlight, chances are your interviewer will be curious.

You have a better chance of moving swiftly past the topic if you practice your answer ahead of time. "Keep it short and upbeat,"

Reassurance and expectations. Restate the purpose of the meeting. If you're there to discuss a job search strategy, make it particularly clear that you are not there as an official job candidate.

[Don't worry--if you come across well in the strategy session, you will certainly be considered for any jobs that might happen to be open.]

Collecting business cards is better than handing them out. Do you go to networking events armed with a stack of business cards? We have been instructed that giving out our cards is the best way to make connections. The secret to effective networking, however, is to make sure you

collect business cards of those people you meet. This way you can control the follow up. You give away your card — you give away the control. After you go to a networking event, write notes on the back of the cards about the conversation you had with this person and potential ways to follow up.

3. Keeping in touch with former alums and colleagues is money in the bank. When I wanted to make a career move after having lost out on a promotion, I tapped into my network and let people know I was looking for a new opportunity. Almost immediately, a former colleague gave me

information about an opening in her company. She worked in another business unit there and knew the management team. Not only did she give me the lead, but she also presold me to the key stakeholders. I interviewed for the position and landed the job. My income almost doubled.

For instance, most fundraisers have a host committee listed on the invitation. If you want to make the experience more pleasant, you can quickly Google them and see if anyone seems particularly interesting,

or look for commonalities you can bring up, such as having attended the same college or living in the same neighborhood.

Questions to Ask During Job Search Strategy Sessions >>Here's how I plan to conduct my job search. Can you tell me where you think I am on target and where I am off base? >> How effective is networking as a way to get jobs in this field (in relation to other job search methods,

such as searching online or sending out unsolicited resumes)? >> Would staffing agencies (for executive search firms) be good sources for my target job? If so, which ones do you recommend? Can you provide with me a name to contact there?

Ask a trusted friend to mock interview you — and videotape it. If there's anyone in your life with real world interview experience, ask them to practice with you. But both of you have to take it seriously. It's a great dry run. Lees suggests videotaping the interview(your phone camera

will likely do the trick)— and then watching it without the sound. Body language can be a critical component of your interview and "you'll see how you present yourself," he says. With practice, you have a chance to observe and correct your nonverbal messages before you're in the hot seat