Posted on

Interview Day is here

You got the call, your interview time and day is set. You have done your homework about the company. Your (ONE page) resume is printed and ready to go. It’s the night before, now what?! 

Does your car have gas? If no, either go fill up or plan to leave early in order to stop and still arrive early! 

Set your alarm, don’t leave waking up on time to chance. Pull out and, if necessary, iron your outfit. 

Make sure you have your ID, a notepad (with all your questions prewritten of course), a working pen (and a spare) with copies of your resume ready. If you are currently working, make sure you have made arrangements at your current employer. (Until you get a new job and have given proper notice you still have responsibilities to your current employer)

Get a good night sleep… 

In the morning – shower. Ok, so maybe that is obvious but this is your first impression and you only get one chance. Use deodorant but dont go overboard with perfume, in fact, I prefer solid perfume (Find some here) that is easily put on pulse points but not overwhelming. 

Once you arrive and you are waiting for the interviewer be sure to acknowledge others that walk through the lobby – they may be future coworkers, or even the CEO.

Remember to shake hands, like you mean it, and let the interviewer know of a preferred name if you go by something informal. (Bob/Robert, Tess/Teresa, Becki/Rebecca)

The magic of interviewing is when it feels more like a conversation than a forced Spanish Inquisition. Offer a printed copy of your resume, let them know if anything has changed since you applied for the position. They will probably ask you to run through a brief history – brief is the key word here – start with your current position and work your way backwards. Highlight the key accomplishments, leadership development, and any other major notables.  For example, if you lead a team of 15 and 2 of those associates were promoted that is something to highlight. If you were the lead on a major project that stayed on time and budget it may be a a good subject to bring up. If you developed or implemented a significant business change that may also be notable. Interviewers will interrupt you if they are interested to know additional specific info so give enough detail that it creates additional interest. 

Do not, I repeat do not, at any time bad mouth a previous employer. If you had a difference of option on direction or personality and that was reason for leaving it is ok to mention with tact but it is not professional to bash another company. Certainly, everyone has non negotiables that they expect but it’s best not to air dirty laundry. 

Once you get to the point in the interview where they start asking you detailed questions many will begin with “describe”, “tell me about”, “can you give me an example of…” This is a cue that they are looking for specific information; not general statements.  

Here is an example: 

Q: Can you tell me about a time when you had to lead a team through change?

A(1): I am great at change. My last company was always changing and adding new things. We just ensured to communicate as much as possible.

A(2): In my role at ADE co. I was responsible for rolling out a change in our recruiting platform. The first thing I did was aligned a team to assess the needs of the new technology. Then I worked with a team of 5 to create a stakeholder analysis to determine who would be impacted by the change. Then I determined a timeline and communication plan for those stakeholders. Further, I led a team that designed the training and implementation plan. We were able to implement the new platform with few roadblocks because we had integrated comments along the way.  Currently, that company is still utilizing the new system. 

Note how these two responses are different. The first doesn’t give any example, just boasts how great the applicant is with change. (Most common answer – Not good, not good at all) The second is better, it identified the situation (changing recruiting playform) the action(s) taken by the candidate (utilized common change tools to assess and implement) and the outcome (still using the system).  Every question where you are asked for a specific should follow this format. Stay away from absolutes “I always…”, “I never…” as they create skepticism. 

Sometimes interviewers ask questions about your future preferences. The age old “Where would you like to see yourself in five years?” is still common. These questions are designed to make you think and determine if you have authenticity and the ability to articulate what your future goals are. So, take the time to think about what you want for your future. It will change the way you look at jobs, companies and help you to find ways to accomplish those goals. 

As you come towards the end of the interview you will get an opportunity to ask questions. Ask at least one question. Unless, of course, during the interview you realize you really dislike the company, the hiring manager and do not want a job offer. Here are some questions you can use as thought starters: 

What does a day in the life of “xyz position” look like? 

What are the typical hours for this position?

What does training for this position entail?

Does the company have a tuition reimbursement program? 

What is your leadership style? 

What is your preferred communication style?

Can you describe the culture of the organization? 

What are the next steps in the process? 

When the interview comes to a close thank the interviewer for their time. Express your excitement about being considered. Shake their hand. 

Send a thank you note. Preferably a handwritten card, but if you must send an email at least make sure you don’t send the same note to each person you interviewed with at the same company. 

Other side notes: 

1) Use different examples if you have multiple interviews. 

2) If the company uses someone outside the local company to schedule the interview – follow up with them after the interview. 

3) You’re goal is to get an offer, from there you can determine if the position is the right one for you. 

4) Always give a 2 week notice. Always. If they don’t accept it that’s ok, but you should offer. 

5) Smiling is the best accessory you own. 


Posted on

Resumes and Interview Prep

As an HR professional I have sifted through thousands of resumes over the last 12 years. Trust me, I’m not bragging, it’s one of the most tedious things that one can do – specifically if you are searching for the top talent your company wants you to find – and by find, I don’t mean a week from now, I mean yesterday. 

While recruiting and searching for the best and brightest is a little different in 2017 (hello, LinkedIN), providing a good old fashioned resume is still proper etiquette when arriving at a face to face interview. And let’s just get a few things out of the way here:

1) ONE page – might feel like I’m yelling at you, I am. Do not bring 4 pages, do not use front and back, do not staple. One page of the most pivotal achievements in your career. One page that begs me to ask for more. (Numbers and specifics are generally acceptable)

2) Please do not provide work history over 7-10 years – I, nor any other hiring manager, don’t care about the internship you did 16 years ago. I also don’t care that you held 43 different job titles at the same company virtually with the same responsibilities.

3) Remove the fluff. “Gets great results.” “Responsible for sales improvement.” “Superior manager with quality leadership ability.” What this tells me is you spent more time psyching yourself up writing your resume than preparing for the interview. 

4) Do not add perfume or cutesy fonts. You are not Elle Woods (if your name is Elle Woods I sincerely apologize and this is merely a coincidence). I want to be able to breathe and quickly read your resume without having to get out a magnifying glass, put on readers or guess at the type font. 

For the interview itself. A few things should be common sense but let’s review them anyway. First, be on time, by on time I mean 15 minutes early. Yes, you will probably have to wait but 1) it shows that you are interested in making a good first impression and 2) it’s reasonable to believe you will arrive on time for your job if you are the lucky recipient. Second, when shaking the hand of the interviewer use a firm grip. No fish handshakes. Also, if you are a sweater at least wipe your hands on your pants or bring a paper towel to soak it up before shaking hands. Third, do not bring your mom, your friend, your kids (if a dire emergency please let the office know in advance) your parole officer, counselor, your cousin or anyone else unless you need an interpreter and if so, please prepare the interviewer before the interview. And fourth, dress like you are trying to make a good impression. Appropriate dress for interviews vastly depends on your industry and the type of job you are applying for. If you are applying for a sales job then dress as if you are going to meet a customer. If you are applying for a diesel mechanic then work pants are probably fine. Regardless of the industry (unless you are in entertainment or self promoting) flip flops, gym shorts, midriff baring ensembles, or slogan t-shirts are not a good idea. If in doubt wear (men) a button down shirt and slacks, with or without a blazer and (women) a sweater or blouse with a skirt or pants. A dress with a jacket or cardigan is also acceptable. 

In your interview prep – get to know the company you have applied to. It is important to research the company – how big is the company – employees and sales? Are they publicly traded? How are they structured? How is their leadership team comprised? How do they support sustainability? Are the involved in the community? Do you want to be affiliated with them and the causes they support? 

While preparing for an interview worry less about what you will be asked during the interview and more about the specific information you want to obtain about the company, the job, expectations and communication preferences from your “next boss.” 

I’ll discuss how to act like a pro during the interview itself in the next post.