I'm back, and once again I want you to know if your résumé and job search are off to a rocky start you can send your resumé to perry@perrynewman.com for some expert, free advice.
Now to help you further understand what a job search entails we will continue our tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn “At The Movies.”
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND - MEETS – THE COLOR OF MONEY
Ok, the HR department loved you and the hiring manager did too. He even asked you how much you will accept, and then told you he wants to make you a fair offer. All you need to do is “come in and see my boss, the VP, for a 10 minute meet and greet and it’s a done deal.” You go home and tell your spouse and best friend that the long wait is finally over, a new job is in the bag. Two days later you go into this meeting over-confident that the job is yours and you let down your guard. You dress and act a little more casually; you speak to the manager as if she is your life-long friend; you say things that contradict what you said before; and when she asks you how much you want you ask for 10% above what you told her manager. A few days go by and you have not heard back from the company and they did not reply to your follow-up emails. Then when you call and are lucky enough to get the manager on the phone, not wanting to hurt your feelings he says “’I’m glad you called. I just got out of a meeting with the VP and was told the position you interviewed for was just rescinded” or, “I’m sorry but a great candidate internal candidate just surfaced and the VP offered her the job.”
The scenario I just described in some form or another plays out every day at every level in the fickle word of job search. So whatever you do keep the words of Yogi Berra in mind, “It aint over till it’s over.” Remember to keep your guard up at all times; treat every interview as if it’s your first interview and you have to sell the heck out of yourself to this person; and be very careful how and with whom you negotiate salary. In my experience a new job is never in the bag until the day you start work, so beware of what you say and do every step along the way.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Most people I question tell me that interviewing is the most frightening aspect of their job search. Quite a number of them tell me that they are happy to get a chance to sell themselves, but once they walk in the door they are as comfortable as they would be alone, in a dark alley at midnight with Freddy Kruger. For most of us this is only natural; no one enjoys being on the hot seat, and many people on job interviews today are more accustomed to being on the other side of the desk asking the questions, as opposed to having questions directed at them by someone they feel is their inferior. To improve your interviewing skills, I recommend you put together a “Board of Directors” consisting of professional people who know you well (try to include a few from your field) and who you trust and will not feel embarrassed in front of.
When you meet for the first Board Meeting discuss general and specific questions you might expect on a phone or live first interview and brainstorm what you think are the proper responses. At the next meeting conduct mock interviews around a desk or table. Appoint a ‘Director’ to handle the video camera and the rest of the board members can take turns interviewing you. Practice 15-30 minute interviews having members ask you the same and different questions in different interview roles. One scenario is a friendly HR first interview and another is a hard-nosed interrogation style first interview. In future sessions your can conduct technical and/or line manager interviews, the let’s get down to brass tacks interview, the final decision maker interview, and finally the salary negotiation interview.
At the end of each session, or the beginning of the next, review the tape and judge several factors: How did you answer the questions; how was your body language; how was your eye contact; how was your voice modulation; did you come across as convincing, nervous, unprepared, cocky, too light weight, too overqualified, too arrogant, or too humble. Another thing is when you go on a real job interview, as soon as you can jot down the questions, your responses and any notes that stick out in you mind. After a number of mock and real interviews you will hopefully find your comfort zone and confidence, and get job offers instead of rejection notices.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Didn’t you love how the clothes changed Ann Hathaway from being an outcast who was taken lightly into a career woman who people took seriously? A job seeker may have the brains, the skills and the experience an employer wants. But I have found that in most job interviews just like in your looking the part will be an equal if not a deciding factor in the decision-making process, especially in certain fields where you are in the public eye such as retail, fashion, sales, and even public accounting. My suggestion is to choose in your current wardrobe at least one outfit and accessories (shit/blouse, tie/scarf, earring, shined shoes) for use almost exclusively for interviewing. If you don’t already have proper interview cloths go out and buy some. If you are short on cash arrange with a friend or family member to borrow a suitable interview outfit, or check the web to see if there are organizations in your area that loan people clothes for job interviews.
Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email your resume to perry@perrynewman.com
for free resume critique.
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