Tag Archives: interview

Heed your inner voice in the job search

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inner voiceIf you’re like me, there have been times when you spoke without thinking and said some incredibly stupid things. Worse yet, you might have blurted words that had negative consequences. At times like this, your outer voice took over like a hurricane leaving devastation in its wake.

If only you had heeded your inner voice, the voice that tells you to stop and think before you talk or write something you’ll regret. The voice that is rational and will usually save you from embarrassment and, ergo, negative consequences.

A customer of mine recent told me during a Salary Negotiation workshop that he was offered a job during the last of four interviews. But when he was told the salary for the job would be $12.00 an hour, half of what he made at his last job, he screamed, “Are you (expletive) kidding me?” Needless to say the interview and all possibility of getting the job went up in smoke.

He asked me if he had said the right thing? The rest of the group shook their heads; I simply said, “no.”

Jobseekers need to be cognizant of their inner voice and not let their outer voice speak for them. Another of my customers was asked an illegal question during a phone interview. “How old are you?” she was asked.

She promptly swore obscenities and hung up on the recruiter who was probably screening her and was in no way indicative of the people for whom she might work. She was clearly listening to her outer voice which told her, “Illegal question, illegal question,” and she acted impulsively.

Instead she might have said:

“I’m 49; however, I’ve been consistently acknowledged for my productivity. In fact, I’ve out worked my younger colleagues and covered other shifts when they needed weekends off. Because my kids are self-sufficient, I require no time off. You should also consider my job experience, as well as life experience, which younger workers don’t have.”

The outer voice is apt to reveal its ugly head when jobseekers are frustrated and despondent over the job search, such as when they’re networking and asked about their current situation. A listener understands her partner’s anger, but hearing him speak negatively is off-putting. The networker has most likely lost his contact because his outer voice defied him, truly revealing his feelings.

What would you like to do in the job search? You’d like to listen to your outer voice, which encourages you to express your negative thoughts.

There will always be those who are prisoners to their outer voice. They will talk without consulting their inner voice and will pay the price. These are folks who are often trying to dig themselves out of a whole that is insurmountable. Although they proudly spoke their “mind,” it’s not usually worth the trouble they land in.

Be prepared for motivation-based interviews; they are tough and get to the core of the applicant

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I recently had the privilege of speaking with Carol Quinn, the CEO of Hire Authority, and the designer of motivation-based interviews (MBI). She is passionate about teaching corporations to hire high achievers through the uses of  motivation-based interviewing–in other words, the right candidates.

Listen up jobseekers, smart interviewers aren’t strictly relying on traditional interviews like they did in the past. They’re no longer asking questions that can be answered with rehearsed responses, or that focus primarily on your occupational skills.

Be prepared for a different type of interview called the motivation-based interview (MBI), which gets at your ability to over achieve and overcome obstacles. The reason for this is that traditional-type interviews are just not working.

It’s a well known fact that the majority of interviewers have little or no experience interviewing job candidates—these are most likely front-line managers. It’s also a well known fact that a majority of hires don’t work out and cost companies tens of thousands of dollars. A 2011 survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com revealed that approximately 68% of employers fell victim to bad hires.

The reasons employers give for a poor hire include:

  • Needed to fill the job quickly – 38 percent
  • Not sure; sometimes you make a mistake – 34 percent
  • Insufficient talent intelligence – 21 percent
  • Didn’t check references – 11 percent

It appears that hiring the right candidate is like going to a toy store and having to buy items that are wrapped. No matter how you shake it, examine its shape, and feel it; you’ll never know if it is any good until the paper is off. Further, the brightest and most inviting paper often leads to the worst item (or job candidate using this analogy).

One other known fact is that interviewers are looking for three qualities in a candidate: 1) someone who has the skills, 2) is motivated, and 3) will fit the corporate work environment. The first of the qualities is easy enough to discern from the résumé received as well as through thorough questioning—usually involving traditional questions.

However the motivation and personality fit pieces are a bit dicey and difficult to determine. This, again, is due to poor interviewing. Smart interviewers, who employ MBIs, are getting to the core of a candidate’s attitude and passion for the job because they’re asking questions that can’t be fudged. So be prepared.

The MBIs’ main objective is to determine if a person is a high achiever or simply an average worker by a asking a series of questions that are designed to see how a person handles obstacles. Does the person have an “I can do this” attitude or does he have an “I can’t do this” one?

One example of a MBI question could be one of the following three:

Tell me about a specific time when you….

  1. Had to re-design a website that another person had designed.
  2. Created a website that exceeded everyone’s expectations.
  3. Designed an interactive page that was flawless the first time around.

The most effective MBI question would be the first one, as it asks about an obstacle, whereas the second and third do not. The secret to answering the first question would be to refrain from casting blame on the person who had originally designed the website. Keep in mind that employers are weary of excuses.

A candidate for a manager’s role might be asked about a time when she had to help an employee who was struggling with her performance. She must relate a specific story that demonstrates how she handled the obstacle and how she exhibited a “can do” attitude. Perhaps she succeeded or perhaps she didn’t fare too well. The point is that she tried and she learned from the experience.

The candidate must have stories to tell regarding the success, or failure, of demonstrating a desired skill. The candidate should structure his story using the Challenge, Action, Result (CAR) formula. He must also be able to recall a time when such a skill was demonstrated. No easy task, but definitely possible if he knows what skills will be in question—the secret is understanding the job requirements.

Will employers be one hundred percent successful in the future when hiring the ideal candidates? Most likely not. But as CareerBuilder.com states, interviewers must be willing to take the time to conduct a proper interview, not rely on gut feelings, and fail to do a thorough background check. Perhaps MBIs are the solution to achieving success for employers who are looking for employees who are motivated to do the work and have the capacity to learn the required skills. Only when all the pieces are in place will an abysmal 68% failure rate be reduced.

As for jobseekers, you must prepare yourself for interview questions that test your skills, attitude, and passion for the job. This stuff can’t be faked, so if you get the job, you’ve earned it.

3 things that lead to success or failure in the job search

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During one play in my son’s last soccer games, he had the opportunity to pound a goal into the net; but one of his teammates beat him to the loose ball and netted the goal. Losing the opportunity was not as heart wrenching for me as it was for “Motor”—as his coach calls him.

When Motor gets down about not scoring his requisite goals, my response is to tell him, “The goals will come.” I still believe this because he’s been a prolific scorer in the past; he has a nose for the net. But as the season nears the end, it’s become increasingly clear that scoring more goals is diminishing with each game.

There are a number of factors standing in his way. First, he’s playing amongst a group of more experienced players who understand the nuances of scoring at this level. Second, he’s not hungry enough for the ball. Third, opportunities like the one I described haven’t presented themselves as much as he’d like.

Motor’s missed opportunity is similar to the job search for the three reasons listed above.

It’s rough out there. Like the nature of competition in youth soccer, the competition for jobs is fierce and the playing field is uneven and favors some more than others. Jobseekers need to realize this for a number of reasons. They need to understand that extra effort and ingenuity are necessary to land an interview and then a job. Many jobseekers who aren’t qualified for the jobs they land are succeeding due to their ability to perform well at an interview. The solution to this conundrum is to even the playing field by preparing for interviews and come across as polished. Then you–the qualified applicant will get the job.

Ya gotta be hungry, really hungry. Motor sometimes goes through the motions when playing on the field. Some jobseekers do the same. They tell me that they’ve spent a full-day’s work of the job search looking on line at job boards like Monster, Dice, Simply Hired, Indeed, etc.—and are satisfied with their job search activity. Activities like networking and sending tailored résumés and cover letters to employers take effort that will eventually lead to earning an interview. I see the look of hunger in some of my jobseekers’ eyes–it’s unmistakable and leads me to believe they won’t be out of work long.

Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way. Had the ball been on his strong foot (left) he may have had the jump on his teammate; but, hey, that’s how the ball bounces. Even when the job search is done properly, you’re not guaranteed a job, let alone an interview. There are variables that stand in your way. When I tell my son that goals will happen when they happen, I mean that he can’t give up. Giving up will ensure that he never scores. I also believe that when the time is right, jobseekers will start getting more interview opportunities than they can handle. Continuing to work hard will lead to success; giving up all hope will ensure failure.

Next year is a new year for Motor. He will be a year older and a year stronger. He’ll not dwell on a prior year of hard work with no gratification. Next year he will play his feisty, hard-nosed style of play and the goals will come, and come, and come.

Do You Know Yourself?

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At a recent workshop I lead called Interview Boot Camp, I asked the question, “Can you tell me something about yourself?” It was the very first question of the morning. The participants were sitting next to each other in a U-shaped configuration, and there were eight of them. This question seemed simple enough, but they were naturally nervous and self-conscious. Interview Boot Camp is not advertised as the name implies; rather it’s intended to be a friendly and educational workshop.

I asked this question of the first attendee, who began with “This is tough. I guess I’d answer by saying…”

Oh no, I thought, there is no narrative allowed, just answers. I predicted this would be a long morning.

The next person was no better prepared for the question than the first. She began by talking about where she lived and upon seeing the look of disapproval on my face, she said, “I’m not doing this right, am I?”

At this point I called a time-out. I was noticeably perturbed—uncharacteristic of me in a workshop. I regained my composure and said, “No, you’re not. Look, here’s what I want. You have to focus what’s important at an interview, which isn’t talking about your personal information. It’s about telling the interviewer about experience, skills, and accomplishments. And it’s about telling the interviewer information that is relevant to the job for which you’re applying.

“But since you’re not applying for an actual job, your answer today will be more general. I want to hear about your previous position and maybe one before that. What were some of the outstanding skills you demonstrated? I’d like to know about some outstanding hard skills. Give me an accomplishment or two. Wrap it up with some strong adaptive skills, such as the energy and enthusiasm you demonstrate in your work.”

They were taking notes while I was talking. The person who prompted me to explain what was expected in the answer regained her composure and started afresh. She did beautifully in all aspects of her delivery.

One of the participants brought up another one of my workshops she had attended called Personal Commercial and how it would be helpful in answering this question. I agreed, telling them that in this workshop they would write a commercial, recite it to their peers, and then get some valuable feedback.

Another said that maybe Personal Commercial should be a prerequisite. They all agreed. From that point forward the remaining six nailed the question like pros, which is what they are. They just don’t know it.