Employer interviewing tips

I have been focusing on the interviewee lately so I thought I would shift gears and focus on tips for people who are interviewing the candidates.  I lot of people really do an “okay” job with interviewing people because they handle the discussion wrong.

1. Plan ahead – figure out what is important and have a list of questions/areas you want to discuss.
2. Encouragement – help the person in the interview, your attitude should not be sink or swim!  Interviewing is stressful, find ways to make the conversation more easy for both sides.
3. Honesty – this is one of my favorite things.   If they are not answering the question you are asking, tell them, don’t let them think they addressed properly.  In many interviews you hear me say, “Thank you for that response but you didn't answer my question.”  I ask again, if they answer wrong again I let it go.
4. Smile - Don’t you want the person to come to your company?
5. Be polite – If someone took their time to come to your office to interview with you, don’t act like they are wasting your time. That isn't fair; they are spending their time too. Be gracious, polite and thank them for coming.

Some of the best interviews I have with candidates are when the whole interview becomes a conversation.  Follow these tips and I am sure it will help.

Handling yourself in a face-to-face interview

Following on from my post for interviewing tips the other day, how you handle yourself is key through the discussion:

1. Always look people in the eyes when answering questions – shows confidence.
2. Take time to answer – no need to rush, slow down take a deep breath.
3. Smile – yes, it is that simple, helps loosen the nerves on both sides.
4. Don’t slouch – comes across as more attentive and interested in the question.
5. Ask clarification questions – communication is hard no matter what you do, sometimes a little clarification goes a long way.
6. Show passion – you are interviewing for a position you want; you should seem to want to be there!
7. Thanking them goes a long way – don’t forget to say thank you and let them know you appreciate their time.

Also, don’t forget to follow up with an email thanking them and make sure you reference something from the conversation.  Generic thank you comments, no one remembers.

6 quick tips to interviewing

Someone asked me the other day for tips about interviewing.  Instead of over thinking the whole thing, some quick ones might help and stir up other questions. 

1. Come prepared – don’t be shy to ask about why are you interviewing with, knowing your audience always helps.  Also, make sure you re-read info about the company and the job description, you don’t want to show up and forget why you are thereJ
2. Know your needs – this could be a blanket statement to know the type of job you want, the environment you want to work in and open questions for concern.  Writing up a head of time things that are important to you will help you prepare (better to do this before the interview so you don’t forget the ones that matter most).
3. Listen to the questions  – huge mistake by so many, they think they know the question they are being asked and they don’t answer anything relevant.    If you are not sure you understood the question, restate the question back to confirm.
4. Be concise – love the run on responses, sometimes people say too much.  Goes back to the last point, know the question and answer appropriately.
5. Be honest – guessing sometimes hurts more than admitting you don’t know.  I ask questions sometimes knowing they shouldn’t know the answer, the whole point is to know if I can trust they would admit they don’t know something from the start.
6. Don’t be shy – you are going for the job right?  Make sure it fits you.  Ask questions that are important, how you think you did and whether or not you answered question correctly (if you are not sure).  If any of this turns the interviewer off, do you really want to work for that company?

Resume and tips!

Are you ready for my latest tips on resumes and applying for jobs? :)

1. Manage your resume, if you haven't worked that long your resume shouldn't be that long.  I just reviewed a resume that was 7 pages long with only 3 years’ experience.  Brief, concise and to the point.

2. Email etiquette, be polite and formal.  Love receiving responses that are three word answers “yes, call me” or “what job”.  If someone is taking time to respond to your resume, respond professional.

3.  Know when to ask your question – don’t ask about money in the first email, make sure it is the right position first.  Everyone should always focus on if they will be happy in a position, start there, money next.

4.  Location, location, location – don’t leave your resume blank where you are based.  I know some people don’t like putting their address down but give an idea where you live, no one wants to guess, it is a quick way to get your name pulled from a list.

5.  Read the posting - make sure you know what you are applying for!  I love receiving applicants for something totally unrelated, really shows the attention to detail.