Interviewing: Do’s & Don’ts to Get You the Job Ronnie Duncan President TimelyText logo is a hyperlink to YouTube video. Stop video at 1:10 mark (right after the young guy with dark hair says “Actually that reminds me, so exactly what do you guys do here?”) Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0RdmhSO-wA

Resumes

Do’s Triple-check Someone else review 2 pages max Resumes Triple-check your work. Even a small update – such as adding a recent job – can result in an error. Carelessness speaks volumes about your writing capabilities Have someone else review your resume! Keep the resume to 2 pages or less

Don’ts Be careless Forget the relevant info Forget your experience Resumes Be careless Forget the relevant info Forget your experience Carelessness speaks volumes about your writing capabilities Include all relevant info in the resume (not just the cover letter!) List your experience in tools, protocols, documents, and media

Interviews

Do’s Build relationship in 1st interview Interviews Before the Interview Interviews Build relationship in 1st interview Do your homework: research the company, review the website, articles that mention the company Remember, the first interview is usually about building a relationship. You’ll get to the nitty-gritty details in the second. Dress to impress, even if you know the company has a, “no bare feet,” dress code Focus on your 1st impression: Remember: first impressions are key. Be on time, check your teeth, have fresh breath, smile, look the interviewer in the eye, and repeat your name with the handshake

Interviews Homework Do your homework: research the company, review the website, articles that mention the company

Dress Better Dress to impress, even if you know the company has a, “no bare feet,” dress code (from Wendy: elaborate on ‘significantly better than their culture’, explain the suit vs. khakis) Photo credit: Kenchu http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=927194 Image credit: Kenchu

1st Impression Remember: first impressions are key. Be on time, check your teeth, have fresh breath, smile, look the interviewer in the eye, and repeat your name with the handshake

Do’s Interviews Remain aware of your body language During the Interview Do’s Interviews Remain aware of your body language Tell the interviewer you’ve done research, but… Give concise answers Ask clarifying questions Remain aware of your body language (from Wendy: just mention now, next slide elaborates on body language) Tell the interviewer you’ve done research, but you would like them to start by giving you an organizational and position overview so that you have their personal, in-depth context. Give concise answers. No “war stories”. Keep it crisp Ask clarifying questions to verify understanding. (from Wendy: just mention now, the slide after body language elaborates on clarifying questions)

Body Language Remain aware of your body language (handshake, lean forward, both feet on ground) Choose a chair instead of a couch, if possible. It will help you keep a confident posture Put down your notes and lean forward slightly with both feet on the ground

Don’ts During the Interview Interviews Talk salary/benefits Speak negatively Lie Apologize Interrupt Talk salary/benefits: Don’t ask about salary or benefits in the first interview Speak negatively: don’t speak negatively about your former employer or any former coworkers Lie: don’t dodge questions or fudge the truth Apologize: don’t apologize for your liabilities Smoke before interview Interrupt

This slide is animated—the X appears on the mouse click. Don’t smoke before the interview

Do’s Interviews Close with impact Everyone is ‘interested’ After the Interview Interviews Close with impact Everyone is ‘interested’ Say it loud and clear: “I want this job!” Follow up Close with impact Say this at the end of the interview: (This is the next slide) “I appreciate your time and am impressed with the company, particularly A, B, and C. I understand you’re looking for someone with A, B, and C skills. I have those skills and I want to go on record saying I want this job!” Then leave! Everyone is ‘interested’: Everyone says they are, “interested,” even if they are not. Interviewers can be skeptical if you say you are just, “interested.” Why is that? People base actions on personal feelings and they fear rejection. People make decisions emotionally and justify them logically. If an interviewer senses you may reject an offer, they may not make one. Say it loud and clear Follow up

Thank you for this opportunity. After the Interview Interviews Thank you for this opportunity. I am impressed. From what I understand, you’re looking for someone with A, B, and C skills. I believe I have those skills and I want this job! (from Wendy: mention that this is a huge thing that people have trouble with. Mention that they can use their own words, that the key is summarizing what they’re looking for and what skills you have and that you want the job [or something similar to this])

Don’t talk pay/rates with client Agency Interviews Agent is your ally Just 1 interview Don’t talk pay/rates with client Build relationship with the agent The agent is your ally You need to sell you to the agent so the agent can sell you You must sell the agent on yourself or the agent can, “fire,” you before you get an interview with the actual client If you mistreat agents, you can dramatically limit your opportunities in the area where you live An agent can be a powerful ally How agency interviews are different Agent and contract interviews are normally only one meeting Never discuss pay or charge rates at a contract interview with the client. If they ask you, always defer the question to your agent

Negotiating salary

Negotiation Tips Their goal is to hire you for… If they… Negotiating …ask about previous income …ask what salary you’re looking for …give you a figure The rules They are looking to hire you for the least amount of money possible without losing you The only number they will remember is the lowest number you give them So, write, “open,” in the salary requirements blank on the application If asked about previous income, say: “One of the reasons I’m leaving is I felt underpaid,” or “That is one of the reasons I’m looking now” If asked what salary you’re looking for, say: “It’s difficult to respond because it depends on the total package of responsibilities, benefits, and perks. What would the company expect to pay a person with my qualifications in this position?” You’re in your best negotiating position once you have an offer If they give you a figure, don’t respond. When they ask if it’s acceptable, say, “I’m looking for something between (their TOP figure) and (that figure plus $5000)” If they break eye contact, say, “I understand this is negotiable” While some of these ploys may feel uncomfortable, they can only help. It’s extremely unlikely that frank questions will cost you a job once you have an offer! At the offer, say: “That’s not quite what I was expecting. Can I have a few days to think it over?” This gives them a chance to make you a better offer. One or two days later: “Is there any chance this offer can be increased?” When they counter: “Can I sleep on this? I want to speak to my significant other.” Next day: “I think this offer is fair. However, I did note you’ll be asking for a lot of overtime. Can a bonus be put in place at review time? Can I be reviewed in 6 months? Can vacation be increased from 2 to 4 weeks? There is no severance: can one be included?...” When the offer is accepted Ask for a letter outlining all the agreements Respond to the letter with a confirmation of everything included Add anything that was omitted: “I assume this was an oversight and unless I hear differently, I’ll assume they are included” Photo credit: Liaj, http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=117991 Image credit: Liaj

Thank you Best of luck! www.timelytext.com