Harry Joiner at Marketing Headhunter points out why it is critically important to answer this question.  He says:

“ I interview a ton of candidates, and my first call with them always includes the question “Why did you leave your last job?”  Come to think of it, I have never seen a candidate get hired without having to answer this question.  Not even once. So get good at explaining why you left.  Your interviewer doesn’t want all the gory details about why things didn’t work out in your last job.  But the hiring company’s due diligence requirements compel the interviewer to ask – and you should have a brief, logical, professional answer that reflects well on you and your former employer.  When in doubt, be hard on the issues and soft on the people.”

Great advice. 

Never, ever say anything negative about your former boss.  Always talk about the issues. 

You never know who you are going to run into (or work for) in the future.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

Ritchie CC from Sydney, Australia sent me the following comment in response to my post: Cialis for Your Career:

“I spent many years as a recruiter and have interviewed hundreds of people for a variety of roles and the question that would always result in my eyes rolling would be “So, tell me your weaknesses”…to the point that, for a while I stopped bothering.  Why? Because of the clearly contrived and patently made up “strength disguised as weakness” answer you describe here.  The advice you are trying to give looks good on paper (or on the screen), but in practice, the interviewee ends up looking a little silly:  “I tend to work too hard”? Please, who doesn’t?
And by who’s standards? And that’s supposed to be a weakness?

What I found more effective, and quite frankly, more believable, was to pick something you knew was a genuine weakness and then tell them what you had done to improve it, negate it, or otherwise get around it.
Personally, attention to detail is my worst suite, so with any sensitive piece of work, I make sure I check it after taking a break, then give it to a peer or immediate boss for proof reading before it is finalized.
This way, not only are you showing clear self awareness, you are showing how you have improved and developed your skills over time.  Most of us in the workforce know enough about ourselves to recognize our weaknesses and we have done something to overcome them or at least reduce their impact.

The trick here, however, is to pick a weakness that is NOT a key selection criteria.”

My thoughts on Ritchie’s comment:

Thanks for the comment.  I appreciate your point of view and I am grateful for your readership.

With that said,  I must respectfully and adamantly disagree with your approach.

An interview should be the best possible impression you can ever make on someone. Offering up a response that could be considered detrimental to your candidacy is always a bad move.  Here’s why:

An interview is as much about how you handle yourself as it is about your qualifications.  All jobs require some response to adversity.  The question: “What are your weaknesses” is an injection of adversity into the interview process.  Good interviewers will rate your ability to answer this question as much as they will evaluate the answer.  A skilled interviewer will project you into a customer-facing role and will envision how you would answer the “weakness question” when the customer asks it about the company.  In that case, if you say something like; “My company struggles with detail-orientation,” there is a good chance that you will lose the business. 

This is not the kind of impression you want to give to an interviewer. Just as you need to (in an honest way) give your company every opportunity to win the business, you need to give yourself every opportunity to land a job. 

In addition, if you provide a damaging answer you risk having the interviewer think; “If this person is admitting to this weakness, there must be a lot of other weaknesses he is not admitting to”.   This is a common assumption we find when we study damaging admissions by salespeople who are trying to sell products.  Often people who are selling (or trying to win jobs) will admit to some flaw in their product or service in an attempt to gain credibility with a client (or the interviewer).  In many cases this has the exact opposite effect.  It comes off as a lack of belief in oneself or in the product that is the subject of the discussion.

Finally, we must always remember that an interview is the beginning of a negotiation process.  If you make a harmful declaration, it could very well come back to hurt you when you attempt to close the deal.  I have seen many people receive low-ball salary offers along with a statement that says; “We will revisit your salary after you address the weakness you brought up earlier”.   The hiring manager will then sometimes offer to include training in the area of perceived deficiency as a perk and this will be in lieu of additional pay. 

Again, I appreciate the comment Ritchie.  It has given us all an opportunity to gain some clarity on this important issue.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

A few years ago pharmaceutical companies began doing something interesting and highly effective.  They began targeting the advertising for their products directly to consumers.  The interesting thing is that a doctor must prescribe their product.  You can just go to a store to purchase it.  The idea is that you will see the advertisement for the product and you will ask your doctor about it.

This brings us to the brilliant advertising tactic employed by Lilly ICOS for the erectile dysfunction product Cialis. 

Erectile dysfunction is something that all men fear.  We all want our private parts to work when they should.  According to reports, Cialis can help with that. 

Lilly launched this product after Viagra  had already become the gold standard in the erectile dysfunction arena.  Since Cialis is the second erectile dysfunction product brought to market, Lillly lost the powerful “first mover advantage”.  Their advertising would need to be truly memorable to unseat Viagra from its leadership position in the erectile dysfunction arena.

Lilly did something brilliant with the Cialis advertising.  They took a negative and made it an effective component of their advertising.  You see, in the United States, drug manufacturers are required to list out the potential side effects of their products in advertising.  In most cases, this can hurt the persuasive powers of the advertising message.  

The advertisements for Cialis highlight the potential “side effect” of having an erection that could last four hours or more.  In fact, most of the advertisements for Cialis state “If you experience an erection that lasts for more than four hours, you should see your doctor immediately.” This implies that four-hour erections are possible, even potentially common, with Cialis 

This is a brilliant advertising move.  It takes a potential negative - a four-hour erection – and turns it into a positive.

How does this effect you and your career? 

All of our careers have negative attributes.  Turning those negative items into positives is a great way to win a new job.  This is Cialis for your career.

Here are some examples:

“I tend to work too hard.  I throw myself into my work - almost to the exclusion of everything else.”

“I am often too clear in my communication.  I tend to be direct and up front.”

“I pay too much attention to detail.  I am often focused on the task at hand and I dive deeply into important issues.”

The key component to this tactic is to take a positive attribute, one that is critical to success in the job you seek, and to position it as a negative when the interviewer asks you for a “weakness”.  This allows you to answer a sensitive question with potentially positive results.

The next time you go on a job interview, reflect back upon the Cialis commercials that have become so common during sporting events.  Take a negative and turn it into a positive. 

This is the Cialis for your career.  It should help you last in your position for far more than four hours.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

CNN Money has a list of “DOs and DONTs” for a job interview at Google.

The list includes:

Do

• Stress how well you get along with others.
• Be prepared to get up at a white board and write software code during your interview.

Don’t

• Go on and on in your interview about the doctoral project that you didn’t bother building or trying to commercialize. Google likes doers, not thinkers.
• Talk about money. they’ll think you’re just trying to get rich. 
• Mention the competition. Other than programming languages, if it wasn’t invented at Google, it’s not worth discussing

This is not bad advice for interviewing with just about any company.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive when I speak about career development is about interviewing.  People always ask me what they should not say when they go on a job interview.  Forget the fact that the question itself wreaks of a lack of self-confidence (confident people don’t ask what NOT to do), this question is impossible to answer completely. I am often tempted to respond with a wise-crack (don’t say “I saw your wife naked” comes to mind) but I am always hesitant to give ANY answer.  There are literally hundreds of questions you should not ask when you are on a job interview.

Alas, I feel the need to give some form of answer to this question and this is just the forum.   Here are the first three answers in what may become a series:

Don’t say:

I want your job. 

When you hear the question:  “Where do you see yourself in five years?”  The key to answering this question is to show that you are success-oriented without appearing threatening.  You certainly do not want the decision-maker to feel like hiring you will be an invitation to look over his/her shoulder.

I left because of personality differences with my boss.

This is in response to the question: “Why did you leave your last job?” No matter what your job is, you should be a “big” enough person to overcome personality differences.  Obviously, this is the ideal state.  You may have really left because your boss was a jerk, but you should not say that.

Can I wear Jeans to work?

Does this seem like a stupid question?  I have been asked this question countless times.  A few times when I worked in the hospitality industry (everyone in the work environment was either wearing a business suit or a uniform) a few times in a retail environment – selling suits and a few times in the financial services industry.  If you are not at all shocked by this, consider the fact that these were all candidates who were interviewing for supervisory positions. If wearing jeans to work is important to you, I suggest you start your own business where you can wear whatever you’d like.

I’m not sure if these tips provide you with any insight – then again, someone can certainly benefit from them because they keep coming up, again and again.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

I always advise candidates to use questions as a way to establish a dialogue during an interview.  There are several ways you can use questions to help your cause.  Let’s take a look at the ways you can ask intelligent questions and how they may help you control the conversation. 

Questions can help you uncover important information. What specific types of experience are you looking for in a sales person? Does this position require that I have my Real Estate license?

Use questions to verify information.  The newspaper has reported that this firm was up for sale.  Is that true?  I understand that you recently acquired XYZ company. Is the merger going smoothly?

Use a question to gauge the  level of interest. What specifically interested you about my qualifications?  Can you tell me how I might have an advantage over other candidates?

A question can focus attention on a specific subject.  Can we discuss flextime in more detail?  How does the employee evaluation process work?

You can use a question to reach agreement.  If I produce double my quota will you double my base pay? If I can deliver the project four weeks early will you double my bonus?

Use a question to ease tension.  You seem uneasy when I bring up the subject of the CEO’s compensation.  Can you tell me why?

Please keep in mind that not all of these questions are applicable to every situation.  I recommend that you look over the types of questions and have two or three of each type ready for your interview – just in case. 

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI      2 Comments

Below are the 10 reasons you’re not getting more interviews (according to CareerBuilder.com) and my thoughts on them:

1. You only focus on the Googles of the world. The companies you may not have heard of pay just as well and offer just as much opportunity as the most recognizable companies in each industry.
2. You don’t follow directions. If there are specific instructions for a particular position, you need to follow them.  I know that I always encourage people to contact the hiring manager directly and I think you should do that in this case as well.  The difference is that if a position is screening applicants in a certain way, you should hedge you bet by following the procedure as well as seeking the hiring manager.
3. You need to revamp your résumé. Customize your resume for each position.
4. Your cover letter isn’t enticing. Emotionally engage your reader.  That’s the best way to get attention.
5. You don’t reference keywords. Brand names and buzzwords are important.  For Example: If you know how to use Dreamwaver, say so.  Don’t disguise it as a generic “web design”.
6. Your application materials aren’t perfect. Typos and grammatical goofs will kill you.
7. You don’t know who to send your résumé to. “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Hiring Manager” is a one-way ticket to the trash can.
8. You don’t have an ‘in’ with the company. Get on LinkedIn or Plaxo and find someone who can give you the latest scoop on your prospective employer.
9. You don’t follow up. This is huge.  Keep checking back until they tell you to go away.  Persistence is a key to success in life as well as in a job hunt.
10. You’re not as qualified as you think. Sad but true.  You’re not the perfect fit for all jobs.  You can stretch it a little but be realistic.

Overall, a good list. It should serve as a guide to keep you on the right track.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

I have spent more time with clients lately discussing approaches to their careers, areas in which they excel, and points on which they can improve. Several of them had great strategies for interviewing. Here’s what Lynn, a supervisor in operations management, says she does to edge out the competition in interviews:

1. I review the company.
2. I do a competitive analysis by looking at the competition.
3. I determine what skills that aren’t necessarily listed on my résumé can help the organization.
4. If possible, I Google the interviewers.
5. I locate the interview site on Mapquest and, if possible, drive to the location a day or so before the interview so I know where I’m going.

I also asked her what tactics she thought contributed most to her success in job interviews, and she said:

Getting plenty of sleep beforehand. This allows me to think on my feet and stay focused. Enough sleep is mandatory for group interviews. Also, I make sure to be my best possible self. Never go into an interview “just being yourself”. You can do that after you get the job.

Great ideas, Lynn. It’s no wonder she’s so successful at such a young age. This highly proactive approach to her career will serve her in every professional capacity. Lynn obviously chases success aggressively and doesn’t just wait for it to show up. She spends ample time preparing and makes it her goal to wow the hiring managers. Lynn has the spirit of an Entrepreneur. She is confident and not afraid of risk, she is never content to let anyone else manage her future, and she is always striving to improve.

Jane, a nurse, outlines her interview strategy:

I present myself with professionalism and confidence. I sell myself and make them want me. If you can’t convince them that you’re qualified, they’re certainly not going to come to that conclusion on their own. You must make an unforgettable impression.

Both of these professionals emphasize the need to make a strong, positive impression, and they are absolutely right. You have to communicate what’s special about you, what makes you different, what you can offer that no one else can.

Will, a Web designer and database administrator, shares his approach:

I find out as much as possible about the position and company, and make it my goal to impress the interviewer as much as possible. Clearly, what is going to impress one person might not mean a thing to another, so it’s all about reading the interviewer(s). I can usually read people very quickly, and I’m adaptable to most styles of communication.

This is a great point. You’ve got to keep your target in mind. Obviously, your approach with a panel of older, more conservative interviewers is not going to be the same as it would for one made up of younger, progressive people. Pay attention to what your interviewers comment on, what seems to catch their attention.

I also asked all three of these professionals about areas in which they could stand to improve in their interviewing:

I could do a better job of thinking on my feet for abstract, open-ended questions. I really despise those questions when asked in an interview, but they are useful for the interviewer to evaluate what kind of employee you could be for them. (Lynn, Operations Management Supervisor)

I need to be sure to plan my words carefully and go in well prepared. (Jane, Nurse)

I could brush up on my corporate speak and make my language a little more powerful. Delivery is important. (Will, Web Designer/Database Administrator)

All these tips and ideas can be distilled to two main points:

Preparation. Can you really ever overprepare for an interview? If you can remove hesitation and uncertainty from the process, you ensure that you make the best possible impression. Being fully prepared gives you an immediate edge over anyone who’s not. It shows that you take the company and your career seriously.

Presentation. Lynn is right—the interview is precisely the time to knock their socks off. Be confident, expressive, clear, and focused. Show them how important the position is to you. Be ready to handle curveball questions gracefully. And definitely dress for success!

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

My most recent question for my panel of professionals was: When you have a job interview, what is your strategy? What tactics do you think contribute most to your success in job interviews?

• This seems like a minor point, but I always make sure to wear something really nice. If I’m overdressed, at least I send the message that I take the company seriously and want to make a good impression. Being underdressed, too casual, would definitely have a negative impact on my confidence levels. When I interviewed for my first design job just out of college, most of the employees were wearing jeans, Converse, casual tops. I went in there wearing a black power suit with a vivid purple shirt underneath. I could tell the contrast was striking and the interviewers took me seriously. In an interview, the first impression is huge. (Tracy, graphic designer)

Tracy is right on the money. If there’s ever a time to overdress, it’s at that moment of first contact. For most of us, it’s true that looking better makes you feel better and more confidence.

• I tend to get a little nervous in interviews, so I prepare very well, starting as far in advance as possible. I come up with answers to just about every question they could ask me, and I think up some good all-purpose fallback answers just in case that doesn’t cover it. This strategy has never failed me. It really helps with the interview jitters. (David, accountant)

Preparation is an enormous factor in success, in all aspects of your career. Knowing what you want and equipping yourself with strategies and ideas is a great way to stay on top of your game.

• I make an effort to stand out and show who I am and what I can contribute as an individual. I avoid formula answers and instead tell stories that are unique to me, and which also demonstrate skill and ability. I imagine what their issues might be—or, better yet, ask—and offer solutions on the spot. I give examples of how I’ve done similar work in the past and try to get them to envision my impact on the company and their day-to-day workload and problems. I have a rather visionary approach to interviews. I focus on showing how I’m going to affect the bottom line. (Lance, IT consultant)

This is exactly what you should do. Instead of talking about you, talk about how you are going to contribute unparalleled value to the company.

• While I do spend most of my time discussing the facts—my qualifications and experience—I think it’s also very important to establish a rapport. No one wants to work with someone who’s no fun to be around. I work in a few minor details to reveal something about my personality, and I make an effort to comment on interests of theirs I pick up on. (Ellen, engineer)

Ellen makes a great point. If you can get the interviewers laughing and conversing with you, you strongly influence their opinions and increase your chances of making a good impression.

• I explain my track record of success and make sure to highlight my aspirations for the future, with their company. I emphasize that I am always working to improve my performance, that I never become “comfortable” and lethargic in my professional aims. (Leslie, sales rep)

Communicating your sense of dedication to continuous improvement is a great interview strategy. The hiring managers want to know they are making a smart investment in you. A pattern of success and a commitment to future growth is highly attractive to prospective employers.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI      1 Comment

Here are the top ten questions that just about every company asks during a job interview.  While they are the standard questions we’ve all heard a thousand times, many people still mess up the answers.  Below each question are my thoughts on how to answer.

1. Tell me about yourself.
Since this is often the opening question in an interview, be careful that you don’t over do it. Be succinct. Hit the highlights from four main areas: education, special accomplishments or awards, work history, and recent career experience.  You should sound enthusiastic and passionate.  It’s your career.  If you can’t get excited about it, why should someone else?  

2. What do you know about our company?
Here are some areas to discuss: products or services, revenues, reputation, history and philosophy. Be careful not to act as if you know everything about the place. Let your answer show that you have taken the time to do some research, but make it clear that you want to learn more.  A good way to approach this question is to say that you are fascinated by the company’s position on “X”.  Then ask the interviewer for some perspective on the issue.  You can do this by saying “I saw the article on your firm in XYZ paper did they get the story right”? 

3. Why do you want to work for us?
The worst answer you can give is “Because I like people.”  If you don’t like people, become a veterinarian. 

Here, and throughout the interview, a good answer comes from having done your homework so that you can speak in terms of the company’s needs. You might say that your research has shown that the company is doing things you would like to be involved with, and that it’s doing them in ways that greatly interest you. For example, if the organization is known for strong management, your answer should mention that fact and show that you would like to be a part of that team. If the company places a great deal of emphasis on research and development, emphasize the fact that you want to create new things and that you know this is a place in which such activity is encouraged. If the organization stresses financial controls, your answer should mention a reverence for numbers.

If you feel that you have to concoct an answer to this question - if, for example, the company stresses research, and you feel that you should mention it even though it really doesn’t interest you- then you probably should not be taking that interview, because you probably shouldn’t be considering a job with that organization.

Your homework should include learning enough about the company to avoid approaching places where you wouldn’t be able -or wouldn’t want- to function. Since most of us are poor liars, it’s difficult to con anyone in an interview. But even if you should succeed at it, your prize is a job you don’t really want.

4. What can you do for us that someone else can’t?
Here you have every right, and perhaps an obligation, to toot your own horn. Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your list of career accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with this history of getting results, make you valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems, and use your experience and energy to solve them.

5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive about it?
List three or four attractive factors of the job, and mention a single, minor, unattractive item.

6. Why should we hire you?
Develop your answer by thinking in terms of your ability to create value for the company.  Highlight similar value creation opportunities from your past. 

7. What do you look for in a job?
Keep your answer focused on opportunities at this company. Talk about your desire to perform and be recognized for your contributions. Make your answer about opportunity rather than personal security.

8. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
Be realistic. Say that, while you would expect to meet pressing demands and pull your own weight from the first day, it might take six months to a year before you could expect to know the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution.

9. Why are you leaving your current job?
Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. where you considered this topic as you set your reference statements. If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision, the result of your action. Do not mention personality conflicts.

10. How long would you stay with us?
Say that you are interested in a career with the organization, but admit that you would have to continue to feel challenged to remain with any organization. Think in terms of, “As long as we both feel achievement-oriented.”

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI      2 Comments

This week we’re going to look at four questions that appeared at Smart Money.com.  The story was written by Anne Kadet  

Please send me your favorite questions and I’ll make you famous next week.

Here they are:

If an alien landed and asked you to leave with him in his spaceship, would you?
Rachel Finglass
President of the Computer Psychologist,
an employee-screening firm

Why she asks it:
“To identify what kind of risk-taker a person is. If you need someone who can deal with change, that person should be willing to go, to see where the trip takes them. If you’re looking for someone who can stay in a routine, that person should probably turn and run. The best answer I’ve heard is ‘I’d have to call my wife to see what she said.’ It broke the ice and showed a willingness to be light. No one should take this question too seriously. That would be really frightening.”

Can you describe yourself in three words?
Andrea Robinson
President and GM, Ralph Lauren Fragrances

Why she asks it:
“For me it’s an indication of several things: Just how resourceful a person is on their feet-are they a risk taker? And it shows a person’s creativity. It’s such a yawn to hear ‘eager, smart, team player.’ That’s like white noise. I’d rather have someone say they’re a diva ? that would amuse me ? or come up with three totally unexpected words like ‘fixated, outrageous, stylish.’ We’re in an industry where we always have to be at the top of our game, creatively. Frankly, Ralph won’t accept anything less.”

What do you want written on your tombstone?
Gerry Roche
Senior chairman, recruiter Heidrick & Struggles

Why he asks it:
“It really reveals what someone considers important in their life. One guy told me, ‘He saved his company.’ That’s no good. There’s more to life than that. There’s no one ideal answer, but a great one would be kind of what Jack Nicholson said in As Good As It Gets, ‘He made us want to be better people.’ Someone who has values and leads a balanced life. Someone who doesn’t just see the earnings per share, but the people behind the earnings per share. It’s great dinner-party conversation, too. Once my wife answered, ‘I know what should be on Gerry’s tombstone: I’ve got to make a call!’”

Imagine this pencil is a magic wand. Now create your dream job.
Pat Croce
President of the Philadelphia 76ers

Why he asks it:
“I like to see large expectations and big goals. I asked my GM, Billy King, and he answered, ‘Governor.’ All of a sudden, we had a great topic of conversation. I found out that Billy had that political mojo in his bones, and he’s used it effectively with our team to work the inroads of the NBA. Also, when you give someone carte blanche, they might add something to the job you haven’t figured out yet. I put the question to Dave Coskey, our senior VP, and he described a communications department that involved fan relations, media relations, maximum exposure on the Internet. We really had none of it at the time. Now we do.”

What if you don’t get this job?
Frank MacInnis
CEO of Emcor Group

Why he asks it:
“It challenges them to show me how they’d deal with adversity. I need my officers to be self-confident enough to deal with any problem. The best response I ever got: He pulled out a bound booklet with briefing documents on our operations, locations, profitability, stock performance, even biographical information on me. And he had the same stuff on five other companies. That told me all I needed to know, so I hired him. The worst one just burst into tears. He said he was counting on us and had no alternative in mind. I didn’t hire him.”

This is good stuff from some of the best.  Thanks again to Smart Money.

Please send me some of your favorites for next week.

Other posts in this series:

Five Favorite Interview Questions - Buzzoodle Ron

Five Favorite Interview Questions - Lisa Haneberg

Five Favorite Interview Questions - Yuval Yeret

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

Yuval Yeret is the Assistant VP of R&D at Expand Networks.  He is Senior R&D Leader and a Technology architect with vast experience in Networking, Storage and Security in programming and engineering. He has worked many environments including Windows, Linux, Unix. Yuval has substantial Management and Leadership experience with a focus on building new teams/groups and organizational optimization.

Yuval is a Career Intensity Blog reader and he e-mailed me with a great idea.  You see, Yuval created a wiki* for the best interview questions in the company. That allows everyone in the firm to share the collective knowledge.

Here are my five favorite questions from Yuval’s wiki.

• What is the most important thing you have learned outside of school?
• Who are the 3 most influential people you know personally and how did you meet them?
• What is the worst product or service you have experienced in the last year and why? What could have made the experience positive? 
• Has this been a good interview? How can we improve?
• What questions should we be asking you?

I particularly like the last two questions.  They will give you some good insight into the candidates’ ability to think on his/her feet.

____________________________________________________________

*A wiki (IPA: [ˈwiː.kiː] <wee-kee> or [ˈwɪ.kiː] <wick-ey>^[1]) is a type of website that allows users easily to add, remove, or otherwise edit and change most available content, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative writing. The term wiki can also refer to the collaborative software itself (wiki engine) that facilitates the operation of such a website (see wiki software), or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (and original wiki), WikiWikiWeb, and the online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia. The first wiki, WikiWikiWeb, is named after the “Wiki Wiki” line of Chance RT-52 buses in Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii. It was created in 1994 and installed on the web in 1995 by Ward Cunningham, who also created the Portland Pattern Repository. “Wiki-wiki” means “hurry quick” in Hawaiian. It also refers to a type of native fish of the islands.

From Wikipedia.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

For those of you who are unhappy in your current positions and looking for employment elsewhere, I applaud you for refusing to settle for work that does not reward and satisfy you. After applying for a job and getting called for an interview, you have an excellent shot at landing the position. The following strategies will help you ace any interview:

Relax. An interview can be nerve wracking, especially one for a job you really want. What has always helped me is to keep in mind that the interviewer wants me to succeed as much as I myself want to succeed. No hiring manager wants to waste his time speaking with a candidate who is not suited for the job. Being aware that he does not want to trip you up and see you fall flat on your face in the interview will help you maintain composure and perform at your best.

Be specific. When the hiring manager asks about an example of a time you responded to a high-pressure situation, he wants specifics. He wants to know that you have experience and a strong track record in the area in question. If you can’t think of any examples from your paid employment, think of one from college or your everyday life.

Don’t talk about yourself. That’s right. Don’t talk about yourself. Talk about what you can do for the company, how you will shine in the position, and what specific value you can offer that no one else can. Tie every example to the desired position. Envision yourself in the job, and paint a pleasant picture of you doing tremendous work for the company.

Be positive. When asked about weaknesses, or encouraged to speak about difficult situations, feel free to admit the truth. Then immediately follow up by explaining what you learned from the situation and how you will apply your wisdom to future situations.

Ask questions. The interview will inevitably ask if you have any questions about the company or job. Definitely ask questions. Doing so shows interest, enthusiasm, and a readiness to commit. It gets the interviewer talking about his perspective and gives you ample opportunity to make a more personal connection. The more face time you get with him, the better off you’ll be.

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments

Each week I’m going to share with you the favorite interview questions of some folks I admire. 

Last week we took a look at the interviewing insight of Buzzoodle Ron.

This week Lisa Haneberg is kind enough to share her wisdom with us.  In case you don’t know Lisa, here is some information on her terrific career:

Lisa’s professional career has been devoted to development and success. She has held leadership and internal consulting roles, and is now on her own as a solopreneur. She loves working on projects in organization development and HR, connecting with customers (branding and marketing), and interim leadership projects.

During the past 20 years, Lisa has taught personal success, management and leadership techniques to hotel managers, power tool manufacturing department leaders, paper mill union presidents, microchip fabrication shift managers, distribution center leaders, ship captains, division vice presidents, and corporate presidents. She is an expert in the areas of one-on-one coaching, management training, facilitation and organization development.

She has written six books – the latest one is titled Focus Like a Laser Beam : 10 Ways to Do What Matters Most (Jossey-Bass 2006).  It is a must read for people interested in becoming more productive and efficient.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, four dogs and two cats. She enjoys travel, reading, writing and driving her convertible down winding roads.

Below are Lisa’s five favorite interview questions and a few bonus items that she threw in for added value. 

• Each member of a leadership team brings unique strengths and weaknesses. For the last/current leadership team you belonged to: What unique skills and talents did you bring to the team BEYOND your functional knowledge? In what ways did you rely on other team members for coaching and advice? 
• What do you think is the ideal makeup and function of a senior leadership team? How often should they meet? What should the focus of their meetings be? How else should they work together? What authority/ownership should they assert with each other? 
• Describe the two contributions you made in the last year that you are most proud of. How have these contributions helped the company?
• Beyond your functional projects and tasks, in what ways have you helped the company improve it’s ability to manage, execute and react to change?
• Over the next two years, how would you like to grow as a leader?
• Describe your leadership and management style. How do you approach ensuring everyone on your team is working on the right stuff? How do you communicate? What is your belief about what makes people perform their best?
• What’s one thing you do better than most human beings on the face of this Earth?

I really like Lisa’s style of interviewing.  She is asking for specific information from the candidate.  The specificity forces the candidate to give examples of past behavior.  This can help the hiring manager understand how the candidate may behave in the future. 

This style also reveals a good deal about the character of the candidate.  The individual must think on his/her feet – access examples from the past.  It is more difficult to prepare these answers ahead of time so the interviewer will likely get an unrehearsed (and potentially more reveling) response.

What are your favorite interview questions?  Send them to me in an e-mail and you could be profiled on The Career Intensity Blog.  davidvlorenzo@gamil.com

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI      3 Comments

What are your five favorite interview questions?

Here are Buzzoodle Ron’s:

• What are the last 3 books you have read and when did you read them?
• What is the most important thing you have learned outside of school?
• Who are the 3 most influential people you know personally and how did you meet them?
• What is the worst product or service you have experienced in the last year and why? What could have made the experience positive?
• Why did you choose this career? Why do you stay in it?

About Ron McDaniel:

Ron is a Buzz and Word of Mouth Marketing Consultant and Speaker. He likes to grow my network and meet interesting people.  You can contact him by e-mailing him here: ron@Buzzoodle.com 

Send me your five favorite interview questions and I just may profile you here.  We’ll do this each Tuesday. 

Filed under: Interview
TrackBack URI     Comments