Personal finance columns drive me up a wall. Here is a doozy of bad advice. We'll take it point by point.
We spend so much of our careers doing good work, meeting interesting people, and learning new skills. But it really all starts with one moment: the interview.
Once you get there, you need to be able to package everything together for a nice, neat presentation that's memorable in exactly the right way.
Here are five mistakes a lot of people make -- even people who are great at doing interviews:
1. Not preparing for a phone interview.
Most hiring managers screen candidates on the phone before they bring the candidate in for an interview. This is to make sure there aren't any glaring problems.
A phone interview saves time. If you can't get the answers to basic questions right on the phone, there's no point in interviewers watching you botch those questions in person. Also, the hiring manager is looking for you to make a mistake that would rule you out. For example, not knowing that you shouldn't take a call with a screaming baby in the background.
So instead of thinking of the phone interview as a precursor to the real thing, think of it as something you can prepare for. Learn the rules.
MY INTERJECTION HERE--IF YOU DON'T PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW, THIS ARTICLE IS NOT GOING TO HELP YOU. YOU ARE ALREADY TOO STUPID TO GET A JOB.
2. Misunderstanding the point of a face-to-face interview.
Hiring managers today have a lot of tools at their disposal to figure out if you're qualified for a job. The Internet reveals your history, and often the content and quality of your work; LinkedIn can provide a plethora of references from people who have worked with you, whether you actually provide them to the employer yourself or not. And a phone screen can give a sense of your verbal abilities.
So what's left? Whether or not you click with them -- whether they like you. Remember that intangible thing that happens on a date when you decide if you like the person or not? The same thing happens with hiring.
This is what the face-to-face interview is all about. So make a great first impression, and focus on making sure the interviewer likes you.
SEE POINT 1. YOU DON'T KNOW THE POINT OF A FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW? IF YOU DON'T, DON'T WORRY, YOU ARE PROBABLY INCAPABLE OF FINDING THE OFFICE FOR THE INTERVIEW.
3. Neglecting talking points.
When President Bush walks into a press conference, he doesn't worry what journalists are going to ask him because he already has the answers he's going to provide -- no matter what the questions are. Such answers are called talking points.
Politicians want to frame an issue, so they listen to a question and then decide which of their talking points they'll use to answer that question. In this way, each question they're asked is an opportunity to get their own points across.
I once had a media trainer teach me how to stick to talking points, and it works for a wide range of situations -- including job interviews.
You control what five topics you want to discuss, so you should pick five things about yourself that you want to get across in an interview, and each point should come with some sort of story or example. You listen to each question and then figure out which point fits in well for a particular question.
You're not George W. Bush, though, so you can't totally ignore questions that don't have pat answers. But you'd be surprised how often you can answer an interview question with one of the five answers about yourself that you've prepared. This is a way to control an interview and make sure the focus is on your strengths.
A great resource for helping you understand how to frame your answer for any question is the "The Complete Q & A Job Interview Book" by Jeffrey Allen.
YOU CONTROL THE INTERVIEW? SORRY, NOT TRUE. SURE THERE ARE SOME POINTS YOU WANT TO GET ACROSS BUT IF YOU START TAKING OVER THE STAGE, YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF AN INTERVIEW FOR THE HIRING MANAGER IS TO SEE IF THIS PERSON IS GOING TO FIT IN. BE YOURSELF. IF THEY DON'T LIKE YOU, TOO BAD. IF THEY DON'T YOU ARE PROBABLY BETTER OFF NOT WORKING THERE ANYWAY.
4. Thinking the job description is set in stone.
When you start an interview, find out what you're interviewing for. Typically, the person who writes and publishes a job description is not the person making the hiring decision. Ask the hiring manager what the goals are for the position, and ask who the new hire will work most closely with so you know who'll have the biggest say in whether or not you get hired.
And, if you get the job, remember that it could change all over again. Immediately. So don't ever assume you know what your job is until you investigate. The only constant about your job description is that you must be invaluable to your boss in order to succeed.
DOES THIS PERSON UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ABOUT CORPORATIONS? I DON'T THINK SO. THE PERSON DOING THE HIRING PROBABLY DID WRITE THE JOB DESCRIPTION OR GIVE THE INPUT TO HR SO THEY CAN PUT IT INTO THEIR PET FORMAT, SO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE HIRING MANAGER IS SAYING. THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES ANY SENSE IN THIS ARTICLE--BE INVALUABLE TO YOUR BOSS!
5. Failing to close.
A job interview is a sales call, and all good salespeople know that you don't have a deal until you close it. An almost-deal is not a deal, in the same way that a good interview is not a job.
So toward the end of the interview, if you think things are going well, say, "Do you have any reservations about hiring me?" Most hiring managers will answer this question truthfully, and it'll give you a chance to assuage their fears.
This is a hard question to ask, because you'll be faced with your weaknesses right there in the midst of the interview. But if you don't take the time to explain how you'll overcome those weaknesses it won't come up, and you're much less likely to get the job.
THIS IS SO DUMB--DO YOU HAVE ANY RESERVATIONS ABOUT HIRING ME? WHY, SHOULD I? IF SOMEBODY ASKED ME THAT QUESTION, I WOULD ASK FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE JOB, SAY SO AND THEN TELL THEM WHY YOU CAN DO IT. JEEZ, THIS IS SO STUPID.
SORRY BUT THIS KIND OF STUFF WILL KEEP YOU UNEMPLOYED FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
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