Lesson 6: Final Rehearsal
If you haven’t read the “Job Interviews for Dummies”, do so, or at least check out the various links to websites. THIS IS A CRUCIAL PART OF INTERVIEWING.
How to Prepare for the Questions
The regular interview:
Here, you are asked the usual questions, having to expand on your experience and what the Resume does NOT say. You must know what you wrote, and how you can expand on it and verify it. Think of a few work situations for each job you had – both good and bad. That way you’ll be prepared for any questions. You will also now be asked routinely about your worst job experience or interview, and your best. Yep, the usual “what’s your best skill” and your worst. A version of this might be “what are you most proud of in your work history/experience” – and remember to keep it to your work even if they forget to add that important point. Why? You may be proudest of your Horse Riding Ribbons, but that won’t help you in the manager’s job, so you’d be written off the short list. Can you change it to your advantage – yes! Explain the Ribbons in terms of planning, hard work, team effort, preparation and follow through – THAT will help in a manager’s job. So, it’s the attitude that will count the most – can you turn your accomplishments into business lingo to show your best attributes.
This is where your Skill Statement helps you win the situation. By knowing your accomplishments and having just read them over (you did do that in the car or bus, didn’t you?), you can easily remember what it is you want to tell the interviewer. So please spend the time and create one.
Most people are not afraid to answer questions about themselves or their work, but there has been an increase in interviews becoming mini psychological profiles. In reality, not all interviewers are trained in how to handle these types of interviews, let alone handle and interpret the results. The buzz in the industry is get used to this though. They will logically tell you this type of questioning gets past the rehearsal and gets to the real you.
WAIT A MINUTE THOUGH. Don’t believe this for a moment. While the more unusual type of questioning will help determine how you may act under stress or unusual situations, it is no more the real you than the interviewer showing you the real person they are. What it will help to do IS show how you MIGHT handle stressful situations (the interview is stress enough) and/or strange and unusual situations/conditions. So, yes, the technique is still valid, but run from any company that puts stock in ONLY that type of interview.
What kind of questions can you expect?
You will often get some version of “if you were a character from History, who would you be?” or “what cartoon character would you be?” or “who is you favourite cartoon or TV or fantasy character?” with “why?” being the after thought. Yes, think very carefully before answering – they have a list they will match your answer to and see if your “character” fits in with the company culture. Don’t try to outguess or out maneuver. Are you a shining knight ready to do honourable battle for the fair maiden’s hand? Hopelessly romantic, possibly just a dreamer, won’t pull through, may look for the ‘dragon”. Are you the maiden? Waiting to be rescued; will always need help in completing her work. (These are actual answers and corresponding traits I had to use for one company). As you can see, hogwash. The Knights era has been romanticized and fantasized by Hollywood so much, we see ourselves as heroes/heroines – SAVING THE WORLD/COMPANY. As we all have fantasies of saving others and being the hero, this kind of pseudo-psycho becomes meaningless. And the lists change, depending on the company and Psychologist/Psychiatrist doing the list.
How do you handle this? Again, use whatever character you want, BUT show how those characteristics actually help in the job you’re after! The Shining Knight goes after the dragon – if you’re in marketing the dragon is your competition – so you want to “blow them out of the water” – ok that’s another character, but you get the idea. The maiden holds down the fort while others are out – hence, she runs the office while others have to do their work outside such as sales and service. Get the picture?
As I often go on interviews just for the sake of the interview (I only want contract, not full time, so it is not a problem for me to try the interview and see if I can set up something on a contract or casual basis) I get to play devil’s advocate. I will often pick a strange character and try to relate it to the job, just to see the reaction. Mostly, it has been so favourable, I get the second interview or we talk about possible contract work. My secret? Just relate the character to the work/job career you’re applying for. By using imagination with concrete evidence of reality, you show potential employers what they can expect of you – excellence.
HOW MANY people are interviewing me?
Another tactic is to invite the WHOLE GROUP that is being considered for the job. This creates a natural tension and hostile environment as people are pitted against one another for the honour of another (hopefully private) interview. At first you are often not introduced to who’s who – meaning often the interviewers don’t introduce themselves and you’re not sure if all the people are potential recruits, just some, or who IS the interviewer, other than the person at the front. As an aside, a few years ago as these types of interviews were becoming popular, I was at one of these massive interviews, and other than herding us into one room, no one started the proceedings. After 10 minutes I started asking each person if they were here applying or if they were an interviewer – when one person told me to stop, I realized that was an interviewer, and I asked if he was going to start the process or if we were to wait. This guy was on a real ego trip, and told me it was none of my business. So I got up and left, asking (and taking from a pile) for resume as I was withdrawing from this competition. I had no intention of wasting my time, and would never consider working for that company. A few people left after me.
I’d like to tell you that a situation like the one just described will not happen to you, but it may. You will run into interviewers who use the process as a personal control trip – making you wait and pretending the wait to be part of your interview – how do you react to it. Caution – find out if that’s your potential boss or co-worker. If so, can you handle someone like that on a daily basis?
A version of this is to have a panel of interviewers interviewing you – them on one side and you on the other. (This is actually rather tame and old hat now). The idea is again to see how you react under pressure. They may even put someone behind you to watch any movements you make. When this happens, you have a choice –include the person behind you by often turning to them as you answer, or allow your personal space to be invaded for the sake of a job. If, after including the person behind you, you are told NOT to – again, you have a choice. Insist on including them as if you were part of the company and at a meeting, you would include everyone in your answers and listen to all who attend and speak. If you are met with resistance – RUN. This is a company that does not respect your privacy and is using some of the physical signs of stress to say you’re not good for them. Who needs that? You need and want a company that is looking for the GOOD in people, and what they can do for the company, not just what’s bad and why they won’t fit in.
What kind of salary do you want?
Usual the last question you’re asked is about money. Everyone is uncomfortable talking about it, including the interviewer. Don’t fall for the “what are you worth” bit. Keep it to the job – what is the job worth. When asked that fateful question, always give back a range, and tell them you are willing to negotiate, or start at the low end with a probationary period. Before you can do this, you had better have your research as to what that type of job DOES pay. Then you can say “typically this type of work pays in the xx to xx range, and I would expect to be somewhere in that area”.
How do YOU ask what they are paying?
Just as the above paragraph stated, ask about the range of pay. You could even state the “typically this type of work pays xx, are you in that range?” If they try to skirt the issue, understand they are NOT paying the going rate; and are probably quite lower. When an employer is paying higher or somewhat lower, most will let you know just that. When it is substantially lower, often in the first round they will not divulge that information. Once they find difficulty in getting someone, they tend to be more open about the lower salary and add a shorter probationary period. Yes, you are entitled to this information, and well as benefit information. This does NOT make you seem greedy or monetary. You, and everyone else, are working for monetary compensation – don’t let anyone try to pretend you only work for the love of work. That’s what volunteering is about, and it is a great way to feel good about yourself while helping your community. (Don’t forget volunteering looks great on a Resume too!)
Often people ask me what the employer has a right to ask. As each state, province and country has different views, check with your local Labour Rights Commission. Here in Ontario, the employer cannot ask in the interview about marriage status, kids, your age, religion, any health problems (unless it relates to the job – ie – if the requirements are ability to lift 60 lbs then they can ask – can you lift that easily). They cannot ask you if you back problems though. If they do ask any of the above questions, they are in direct conflict with the Labour laws. Having said that, you will get lots of people who do ask. Gently remind them that those questions are not supposed to be asked in the interview (remember though that once hired the government forms to be filled out must have that information for tax purposes, and the information is also needed for health benefits). I will not give out my age (I look younger that I am, which is to my advantage) but I do give out information re: kids – I check their reaction to this information.
You have to find what you feel comfortable with.
