Getting Back in the Game. Keep your chin up!

A while back, as the economy was slowing down, I and a few other HR people were discussing if there was an interest in hiring a software person who had been laid off over a year before. The person had a good educational background, one 4-year job, and a couple of short term jobs during better times and was now at the Director’s level.

Some of the remarks were, “…what has he been doing for over a year?”, “if no one else wanted him all this time, why would we?”, “…looks like a job jumper to me, stayed long enough to keep the sign-on bonus”, etc.  It ended up with nobody interested in setting up an interview. I am sure if they met the person they would have been very impressed, unfortunately he had just made some bad career moves.

What can a person do who has been out of the job market for a year or more? First of all, you should be using a functional resume that highlights your accomplishments, not the dates of employment. Keep in mind the resume is a marketing piece, not a life story.  Also a good idea during this period would be to enroll in a school that offers you the chance to increase your skill level, offer to do some volunteer work for a non-profit, and/or start a consulting firm and try to get some short term work.

Most important is to be working at something.  Stay in the habit of getting up at the same time you did when you had a job. Looking for the right career position is a full time job. Keep a calendar, set up your daily schedule in advance for each week and don’t forget to exercise every day. The more active you are, the less depressed you get, and keep in mind that companies don’t hire depressed people.

Job Hunting can be a fun experience; make sure you play the game the right way.

Good hunting!

Choose the right clothes for your interview!

Here’s the follow-up to my post regarding the candidates who showed up for the interviews.  There are two important themes here.  First, dress appropriately, and second, arrive early.

Dressing for an interview.

I wrote a bit about this previously, so I’ll just enhance that a bit with examples of how people showed up here for their interviews.

Too many of the applicants were either over dressed or under dressed.  How can you be “overdressed”?  Well, in a sense, its dressy clothing for the wrong occasion.  When you dress up for an interview, you don’t want to wear clothes that look like you’re gong out on a date.  Yes, that’s dressy, but it’s not business dress.  It’s fancy casual dress.  Others were under-dressed.  No matter how much you paid for your jeans, they aren’t interview clothes for office jobs.  After you get the job, jeans may be fine – but when you interview, you want to dress in business wear.  With so many people today responding to the same ad, it is critical to dress properly.

Choose the right clothes for an interview!

To be clear, of the candidates who came in to interview, there were by far more people under-dressed, than over-dressed.   At least 10% of those interviewed wore a t-shirt and jeans.  That is not really acceptable attire for interviewing!  One young lady had some printed words on her t-shirt.  This was beyond unacceptable.  Another candidate had a very wrinkled blouse which looked like it was slept in.  Nice clothing that’s unkempt doesn’t make the cut.

On the subject of fragrances – cologne or perfume, it may be a good idea to forget it for the job interview. In our interviews, one young lady wore so much that the office smelled for the whole afternoon.  The fragrance caused other candidates to start sneezing when they entered the office!

The winner?

The person who was got the job, wore a black 2 piece suit, with a very nice white blouse and ascot.  That’s the way to go.

Arrive early!

There several reasons to arrive a bit ahead of schedule.  First, it gives you time to collect your thoughts.  Second, it gives you a chance to freshen up prior to the interview.  This helps you look your best and will help with confidence, too.

Here’s an example of a person who arrived late.  She arrived 10 minutes late for the interview, sat down in the chair and talked for 30 minutes straight telling us all about her background, which included problems with her boy friend, statements about bad companies she worked for (she alleged sexual misconduct), why she dropped out of school, and ended by saying if she got the job she would break up with her boy friend and get her own place to live.  Ok…you probably can guess what I think about this.

Maybe if she had arrived 15 minutes early for the interview, she would have had time to compose herself and be more relaxed. I think her ranting on about her personal life may have been caused by being late for interview. A candidate should carefully listen to the questions asked, and then just answer each question. Interviewers are not interested in your personal life, and there’s a risk of alienating the interviewer.

Good hunting!

Hmmm... maybe I should have done more research!

Preparation and practice for interviews is critical, and can help you avoid the 8 deadly mistakes.

How do you prepare?  Use ZoomInfo, Yahoo Finance, and the company’s website.  Learn as much as you can about the company (or if a large company, the particular group or division you’re interviewing with).

First, know the basics.  How long they have been in business?  How many employees do they have?  What products do they produce?  Who are their clients?  Are they privately or publicly owned?  Where is corporate headquarters?  Who is on the Board of Directors? Who are the officers of the company?

Second, dig in.  You might find out that the CEO graduated from your alma mater, or that the company does business with one of your past employers, or you own one of their products. All that information will help you ask or answer questions at the interview. Be prepared!  With that, and a bit more, you might avoid the 8 deadly interview mistakes below! 

Avoid these 8 deadly mistakes!  (If you have more, feel free to comment below!)

1. Over-explaining why you lost your last job.  You can’t win with this, keep it short, simple and practiced.
2. Not showing enough interest in the position and company.  You may be interviewing for a position that is down a level or you feel is beneath you – but to the hiring manager, it’s a critical position and they want the best candidate.  Find enthusiasm!
3. Not having your personal “elevator pitch” ready.  Have a 90-second brief resume of yourself ready to go – you may briefly meet others in the hallway and it’s a great way to start any interview.
4. Not listening.  If you don’t listen, you are committing multiple interview sins.  First, you’re showing how you’ll be as an employee.  Second, you will answer the wrong question.  That will lower your perceived intelligence.  Third, you’ll make it look like you can’t follow instructions.
5. Not selling yourself as the best person for the job.  Don’t sell yourself short!  Figure out why you are the best candidate from the interviewer’s  perspective – and communicate that clearly!
6. Not practicing.  Sure, you know the answers if you’ve prepped, but you still don’t want to stumble when you deliver your carefully studied answers.
7. Being vague.  Just like you do on your resume, have strong verbal responses.  Be prepared with numbers – $ or % – of how you helped prior companies that you worked for.  Like, “I increased sales from $350,000 in 3 years to $2,500,000”.
8. Not asking for the job.  In an interview, you’re selling yourself.  Any good salesperson will tell you, if you don’t ask for the sale you won’t get it.  Close the interview by summing up what you can bring to the job and ask for the opportunity to deliver those results.

Thanks to to CNNMoney for inspiration for this list.

You can never be over-prepared an interview.  Do your homework and be prepared!

Good hunting!

Choices, choices...

Most Human Resources people will tell you that a candidate’s appearance at your job interview is the best that the candidate will look during their employment with the company. They’re talking about you.  In the Silicon Valley, the dress code has always been less formal than the East Coast and has become more and more informal for decades.  Today, it’s not uncommon to find companies that are not just “business casual” or have “casual Fridays” but are “casual”.  That doesn’t mean that informal dress is right for the job interview.

You need to consider what level of job you are applying for, and the level of the person you’ll be interviewing with, and if possible, the typical dress at the interviewing company before deciding what you will wear. The term “dress for success” is a good policy to follow.  Spend a few minutes using ZoomInfo or LinkedIn and learn the interviewer’s title(s) at the company. Talk to someone you know about how people dress there.  If you can get a specific answer, dress one or two notches above the standard.  If in doubt, a suit and tie for a man, or a suit and proper blouse for a woman is always acceptable.  It’s far better to over-dress (you can always take off the tie, put the jacket over the chair and roll up your sleeves) than under-dress.  Wetfeet has some similar comments.   “When in doubt, it’s better to err on the formal rather than on the casual side of dress.”

Take a look into the mirror before you leave the house to make sure that you are showing the look you want the company to see. Try and get to the appointment, at least 15 minutes early. Take time to stop off and check the mirror in the bathroom, and fix whatever may need touching up. Try getting into the office 5-10 minutes early, give yourself a chance to relax, gather your thoughts and be prepared for the questions.

Good hunting!