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Job Interviewing: do’s and don’ts

Posted by admin on July 14, 2009 in Jobs

One of my staff quit to go back to school and I had to hire a replacement recently.  I ended up interviewing several qualified candidates but I always learn something new about interviewing and myself each time I interview (as I have candidly admitted in the past, I am not a good interviewer).

In no particular order, here are some 5 observers about my recent round of job interviewing:

1.  Frankie says “relax”

I thought one person at the interview was going to pass out. She was nervous with a capital N. She obviously learned to write an effective resume but was literally gripping the side of the chair so hard that she could not refer to it or engage in a general conversation (see below).

If you are interviewing for your first job or interviewing again for the first time in years, remember it is very much like a first date. Both sides are nervous. But you don’t want to be so nervous that the other person can’t determine whether you are the right fit or not. I am not sure what the practical suggestion to over-come nervousness is (readers?) but do remember it is a job interviewing not a cross-examination by Department of Justice lawyers.

2. Show that you are human

The HR mantra is “hired for hard skills, fired for soft skills” but I believe this is inaccurate in some ways. You get an interview on hard skills shown on a resume but, to some extent, you get a job on soft skills. To continue the dating analogy, people want to know whether you will actually be someone they can work with (or put up with) 8-10 hours a day, regardless of how good your hard skills are.  After all, what good are your hard skills if you can’t even get in a conversation with your co-workers or they hate you because you are a social misfit?

The interviews which I found most engaging had a lot of conversation about things other than the actual position (funny stories about past jobs, summer plans, different cities etc.). On a more fundamental basis, sharing stories with your interviewer shows that you can articulate yourself well and interact with people which are just as important in the work-place than your mastery of some esoteric computer language. Remember people do hire from the heart as well as the head.

3. Be prepared to show you are a problem solver

The one question that was flubbed more than any other was “tell me about a problem in your past position and how you over-came it?” Some people had no answer. Others really mangled the answer.

Employers hire employees so that they can help them make their lives easier so they want problem-solvers. One’s ability to articulate that you are a low-maintenance problem solver will go further in some circules than all the blue-chip employers on your resume. After all, regardless the letterhead, if, at the first sign of a problem, you crumbled like cheaply baked pie, who will want to hire you?

The best way to approach this type of question is to name the CHALLENGE, what ACTION you took and the RESULT.

4. Ask about the process

Everyone got this one right. They asked about how many interviews I had to do and approximately when I would make a decision. It will help frame your expectations of timing and not get false hopes.

5. Show that you are interested

On some level, accepting an interview shows that you are interested in the job. But, I would be literal about your interests. Tell the interviewer why you want the job: you want to be in the industry, you want to gain more experience and skill-set, you like a particular aspect of the job. Just don’t say you need the money.

Anyone else care to share some interviewing tips?