Interview Feedback: Believe It or Not

You just can’t make this stuff up! I often hear interview feedback that is hard to believe but unfortunately things happen. Hopefully you can learn what not to do from these stories while I’m confident some will make you chuckle.

Make Yourself Comfortable – An employer called to inform me that he would not be hiring the student they just interviewed. While disappointed, I wanted to use it as a learning opportunity so I asked why. The hiring manager was upset that the candidate put his feet on the manager’s desk during the interview. I called the student to my office and asked how the interview went. The student thought he had all the right answers but said he got a bad “vibe” from the manager as the interview ended.  I had to ask more detailed questions and was told “yes, I put my feet up on his desk. He told me to make myself comfortable.” Apparently the student did not realize that “make yourself comfortable” means it is okay to remove your jacket or even loosen your tie.

Expletive Not Deleted – In an interview you are putting your best forward to convince the hiring manager that you are the best person for their open position. I had never occurred to me that we had to specifically tell students not to swear in an interview. Clearly I was wrong. I had a distraught employer share feedback that a student had used inappropriate language several times during the course of the interview. When asked, the student explained that the hiring manager talked about the collaborative work environment so he felt he should just be himself. Professionalism is certainly expected in most business settings and always in the interview.

White Socks – We spend time in career management class talking about appropriate professional business attire. We work to be very clear about our expectations to ensure that students are meeting the expectations of our employers. You can imagine my horror when I saw a student leaving the interview room with an impeccable, well pressed suit, coordinating shirt and tie, and bright white socks.  I called the student to my office and closed the door. The student was quick to explain that they were brand new socks.  He bought them for the interview to ensure that they were as clean and bright as possible. We reviewed the dress code again. He still thought he had done the right thing and asked if it mattered. I asked him, “Do you want to be remembered for your experience and skills or for wearing white socks to the interview?“ I never saw him in white socks again.

Weakness with Emphasis – Students are often asked the question “what are your weaknesses?” We practice that one in class so they are comfortable talking about a developmental area and how they are making progress in that area. An employer asked that question of a student and she explained that she has a habit of never finishing anything. She went on in great detail to talk about the closet full of unfinished projects and how after getting started she loses interest and doesn’t go back to a project. Instead she starts something new and then adds to her collection of unfinished projects. Not only did she go into significantly more detail than was appropriate she also failed to positively talk about how she was overcoming the issue. Worse still, she didn’t consider the key skills required for the job – it was a project management job and keeping multiple projects on track and making progress was critical to success in the role.

Overstating Your Abilities – Anything on the resume is fair game and candidates should be expected to be asked about it in an interview. One student listed proficiency in Mandarin on her resume. Little did she know that the interview was fluent in Mandarin. When asked a question in Mandarin, she was unable to answer. Her credibility was blown early in the interview. Another student claimed Advanced Excel skills. When asked by the hiring manager questions about pivot tables and V lookup, the student was not able to respond. Your credibility is too important to risk it by overstating your skills.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo – Some job applications ask if you were ever convicted of a felony. It is critical that you answer honestly. I had a student respond no on the application but the background report showed a conviction. While there was an explanation and the conviction was eventually cleared, the company would not even consider the student for the job because of integrity issues. You have to be honest. If he had disclosed the conviction on the application is would not have been an issue.

Thank You Note Nightmare – I am a strong advocate of the importance of writing thank you notes. Usually employers are very impressed when they receive thank you notes from our students. While visiting an employer I had my first sense of doom when he said he wanted to show me a thank you note he received from a student. My stomach sank as he reached into his drawer. At the top of the note, his name was spelled incorrectly, crossed out, spelled incorrectly again, crossed out again, and spelled a third time incorrectly. His reaction was two-fold – clearly attention to detail was an issue for the student but he also felt insulted that he wasn’t worth a fresh notecard instead of sending the note with two crossouts. Definitely not how you make a positive impression.

Lack of Focus – While candidates should be selling themselves in their interviews, managers continue to report examples of students emphatically stating that they hate the functional area they are working for, the industry the company is in, or the type of work they would be asked to do. It is important to review your feelings before you decide to apply for the job. When in an interview you should know what is important in that job and not go out of your way to tell them you don’t like doing that. Be positive.

First Impressions Matter

According to humorist Will Rogers, “you never get a second chance, to make a first impression.” That is never more true than in the interview process. Candidates want to ensure they make the best possible first impression.

 

Why Does It Matter So Much?

Interviewers will form an impression of you in the first thirty seconds of the interview. In their minds, they are trying to answer two questions: “Do I like you and want to work with you?” And “Are you good at what you do?”

 

Do I Like You?

The interviewer is making quick assessments of your warmth. They register some quick initial impressions of you and spend the rest of the interview confirming or denying their impressions. They want to know: “Are you someone that fits well with the team?” “Would they want to work with you?”  “How do you interact with people?” How do you convey all this in your interview? You start with a smile and a confident handshake. As you start the interview you are attentive and make good eye contact. If the interviewer tries to engage you in small talk, you respond. Demonstrate your passion for the work you do with your answers to their questions and the stories you share to answer their behavioral questions. Remember as you wrap up the interview to say think you and to express your genuine interest in the opportunity. They may also ask the receptionist at the front desk or the administrative assistant who walks you from one office to another for their impressions as well. Your interview begins the minute you open their front door.

 

Are You Good At What You Do?

The interviewer is also trying to evaluate your competence for this particular position. They want to know how well you performed in your last position and how you plan to translate those skills to meet their needs. Be prepared to share stories of how you solved problems or handled challenging situations.  Reading the job description will help you focus on what is important to the employer. Use appropriate language to describe your work and share results where possible. “What impact did your work have?” “How did the company benefit from having you in this role?” “How do you stay current in your field?” “How do you handle challenges, deadlines, etc.?” “How did you achieve both accuracy and timeliness in your work?” While demonstrating your competence to do the job, you want them to start to envision you in their role as a successful contributor.

 

Remember, it is not just what you say that leaves a lasting impression. Your content is influenced by how you say it and how you behave. Don’t forget to smile and maintain eye contact. Also watch the tone of your answers to ensure you are making the best possible first impression.

Tips for Successful Resumes #2

In order to have an opportunity to sell yourself to the hiring manager with an interview, your resume must sell you first. Your resume needs to catch their attention and show them that you have experience and expertise relevant to this position.

 

Summarizing Your Professional Experience – This is a critical section of your resume. Always list your most recent position first. If you have had multiple positions within the same company, show the overall dates for employment and then dates for each specific position with the most recent first. If the company is not well known, include a brief, one-line description of the company to provide context.  Bullet points should focus on your accomplishments in each position. Why was the company better off by having you in that position at that time? Do not list your job responsibilities. When possible, quantify your accomplishments with the impact on the company – increased sales by 20%, reduced turnover 10%, identified cost savings of more than $50,000. You should focus on the accomplishments that would be most relevant to the employer, not necessarily what you enjoyed the most.

If you are early in your career and your professional experience is limited, be sure to include summer jobs, part-time employments, internships and even volunteer work. Identify accomplishments in each role.

Focus on Action – Every bullet point under your professional experience should start with an action verb.  If it is a current position, use current tense. For all prior positions, use past tense. Action verbs include words such as managed, implemented, designed, reduced, prepared, and many more.  Avoid passive phrases such as “responsible for” in your bullet points.

Academic Experience – The employer also wants to see your academic qualifications.  If your degree is recent and relevant you can choose to list it prior to your work experience but for most resumes it should follow the professional experience section. List the school you attended, the dates you attended and the degree you earned with your major noted. If you graduated with an honors status such as “summa cum laude” you can note that as well. While you should never list all your specific courses, if you are a recent graduate with limited experience you may choose to highlight a few, relevant classes.  If you were a leader of a student group of were actively involved in campus activities, it is great to include that on your resume but it should be listed separately under activities. The only time you would ever include high school on your resume would be if you did not have a college degree.

 

The professional experience and academic sections of your resume are important and deserve careful attention to detail in your preparation. Ask someone else to proofread it for you to ensure that it is clear. Avoid company jargon or acronyms. With these sections complete you are well on your way to a successful resume.

 

See future postings for more resume tips.

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

Job seekers should always be prepared to address this question in an interview and how you respond can have a significant impact on the outcome.

Critical rule – never be negative about a prior employer or manager. It gains you nothing but can detract from your responses. Instead of sharing your negative thoughts and impressions, focus on what you have learned is most important to you in your career and how you are seeking a better fit culturally to align with those values. Don’t blame the former employer for not being the company you want it to be.

Acknowledge that there are often business pressures and demands that make it difficult for a company to fully achieve their desired culture. Rapid growth can be a great thing but it can also bring significant challenges to an organization.

Demonstrate that you are aware of what it takes to do your best work, that you take ownership for delivering your best results in spite of the challenges and that you are willing to learn and grow along the way. Present yourself as part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Tips for Successful Resumes #1

A resume is not likely to land you a job, but it is a critical step in being considered. Flawless execution is expected. Don’t give the hiring manager any reason to move your resume immediately to the “reject” pile.

What a Resume Is and Isn’t – A resume is a summary of your professional experience, education and skills. It should focus on accomplishments. A resume is not a summary of your job responsibilities for each position you’ve held.

Formatting Matters – For an initial resume review it is likely that someone will spend less than a minute reviewing your resume. If you want them to spend more time and really see what you have to offer, it needs to be concise, easy to read and the key information must be easy to find. Your resume should not exceed one page unless you have more than seven years of experience. Be sure you use white space to keep it visually appealing.  You must have your contact information – address, email and telephone – so they can easily reach you if they are interested. You should always use a professional looking email address with just your name – avoid cute nicknames etc. when job searching. Quickest path to the reject pile is typos or grammatical errors. Be sure to proof your resume and carefully and have someone else proof it as well.

Open Strong –They first thing they read should give them a quick sense of who you are and what you could do for them. I strongly recommend starting with a summary statement focused on your key transferable skills and core competencies. Whenever possible, focus on key words from the job description. The summary gives the reader a lens through which they read the rest of your resume. Catch their attention from their first glance. Employers I work with find a summary statement preferable to an objective.  Often job seekers have specific objectives that do not relate to the job they are applying for.

Core Competencies – Highlight the key transferrable skills you bring to the table. Where possible, focus on your core competencies that tie to the employer needs in the job description. Focus on the strengths you bring to the position. Make them want to read more.

Honesty is the best and only policy – A resume is the factual history of your work experience.  Do not embellish or over-state your accomplishments or responsibilities.  Employers value integrity and you demonstrate that by being honest and forthright in all your interactions, starting with your resume. Many companies will use outside firms to perform verifications with prior employers and schools.

In the early stages of the recruiting the process, your resume is you. It needs to represent you professionally and accurately so they will want to know more about you. While you resume will not likely land you the job, it needs to catch their attention so you will advance in the process.

Watch future postings for additional resume tips.

Overqualified for the Job You Really Want

You’ve found the perfect job posted and are excited to apply. As you reread the job description, you realize that you exceed the qualifications posted for the position. Instead of immediately admitting defeat, take a more proactive approach.

The Job Description is a wish list. Employers provide a detailed listing of what they are seeking in the “ideal” candidate. Why wouldn’t an employer want someone with ever more skills and experience than they need? Often they worry that the employee will be bored, will expect much higher compensation or is using the job as a placeholder until something better comes along. Hiring and training a new employee is an expensive endeavor so they want to be as successful as possible in identifying the best candidate while minimizing their risk.

This is not the time to just submit your resume online. If all they are looking at is your resume, you may well not make it to the pile they will invite for interviews. Increase your likelihood of success in two ways. Submit a well-written customized cover latter that focuses on your transferable skills and your strong interest in the opportunity. If there is a specific reason you are interested in this opportunity even though you would be considered overqualified, address that in your letter. Show them that you have a genuine interest in this opportunity as a logical next step in your career. Be careful not to sound cocky by assuming you are overqualified. Present it as the possibility that some may perceive your experience as being overqualified but address those concerns proactively.

Also, network within the company to learn more and to identify an internal supporter who can pass your resume to the hiring manager with a recommendation. If you find the right contact you can be candid about your concerns about the perception of being overqualified and can share your motivation for seeking this position. They can become a strong internal advocate for you. Use very opportunity to stand out from the crowd of candidates. Do not mention skills you are lacking, focus on the positives you bring to the job.

If this truly is the “perfect job for you,” go for it but be sure to put your best foot forward to increase your likelihood of success.

Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews

The informational interview networking meeting is an opportunity for you to learn from your contact about his/her career, current job, company and industry.  Think in advance about what you hope to learn and have your questions prepared.  To help you prepare, here are some questions to consider:

Jobs/Roles

• What are your current responsibilities?
• What is a typical day like in your job?
• What do you find most challenging about this job and why?
• What interests you the least about this job?
• What creates the most stress in this job?
• What are the obstacles for someone entering this field?
• What are the most desired skills, abilities and personal qualities you seek in candidates?
• What jobs and experiences led you to this position?
• What is the typical career path in this field?
• What are your long term goals?
• How has your job affected your lifestyle?
• What courses in school have been most relevant to your work?
• Do you usually work independently or as part of a team?
• What is the key to success in your field?

Companies/Organizations/Work Environment

• What do you like and dislike about the company?
• Why did you decide to work for this company?
• How are decisions made here?
• What is the organization’s corporate culture?
• How much work is done independently and how much involves group work?
• How would you describe the work environment?
• What are the organization’s long and short-term goals?
• How does this company differ from its competitors?
• How is the department structured?
• What are the greatest challenges facing the company and/or department at this time?

Industries

• How could someone with my background enter this field?
• What are the challenges or issues facing this industry?
• What is the current demand for people in this field?
• What types of jobs are available in this field?
• What can you tell me about the employment outlook?
• What is the history of the industry?
• What are your least and most favorite things about working in this industry?
• Is there any reason you would recommend that someone not enter this industry? If so, why?

Targets and Contacts

• Would you be willing to review my target list of companies and offer feedback?
• What other companies should I be considering? Do you have contacts you can recommend in those organizations?
• What professional organizations would be relevant?

Advice

• Are there other people you know and with whom you think I should speak? May I say that you referred me?
• What professional journals and associations do you recommend?
• With the information you have about my education and experience, what roles do you think I should be considering?
• To what industries, sectors or roles do you think my skills and abilities would best fit?
• If you were just staring your career again, what would you do differently?
• What advice do you have for a student entering this field?
• Can you suggest opportunities to gain relevant experience in this field?

You will not be able to ask every question in a single meeting but think about what information you need to gain and use the questions to guide you.

Mentor Relationships Matter

For most business professionals, there has been a significant mentor relationship that helped shape their careers. Having a trusted advisor makes a difference when evaluating career options and next steps. At the D’Amore-McKim Graduate School of Business, we strongly believe in the power of a mentor relationship and proactively identify mentors for our MBA students.

Mentors are often alumni or trusted business partners. We match students to mentors based on industry, functional area and overall fit. Mentors meet with their students at least an hour per month to answer questions and share advice and experience.  Some mentors have invited students to shadow them at work for a day. Other mentors have taken students to an appropriate professional association meeting. Mentors demonstrate their confidence in our students by introducing the students to their personal network.

While the official relationship continues until graduation, many mentors and students are still in touch years later due to the strength of the bond they built while in the program. Mentors enjoy giving the students the benefit of their experience and students value the insight and advice from a trusted, impartial resource.

We truly appreciate the support of our mentors. They truly make a difference for our students.