July 25, 2024 Leave a Comment

Impress Job Interviewers with the Best Questions

When consulting to job seekers to help prepare them for upcoming job interviews, I often hear concerns about how to answer interviewer questions, choosing suitable interview attire, as well as where to find company information. While these are all very important, I have noticed that candidates often forget to think through which questions that they will ask in an interview, often treating this aspect of interviewing as an afterthought. An otherwise good interview can be undermined by a candidate who sounds unprepared, or who asks questions that come across as selfish, greedy or disinterested.

WHY ask questions in an interview?

Many candidates ask questions in interviews simply because they are expected to do so by the interviewer(s). However, keeping in mind that interviews are a two-way process in which both employer and candidate have a decision to make, this opportunity can be very useful for interviewees.

Interviewee questions can be useful for the candidate to:

learn about the job and company
learn more about the job and its challenges
gain information about the culture of the company
gain insight into the expectations of the employer from the person in that position
showcase their interests and expertise, to further impress the employer about their suitability for the position

WHAT are the best questions to ask?

To make a strong impression, candidates might choose questions about:

1. the position (that were not covered in the job posting), such as :

What personality would be ideal for this position?
What are the challenges facing this position right now?

2. the company (that were not covered on the website or posting):

How would you describe the company culture?
What are the primary priorities for the company right now?

3. the candidate’s suitability for the position:

How do my qualifications compare to the ideal requirements for this position?
What do you think is missing from my resume for this position?

4. the hiring process:

What is the next step in the interview process?
When can I expect to hear from you?

Additional sample questions can be found in this post on this topic at the About Job Search site.

NOTE: not all questions are harmless — some questions can really undermine the credibility of a candidate, such as those that make the interviewer feel that the candidate is asking only out of a sense of obligation (such as questions to which the answers are easy to find on the company website) or questions that sound selfish or greedy (such as questions about benefits).

HOW to prepare the questions

I recommend to candidates that, before a job interview, they:

prepare a number of questions which they could ask (approximately five questions, from which they can pick the most suitable 2-3 at the interview)
type out and bring the questions to the interview, in a folder where it can easily be found (no need to struggle to memorize the questions — it just adds to the stress of an interview)
have paper and pen ready, to take any notes that seem necessary

WHEN to ask the questions?

Candidates need not necessarily wait to be prompted to ask questions. Candidates who are able to initiate asking questions during the interview skillfully can come across as assertive, confident and able to take initiative.

To sum up..

Interviewees who ask questions that are carefully chosen, well-informed and appropriately timed can have a competitive advantage in an interview, leaving a solid and positive impression, which can go a long way to influencing the final decision of a potential employer.

July 24, 2024 Leave a Comment

Choosing the right keywords for your job search

Ever struggled to find meaningful words that stand out and that won’t make the reader’s eyes glaze-over in boredom when writing a resume, cover letter or LinkedIn profile? If you said “yes” (and you most probably did), you are not alone, according to LinkedIn who recently reviewed the over a quarter of a million profiles on their site, to identify the ten most overused words and phrases:

Responsible

Strategic

Creative

Effective

Patient

Expert

Organizational

Driven

Innovative

Analytical

Recognise these words? As an Employment Counsellor, I do. I see them often. Truth is, I use them myself. Keep in mind, though, that “Frequently used” doesn’t mean “not important”. It just means that when employers see that you chose to use common words, they find it difficult to see how you have something special to offer them. This is not a problem unique to job seekers, either — anyone who reads job postings has noticed that employers themselves often list these terms in job postings, as they struggle to identify exactly what they are looking for in a good candidate.

Considering the importance — in the current competitive job market –– of being able to present yourself as unique among other job seekers, it is well worth the effort to find those words which stand out and are meaningful to describe your strengths and assets.

Here are some ideas to help choose your best possible words or phrases:

Start off by making your own list of work strengths. Think back to your work history: what were your biggest achievements — the ones you are most proud of, and for which you received the biggest praise? Which do you think your references would mention to describe you? Keep in mind that strengths could be hard skills (such as your ability to use a certain software or to perform a certain task) or soft skills (the skills that come naturally, such as organisational or interpersonal skills). Make a list of your top 5-10 skills in which you are most confident.

Identify the key words that are most important to employers. Check through job postings to which you would like to apply, as well as the websites of target employers to identify the catch-phrases or “buzz words” most often used. Highlight those that best match your own strengths (of course, if you can’t find a match between the skills wanted by employers and your own abilities, you might be looking for the wrong jobs. Consider re-evaluating whether you need to retrain or to refocus your efforts elsewhere).

Find ways to demonstrate your important strengths. Potential employers will be watching your behaviour, to assess your skills for themselves — they will look at how you interact with employers (conducting your job search in a way that is responsive, punctual, thoughtful, personable), as well as in the behaviours and values you showcase in your social media presence (e.g. your volunteer work, your participation in professional development, your ability to deal with feedback on Facebook or Twitter).

Be specific when describing your achievements. When a potential employer reads your cover letter and resume, or reviews your LinkedIn profile, they should be able to understand not only what your strengths and skills are, but how you used them. Share specific examples that prove that you have been, in fact, “responsible”, “strategic” or any other of the so-called overused terms (e.g. “Addressed customer complaints, to ensure that each was satisfactory resolved, resulting in frequent positive feedback from customers for the way their concerns were handled“, is much more effective than “responsible for handling customer complaints, to ensure satisfaction“).

Seek good references and LinkedIn recommendations. Make sure that you those who have agreed to speak on your behalf know what skills you have chosen and which achievements you are focusing on. Once they agree to act as references, share your resume with them and tell them what strengths you consider important. Connect with them on LinkedIn and try to get recommendations or endorsements from them.

The bottom line: choose your words carefully when searching for work. Your resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profile (as well as how you describe yourself in an interview) will be most successful if they include carefully chosen, specific, demonstrable and meaningful words.

July 24, 2024 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: How Do I Handle the Pain of Rejection?

Worried guy covering mouth by hand while looking at laptop display and understanding that dangerous virus attacked his computer

Dear Joanna,

I have completed my fourth round of interviews with a panel of five interviewers for a $55,000 a year job as a financial analyst with a leading institution. The process included a 45 minute pre-screening interview on the phone followed by three face-to-face interviews with the team and managers.

I called the HR manager to follow-up this morning and I am devastated. I was turned down. I was shocked, and needless to say, I am feeling completely rejected and would like to give up the job search completely.

How do I handle the pain of rejection?

Signed: Painfully Rejected (PR)

[Read more…]

October 3, 2019 1 Comment

Tackling Difficult Job Interview Questions: “How do you handle criticism on the job?”

Angry businesswoman arguing with businessman about paperwork fai

Employers have been known to ask some difficult questions during a job interview, such as “What is your biggest weakness?” or “What salary do you think you deserve?” But have you ever been asked to talk about a time when you faced conflict on the job? What did you say? It can be tempting to pretend you never had a conflict or tell part of the story and leave out all the negative stuff. Job seekers worry their answers may reflect poorly on them and decrease their chances of getting the job they are interviewing for.

While it isn’t easy to talk about criticism or conflict in a job interview, you need to have an answer that is truthful and professional. And the best way to do that is to handle criticism properly when it happens.

The Emotional Side of Receiving Criticism

Dealing with criticism is a challenge for all of us. We all want to have the respect of our colleagues and to think that we are doing our job well. So being told that you are doing something badly can be painful to hear.

It is easy for us to see criticism as an attack in which we might “fight back” – response defensively, confronting the critic or throwing accusations back at them – or we may “flee” where we sulk or perhaps complain to others. Either way the issue is not resolved and neither response is good for our working relationships.

Tips for Handling Criticism

1. Take a moment to process.
Don’t respond immediately. Set aside your initial reaction and take the time to think about the criticism objectively before responding. You may need to find a quiet space to contemplate or discuss it with a trusted colleague or friend.

2. Be aware of your tone.
For criticism to be productive, both sides must express themselves calmly and respectfully. One of the most effective things you can do in dealing with criticism is to keep control over your tone of voice.

3. Clarify and acknowledge.
The first step when responding to criticism is to clarify what was said. Make sure you understand what you’ve been told.

Then acknowledge the other person’s point of view. If you think that their feedback is rational and reasonable, then acknowledge that. This deescalates the situation for both you and the critic allowing them to expand on their thoughts and/or offer solutions once they understand that you are listening. Even if you do not agree with the criticism, you can still acknowledge what the other person is saying.

Example:

Supervisor: Your desk is such a mess. Why are you so disorganized?

Employee (calmly): You’re saying that I am disorganized because my desk is mess. Looking at my desk right now, I can see why you’d think that.

4. Offer a solution.
People are much more likely to accept an apology if it comes without excuses. If the criticism is reasonable, simply acknowledge your part in the mistake and offer to change it. If you require assistance in order to fix the mistake, then ask for it.

Example:

I will have it done by the end of Friday. I would also like to meet with you at some point to discuss how I can better stay on top of this paperwork.

5. Explain (if necessary).
Once the issue has been acknowledged, and if you think it is necessary, calmly explain your side of the story.

Example:

I can see why you would think that my desk is a mess. I need to do something to make sure that it doesn’t appear that way. However, I am actually in the middle of preparing document packages and have spread the papers out so I can sort through them.

6. Set boundaries.
You might feel the need to address the way the criticism was given, e.g. if the criticism was done in a public space or in a way that you believe was unfair. Also, if you genuinely think the feedback was unwarranted, you could express that. Use this moment as an opportunity to treat others the way you would like to be treated — without anger, and in a clear and direct way.

Example:

Also, I’d like to discuss how you gave this feedback. In future, I would prefer it if you would speak to me privately if you have a concern.

Answering “How do you handle criticism on the job?” in a Job Interview

Like any difficult interview question, preparing your answer ahead of time is key. Prepare for this question by thinking back to a time when you received feedback at work. Ideally, you want to tell the interviewer about a time where you handled the conflict gracefully and rectified the mistake immediately and with efficiency. Give enough detail so it sounds authentic but don’t dwell on the mistake.

If you haven’t deal with a conflict well, you can simply acknowledge that. It may impress an employer to hear that you realize that dealing with criticism is something you need to work on (That’s true for most of us, if we were honest with ourselves). Follow it up with how you would now handle it differently.

Tip: Stay away from recriminations against the person who offered the criticism. You want to show the interviewer that you are able to consider the validity of the criticism and arrive at a solution.

Example:

Interviewer: Tell about a time you faced criticism on the job. How did you handle it?

Candidate: I try to always work on handling criticism better. I think I’ve improved a lot over the years. In my last job, my supervisor walked my cubicle and was very critical of how messy it was in a very public way. She expressed concern that I was disorganized. I was able to respond calmly to her initial comment, promising to tidy up, and we made a time to meet and discuss concerns I had about paperwork in the office. We were able to devise a system that enabled me to stay on top of the paperwork.

Interviewer: Is your desk less messy now?

Candidate: It’s not perfect but I have definitely improved now that I have some systems in place. I was pleased to deal with the issue openly with my supervisor.

Remember, the reason employers ask this question in the first place is that they want to know whether you have the capacity to evaluate yourself and accept critique from others. You are allowed to be imperfect. Showing that you are honest and dedicated to self-improvement makes you a more interesting and valuable employee.

February 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

Answering Unexpected Interview Questions: Lessons from a CEO

Diverse people with creative inspiration speech bubbles

We sometimes forget that even the highest-ranking executives have gone through job interviews. Recently, CNBC posted an interesting article with the provocative title, 15 years ago, Google’s CEO had a brilliant response to a tricky interview question – and it helped him get hired, which offered insights into the questions that leading companies such as Google sometimes ask and what they hope to hear from candidates.

At an interview for a Vice President position at Google, Sundar Pichai was asked an unexpected question which he could not answer; his response provides a useful strategy for job seekers: early on in the interview process, Pichai was asked about his thoughts on a Google product that was launched earlier that day. A little confused, he answered honestly that he hadn’t yet seen it yet. Undeterred, he proceeded through multiple interviews where he was repeatedly asked that question, and continued to explain that he had not seen it yet. Eventually, at the fourth interview, the interviewer took the opportunity to demonstrate the product, which allowed Pichai — at the fifth interview — to finally share his viewpoint of the product.

Not only was Pichai hired for that position, but he went on to become Google’s CEO.

So, what did he do that was so effective?

The article goes on to highlight the impact of Pichai’s decision to be honest and direct when faced with a question about a product about which he had no knowledge. This approach kept him as a contender throughout the lengthy interview process.

Pichai’s honesty and directness in answering this seemingly impossible question was the key to his success. He remained focused and continued calmly during the interview. The article describes this as “intellectual humility” — the value of honesty and curiosity in an interview, rather than pretending to be knowledgeable and perfectly skilled. Job seekers sometimes underestimate employers’ interest in character and soft skills, such as the ability to handle an unexpected question with grace.

Employers know that employees can learn a new skill or gain new knowledge, such as the recently launched Google product in Pichai’s case, whereas honesty, willingness to learn and humility cannot be learned.

Laszlo Bock, former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google is quoted in the article saying that,

“Successful, bright people rarely experience failure, and so they don’t learn how to learn from that failure. They instead commit the fundamental attribution error, which is if something good happens, it’s because I’m a genius. If something bad happens, it’s because someone’s an idiot or I didn’t get the resources or the market moved.”

Job seekers need to remember that during an interview, there’s no need to rush into answering every question quickly. When presented with a difficult question, take a moment to consider your reply. Ask a clarifying question that may show a willingness to learn or thoughtful analysis. Keep in mind that getting to the interview stage means the employer has read your resume and decided that you have a lot to offer. In addition to demonstrating your skills and knowledge, an interview also provides the opportunity to show personal integrity, honesty and confidence. Respectful, curious and genuine employees make much better colleagues and contribute to a positive company culture.

To impress interviewers, not only should you prepare your knowledge of the job, the company, and of yourself, make sure to rehearse honest and clear responses to questions. This will allow employers to get know you as a thoughtful, critically self-aware candidate, who is open to new learning — which are highly valued characteristics.