Interviewing

A lost-looking guy approaches an older man on the street in Manhattan and asks him, "What's the best way to get to Carnegie Hall?" The man thinks for a moment and then answers, "Practice." It's an old joke, but it applies to interviewing too, especially if you haven't done it in a while.  This means more than just going over a few general questions in your head and calling it a wrap.

If you've got a job search buddy, this is a particularly effective way for you to help each other.  You get to take turns shaking off your everyday personalities and pretending to be someone else. If you're playing the interviewer, that is.  Cut loose and have a little fun with it, but make sure that the situation feels real.  If you're the candidate, just be yourself (or a better version of yourself.)

Try being the pushy, stressful interviewer who fires questions at you without waiting to hear the entire answer.  "Why are you leaving your current job?" "What can you do for us?" "Tell me what happened when you were part of a project that failed" "Why haven't you gotten any certifications yet?" Why can't you travel?" "What do you mean, you need to give two weeks notice?" If this goes right, the candidate should have broken out in a cold sweat by the end.  Remember, the point is to practice dealing with stress and maintaining your composure under difficult conditions.

Next, switch gears and simulate the awkward type of recruiter.  Ask indirect questions, like "um … do you think you'd like to work here?" "What do you think of Linux?" "Did you think that West Chester was a good school? " You know, questions that are relatively pointless and don't have a whole lot of relevance to determining whether the candidate would actually be good at the job (s)he's applying for.  Oh, and make sure that a couple of lengthy silences get thrown in for good measure. 

These silences are the opportunity for you, the interviewee, to take control of the situation.  To plug the 3-5 personal talking points you want to get across.  You have identified them, right?  If not, get to it and draft short paragraphs - no more than 3 sentences each - that capture your meaning, like:

"I'm an experienced web designer and can show you several commercial sites that are up right now.  I'm very strong in HTML and CGI, and have growing abilities in Java.  I'm registered to start a course in XML next semester." Or:

"My background is in enterprise network design, but more recently, I've been working on end-to-end Internet testing projects.  I'm gotten some experience with the Rational tool suite.  But I'm really interested in growing my project management abilities and have taken a few beginning courses leading towards PMI certification."

• What benefit can you bring to our organization?
• Where do you want to be in two/three/five years?
• Why do you want to work here?
• Tell me a little about yourself. (My personal favorite)

Interview rehearsal is the best way to prepare for the real thing.  You get to make mistakes in a safe environment and get feedback on how you sound to an interviewer.  If you're very lucky, you may be able to draft someone who does interviewing to practice with you.  After a few sessions, you'll get more comfortable with the process.  You'll never remove all stress from the situation, but it'll get easier.

Showtime

Once you've practiced a few times, you'll be ready (okay, at least somewhat prepared) for the real thing.  Do as much research as possible before you show up and make sure that you know what the company does.  At the minimum, go to the website and read it.  All of it.  Even the boring pages.  You never know what little nuggets you may find in unlikely places.

If you're like me, with the urge to see all/know all, continue the investigation with a search on your favorite engine(s.) Check out recent news releases, stories in the tech press, company evaluations on the investment sites.  You want to get a picture of what the company is up to and how the position you're looking at is likely to be supporting enterprise objectives.  Look at IT and business partnerships for a clue to emerging technical direction.  Does it sound like a place you'll want to go?

Arrive on time for the interview.  Be prepared to wait, if need be, and take any available time to scope out company information that may be lying around.  Chat up the receptionist - ask how long (s)he's been with the company and what it's like here.  When the interviewer arrives to take you back to his/her office, go right into prime interview mode.

Take a seat, take a deep breath and take the measure of the interviewer - you can do this.  Here are three rules for interviewing:

1. If you don't like the question, answer a different one.  This doesn't mean completely changing the subject, just changing the focus or spin on the question. For example, you could be asked, "What's your experience been with eCommerce?" The honest answer is "Absolutely nothing." Instead, you reply, "My recent experience has been with companies that weren't ready to jump into eCommerce; that's the reason I'm looking for a new opportunity.  I've always been a quick study and I'm eager to learn about emerging trends and technologies.  I have done some work with EDI and I'm sure I could leverage this knowledge to come up to speed quickly."
2. Tell the truth … in a way that puts you in a positive light.  This means that the best approach may not be to tell every detail.  Highlight the good points of your story and remember that full disclosure is not required.  However, if by pushing through a bad situation, you were able to be successful, be sure to let the interviewer know how you triumphed over adversity.  But don't overdo it.  Modesty is an attractive trait, I'm told.
3. Don't babble.  After you've given your concise, well-formed answer, stop talking.  Really, shut up before you hurt yourself.

Interviewing is a complex situational skill.  I can't really do justice to it as part of a column.  For more advice, check out some earlier columns, like Ingenious Interviewing, Parts 1, 2 & 3.

Managing the Offer Process

If you've done a good job selling yourself in the interview process, you'll be rewarded with an offer.  But you have to be sure it's something you actually want.  Is this a company you can respect?  Grow with?  Profit with? What's the whole package of salary, benefits, and opportunity worth?  It's always nice to be asked to dance, but sometimes you should decline.

The important thing is … don't panic!  I've seen highly intelligent people reduced to blathering idiots when they get an offer.  All the repressed anxiety bubbles to the surface and clouds the ability to think rationally.  Sort of like after a car accident.  There's a lot of pacing and repeating the same few things over and over trying to make sense of it all.

Back a few columns ago, in The Career Project Manager, I outlined roles and responsibilities for the Career Project Manager, including one called Drive critical trade-off decisions.  This was intended to have you outline when/why you'd make changes to your initial priorities.  At the beginning of your job search, you were supposed to identify your "must haves" and "nice-to-haves." Well, pull out that list and check off what the offer entails.  Does it look as good as you intended? Has what you originally wanted changed?  Or are you swept away in the moment?

If it's not right, all things considered, say no.  Graciously.  Thank them for the opportunity of being considered and the privilege of being asked to join them.  Wish them every success in finding someone to fill the spot.  If the rep wants to know why you won't come, there are a number of things you should say, based on your reasons for rejection:

• The place is a rathole/the boss is a jerk = "I don't really think it would be a good fit."
• It's not an interesting job & doesn't seem to have any potential = "This isn't the right challenge for me at this stage in my career."
• It's a disorganized startup = "It's a great opportunity, but I'm afraid my personal situation demands more security right now than this can offer."
• The salary/comp package is too low = "The salary/comp package is too low."

Remember that any of these responses may be the trigger for additional back and forth between you.  If you're willing to negotiate, keep going.  But if you're really certain that you don't want to pursue it any further, thank the rep again and tell him/her that your decision is firm.  Repeat as many times as necessary.

So … what if the offer is all good?  Go for it!    Yes, you can ask for a) more money, b) more vacation, c) more training opportunities or d) a later start date (but not e) all of the above.) Be prepared to hear no, but don't act goofy if they say yes.  Save the dance of joy for the privacy of home. 

I've been asked about the etiquette of balancing two (or more) offers/potential offers against each other.  Again, complete disclosure is not in your best interest.  Project out your timetable and work desirable opportunities against each other.  Avoid squeezing one company for something you really don't want.  It is okay to call a company that hasn't come up with an offer yet to tell them that you've gotten one from someone else and what your time constraints are.  You've got nothing to lose, especially if this is the one you really want.

One last point in offer negotiation - you aren't done until you've received and signed an offer letter.  And if the company doesn't usually give them, have them change their policy, starting now.  If what you negotiated isn't down on paper and signed by both of you … it didn't happen. 

More

Finally, the last Career Project Phase, Produce.  Time for Lessons Learned and Scoping the Next Career Project.  Questions?  Comments?  Write to me at jamie@jobcircle.com Later.

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Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company.  Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column.  You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.