Career Confidant: Job Insight from Dave

Things Better Left Unsaid

As interviews have been the theme for this week, I have to end it with some detested interview bits that always seem to find their way into professional situations. When in an interview, the idea is to exchange information relevant to the position but some candidate insist on words and phrases that hinder the whole process.

When describing former jobs, employers, and tasks, it's important to avoid tacking "and what not", "and such" or "et cetera, et cetera" to the ends of those descriptions. If it's relevant then name it, if not then just end the sentence at the end of the list. There's no point to being vague.

"Ya know?" In all likelihood, probably not.

"Ya know?" may be one of the worst infractions of the professional interview - the questions implies a casual realtionship that might not exist quite yet. In which case asking likely does nothing to help the interview.

Filler words "like", "uh" and "um" are so hard to avoid as they are pretty much used to punctuate our thoughts. These little words make us sound unsure and require some concentration to eliminate completely ...which is fine because in an interview you should be carefully considering everything that comes out your mouth. To cure this problem it's best to think about where it stems from, taking time to think. So, my best advice would be to slow down and just pause whenever a filler is about to come out; that pause will seemingly take forever in your mind but really it's just a few seconds. Practicing this with friends always helps.

It's just better to come off as pensive and considerate than hasty and vague.

Questions to Ask During an Interview

An interview is meant to be a two-way street. The hiring manager is interviewing you to determine whether you're the best fit for the job. At the same time, you should be asking questions to determine whether you would be happy in the position or with the company. Prepare a list of questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the company and interest in the position. Some good topics to cover include:

The company

1. What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?

2. How do you see the future for this industry?

3. What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?

The department

1. What are the career paths in this department?

2. What have been the department's successes in the last couple of years?

The job's responsibilities

1. What would you consider to be the most important aspects of this job?

2. What are the skills and attributes you value most for someone being hired for this position?

3. Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to within the company? Could you describe a typical day or week in this position?

The expectations

1. What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first three months?

2. What are the performance expectations of this position over the first 12 months?

Interview Like a Pro

After posting a few of my favorite commencement speeches, I came upon this article about Steve Jobs' presentation, highlighting the key elements to delivering a memorable presentation. Of course, I would certainly recommend reading the article if you are preparing a speech or presentation of some kind. But I found there are also some elements to take away that can be directly applied to interviewing.

2. Demonstrate enthusiasm: When I interview I've found that applicants who really know what they're after are genuine and postive about their feelings on a job position. It's crucial to find at least one thing that you can be excited about regarding that company - if you truly look forward to working with the employer it'll show and make them just as excited to work with you.

4. Make numbers meaningful: If your past work experience delivered great results, then make sure you know how to quantify it! And dropping numbers won't do much good without giving context; be sure to explain how what you did contributed directly to the company's bottom line as simply as possible.

8. Sell the benefit:  Most people already know that the interview is the chance to showcase oneself pretty much with reckless abandon - any opportunity to turn into the model employee is exploited and the employer can see nothing but the best. But from what I've seen, most don't know that this self marketing isn't entirely comprised of talking. Genuinely listening to the interviewer demonstrates composure and true professionalism; this means not saying "uh huh uh huh" "right right right" or "yeah yeah yeah" while someone is talking, it means digesting every word without interrupting and listening instead of waiting to talk.

10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse: If you don't have time to adequately prepare for the interview at least take a few seconds before everytime you speak to think about your answer. You'd be surprised how much it'll help!

For some inspiration here are some of Steve Jobs' other speeches with BNET's instructions on how to give a speech like Steve Jobs at the bottom!

Keynote 2008 (iPhone 3G)

Intro of the iPod 2001

Business Attire in Summer Months: Tips to Keep in Mind

My coworker, Lisa, has provided the fodder for this post; she's noticed a lot more businesswear disasters and has the following to offer:

As temperatures rise, the signs of summer emerge: skimpy tank tops, shorts and flip-flops. But while some offices loosen their ties, figuratively speaking, such an outfit is anything but acceptable for a departmental meeting. Here are a few suggestions on summer threads that won't make you look like you're at the beach:

·          Bury the black and wear white. It's light and airy. Linen shirts line the racks in stores from Target to Georgetown. No matter what your budget, these basics are a smart staple and work with just about any bottoms. Dress it up with accessories.

·          If you must wear a suit, switch from wool to cotton or linen fabrics. Under your jacket, go for short-sleeve shirts or sleeveless blouses.

·          For men, business casual may include polo shirts or a button-down without a tie. If T-shirts are OK, they should definitely be logo-free.

·          If you go for trendy new shorts, make sure they're just above the knee -- no shorter -- and paired with nice shoes. Linen and cotton fabrics, for women and men, are dressier than jean shorts and therefore more office-appropriate. No sneakers, no cutoffs, no matter what -- unless your work is entirely outdoors.

·          Avoid ultra-short skirts, low-cut necklines, super high heels, too-tight clothes, and anything bordering on too sexy. This is true in any weather, but even more important to keep in mind in the summer months.

·          Flip-flops are out. Slingbacks, espadrilles and loafers are preferable to open-toed strappy numbers. If your toes are visible, keep nails bare or perfectly polished. Chipped color looks sloppy and unprofessional on both fingers and toes.

·          Ladies, lighten up on your makeup. A fresh summer face means heavy eyeliner is out. A lightweight foundation or bronzer is in. Stick with natural shades.

·          Easy-care hairstyles, including a loose ponytail or bun can dress you up while cooling you down. Consider a shorter cut; ‘The Bob’ is making a strong come back!

For interviews, meetings and out-of-office appointments, always maintain your professionalism by upping your attire a notch or two. If in doubt, ask. If you're going on an interview or sales calls, ask the person who has arranged the meeting for some advice. Sounds awkward, but it can be as simple as this: "Would you please tell me about the attire in your office so I can dress appropriately for our appointment?"

Following these guidelines ensures that you're always stylish and smart -- a winning combination in any weather.

Interview Etiquette

In most interview preparation I feel that the most emphasis is placed on responses, clothing, and knowledge about the employer but an all too often overlooked facet is general etiquette, manners and poise. For any number of reasons, applicants tend to destroy themselves for actions and words outside of the regular questioning session.

For whatever motives that you might not be entirely respectful and self-aware in life outside of an interview, upon entering that employer's establishment, civility and decorum need to be among the top traits you possess. Certainly technical skills are determinant factors in landing a job but when someone else shows up with the same qualifications,  whoever left the best overall impression will leave with the job.  Some things that are most likely to irk or anger the interviewer:

1.  Cell phones going off during the interview - These are the Worst.

If you're counting on someone calling on a life or death situation (most people claim it), reschedule the interview or be honest let the interviewer know of the situation ahead of time  - something as simple as "I'm expecting an emergency call,  so please excuse me if my phone rings" will do the trick. Abusing this phrase, texting, or playing with/checking up on the phone will undoubtedly tell the interviewer about what you do in a professional situation. Save yourself the distraction, turn it off.

2. Lacking general awareness of the body - This includes actions like in the photo above. Picking the nose, digging in ears, picking teeth, eating hair, and cleaning fingernails are the most common transgressions. Some lesser regarded habits can include putting feet up on chairs/tables, resting the head on hands, putting on make up DURING THE INTERVIEW, finger drumming, and eye rolling.

3. Being too casual - Perhaps you were referred by someone else in the company or perhaps you're know you're a shoe in; there is no reason to represent yourself as anything less than the most professional individual. Recently, I interviewed a candidate who was referred by a former employee of the employer. This person felt that telling me extensive personal information about the person who referred him was important to him getting the job. This lack of discretion with someone he didn't know (me) suggested to me that this is how he might converse, better yet gossip, with anyone else in the company. I don't want to discourage a certain amount of friendliness between you and the interviewer, but take time (nervous, cocky, or not) to consider what your actions are really saying to the interviewer. (Photo courtesy of Trigger Happy TV)

4. Being unprepared - When getting up the morning of and running late, you think:  should I get there late and check out the website or get there on time and look like an idiot? Don't look like an idiot in front of employers. Doing your homework means more than knowing the right industry and the company name; know about the company's history, about what your position might entail and some interesting information on the website. Also recently, a candidate showed up for an interview not only clueless about the employer but described her ideal job that didn't in any way include the employer. The particular employer likes for people to stay on while furthering their education - so this candidate pretty much told me "I'm taking the money and leaving. Bye!" Doing research could have helped her tackle this issue in a more tactful way. Perhaps answering phones all day isn't your dream job but a career that demands skills you get from that job (customer service experience, troubleshooting, conflict resolution) might be.