October 1, 2020September 5, 2020

Write an Awesome Interview Thank You Note

Interview Thank You Note

A well-crafted interview thank you note could be the tie-breaker that sets you apart from your competition and helps you get the job. If you’re even remotely interested in the position, I strongly recommend sending a note. While it’s standard interview advice, most applicants still skip this step for some reason. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you’re crafting a note to the interview team.

Keep it Professional

When you are crafting a thank you note, it might feel like you’ve made a great connection with the hiring manager and it’s okay to let down your guard a little bit. Keep in mind that this person isn’t your friend, and they aren’t even your boss yet, so maintain the tone professional and make sure you do everything possible to eliminate spelling and grammar errors. One of my favorite tools to check myself is Grammarly. They offer both a free and a paid version, and they tend to catch a lot more errors than traditional spell check does. Take the time to read it over before you send it, and make sure you’ve spelled the person’s name right. Using too casual of a tone and errors are both turn off’s for a potential employer.

Personalize it

Personalized Interview Thank You notes — Sending a personalized note will help you stand out to the interview panel.

You can find form thank you note templates all over the internet, but some of the most memorable letters I have received from candidates were personalized. They spoke directly to me and mentioned specifics that I either did or discussed that they appreciated it. These thank you notes showed me that the candidate was paying close attention to what was happening in the interview and they felt much more genuine.

Granted, individualized thank you notes to everyone on an interview panel can be tricky. Getting everyone’s email addresses from the team can be hard. First, try asking for their business cards at the end of the interview. It’s okay to tell them that you want to follow-up with a thank-you note, provided you be sure to do so.

If you can’t get the emails of everyone on the panel to send them each a personalized thank you note, send one overall thank you to the team. It’s okay to include brief messages to each panel member and ask you contact, either the recruiter or hiring manager to pass the note along.

Send it within 24 hours

In my experience, 95% of the thank you notes I have received from candidates were via email. While email is a bit less informal than a handwritten note, it is much faster than sending it through the mail.

When you’re sending a thank you note, speed is important. Make every effort to send the email within 24 hours of the conversation. Once managers are at the interview stage in the hiring process, they’re looking to move quickly. They’ll make a decision soon after the last candidate, leaving a short window to influence their decision.

To make things easier on yourself, start writing the thank-you note before your interview. By having it written ahead of time, you’re not starting with a blank slate. You can fill in the specific details afterward and send it off quickly. Just make sure to proofread it very carefully before you send it off.

Ask for Feedback

If you don’t take the time to ask for feedback on the interview thank you note, you’re missing a tremendous opportunity. First of all, when you ask for feedback, it shows the hiring manager that not only are you open to constructive feedback, but you seek it out. Know that in a lot of cases employers have pretty explicit policies about providing feedback, but that shouldn’t stop you from asking. Without asking, you won’t have any information on improvement.

The Sample Interview Thank You Note

Subject: Thank you

Hello [manager name]

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for [position]. I appreciate the chance to learn more about [your company/this job etc.], and I’m excited about the opportunity to join the team. Thank you for taking the time to [insert specifics here] It helped [provide more clarity/put me at ease/etc.]

You mentioned that one of the challenges for this role was XYZ. I am confident that with my previous experience in ABC, I’d be able to [develop a strategy/work towards a solution/etc.].

Regardless of the outcome of the interview, I would appreciate any feedback you would be willing to provide so I can continue to improve my skills. Thank you again for your time and please let me know if you have any other questions or need any more information from me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards
[your name]

How to Prepare for Virtual Interviews

August 12, 2020

These days, more and more interviews are happening over Zoom and Google Meet. Virtual interviews are unchartered territory for many job seekers, and the etiquette is still mostly undefined. One of the most common questions we’re seeing from clients right now is how to get ready for these virtual interviews. So, we’ve gathered up some of our best tips to help you make the best (virtual) first impression possible.

Tip 1: Choosing your equipment

Ideally, you’ll be able to take the meeting from a computer and not your phone. The hierarchy is as follows: computer, tablet, phone. If possible, avoid taking the interview on your phone, because it’s too easy to shift angles or present issues. The other benefit of using a computer is that you can plug directly into the internet and avoid WIFI. Having a hardwired connection will help reduce lag and give a clearer video. Too much lag, and you can miss essential questions, non-verbal cues, or worse, they might miss parts of your answers. If you’re using a computer, be sure to close your other programs, including email, messenger, slack, etc. so notifications don’t pop up and distract you. Headphones reduce background noise and make it easier to be heard.

Tip 2: Set the scene

Try to take the call in a quiet, distraction-free zone. Your lighting and background are essential. You want the light to come from in front of you so the hiring manager can see your face. Be aware of the things around you that the camera can see, and keep it neutral. It’s best to take the meeting in front of a plain or nicely decorated wall. Try to avoid using your bedroom if possible. If you’re tight on space, you can opt for a virtual background on Zoom, but stay away from the animated ones, and keep it professional.

Tip 3: Dress for the part

Office with a computer monitor and thumbs up on the screen from a man in a suit.

If you’ve been working from home for several months you may have gotten pretty casual with your clothes. For a virtual interview, you’ll want to dust off your professional wardrobe and dress for the job. Hiring managers have been reporting that interview candidates are dressing a bit too casually for these video interviews. Dressing up is an easy way to help you stand out amongst the competition. It’s best to wear solid colors because some patterns can be distorted by the camera and be distracting. While it seems obvious, don’t neglect the bottom half of your outfit. Be prepared because you never know when you will have to jump up and run across the room for something.

Tip 4: Test everything

The day before the interview, make sure you have the software downloaded, and you know how to use it. Technical difficulties can lead to anxiety and throw you off-kilter. For Zoom meetings, you can create a free account to practice using the tools, and even record yourself. Record a dry run the day before in the same way you plan to have the interview. Go through all the motions, including your chosen interview outfit, hair, makeup, and accessories. Spend a few minutes talking to the screen and practicing your responses to “Tell me about yourself.” This way, you can see how you’ll appear on the camera, make adjustments, and feel more confident on the big day.

Before your interview, make sure to have the phone number of someone on the hiring panel. That way, if you do encounter technical difficulties, you can reach out and let them know. This contact information will also help you follow up after the interview if you haven’t heard any news.

Tip 5: Bring your tools

woman working on a computer with paper, tea and cell phone nearby.

There are some things to keep within reach for a video interview that will help you stay comfortable and focused. I always recommend clients bring water to in-person interviews, and a virtual interview is no different. Water is a helpful tool to give you a pause if you’re feeling flustered or if you start coughing. The second thing you want is a blank paper to take notes, organize your thoughts, or jot down questions that you would like to ask.

One benefit of a virtual interview is the ability to use notes. I don’t recommend keeping them on your computer, because the scrolling/reading can be noticeable to the hiring manager, and it can create technical problems. Instead, go old-school and use handwritten or typed notes. Post them on the wall behind your computer or put sticky notes on the edges of your screen. If you are using notes, they should be a couple of keywords or phrases to jog your memory, not paragraphs. The purpose is to glance over and get a quick reminder, not read a script to the hiring manager.

Tip 6: Rapport

The downside of virtual interviews is that it is more challenging to build a strong rapport with the hiring manager. At the interview, the hiring manager already believes you can do the job, or they wouldn’t be meeting with you. The interview serves two purposes for a hiring manager. First, to assess the skills from your resume, and second, to evaluate how you’ll fit into the organization. Look for opportunities before or after the interview to make small talk and learn more about the hiring manager. Be an active listener and try to find common interests to discuss. These conversations can help put you at ease and allows a bit of your personality to show through.

Are virtual interviews here to stay?

My prediction is that these types of interviews are going to be used for a long time. Virtual interviews are a cost-effective way to consider candidates further away and gather an interview panel across multiple sites. The pandemic has caused a massive shift in how people work, and many positions may never return to an office fulltime.

If you’re ready to start practicing for your next virtual interview, we can help. Our coaches are experienced at conducting virtual sessions and can often provide recordings of the sessions. To learn more, email me at amie@soundinterview.com.

Answering Strengths and Weaknesses

June 5, 2019

What is your biggest strength? Tell me your greatest weakness? Answering the strengths and weaknesses questions in an interview can be difficult, especially when they catch you off guard. I am not convinced about the value of these questions in job interviews, but since my responsibility is to help people prepare for interviews, this is often one of the areas we’ll spend time on.

Unfortunately, these types of questions still exist, and applicants come across them. For whatever reason, hiring managers like to put candidates on the spot with these. The good news is that these questions are easy to predict, and with practice, you can have reliable answers.

How to answer Strengths and weaknesses at an interview

What is your biggest strength?

First- listen to the question. How many strengths does the hiring manager want? If they ask, “What is your greatest strength,” you only want to provide ONE. Please don’t talk about 15 talents if the hiring manager only asked for one. Rambling about your multiple skills will come across as overly confident and is a huge turn off for hiring managers.

The best strategy is to pick a strength that relates to the job posting and then provide a brief story that shows those behaviors in a positive light. The more you can demonstrate the strength, the more believable it becomes to the hiring manager.

What is your greatest weakness? How does it manifest at work?

How to answer what is your greatest weakness question

The weakness question is a bit trickier. For years the advice has been to pick a weakness that is actually a strength, like “I take on too much work,” or “I can’t say no.” Bad news, hiring managers are on to this trick, and they’ll keep asking for weaknesses until they’ve gotten you to cop to a deep dark secret, or they’ve written you off as a candidate.

I tell my clients to choose a real weakness, not one that is career-damaging, like an accountant with poor attention to detail, and go with it. Hiring managers are looking for a couple of things: first, can you acknowledge your weaknesses? What have you done to help mitigate them in the workplace? To help clients find this weakness, I’ll often ask them what they’d tell a friend over coffee. They tend to think that these weaknesses are too personal for an interview (hint, rarely they can be), but more often than not, they are the best ones for this type of question. A word of caution, however, don’t disclose any protected information (relationship status, religion, sexual preference, children, political beliefs, etc.) in the interview. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but generally, you want to avoid triggering any unconscious or conscience bias with the interviewing panel.

answer strengths and weaknesses during job interview

Finally, practice your answers. Anticipate Strengths and weaknesses questions at every interview and know what you’re going to tell the hiring manager. That way, you’re far more prepared and equipped to be successful. As always, please reach out with any questions to amie@soundinteview.com.

September 27, 2018

The Worst Interview Questions to Ask

Imagine you’re on a first date, and things are going pretty well. You feel the chemistry and are getting excited about a second date. Your partner stares deep into your eyes and asks, “Do you have any concerns about me that I can address?” or better yet, “How do I measure up against the other people you’ve met?” Lately, I’ve had several clients come to me asking if I recommend asking this question. My honest answer: It’s one of the worst interview questions to ask.

Interview questions to ask

The logic behind the question is that by asking it, you show the hiring manager that you’re open to feedback and it allows you to address any concerns that they have. Unfortunately, there’s a lot wrong here. First, asking a hiring manager if they have any concerns about you as a candidate, will more often than not, call attention to red flags that they may not have come to mind. You are literally asking them to think of your flaws, in an interview.

Your shortcomings are the last thing you want a hiring manager to focus on, especially at the end of an interview. Remember, once the conversation is over, they’re going to compare you to all of the other candidates, and if you leave them thinking about your concerns, that’s what is going to be freshest in their mind.

I’ve been in interviews where this question has been asked and it’s rarely gone well for the candidate. Most of those candidates didn’t end up getting the job. Putting the interviewer on the spot like that can make them uncomfortable and puts them in an awkward position. Often they are interviewing other candidates and still aren’t sure about who they’re going to hire. In an interview setting, hiring managers tend to be conflict-averse. They have a candidate slate of 5-6 people for this position, and rather than engage in an uncomfortable dialogue; it’s much easier for them to give a candidate a non-answer than provide critical or potentially negative feedback.

Interview Questions to Ask

Here’s my go-to list of interview questions to ask the hiring manager.

What are the next steps in the process? If they’ve already answered this during the interview, go ahead and skip this question.
What are the biggest challenges for this position? Show the hiring manager that you’re not afraid of a challenge, and ask about the problems early on in the question series.
What would success look like for me?/What would you like to see me accomplish in the first <time-period>? Helps the hiring manager visualize you being successful in the position
What do you enjoy the most about <the company/job/team/etc.>? End your question series on a high note. Remember, once you walk out of the room, they’re going to rate you. Keep it positive.

How to Get Interview Feedback:

Getting constructive feedback on your performance during an interview can be invaluable, and I completely understand that it’s hard to come by. While you might be tempted to ask the hiring manager in the interview, it’s not the time or the place. Instead, ask for feedback in your thank you note. By asking in a thank you note, you’re showing the hiring manager that you are open to feedback, but not putting them in an uncomfortable position.

Alternatively, if you are seeking honest, unbiased opinions on your interview performance, consider hiring an interview coach. We’ll partner with you and give you direct and immediate interview feedback you can use to improve your interviewing skills.

January 30, 2018January 30, 2018

Behavioral Interview Examples

Behavioral interview questions are prevalent in large organizations. Employers use them because there is a belief that past behaviors are strongly related to how people behave in the future. So if you were able to drive results in your last job, chances are you’ll do the same in the new position.

Today we’re looking at some of the top behavioral interview questions and how to answer them. These questions are all about storytelling using the STAR model. In all of your examples, it’s important to stay positive. Sometimes the questions can be tricky and occasionally phrased in a way that seems to encourage complaints. Don’t fall into the trap. When you talk poorly about your people in an interview, it’s a HUGE RED FLAG for the hiring managers.

Remember that behavioral interview questions are driving towards specific attributes and behaviors that the organization wants. If you could peek into the hiring manager’s interview packet, you’d usually see a rating scale and maybe even some descriptors on the targeted behaviors they want.

For example, If the hiring manager asks a question about teamwork the book might contain something like this:

1: Did not demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a team. Hostile, negative or unengaged. The employee did not complete the task.
3: Worked cooperatively as a team member. The task was completed and met expectations.
5: Went out-of-the-way to help ensure team success. Put the needs of the team before personal agendas. Exceeded business goals.

Tell me about a disagreement with a co-worker?

This question is used to gauge how well you can deal with other people. Ultimately, hiring managers are trying to make sure you’re not going to be toxic in the workplace. When you think about situations for these questions, try to come up with times where you were able to work out a conflict amicably, and you weren’t the one responsible for creating the conflict or issue.

In my last position, I was a part of a team working toward a significant, high visibility deliverable. There were four team members including myself, and we all had different responsibilities on the project. One of my jobs was to complete our weekly scorecard and report status to upper management. One member of my team was consistently late providing updates, and it was reflecting poorly on the entire team.

I took him aside and talked to him about the problem. Initially, he was upset that I approached him. First I explained to him my concerns about his work and how his delay impacted the deadline. Then, I asked him if he needed any help and if there was anything I could do. He said he had a lot of work on his plate and it was overloading him. We talked about different options and finally settled on one that would help us meet our deadlines and allow him to feel under less pressure. Ultimately, we were able to meet the deadlines, and the leadership was satisfied with the work the team completed. I also built a healthy working relationship with him.

Tell me about a time you were spread too thin?

Call it multi-tasking or juggling; most employers want to hear about how you can manage your time. These questions are looking for prioritization skills, knowing when to ask for help and being able to deliver on critical projects. One of the most common answers I hear in these examples is, “I worked a lot of overtime and got everything done.” While sometimes that’s the truth, it’s not the answer an employer wants to hear.

I was working on two special projects for different business partners in my last role when my boss stopped by my desk with an important assignment. The Director of our group needed some reports and analysis completed for a high-profile customer meeting scheduled for next week. I sat down with my manager to make sure I had a solid understanding of the new project requirements and estimated that the project was going to take about 20 hours of my time. Unfortunately, between the other two projects and my regular statement of work, it quickly became apparent that something was going to have to give. I reviewed the timelines of the projects

I went over the schedules of the projects and spoke to my business partners about their plans. We found about a week of flexibility in one of the projects, and I was able to adjust that schedule. The other big project was time sensitive and needed my attention. I proposed to my manager that this could be an opportunity for a junior employee to take over my daily duties so I could focus on the two big projects. She was supportive of the plan. I was able to bring the junior employee up to speed on the daily processes and remained available for questions during the week.

In the end, I finished the reports, my business partners were taken care of, and both the director and customer were thrilled with the analytics. The company was able to book $150,000 in additional revenue with the client.

Tell me about a time you had to deal with an upset client?

In any job where you’ll be dealing with customers, you can expect to get a behavioral question around customer satisfaction. If you come across this question and can’t think of a particular client example, take a broader view of what a customer is. Maybe you’re in a role that has internal customers. You can use that as the basis for a story too. Do your best to avoid stories where you weren’t able to resolve the concern or the client wasn’t happy.

I was an account manager for a business selling B2B services, and I had just taken over some new accounts. One day I received a call from an upset customer. He had made several requests to the previous account manager for changes to her account and had yet to see the updates take effect. I was still trying to build strong relationships with this client as the new account manager, but I wasn’t familiar with his concerns. First, I apologized to him for the oversight and told them I would look into it and get back to them later that day.

I put my other work aside for the day so that I could focus on this issue. When I started looking into it, I saw that the requests had been made, but weren’t input correctly. I spoke with engineering and asked if they could make these changes a priority. Fortunately, the changes were pretty simple, and engineering was able to implement the change that day. We worked together to re-run the reports for the customer and later that day when I called the customer back, I provided the updated data. In the end, the client was very satisfied with the results and how quickly I fixed the problem. The next month the client called me to add additional services to their account, generating more revenue for the organization.

Describe a complex issue you solved with a single solution?

In every job, you’re going to have to do some form of problem-solving. This question looks at your ability to think outside of the box to solve problems uniquely. One of the common pitfalls is when you don’t explain the why the problem was so complicated.

One of my first roles outside of college was to collect and input transactions from a team of 15 people. I was working with one other person, and 80% of our job was getting them into the system. The transactions came via email from all 15 people, and they usually didn’t have the information we needed. We were spending an enormous amount of time going back and forth and searching to find the information we needed. Since we both received the emails, we also ran the risk of duplicating the inputs in the system

After doing this for about two months, I realized that there had to be a better way to streamline these transactions. I met with my partner and our manager to propose a process improvement. I suggested that we develop a file which we could use to input and track the transactions. After I had received buy-in, I developed an Excel spreadsheet and programmed macros to automate some of the functions. The partners would input the info into the database and could check the status of their requests. Initially, I had some pushback from the team. A few team members were resistant, but once they saw how much more efficient it was, they came on board. This initiative reduced our time spent tracking down data so much that we were able to focus on different work. The organization similarly adopted the process as a best practice.

Behavioral Interview Questions: Summary

All of the questions you encounter on a behavioral interview drive towards a particular competency or behavior. If you pay close attention to the job descriptions and the company values, you can anticipate the subjects that they’ll ask you about during the interview and prepare examples for those areas. Provide specific examples and be clear about what role you took on in each story. Stay positive, even if it was a challenging situation and address issues diplomatically. Finally, practice your stories as much as you can!

If you found this information helpful, please share it! We’d love to hear from you, so please tell us what you think and or are any topics you’d like us to cover in future blog posts.

What to Bring to an Interview

January 30, 2018January 28, 2018

What to bring to an interview?

Do you ever wonder what to bring to an interview? It’s always pretty amazing to see what people show up with. I’ve had ringing cellphones, family photo albums, and even other people. Most HR and hiring managers have seen some rather odd things. Our interview coaching clients often ask us what to bring to their interviews.

Water: You’re going to do a lot of talking, and you will probably be thirsty. It’s nice to have a bottle on hand in case you get a dry cough and need to take a quick drink. Water is also a useful tool to help buy you a few extra seconds to think about a question before diving into an answer.

Resume: The hiring manager may not have printed it, or it could be a panel of interviewers who may or may not have seen a copy. I recommend bringing five copies with you to hand out if needed. Using a heavier weight neutral resume paper is a good idea, but not a deal breaker.

What to bring to an interview

Notepad and two pens: Write down the interviewer’s names or questions that come to mind. We recommend taking notes on complicated interview questions too so you can make sure you hit all of the sub-questions they might be asking. Bring two pens, because one might stop working, and try to avoid the ‘click’ pens if you tend to fidget.

Questions: Don’t get caught at the end of the interview without having questions ready to ask at the end of the interview. By asking well thought out questions, you can gain more insight into the job and build rapport with the interview panel. Research the company and prepare a few open-ended questions ahead of time.

Mints: Just to be on the safe side. Pop a mint while you wait in the lobby and then put them away. In case you’re wondering, it’s not a good idea to pull them out during the interview and offer them to the interviewers, no matter how much they might need one.

What not to bring to an interview

Almost more important than what to bring to an interview is what NOT to bring. The last list focused on being prepared for success while this is the list to avoid disasters.

What to bring to an interview

Cellphone: Please, just leave it behind. If you absolutely must have it with you, power it down as soon as you step into the lobby. Yes, turn it all the way off, not just airplane mode. The interview starts as soon as you walk in the door. Spend the time observing the office or reviewing your notes. Your body language directly impacts your confidence, so sit up straight instead of curling over a cellphone.

Other people: I’ve seen parents, boyfriends, and children at job interviews. While there have been circumstances where it’s okay, those are few and far between. If you need any accommodations to participate in the interview, let the hiring manager know before the interview. Otherwise, ask your friends and family to wait away from the office.

Chewing gum: I get it, you want your breath to be fresh, and you promise that you’ll spit it out before the interview starts. It’s still a bad idea, even in the lobby. The chewing, snapping, and popping can be distracting, and worse, you have to remember to find a place to get rid of it discreetly before the interview starts. Spit it out before you walk in the door.

Food: It is a terrible idea to bring your lunch with you and ask the interviewer if they are okay with you eating because you’re “starving!”. This one might hit a little close to home for me. Eating at an interview or in the lobby is a bad idea.

Perfume/Cologne/Scented lotion: There are a lot of people who have allergies to fragrances, and causing an allergic reaction during an interview does not lend to a positive first impression! Some workplaces are fragrance-free, especially in medical, office and retail environments. Scents can be too strong, and you want the hiring manager to focus on your skills, not smell.

November 14, 2017November 13, 2017

Building Rapport: Making Small Talk Work for You

Every interview starts with a casual conversation; maybe it is about the weather, sports, or even traffic. The hiring manager wants to put you at ease and avoid any awkward silence before the interview officially starts. It’s pretty well-known that small talk is an essential factor in building rapport for a long time, but a Harvard Business Review article lays out exactly how important.

The researchers did a study of 163 applicants and interviewers to see how much a first impression influences the interview. Half of the interviewers spent 2-3 minutes making small talk with the candidates. The other half watched a recorded video of the interviews and provided ratings. The interviewers who made small talk wrote down their initial impressions before moving on to the interview phase. When researchers reviewed the notes about the first impression, they found that they were directly related to job-related attributes. The hiring managers are judging your ability to perform the job the moment you walk in the door.

The researchers also found that the first impressions had the most significant impact on the first few questions. Interviewers rated applicants higher than deserved if they made an excellent first impression, and lower than justified if they made a poor impression.

It only takes 5 seconds for someone to have a first impression of your personality, trustworthiness, and intelligence, and you never know who is providing feedback on your behaviors. Hiring managers may very well ask the admins or other staff for input on how applicants treated them. There are a few things you can do to build rapport and increase your chances of getting hired.

Strategies to Build Rapport

For some, building rapport comes easy — **For some lucky people, building rapport comes easy.**

Physical Communication

There are a lot of bad handshakes out there, so find a partner and practice. Match the pressure of the other person; your handshake should be firm, but not a bone-crusher. On the other side, if you don’t apply enough pressure, you’ll also make a poor impression. Do your best to make sure your palm is perpendicular to the ground. If you turn your palm up you’re indicating submissiveness; downwards communicates dominance.

Be aware of your body and the messages you’re sending. Crossing your arms tells the interviewer that you’re closed off. On the other hand, be mindful of the space you are taking up and avoid spreading out or slouching. Since the first impression happens so quickly so be sure you’re practicing this while you’re waiting. How you use your head can also help make a positive impact. An article by PsychMechanics explains that tilting and nodding your head slowly conveys that you are interested and agree with what’s being said.

Mirroring

An article by PsychologyToday recommends mirroring the other person to build a stronger connection. When you’re mirroring, you are subtly reflecting behaviors. This includes the language they use, their tone, body language, and energy level. If the interviewer is using a quiet voice and not making a lot of hand gestures, you would do the same. When you’re nervous, mirroring can be a tough task to master. Practice mirroring with your friends and notice your how your behaviors change when you are around other people. By working on it beforehand, it will come more natural to you at the interview.

Verbal Communication

Topics are relevant. When you are trying building rapport, you should be looking for common ground and asking open-ended questions. Do your research on the hiring manager beforehand. Scope out them out on social media and see if you can find any common ground. Then, when you’re making small talk, look for opportunities to bring it up, but not in the “I-stalked-you-on-the-internet,-how-was-your-cooking-class-last-night” kind of way. Stay away from controversial topics like politics and religion, even if you think they’ll agree with you. Bringing up sensitive issues at the interview is always a bad idea.

Open-ended questions are another excellent way to get them talking. Asking questions that begin with how, what, and why can get the interviewer talking. The next step is to be a good listener. Don’t think about what you’re going to say next, just focus on what they are telling you. Do your best to be friendly and comfortable in the conversation, but remember this person could be your boss, so don’t forget to stay professional.

Practice through Networking

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Building rapport is a skill, and you will get better at it with practice. Every time you meet someone new, you have the opportunity to develop your skills further and build a bigger network. I know that for the introverts out there, this can be a daunting task but it will pay off dividends if it helps you get the job. You never know, the next person you meet could have an incredible job opportunity for you.

November 30, 2016October 25, 2016

Video Interview Tips: How to Get the Job

Imagine an interview where you record your responses into a camera with no one watching. You’re given a question to respond to and a countdown to start talking. You give your best response to your webcam and then hit stop. You might see your face on the screen as you are recording or the question you’re expected to answer. If you’re lucky, the software will give you the chance to re-record, but that’s not always the case. Then you’re on to the next question. You might never hear back from the company, or you could be invited in for a face to face interview. If you haven’t noticed the video interview trend, get ready, they’re becoming much more common as a tool to screen applicants. We’ve got our best video interview tips to help you get ready.

Why Video Interviews

Companies like SparkHire and HireVue provide technology that allows employers to use video interviews as a way to both screen and interview candidates. These technologies claim that they make it easier for employers to hire higher performers and streamline the hiring process. More and more companies are starting to use these tools in their hiring process; GE, Honda, Ikea and even USPS are listed as clients. Conducting a video interview is much easier than a phone screen since applicants can do it on their own time and the recruiter can just review the tape later.

Video Interview Challenges

Lighting, sound, internet connectivity and even the lack of feedback are all things you have to be aware of in a video interview. There’s no space for you to ask questions or ensure that you answered the question they’re asking. Without an encouraging nod or even eye contact from another human being, it can be pretty hard to make sure you’ve hit the mark with these types of interviews.

As an HR person, I wonder about accessibility and fairness of a video interview. I’m curious if it creates additional opportunities for bias to enter into the hiring process. However, I can see the benefits from the employer’s side. It allows them to quickly move through a large number of applicants without having to worry about scheduling around time zones and meetings. It lets them narrow down the candidate pool much quicker and hopefully, helps the hiring process move along faster.

Video Interview Tips: Getting Ready

Congratulations, you’ve been invited to record your answers for a “virtual interview.” The company sends you an interview invite with a link to the site and some instructions on how to get started. Spend some time preparing before you sit down to record and treat this just like you would a regular job interview. Research the organization and the position so you’re ready to talk about why you want to work there and what skills you’ll bring to the job. In the initial screening, the questions are most likely going to be traditional or behavioral interview questions. If you are lucky, they’ll give you the questions are ahead of time so you can think through and prepare your answers

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Find a Quiet Space & Prepare

The benefit of video interviews and screenings is that they happen on your own time and in a place you’re comfortable. There are a lot of stuff to consider when getting set up for your video interview. Choose a time when you’re not likely to be interrupted and mute your cell phone. Set aside about an hour to record and turn in your responses. Some of the companies require a software download to use their tools, so make sure you’re not waiting until the last minute to turn in your responses in case you run into any technical difficulties.

Set the Scene

Do a test run with the lighting and volume on your webcam. You want to make sure they can see and hear you clearly. Your light source should be in front of your camera, not behind you for a clear image. Be sure to check that your background is professional and not distracting. A blank wall works fine, but if you can use an office setting it will send a more professional message. Also, remember to plug in your charger since recording video can drain your batteries quickly.

Dress for Success

It can be easy to get a little lax when it comes to video interviews since you may not be leaving your house. It’s still critical to dress as if you were going to the office for an interview. Dressing professionally tells the hiring manager your serious about the job. It will also help you feel more confident and polished. Wear solid colors since patterns can come across as fuzzy and distracting. It’s a good idea to keep the jewelry to a minimum to avoid reflections into the camera.

Answer the Questions

Chances are you’ll need to record answers to between 3 and five questions for an interview screening. As you are answering, do your best to look at the camera and speak clearly. If you make a mistake, do your best to move on and don’t dwell on it. It might help to imagine that the hiring manager is in the room with you. One nice thing about the recordings is that you usually have the chance to collect your thoughts before starting on the next question. Once you’ve finished answering, take a moment to collect your thoughts. Have a drink of water and review your notes before getting started in your next response.

Having the ability to review and re-record your answers might be harder than just having one chance. For the perfectionists out there, this can be a major pitfall. Don’t spend hours trying to perfect an answer. Chances are it will be visible to the recruiter and come across as rehearsed or insincere. Unless you’ve made a major mistake, it’s best to move on without recording multiple times.

Waiting Game

Once you hit submit on the interview, the waiting begins. Usually, you’ll get some notice that it has been received by the company, either via email or right after turning it in. One downside is that it’s hard to follow up with anyone to see where you stand or even get an idea of what the next steps are in the process. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell if or when you’ll hear something from the company after submitting your answers. The best advice I can give is to keep applying to other positions while you wait to hear back from the video screen.

If you’re ready to build your interview skills in a virtual environment, we offer web-based interview coaching services that will help you prepare, either in person or over the web. To learn more about our interview and resume coaching services get in touch via email or at (206) 289-0358.

Illegal Interview Questions

November 30, 2016August 25, 2016

Have shield-1020318 you ever been asked questions at a job interview that didn’t seem relevant or made you uncomfortable? Illegal interview questions are not job-related and target information about a job applicant that can be discriminatory. Generally speaking, HR teams do a lot of work to make sure that hiring managers don’t ask questions that are above boards, but these questions still get asked from time to time. As an applicant, encountering illegal interview questions should make you seriously consider if you want to work for that company.

One of my friends shared a situation where she was helping a team of managers does some significant hiring. She was the HR person partnering with a manager. They were interviewing their first female applicant when the hiring manager went off script and asked her if she had children. She told the interviewers, no, but the hiring manager continued down the path, telling the candidate that the position was for 2nd shift and that employees couldn’t leave work to go pick up their children. According to my friend, this hiring manager didn’t ask the male candidates the same question.

Fortunately, in this situation, everything worked out okay. The woman was very qualified for the position and ended up getting an offer from the company. As soon as the interview was over my friend reported the situation to the head of HR, who then removed the hiring manager from interviews until he was able to retake the interview training.

What are Illegal Interview Questions

The illegal interview questions below are off limit because they target information that is part of a protected class including gender, sexual orientation, national origin, race, religion, age, and disability. They are not job-related and will not help the hiring manager identify how you will perform.

Are you married?
Do you have children/want to have children?
How old are you/what year did you graduate?
What is your religious background?
Do you have a disability?
Do you have any arrest records?
Are you a union member?
Is English your first language?
Where are you (your parents) from?
Have you ever been hurt at work?
Do you have a car?
Do you own your home?

Hopefully, you don’t ever encounter any of these questions during an interview. If you do, there are a few ways that you can answer. First, it’s always okay to politely decline an illegal question. You could try: “I’m not sure I understand how this question relates to the Sales Manager position, can you please elaborate?” A more direct approach would be: “I am interested in this job, but I’m not comfortable answering that question at this time.” Yes, there is a chance that responding to a question like that could cost you a job offer, but ask yourself if that’s a company where you want to work in the first place.

Parents at the Job Interview

November 30, 2016August 22, 2016

Would you bring you parents to a job interview?

Over the past few years, parental involvement in the hiring and interview process has increased significantly. I’ve seen parents accompany their kids to the job interview and had calls from parents trying to negotiate salaries behalf of their children. At best, it’s something that gets talked about. It becomes a “can you believe what happened today at the office” kind of story. At worst, it could cost the applicant the job. It gives hiring managers the impression that the candidate family-515530 isn’t prepared for the job, not able to advocate for themselves or problem solve.

There’s no doubt that parents want to help their children. They want to stay involved in their lives, especially in that first ‘real’ job. However, parents can do more harm than help in some cases. I’m going to talk about ways that parents can be involved and helpful without getting in the way of the hiring process. If you (as an applicant) are working with a manager directly, keep in mind that filling this position is one small slice of the work they have to get done. Recruiters might be working to fill dozens of positions at a time. Expecting a recruiter or hiring manager to negotiate with an applicant and a parent can leave them frustrated and move on to another candidate.

Applicants need to take the lead

You need be the one talking to the hiring manager and recruiters directly. Parents, please don’t check in on behalf of your child. It’s not a good idea for parents to accompany you to the interview, if they’re helping you with transportation, ask them to visit a local park or coffee shop during the interview.

“My mom is the one who got me the interview at X company so that she can check on the status of the interview, right?”

It’s not a good idea for parents to check on the status of the hiring process, even if they work at the company. Keep the relationship professional and develop your identity apart from theirs. When I was working in hospitality HR, parents would try hard to help their kids get positions there. Some parents would check on the application every day, and get upset when I couldn’t provide updates. The best thing to do is let the process work. Parents, you aren’t going to help move the process along by pestering HR or the hiring manager, I promise!

Parents shouldn’t:

Check on the status of an application/interview
Sit in on an interview or wait in the lobby
Attempt to negotiate salaries or benefits
Act as a reference for a child (even if you have a different last name)
fill out an application on behalf of their child

Where parents can help

Parents and family members can be a fantastic resource to help applicants without overstepping boundaries. I encourage you to use your parents to work behind the scenes with you. If they’re working, ask them to keep an eye out for open positions at their company. Companies sometimes will post jobs internally before they start looking outside for applicants. Another thing that can be helpful is using your parent’s network to connect to other organizations. Set up informational interviews with their colleagues to learn more about different organizations and begin making your connections.

Applicants, ask your parents to:

Proofread your resume and cover letter
Help practice interview questions (samples)
Refer you to open positions within their organization
Keep an eye out for job postings
Use their network to connect you

The hiring process can be intimidating, and it’s understandable to want help navigating it, especially the first time. Show the company the skills and abilities that you bring to the table. Organizations have designed the job interview process to get to know you as a candidate, and that can get muddy when someone else is representing you as well.