Posts Tagged ‘Job Search’

Here’s an interesting one, “going blank.” I find this can be a rather common situation when a job searcher is confronted by an obstacle on a networking or job lead cold call.

This was an admission from a job-search client I recently worked with. I had suggested to her that to separate from the pack (of job searchers) she should consider foregoing the usual trolling on job posting boards and to engage in a call-in campaign to targeted companies.

“I can’t,” she whispered with a slight tremble.  “It’s easy for me to open the conversation.  It’s easy for me to sound intelligent and relevant as long as the call is going well.  But if I get a sudden no, or a why?, or some other kind of remark I’m not prepared for, I go blank.  My mind turns off.  I can’t access my brains database for the inventory of comebacks, responses, or objection-overcoming thoughts.” She was staring at me with that blank “no-one’s home-look” like she must have had when she found herself stuck on a call.

I bring this up to describe a bigger point.  It’s not the issue of going blank, everyone can experience it. But the issue of the fear of going blank is the bigger issue. This client was so fearful of blanking out and feeling the embarrassment, she really had a problem in starting the calling process. And with this looming fear, she made very few calls.  Not a good solution to finding a job.

You see, designing a plan for getting past the “going blank” is really pretty easy. It’s the fear that’s the bigger problem.

I helped her create a defense against freezing. Create a safety valve or a go-to emergency comeback strategy consisting of  “restart questions.” It’s important to have a quiver of  restart arrows to fire back with.  Enough arrows to have a relative reply and redirect the conversation, but NOT more than just a few. These two were the ones I suggest for her and I suggest you think about these for you:

• Introduce an element of compassion. Ask for help from the person who just “stuck” you.  You reply: “I understand your position.  But this is very important to me.” …pause….  ”What would you recommend I do to pursue this further?” or  Try this: “I understand.”…pause…  ”I need your help. How would you suggest I proceed?” or   “I understand.  I need you help.  What you suggest I need to do to improve my case?”

• Ask for a reload. Say: “I understand and then ask if you can try again later. Or, ask if you can try someone else. Or simply ask why your case isn’t getting where it needs to be?”

Notice that in each case I suggest beginning with, “I understand.” Its a way to introduce reconciliation or rapprochement (the reestablishing of cordial relations) before laying yourself at their feet and asking for help. It takes a hard heart not to give in to this type of request.

These type of questions create a couple of 2^nd chances for you:

• You get a chance to catch your breath and hence a few moments for you to open your warehouse of ideas while they are responding.
• You put the ball into their court. It gives you an opportunity to listen for something to grab onto to further the conversation. I has a way of bringing them down from their defensive tower.

Again, this isn’t about the going blank. It’s about what you can do to thaw that freeze-up before the call is ended in embarrassment. Your reason to make a difficult call is yours. You’ve thought about it and your reasons are sound and good and justifiable.  Your message should be pretty easy to develop. But when you get a reply you get stuck on, you need to think about a quick strategy angle.  That’s when you unload your “safety valve question,” or any other comeback you think will reset the table.

Back to my client. She called me recently and enthusiastically boasted about getting stuck on a call. She had gone blank, but quickly turned to a “help me” strategy question. It worked. She was beaming that the results led her to being passed along to a national director, well past her expectation.

This just supports the belief that being prepared is one of  the underlying cures for getting past phone fear and making the call.

Chet Baker

The Denver Resume Builder

Look for the upcoming book – “Overcoming Phone Fear.”

http://nophonefear.wordpress.com/

When I work with clients on a job search, we begin with writing a very good compelling resume together with a brilliant cover letter. (shamless self promotion on my part)

Job posting boards are discussed, we develop the list of targeted companies to pursue. We work on interview prep and on-line submissions.  And somewhere in there I point out the merits of separating from the pack. In other words, what to do that most of the other competing candidates aren’t willing to do. Like picking up the phone and making a call into HR, or staffing, or a company department or directly into the boss to either follow up on an online application, or present themselves.

Everything  we’ve done, up to this point, was pretty straightforward. Computer research, developing the resume message, building the targets.  But when we get to the point where we prepare to call into the company from our targeted list, that’s where irrational behavior interrupts the progress. It’s fear, plain and simple, deer in the headlights fear. They can’t pick up the phone and call.

What’s the big deal?  It’s just a call, right? Yes and No.

YES, it’s just a call. But it’s a call that’s critical. It’s a chance to talk to your prospective new boss and not just rely on the résumé to do your work for you. It’s your face-to-face introduction, your chance to take a step forward, put your hand out and say – “look at me.” This is your chance to get a foot in the door.

NO, it’s not just a call. The call is the most insignificant part of the equation. By calling, you’re presenting a picture of someone who’s different.  You’re projecting a profile of a person with strength, with courage, with a determination that most don’t have, the courage to look fear in the face and stand tall and firm against the looming rejection.

I had a conversation with a well-qualified person on a job search recently who admitted to how fear stopped her in her tracks during her calls. The problem with Casey was one of not knowing what to say when she was posed with a seemingly irreversable objection.  For instance, during a call into a company, Casey had made the HR admin told her, “we aren’t hiring,” Casey froze and had nothing else to say. This was not an isolated incident with Casey. And a matter of fact many face this issue.  It was what Casey feared most. Freezing up.

Now let me say, Casey ALWAYS has something to say. Her warehouse of good ideas, frank opinions, and sage advice went dark and the doors closed on her. She went empty, out of something to say except to whisper,  “Thanks,” and “Good bye,” and the call was over.

My advice:

Establish touch point questions, devices, if you will, that will allow the ice in the throat to melt and give time for the doors to your “Ideas Warehouse” to open again.  Once you’ve heard a conversation-busting NO, it’s not the time to continue selling.  Because they’ve  heard enough of your statement or presentation to give you an answer and the answer is something like NO. So, DO NOT continue selling.  It’s time to turn the tables. Pass the monkey on to them.  For instance.

When faced with HR Maggie saying, “We aren’t hiring,” consider moving onto another track.  Ask for her help.

Reply with, “I understand.” Then ask her: “Maggie, I’m stuck. I could really use your help. If it were you, how would go about getting a job with your company. I mean, what advice could you give me?” This is very effective , because it let’s you breath,  listen and will allow you to unfreeze the warehouse of ideas while they’re talking. And unless it’s a heartless person on the other end of the line, most people, when asked for help, usually will try to help. It’s true.

Now I can’t guarantee this method will always work, but it’s worth a try.  You have nothing to lose what-so-ever. My guess is you’ll be surprised.

Another touch point – Change the subject. Again use the sympathetic questioning method after she’s give you the NO and after the compulsory pause.  “Maggie,” you say in earnest,  “It sounds like you really like it there.  How long have you been there?” This just might bring Maggie out of her defensive posture.  Because people like to talk about themselves, more than anything. The questions you can ask Maggie are endless and are only hampered by her time.  Above all, be respectful of her time.

Another touch point – Ask for their honest opinion.  Ever heard the saying, opinions are like bird droppings, they’re everywhere? Yes, everyone has them.  So, in the case of Maggie saying “NO.” Again respond with, “I understand,” followed by the obligatory pause and, “Maggie, you’ve heard me. You’ve seen my résumé (that’s if she has seen the résumé), level with me.  Am I the type of person who will fit in with your company?” Unless it’s Nurse Cratchit, you’ll get some kind of reply, and enough time to open your warehouse of ideas and thaw out the throat and use your wits about you. Again the number of opinions to ask can be numerous: How do you like it there? Is the company as good as everyone says it is? When’s a good time to check back? Do think I have a chance?

Summary:  If you want to be a stand-out candidate for a job with one of your target companies, consider very seriously calling into the company.  Don’t stop with one secretary, HR, or manager, or VP. Call as many as you can find. Spread your name around. Don’t be afraid.  It’s worth it.

For more information on phone fear: http://nophonefear.wordpress
Or fear of rejection from difficult people: http://nophonefear.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/phone-fear-is-fear-of-rejection-from-difficult-people/

I’m often asked what is the single most valuable feature a candidate brings to the table when competing for a job.

I remember when I was recruiting, a candidate that emerged with this wonderful intangible of wide eyed determination always jumped out and became a good prospect for me to present to my client.  Not always the most polished perhaps, or educated, or experienced, but a candidate that showed dogged determination was hard to dismiss.

Don’t confuse determination with perseverance. While I ALWAYS applaud perseverance, the two are different. Perseverance has persistence as a fundamental element to it’s meaning… repeating  behavior, doggedness.  The act of a candidate simply doing nothing more than continuing to call me and ask if s/he got the job got monotonous. It turned  from persistence into being pestiferous. Not always, but like Jimmy Buffet says, it’s a fine line between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, much like the fine line between persistence and being a pest.

Determination is a mindset. It’s a persona of it’s own. There is creativity in determination. There is inquisitive behavior and resilience when things go south. They gracefully help me, help them. There is focus from a determined candidate, a laser like interest impossible to ignore. Determination is not casual, it’s not taught in sales school.  Determination comes from the gut.  And it shows. It’s subtle, but it’s noticed. Determination isn’t always about winning. That’s not the issue.  It’s about being the best. Winning is a byproduct of being the best.

I’m not saying that the determined candidate always got the job with my clients.  Of course not. But the determined candidate was always in the hunt. S/he knew s/he had the goods or didn’t. But determination is a funny thing.  They aren’t put off easily.  There seemed to be a common denominator with them. They actually believed in themselves, and they knew they had the character, intent and credentials to do the job. A determined candidate, when they confided in me that perhaps they didn’t have all the job description match ups, it wasn’t a signal for them to retreat, or lessen their enthusiasm, or apologize.  Rather it was a request for me to pull  for them and me to push their case to the client because they knew in their hearts they were the best candidate for the job.

And you know, if they were close at all, I would do just that. I would always assemble a short list for my clients. In the short list ranking the client might have asked for 5 candidates.  I would slip in the determined candidate as an addition to the top five, a wild card, the # 6, if you will. Well, it always didn’t work out for the less qualified but determined candidate. And if they fell short, the candidate took it with poise. And set their jaw to take that enthusiasm to their next encounter with another recruiter or HR or company.

And, if the determined candidate has the job description match up, I’d put my money on them everytime.  And in the long run, I’d be money ahead.

I love the determined candidate and encourage anyone engaged with a struggle for a quality job to look in the mirror and see if the face looking back shows determination.

Comments?

I was recently faced with a dilemma that had been nagging at me for months. How to confide in someone, something that was personal.

A woman who I shall refer to as Karry, had been attending a meeting that I had been facilitating for some time. The focus of the meeting was a forum for those in a job search.  Many had been out of work for for months and were carrying that deer-in-the-headlights look.  For some their resources were running out, mortgages were on the brink. Most had been working hard to somehow get an interview, and get hired or just get recognized with their resumes and applications. Let me say, the purpose of our meeting group was to ‘graduate’ from the group. Aka… get a job.

Karry was there at the first meeting, and throughout the six months or so, was a regular. The group conversations were always focused on some segment of the job search. Conversation was always lively, supportive and harvested great information for all to take home and use.

Well, members came and went as they joined and then graduated and left.  All but Karry. From the beginning it was clear there was an attitude that was not really, terribly bad, but carried an air of defeatism, a victim profile. She oozed of sarcasm when we discussed ways to approach companies. After all she had been at it for a long time with little success.

As the meetings came and went, and members took the suggestions, tips and advice with a dose of humility, they found jobs.  All but Karry.

I had run out of suggestions for her. It seemed that any advice that I or anyone else came up with was stunted with a reply dripping with sarcastic notion of something like – “I’ve tried that it hasn’t worked.”

I knew it was the attitude, the sarcasm and in an open forum I didn’t have the measure of how it would go over if I confronted Karry with the truth. Meeting after meeting I just let it go.  Until the last meeting.

We had a rather small group, very conducive to open candid dialogue.

We got around to Karry, and again she was lamenting that nothing worked as usual. As she was talking I could see the others were feeling her pain.  We all knew she was getting to the end of her rope. I could see that everyone in the group knew her problem – attitude.  They knew she was trying her hardest, but the attitude was a horrible smear on her persona. Just then, one of the other members looked at me, and as clearly and forthright as she could be, she asked: “Got any suggestions for Karry, Chet?”

This was it. I couldn’t pass any longer. Everyone was looking at me, the silence was deafening. Karry was looking at me, mouth slightly open, not a rustle of paper, only my heartbeat could I hear and feel.

I looked at Karry. And after giving it thought I went in the back door.  “Do you have a mentor?” I asked.

Again the silence was hollow and long. Karry looked at me, in total surprise, anguish. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t look away from my question. I felt her struggling for words.

“No,” she said as she looked at her pad in front of her and made a doodle. For the first time I knew Karry better. In that instant I felt for her like I had never felt for her before.  She knew her problem.  She knew she needed an attitude overhaul. She was a caring person, a capable employee, someone who would do a good job for a company. But her attitude wasn’t resonating past sour.

I asked again. “Do you have any friends?” The second I asked the question I knew it was unnecessary. She knew where I was headed and didn’t have an answer. I felt crushed.  The lady sitting next to Karry, who had asked me if I had any suggestion for Karry. Simply, pulled a card from her wallet and pushed it over to Karry.  “Call me,” she said. We were all saved in that conference room by that simple  little gesture by someone who had never met Karry until that night.

This is a lesson. A lesson for all of us. We can’t get out of this thing called life alone. The job search is a hard process; it eats away at our fiber. Having someone we can lean on, someone to  tell us we have “bad breath” is such a necessary resource.

If you’re going it alone, don’t.  Start looking for someone you can lean on and in turn someone you can support yourself.

And finally, if you even suspect that your attitude is half full and preventing you from reaching your full potential, challenge your friends, mentors, family or soon to be friend to look you in the eyes and level with you. And if you know them well, and you can see they are just being nice, just remind them that this is important to your well being and insist that they be truthful with you.

And Karry, put a smile on that face, straighten your back and I’m guessing your  persistence will pay off.

Good hunting and keep your chin up, everyone.

Chet

I was facilitating a group discussion on interviewing last night. The conversation drifted to the types of questions normally used and of course behavioral questions came up.  The eyes rolled with the discussion of behavioral questioning.   Of course behavioral questioning is based on the assumption that past behaviors are an indicator of future behavior. We all batted around some of the sticky questions from the past and discussed their value.

I then brought up competency-based questioning and asked if anyone was familiar this. Since it’s been reported that more sophisticated companies today are using this method I thought it was a prudent topic for discussion.  No one had anything to say about it except, “what now?”  As if to say, isn’t behavioral enough of a potential trap?

I have to admit, I’m not an expert on Competency-Based Interviewing per se.  But I’ve read Robin Kessler’s book, “Competency-Based Interviews.”  And it’s a good one. But it’s not say that her explanation is that easy to follow.

At the group meeting last night, the ultimate killer question came up.  ”Can you give us an example of a competency-based question.” I couldn’t.  But I told them I would write this post and give examples today.

First it’s important to define what competency means.

Paul Green in his book Building Robust Competencies, defines an  individual competency as a “written description of measurable work habits and personal skills used to achieve a work objective.” Or put another way, Competencies are the basic functional and behavioral requirements to successfully perform on the job. And individual’s competencies are key character traits that the most successful achievers have that help them to be such high achievers.

We have all heard of core competencies, those useful bullets on a resume like loyalty, honesty, reliability, integrity,  the inner core of a persons habits. But take competencies further – functional competencies. These competencies  are the “technical” needs of a job or profession. For example, a functional competency for a IT Administrator might be knowledge of database design and networking solutions, while a functional competency for a HR Manager might be knowledge of Federal and Local hiring regulations.

Individual competencies are the skills, traits, and characteristics that hiring managers identify in the best performers.

So, in giving examples of competency-based questions, in very elementary fashion, I’ll say it’s the  skills, traits and characteristics of a person blended into the fold of a behavioral business situation.

Here goes 3 examples:

1. Explain to us a situation where you had multiple challenging projects with different time priorities to manage. How did you handle it?
2. Tell us about a time when you were instructed to do something you considered unethical. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
3. Describe to us how you helped overcome a department HR problem and what were the end results.

See, how the focus of these questions centers on a specific challenge and questions how you used your problem solving, analytical thinking, or principled values to take action and move the challenge to a successful conclusion?

Suggestion… study up on competencies and the competency-based interviewing groundswell. I’ts not hard if you’re ready for these types of questions.

Comments?

Since this was a major article by Forbes Women, I thought it worthwhile to pass on.  You judge for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/n7w8m9

Love to hear your comments?

The art of interviewing is not an art. The art of interviewing is not theatre.

Interviewing is communication, pure and simple.  Good interviewers are those who come before the candidate as  themselves, determined to exchange meaningful ideas through questioning and answering.  The best candidates are those who simply come as themselves, armed with honesty and integrity. Anything less than straight-forward is Hollywood, TV, playtime. It’s a game that each side can play where one side will win and the other will lose. Unfortunately the one that wins under less than forthright communication will most likely lose in the long run. Here’s why.

Winning a job by lying, cheating, or pretending cannot last or be fruitful for very long. A slick candidate who becomes something s/he isn’t and uses contrived skills to land the job, will eventually be discovered and either be dismissed because of an inability to perform to the standards required in the job description; or worse yet, pass time at a job s/he doesn’t fit into and is then ensconced in a dead-end job for him/her for who knows how long.

There, that said, let’s keep in mind that being yourself is the very most important concept you should remember to win the job. “BE YOURSELF” is the single most feature to practice.

Here’s the rub. As you approach your interview, the notion of “BEING YOURSELF” takes courage. To stand by your principles. But ironically, if you have courage, you are a principled person and the following suggestions will be easier than not. When a principled candidate, lathered in honesty, and bequeathed with passion for doing a good job steps into the crucible of the interview s/he will be less likely hindered by bone-chilling anxiety or panic-stricken fear of what might be thrown at them. Principled people are likely to be self-confident and poised. The next most important 2 concepts of winning a job.

SELF-CONFIDENCE – comes from being prepared. If the job you are seeking and being interviewed for is high on your list, for gawd sakes know the company and know who is interviewing you. Research, research, research.  (Ticker Symbol, Annual Revenues, Product Mix, Target Market) When faced with those seemingly difficult questions that there is no right answer for hits you between the eyes, you will be much more capable of crafting an answer that makes sense if you are prepared with knowledge. Being prepared breeds SELF-CONFIDENCE. Self confidence breeds poise.

POISE – is how easily someone performs under fire. Poise is being gracious. Often referred to as “GRACE UNDER PRESSURE,”  poise is viewing situations positively. Poise is knowing how to present yourself: eloquent speech patterns, body in control,  inspiring those around you. Poise is leadership. Poise attracts admiration. Poise overcomes words. Did you know that of all the communication performed during an interview by a candidate, the most important is how they say things, NOT what they necessarily say. The tone, the inflections, the self-confidence and yes it’s the poise of the delivery.

So after speaking of the embedded skills in “Being Yourself”: self-confidence and poise, the bedrock characteristics that can’t be contrived nor relinquished, the list of do’s and don’t are secondary.  Important yes, such as: building rapport, listening, observing, what to bring, appropriate dress code, arriving 10 minutes early, speaking 50% of the time, having a list of prepared questions and being ready for the standard questions.

In closing, let me say, interviewing is the place to shine, at the desk of your prospective employer. Practice what counts. Sage advice exists from thousands of blogs, books, friends and consultants. Trying to prepare for an interview by looking and listening through all the tips and suggestions coming at you can be trying and elevate your stress level.  And avoiding stress before the interview is essential.

Rather than getting tied into a knot with self-inspection overload and interview question memorization, I would spend the time researching the company, the person interviewing you as much as possible, drafting the appropriate questions based on your research. I would prepare for the given questions, sure to surface:

Tell me about yourself?

Why do you want this job?

Why are you right for this job?

And then with the time left I would have a chat with myself.  Something like this:

“I deserve to be in this interview. I’ve earned the right to be there. I am good at what I do. I may not have all the schooling or credentials they are looking for, but what I’ve learned in my years of experience, they can’t teach in school.”

(The little blurb about not having all the schooling and credentials is simply because seldom does a candidates sit in front of the hiring manager and possess ALL the stuff they are looking for.)

In other words, convince yourself you are the absolute best choice for the job first.  If you do that effectively, you will most likely convince them of the same.

Good hunting.

Simple procrastination… simple failure to achieve our dreams might have been best said by Ben Franklin: You may delay, but time will not.

The term, procrastination, that insidious, caustic term reminds us of our weak kneed fear of something, our inability to do something we desperately need to do. It etches, in our minds, those errands we haven’t done, the bills we haven’t paid, the diet still waiting to get off the ground or the phone calls we need to make. Ah… those lingering phone calls we know how to make, those phone calls we told our boss we would make, the calls we told ourselves we would make to get our business rolling. We glance at the phone. It sits there, cold and unwilling to help out, to somehow jump off the hook and scream out at us, “pick me up and call those numbers.” Flash…….it ain’t gonna! You gotta find a way to do it yourself. Responsibility is ours.
Reasons for phone fear fall into the same categories as those for procrastination:

1. Unclear objective and goals -
What are you trying to accomplish? Sometimes we get so caught up in the detail we forget where we’re going. We make a gentle pass as “wanting to do something” but don’t have a clear plan. Haven’t thought it out. The clearer the objective, goals and plans, the easier the confluence between procrastination and success, with success eventually winning out.
2. The task is too big – break it down.
The task is not to produce income for the year. (This will come with accomplishing the task) This is just too large a task, too much pressure. A very large goal is called a Meta-Goal. Meta, meaning large. Large goals are broken down into tasks. So, the task is to make the calls. Everyday, make the first call and the 2nd, 3rd and so-on. Accomplish enough tasks and the goals will be realized.
3. Fear of success -
We’ve all heard about this. Sometimes we’re afraid we’ll fail; sometimes we’re afraid we’ll succeed. It’s the same really- fear of what will happen when we’re done scares us so much we can’t move on. Failure or success can move us out of our comfort zone. It’s cold and lonely when are in the middle of changing. So, ironically success can be just as scary as failure.
4. The task just isn’t fun -
The heck with fun, just do it, some say. Focus on the bigger picture. What are the rewards for making the calls. Bigger fun. More funner. The outcome of success dwarfs rationalization that the task just isn’t any fun. So, here’s what I say to “it’s not any fun.” Pshaw! Go for the real fun. The one at the end of the successful line.
5. Indecision – Afraid to make a mistake?
You can’t get there without making a mistake! It’s just that simple and that difficult. Mistakes are part of any emerging system. Hell, even life. The biggest mistake made is NOT doing anything. It’s said, the only real way to fail is to quit!
6. Lack of confidence -
Confidence grows with activity. Polish comes with persistence. Perfection is unobtainable. Getting better at making the first call comes with making lots of “first” calls.
7. Time, short of time, “can’t possibly get anywhere with this short bit of time.”
Don’t procrastinate waiting for a long stretch of time. It’s so easy. Just set aside 5 or 10 minutes for 1 to 5 calls. Pick calls you can make mistakes with. Refer to them as throwaway calls. Calls that won’t cause any harm if you blow up and melt into a puddle of piss. But you won’t.. Step forward. Pick up the cold phone, dial, hear your voice, listen to the reply. You might even engage into a call. Hang up. Breath. See…. no pain. All body parts still working. Do that for 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 minutes and then quit. See there, you did it.
8. Distractions -
Of course overcoming procrastination is about self-discipline. But notice this one particular point about distractions. Be honest with yourself. Set aside other things that can get in the way of making the calls. Might you be unconsciously inviting distractions so that you have a ‘good’ reason not to get something done? Humm. Easy to fix if you’re aware of it.

There are more reasons for procrastination, too many to scribe here. But the most important thing that must be said about procrastination is that it can go either way. Either uou’ll get tired of putting it off and get down to overcoming the pain and become successful. Or on the other hand, if you don’t get-over procrastination, those chores, tasks, calls can turn on a dime into getting “stuck.” Stuck, means done. No hope. And you decide to change your plans based on irrational anxiety.

What a shame to lose all that possibility, those dreams, hope, and the life you really want just because you let procrastination become the beast that ate your rainbow.

Take control.

It’s pretty much universal in the professional career ranks that “overqualified” means that the company doesn’t know what to do with you, can’t afford you, you’ll make the rest of them look unqualified, we’re looking for younger people, etc .  Don’t blame it on a recruiter, it comes straight from the companies department hiring authorities doctrine.

DO NOT take it personally.  I repeat, don’t let it get to you.  An excuse not to hire you is just exactly that.  An excuse.  It could just as easily have been that they didn’t like your purple tie, or the color of your hair, or that leisure suit, or the wrong degree or something just as stupid. If they call it “overqualified” just chalk it up to just another company who didn’t get it.

If indeed they are looking for a newbie to train, something little more than an intern, then they should say so and indicate you just don’t fit the profile.  But to call it “overqualified” is just lazyness.

In these tough times, the smart companies will take advantage of the “wonderfully experienced and talented” people out there on the market. If the subject begins to peek its head out early in the interview, take liberties early to express how grateful you are to be sitting in an interview with a company who is insightful enough to be seeking experienced people. And somewhere slip in that you will be anxious to be led and learn so much more by such a sophisticated company.

Remember, “overqualified” is just a code work for excuse.  Take heart in that it has nothing to do with you.

You’ve gotten that all-important interview, next week, oh my gawd, it’s so important to ace it. A salary, benefits, pay the bills, stop the bleeding.  Geez you need to get that job.  But… what if you don’t ace it? What if you give a bad answer? “I better study,” you say to yourself.  But what? So many possible questions, what’r the interviews going to be like? The first bead of sweat appears on your top lip.

Here’s a little bromide for that stress building……….

Ever hear of tonality? The arrangement of all the tones and chords of a composition. Yep.  It’s the same in how we speak: the composition of words, inflection, tone, body language, confidence, pitch, and so on. Studies have shown that a higher percentage of decision making is built on the tonality of the candidate’s presentation. Even more so than the words spoken by the candidate. In the interview it’s important to remember this, chemistry wins out over 95% of the time. And chemistry is the fitting-in with a group. The way a candidate connects with his/her potential company.

So, the need to try and memorize all the possible answers to all those possible tricky questions outlined in that “1,001 Interview Questions” is useless. Staying calm, professional and in control is much more powerful than a correct answer in most cases. It’s not always the “right answer” the hiring managers are looking for. Instead, the way  you answer the question lights up the room.

So, if you get that impossible question, “why are manhole covers round,” don’t let your stress transform your shirt into a dripping sponge. Don’t  let it send you into a blossom of rambling  diatribe. Ever heard the term, “grace under fire?” That’s what it’s all about. Give your best answer and show your strength of character with your chin up, a straight back and not a hint of panic in your reply.

Have you had an experience where tonality has proven difficult for you in an interview? Have you labored over answers, seeking to give a response that met the expectations of the interviewer but only stumbled with poise and confidence in the reply?  Do you agree with this assessment?

Love to hear your thoughts.