Career Cube Blog

Doncha’ just love it when you start on the job hunt and have a string of bad interviews? You did everything you could to prepare, and gave great answers to their questions, but you still didn’t get the offer! Then your self confidence starts to fade and you begin to doubt your interview skills and assume that you must have done something wrong.

Believe it or not, when I start to coach someone on improving their interview skills, the first thing we do is talk about their past interviews. Not to discover what they did wrong, but to debunk their bad experiences and show them that it’s not them, it’s the company that’s got the problem. I also point out to people that some companies are so dysfunctional that they’re better off getting out while the gettin’s good.

One client described a company that made her wait for 25 minutes, and then when she was brought back to the interview room, waited another 10 minutes because she was supposed to interview with someone else. My advice: If the interviewer seemed appropriately mortified at their inability to pull it together, then they can be forgiven. If they acted like this is par for the course, take that into consideration when you evaluate their offer.

A friend of mine had a great interview for a job she wanted, they liked her, she liked them, but the company went with an internal candidate. 6 months later that same company called her again, she had another great interview; they liked her, she liked them, and again they gave the job to another candidate. They wanted to keep in touch with her after that 2nd round, but she advised them to “forget you ever met me.” I concur.

I was talking with someone this week who was interviewed by a hiring manager in shorts and flip-flops. He was interviewing for a professional position, not something involving sunscreen and a beach. The insult to the candidate was that the flip-flop guy didn’t think my friend was qualified for the job. My advice: I asked him if he’d really be happy working for flip-flop guy and respect him as a boss. His answer: No. NEXT!

Another horror story from a client who had a great first interview with the people she’d be working with and to whom she’d be directly reporting. They asked her back for a 2nd interview-seemingly as a formality-to meet with the boss one level up. Unfortunately she didn’t get along with that boss, and she found out that the company had already had 3 people in that position over the past 18 months. She was frustrated because she had been the runner-up candidate for several positions and didn’t understand why she wasn’t getting offers. When we talked about what situations she saw at those companies, she saw that it wasn’t all about her, but that companies can have too much internal drama and you’re really better off walking/running away.

So the next time you’re lamenting your poor job interview luck take a closer look at what the interview process taught you about the company. Sure, everyone wants to be flooded with offers like dates to the prom, but just because the rude jerk/witchy woman asks you, doesn’t mean that you should spend an evening with them. You deserve better!

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Many of you who have been on my list for quite a while know that I really harp on being prepared for a job interview. You cannot rely on just “winging it” and waiting to see what you’ll be asked. However, I talked to a candidate today who did just that.

This person couldn’t give me an example of a difficult client she soothed, a challenging problem that she figured out, or even an example of a time when she had a dispute with another company. I wanted to hear some examples from her. I wanted her to talk me through step-by-step a situation she was in so I could see how she reacted. Anything.

She spoke in vague terms about customers who came into her bank branch and asked if they could resolve their credit card issues. She talked about being patient and confident when talking to customers. She said all the right buzz words, but didn’t give me any interesting examples to illustrate what set her apart from others.

The oddest thing was that she said she’d been going on other interviews. What were those people asking her? She should have come in prepared to give examples of things that she’d done. Instead she talked more about concepts and ideas.

You need to come up with your best examples. Tell me how you solved a problem at work? Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict between 2 co-workers, or even between you and your boss. Describe your proudest achievement.

Set the stage. Tell me some background about the situation. How did it start? What were the circumstances in place before the problem started. Spend about :30 on this part.

Tell me exactly what you did. Don’t tell me what other people on your team did, just what you specifically did. What was your thought process? How did you approach the problem? What was your main concern?

How did it resolve? Were you successful? It’s OK if you weren’t, just talk about what you learned. Did you get the result you hoped for? Did you get any recognition for your work? Would you do anything differently next time?

Come prepared and ready to WOW! them. Everyone likes listening to people talk about themselves when they’ve got something to say. Employers like to be entertained as well, and everyone’s got great examples of their achievements. That’s exactly what an employer wants to hear. So come prepared to give it to ‘em.

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Everyone experiences this angst at some point in their careers. You get a job offer from Company X that definitely interests you. You’re thrilled and very excited!

However, as luck would have it, you get a second offer from Company Y for a job that’s not quite as interesting as Company X, but the money is much better.

What should you do?

If you take the offer from Company X, if your financial situation ever gets tight, your mind will instantly go back to how you wouldn’t even HAVE money problems if you took the offer from Company Y. Would you regret that decision?

If you take the offer from Company Y, is the money going to be enough to keep you interested in the position day in and day out?

Gee you think-what would be REALLY great is if I could get Company X to give me the company that Company Y wants to give me. THAT would be perfect!

Yes, it most certainly would, and you can try to negotiate for it, but keep in mind that you do not want to give a bad impression to Company X. Since you have a genuine interest in the job and are just hoping that they can sweeten the pot a bit, you need to tread carefully and respectfully.

First, keep in mind that it’s unlikely in many situations that an employer will be able to match another offer that’s more than $10K above what they’re offering you. Yes, you’re wonderful and perfect and they love you, but they also have a budget. If Company Y is offering $10K or more above Company X, the most you can hope for is to get Company X up probably no more than $5K. The hiring process is brutal on an employer, so they won’t be quick to walk away over a few thousand dollars, but if you exceed their budget line, it’s game over and you’ll need to take what they offer you (and ask for a performance and salary review in 6 months after they’ve had a chance to evaluate you), or take the higher paying position. It’s as simple as that.

When you ask, you want to be respectful of their situation, explain that you’re interested in this position but are looking at an offer letter from another company where the salary is $MM. Would it be possible for them to come closer to the other company’s offer? You’re genuinely interested in the position, think it would be a great fit with your skills and experience, but are facing a tough decision between 2 wonderful opportunities. Then listen to what they say. Your fall back is to ask if it’s possible to have a salary and performance review in the next 6 months.

Ultimately you need to make a decision weighing all the options that are important to you. You’re on your own my friends. As long as you keep the relationship amiable, you won’t close any doors until you intend to.

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