Job Coach Interview Advice – Part 2 plus 1 more | Career Rocketeer |  |
Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:30 AM PDT   In part 1, I cautioned against paying attention to everyone who calls themselves a career coach. I expanded on a LinkedIn answer to a question about following up, given by a coach who didn't answer the question thoroughly.Placing a follow-up call and asking if you're still under consideration not only fails to demonstrate self-confidence, but the answer – a mere yes or no – fails to provide you with the full picture. Your objective is also to learn the company's interviewing process, how they've structured it, and where you are within that process. In the example about Patty, if there wasn't a good rapport, or if the hiring authority is strictly by the book, she might get very little information or a directive to ask HR, neither of which has any bearing on her standing. Although it's an employers market, an essential component of hiring hasn't changed: when they know, they know, which means if it's not a yes, it's usually a no. Companies like to keep people in the wings "just in case." Patty, in her initial conversation with HR, learned she was still in the running, but that doesn't reveal what her standing is. Questions about how a company is moving through the process allows for reading between the lines. The answers, and the manner in which they're related, give her the information she's seeking, even if she's told she's "still under consideration." Knowing the specifics is especially important if you're interviewing with other companies simultaneously. Rarely are the hiring processes at the same stage at the same time. Knowing where you stand gives you the control to choose both your direction and your actions. The coach did give Patty one wise piece of advice: don't put all your eggs in one basket. Too many job seekers live on a hope and a prayer. If you don't have an offer and a start date, keep your pipeline full. And an interview isn't an offer, it's an interview. Making it to the second interview doesn't ensure you're going to get the job, no matter how much you believe they like you. As a recruiter who often had an exclusive with the client company, every candidate the client interviewed came through me. Priveleged to inside information, I was the one who shared feedback that shattered a candidate's confidence of being hired or invited for a return interview. As a career coach, job seekers filled with optimism tell me how they've stopped all activity on their search because they believe an offer to be "right around the corner." Even though I no longer speak with the hiring authority, I can frequently tell, simply by what the job seeker tells me, if there's a disparity between what's going on and what the job seeker thinks is going on. Although I counsel them as to why stopping their search is not a wise course of action, the path of least resistance usually trumps common sense. Because finding a job is such an arduous, distasteful task, it's easy for people to believe an offer is imminent, thus justifying the reason to halt their search. Unfortunately, getting burned and losing weeks that could otherwise have been productive is a lesson many learn the hard way. Throughout the process you need to know where you are relative to their plans. As you exit the interview, with a smile on your face and in a congenial manner, ask the questions that keep you in control of your search. "What's the next step?" "When do you anticipate that taking place?" "When do you plan on having someone on board?" and always "On what will you base your hiring decision?" Find out the specifics. And whether you are able to learn them or not, continue moving forward with your search. An offer isn't an offer until they've invited you to join the company and given you a salary figure. In other words, it ain't over til the fat lady sings. Guest Expert: Judi Perkins is known as the How-To Career Coach, and was a recruiter for 22 years when she worked with hundreds of hiring authorities helping them hire entry level through CEO, set up/followed up on over 15,000 interviews, consistently broke sales records by building relationships, and has seen over half million resumes (and climbing). Now, many of her clients are employed within 8 – 12 weeks. She brings sequence, structure, and focus to the job search, including skills, psychology, and sales components, showing why the typical strategies so often fail. You can find her at www.FindthePerfectJob.com. Please see her website media page for her extensive media credentials. |
Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:30 AM PDT   Everyone has had a bad job experience—perhaps your boss was incompetent, your daily assignments were beyond boring, or you didn't feel comfortable in the environment.In searching for an internship or new job, you don't always know what you're walking into. And, unfortunately, some of those new career opportunities don't turn out to be as great as you'd hoped. Overcome that experience and move on to bigger and better things by doing the following: Don't dwell on the negative aspects. Although the job or internship might have been downright awful, constantly talking badly about your former employer and complaining about the experience doesn't do either party any good. In fact, it might make you look bad to future employers or burn bridges at the offending organization. You may still need to use the former employer as a reference—so avoid burning bridges, no matter how terrible the situation. Think about what the experience taught you. You've likely learned some very valuable lessons from your bad experience. These lessons can help you determine your ideal future career path. For example:
If you make it to the interview round, ask key questions to determine if it's the right fit for you. After all, an interview isn't just about the employer! The employer indirectly benefits if you decide it's not right for you before accepting the position—they can find someone who is a better fit and will stick around longer than you may have. Did you have a bad internship or job experience at some point in your career? What did you gain out of the situation? Guest Expert: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies & Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets. |
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