Don't "fall back" in an interview

Quite often employers desire to interview multiple candidates before making a final decision on a new hire.  We could have a healthy debate regarding what the magic number is for number of candidates interviewed before a decision is made, but that is a blog topic for another day.  For today I will focus on a few helpful tips to stay ahead of the infamous curve in relation to other candidates in the pipeline that are vying for the same position.

I thought I would also add in a friendly reminder to turn your clocks back this weekend for the end of daylight savings.  Yet another debate for another day - do you like the additional darkness for sleeping in the cool fall weather or do you pine for the days of early summer when the birds start chirping at 4:30 am to wake you up?

Here are a few things I have learned over time to ensure you stay near the front of the pack when multiple candidates are being interviewed for the same position.

1)  Stay flexible on timing.  One of the key mistakes I see people make when vying for the top spot in an interview is to push the pace too much.  Unless you are truly interviewing with another firm that might make a decision in a matter of days, don't press too hard on timing.  Especially if the employer has made it clear they are not in a hurry and want to see multiple interviews through to the end.  Often the plan will backfire and an employer will wish a candidate well if they say they have other opportunities that are moving more quickly.  Employers want to move forward at a comfortable pace and on their own terms most times.  If they really think you are the perfect candidate, they'll move more quickly on their own.

2)  Be yourself.  Far too often I see candidates get wrapped up in comparing themselves to what they believe the other candidates bring to the table.  Instead compare yourself to what the job entails and what the employer is truly looking for.  If you end up not being what the employer was looking for, you likely wouldn't want the job anyway.  Then you would have to continue being someone you are not, and that will not end well for anyone.

3)  Ask lots of questions.  Similar to just being yourself, really dig into what the ideal profile of a candidate looks like.  Not only will it shed light on whether or not you possess the skill set to do the job, it will help you find out if you even want the job in the first place.  I even do this with newer clients that want to work with Capstone.  If their agenda and hiring practices do not align with our practices, we likely aren't going to be a good partner for their search.

4)  Be prompt and professional with follow up communication.  Most people do not have a problem with being prompt.  But more than you might imagine struggle with being professional.  One of the biggest complaints I get from candidates after an interview is a lack of feedback or follow up.  Regardless of whether you like it or not, that is commonplace.  You have one of two choices when this happens - 1) deal with it and move on OR 2) complain to anyone that will listen and DEMAND more feedback.  I can tell you already what kind of feedback you'll receive if you choose to travel down this path.......

What else have you seen work in a situation where multiple candidates are being interviewed for the same job?  Have you ever done something unusual or unique to "stay ahead" of the pack?

Should you talk about sports in a job interview?

We've all heard about the three major topics to avoid in the workplace in general - politics, religion, and you-know-what.  Inherently this should apply in a job interview as well.  But what about the topic of sports?  There are so many directions that it could go that it could possibly be considered controversial.  It could spiral into talking about gambling, consumption of alcohol, and much more that has nothing to do with one's ability to perform a job.

So how do you approach the topic, if at all, during the course of a job interview?  I have a few ideas and decided to make it another week of dos and don'ts to provide a few guidelines.

Do make it interesting and unique.  How many of you knew the story behind the baseball in my photo this week for the blog?  It is the ball that Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs hit out of the park for a home run in the series against the Cardinals.  The Cubs decided to leave it there, enshrine it for the postseason, and hope it provides some good luck.  Talking about something like this does not take you into the rabbit hole of past misery as a longtime Cubs' fan.  It is almost more of a human interest story and can be intriguing to anyone, including someone who isn't a Cubs' fan.

Don't make it personal.  You could bring up this same story about Schwarber's ball and immediately complain about Steve Bartman from 2003.  Or how the umps were terrible in Game 1 of the NLCS.  Or how the Cubs are doomed this year after a hot start.  Then the conversation becomes about you instead of the story.  And you're not looking to go into any in-depth conversations with these discussions.  Instead it should be more of an ice-breaker or quick topic.

Do bring up past sports' accomplishments if relevant.  If you have been on any kind of sports team you could likely point to teamwork, working toward a common goal, accomplishing that goal, learning in defeat, and much more.  Companies want to hire motivated employees that know how to work on a team, even during tough times.

Don't dwell in the past.  While many good attributes of athletics and sports can translate into success in the workplace, it isn't always 100% correlation.  If all you're looking to do is re-tell a story about how you threw four touchdowns in the state championship game or once won a basketball tournament in eighth grade where you were the MVP it may begin to look like you are just boasting.  And possibly have even lost a step since then.  You always want to look forward and incorporate how what you learned will help in the future.

Do ask questions and LISTEN to what teams a hiring authority may cheer for.  If you allow them to open the door about a particular topic, you may be able to share a memory or a thought.  The critical part here is to be doing a lot more listening than talking.  If you find out this person cheers for your team's arch rival, you may not want to continue with the dialogue.  It could bring out some bad blood.

Don't assume a person cheers for a team because of geography.  Again, to my last point, if you ask some good questions you may find out that someone who grew up on the East Coast still cheers for someone they liked on the West Coast from their childhood.  I have a colleague here at Capstone who cheers for the Yankees and Jets.  Why, you may ask?  Because her dad was a die-hard fan and growing up that is all she heard about.

Lastly, like anything in life, everything in moderation.  Gauge your audience and use the sports' topic to your advantage if you can, but don't rely upon it too much.  It should be a tool in a much larger tool bag that you can pull out if necessary, or leave in the bag for another day.

The Dos and Don'ts of Resume Writing

Have you ever found yourself editing your resume for a job search and struggling to articulate what you currently do in your job?  Or wondering how to outline an accomplishment from a recent success?  Or deciding if you should put that job on there that you only survived for three months?  Or determining what key words to add to show up in a search result for an employer?

I thought this picture pretty well summed up how you might feel as you begin writing or editing your resume for a job search.  Actually, I found a few more that might be even more spot on, but several were not as appropriate for a professional job blog article.  HA!

The bottom line is that resume writing is a difficult proposition for many.  And rightfully so.  I counsel people often that not knowing the best way to approach the details of your resume is an okay thing.  If you are too good at writing your resume, it might be a reflection of how good (or not good) of an employee you may be.  Being good at a job search is only an important trait if it is not your full-time job.  Polishing up your resume frequently could be a sign you are a job hopper.

Here are a few things I have learned about resume writing over the years:

DO put a premium on content over presentation.  I am not necessarily so old school that I believe you need to squeeze everything into one page.  Two pages or more may be something you need to thoroughly outline your past accomplishments and how they are applicable to positions you are considering.  But please be sure to put something relevant and noteworthy early and often.

DON'T fill up the first page with so much information that you don't list a job title or current employer until the bottom of the page or even the top of the second page.  I saw a resume recently that filled up two pages with information that could be deemed valuable, but it didn't hold my attention long enough to even find out where the person worked.  That isn't a good thing.

DO list all of your contact information.  This may seem like a "no duh" piece of advice, but you would be surprised how many people leave this off.  Sometimes I believe it is intentional because people do not want to be inundated with too may calls or emails.  But that shouldn't be a worry if you are approaching your job search correctly.  You want to be accessible, and in more than one manner.

DON'T have a crazy personal email address.  This should be another no-brainer, but people often do not think about this detail.  I even suggest to people to create an entirely separate email for the job search.  That way information is disseminated quickly and efficiently.  Just don't lose the password to that new account if you create it.  And check it often!

DO include links to your social media.  Some of you may have experienced a faster heartbeat after reading this one.  You know you still might have a picture or two that you wouldn't want a prospective employer to see on Facebook or Twitter.  Then do the smart thing and remove it.  This is the new place to show employers you are more than a smiling face with no outside interests.  Which may catch the attention of a hiring manager who shares similar interests.

DON'T list Hobbies and Interests.  See above for where you list that now.  Employers don't want to see on your resume that you like to fish and garden.  They will be able to see that via social media if they want to go to that effort.  And most times they do to make sure you're not posting crazy selfies from last weekend's game.

Remember that you're not trying to get the job with the submission of a resume, but simply make a good first impression.  If you're too good on paper, that will be vetted out quickly in an interview.  Whereas being not good enough won't even get you the interview in the first place.  As with just about anything in life, it is all about balance.

Have you ever been told a valuable "do" or "don't" while writing or re-writing a resume?