How to have an attitude of gratitude in a job interview

I could not resist the urge to have a holiday-themed blog post the week of Thanksgiving.  I have held off in the past, but for several reasons I decided to go with it this year.  I will focus primarily on job search tips instead of recipes or decoration ideas.  I am sure you have plenty of those already.

Today's picture is from our team going downtown to a local hospital to help prepare the children's craft table for an upcoming event.  We mostly cut and organized a mixture of items that children will be able to then take and create a holiday decoration to take home.  The organizers were incredibly grateful as our team of seven was able to knock out quite a bit in the short time we were there on a Friday afternoon.  It got me thinking about how candidates and employers alike can sometimes miss the boat on easy opportunities to show gratitude during a job search or interview process.

First of all, take time to thank everyone involved with the coordination of a job interview.  It is easy to thank the person across the table or desk who might be the hiring manager or someone in human resources.  But what about the administrative assistant who emailed you the address of the office location?  Or the receptionist that greeted you at the front door and knew you were there for a job interview and asked if you wanted a cup of coffee before things got started?  A lot of effort goes on behind the scenes to make an interview run smoothly, and it is always a good idea to acknowledge those efforts, no matter how big or small.

Secondly, be thankful at every turn.  My favorite candidate or employer contact is the one that thanks me EVERY time we talk, coordinate a detail, or de-brief after an interview.  Everyone's time is valuable, and it is a nice touch to remember that with the occasional "thank you" comment, call, email, or text.

Speaking of modes of communication, my next tip is to mix up HOW you thank people that are invested in the interview process.  The lost art of a handwritten thank you card is a valuable resource if you use it wisely.  Who doesn't like getting actual snail mail, even if the message is plain and simple?  I can count on one hand how many handwritten notes I have received in the past year.  So you can imagine how impactful and memorable they were to me.

Regardless of how little or how much you like text messaging, it can also be incredibly effective and efficient.  Those can be sent overnight when someone likely isn't available to talk in great length.  Or possibly over a weekend if you have an interview late in the week.  But can be another great way to have another opportunity to connect with your audience.

Lastly, be sincere and explain WHY you are thankful for something in the interview process.  Be specific.  Maybe it was the attention to detail in the agenda you were given ahead of the interview.  It could have been the array of beverages to choose from to keep you hydrated during a long conversation.  Or maybe it was a lunch that was catered.  I'm here to tell you that I have heard many, many stories of interviews that did NOT go well.  So telling someone how they did something well is certainly worth noting.

Regardless of the how, when, why, or what of the attitude of gratitude, simply try engaging in the process and share with others how it was received.  My bet is that it will always be welcome!

When a "no" could mean "yes" in an interview

In more than twelve years of recruiting I have heard "no" far more often than "yes" when setting up interviews or taking next steps in the process.  I have learned in that time that sometimes the "no" could turn into the "yes" that you are ultimately seeking as a candidate or an employer.

Another way of putting it is actually one of my favorite phrases - yes AND no.  How is that possible, you might ask?  There are many ways.

The first example I can think of is the idea of "no, not right now".  This can be a possible outcome of an interview for many reasons - budgets, timing, revenue projections, turnover, etc.  It happens most often when a candidate is presented to an employer as an opportunity hire.  There is either no position available currently or there has been consideration of adding to staff, but timing is uncertain.  As a candidate you can take comfort in the "no" answer, especially if an employer shows commitment to keeping in touch.  As an employer, of course, you have to do a good job of keeping that line of communication open to keep the candidate's interest.

You can also receive a "no" answer when candidate is not a good match for the specific position they are being interviewed for.  This can turn into a "yes" when there is another position that might simply be a better match.  Perhaps you were interviewed for a management role, and in the employer's infrastructure you would be better suited for an individual contributor role.  Or vice versa.  As a candidate you simply have to keep an open mind and trust that the employer has everyone's best interests at heard.  As an employer you have to communicate clearly why one is a better match than the other and focus on the positives of that match, not the negatives of the one that is not a match.

A third way to receive a "no" answer may be the toughest one to hear.  It is when you simply don't have the proper experience as a candidate that the employer is seeking at that time.  The good news here is that it could turn into a "yes" over time if you make a good impression.  Maybe you only have two years of experience and they need ten years.  Or the employer is seeking a designation or a degree that is attainable over time.  As a candidate you need to have patience with the process.  As an employer you need to be sure to catalog the candidate as a keeper if you think there could be something in the future that would be a match.

Finally, a "no" could quickly turn into a "yes" when discussing compensation.  As a candidate you never want to hear "no" to a request for a salary requirement.  What you need to do, however, is really dig into the details to make sure the entire picture is presented clearly.  The base salary may not be equivalent to your hopes and dreams, but perhaps the total compensation potential is higher.  Sometimes a rich benefits package can also make up for any possible salary gaps.  It is always prudent as a candidate to make certain all details are clearly explained before you think there is no way an offer can be accepted at a particular level.  And employers need to effectively communicate all objective AND subjective benefits of working for the company.

Have you ever had a "no" turn into a "yes" in the course of an interview?  If so, how did you respond?

How to ask tough interview questions

Last week I outlined some ideas regarding how to answer tough interview questions.  So this week I thought I would flip the script and talk about how to ask tough interview questions from the other side of the desk.  These are the questions that you may have wanted to ask in the past, but didn't quite know how to approach it.

I decided to Google the phrase "tough interview questions" to see what might pop up.  The very first article that I found was from a well-respected publication.  They had a few good ones, but a few that sure seemed like filler for the article.  One, for instance, was "Tell me about yourself".  If that is a tough interview question, I wish all of my clients had that as their "difficult" litmus test to knowing the true character of a candidate.  While you might learn a few good things from that line of questioning, I don't believe that is what I'm going after today.

There are a few keys to really asking a tough question where you actually expect an answer that you can use objectively when considering a candidate's professional background and work experience.

1)  Listen carefully.  Seems like an obvious one, right?  But I can't tell you how many times I have de-briefed with a candidate that says they didn't get much of a chance to actually answer questions.  If you have a tough question to ask that you truly want an answer to, you might have to suffer through some silence and unnatural pregnant pauses.  The whole point of a tough question is to really get to the heart of an answer.  If you jump quickly to another question after five seconds of awkward silence, the question wasn't worth asking in the first place.

2)  Be honest.  Maybe you have gone through a lot of turnover recently, causing a bit of instability.  Or you have a longtime employee in the department that can be difficult to work with.  Or maybe during a busy time of the year everyone is expected to work some long hours to get through projects.  Don't ever shy away from asking those questions during an interview.  If you don't, you will regret it.  Over time the candidate you hire will figure these things out and wonder why they weren't told about it earlier in the interview process.

3)  Be confident.  Salary is one place where people tend to squirm a little.  It is another time in an interview where there could be some silence or awkward pauses.  But it is a key indicator of whether or not a candidate is a match for a particular job.  I even like to ask it early in a conversation when I first meet a candidate.  The less of a big deal I make out of it, the less anyone thinks about it.  Yet I get the crucial information I need to know if I can really help a candidate.

4)  Don't ever regret not asking the tough question.  Within the boundaries of ethics and legality, don't ever pass over that question you really want to ask, but can't find the right time to ask.  Just pull the Band-Aid off and run with it.  Examples here include asking about gaps on a resume, a lot of job hopping, going in and out of industry for some time, significant geographic moves, and even education.  Don't ever assume what you think might be the case is actually the case.  I have been surprised many times over the years when I ask the tough question that I fear I already know the answer to and don't really want to ask.  But by asking I learn a lot.

As with anything, practice makes perfect.  The more comfortable you get with asking the tough questions, the easier it gets.  Any advice that you can share on how you approach the tough questions in an interview?

How to answer tough interview questions

Have you ever been in an interview where a question absolutely stumped you?  Or baffled you?  Or maybe even offended you?  As you can imagine, I have heard a wide range of wild questions asked during an interview.  De-briefing with a candidate after an interview is one of the favorite parts of my job.  You just never know what you are going to hear.

So how exactly do you answer the tough questions in an interview?  The ones where you might not have a complete answer.  Or feel like there is more than one right answer.  I have a few ideas that will hopefully be helpful the next time you encounter a particularly difficult one:

1)  It is okay to say "I don't know".  These are three words we as humans don't like to say very often.  Whether it be your personal life or professional life, it is not a good feeling to not know an answer to a question.  I am here to tell you, however, that the quicker those words fly out of your mouth in certain instances, the better.  Time and time again I have spoken with employers after an interview only to find out a candidate rambled when asked a question they didn't have an answer to.  Talking just for the sake of talking and hoping the right answer is eventually spewed out is not a good strategy.  I recently even had an employer tell me that the question that wasn't answered wasn't a critical one.  But the candidate so badly butchered the answer that they were eliminated from consideration at that very moment in the interview.  When instead saying "I don't know" likely would have only resulted in a small blip on the radar of the overall interview feedback.

2)  It is okay to not answer at all.  Before you think I have lost my mind, hear me out.  This is only in reference to a topic that may not be work-related.  We all know the topics that are supposedly off limits - politics, religion, etc.  So if asked a question about current events or something that could be considered a hot button topic, be careful how you answer.  Not having an opinion or answer will likely keep the emotion out of the discussion.  Focus instead on your ability to do the job.

3)  Keep it simple, Sam.  I know you've likely heard this one before, but it still holds true.  Sometimes employers ask edgy questions just to see how candidates react.  So it isn't always about what you say, but how you say it.  It is much easier to say too much than to say too little.  An additional tip here is to ask a follow up question at the end of a succinct answer.  That keeps the conversation going without you needing to provide useless filler.

4)  Be unexpected and creative.  Sometimes tough interview questions come as completely subjective.  These are intentionally asked to see how someone will react on their feet.  It could be something related to a tough work situation.  Or a colleague that is tough to communicate with.  Or the client who everyone knows is difficult to work with, but might be assigned to you.  While you don't want to go too far off the deep end here, you sometimes have to take some calculated risks to stand out from other prospective candidates for the job.  Provide examples and details of why you think your radical idea might work.

5)  Be prepared.  In other words, expect some tough questions.  If you walk into any interview thinking that it will be all roses and rainbows, you are in for a sorry surprise.  Be ready for all kinds of crazy questions.  If none come, at least you were ready for it.

What are some of the tough questions you have heard in the past?  And how did you react to them?

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?