Interview Coaching - An Outline

Hi Jill,

I'm interested in your interview coaching services. I am a product management professional and have recently started my job search. I feel that my interview skills could use a lot of work. I'm curious about how we'd get started.

Best, Hannah

Dear Hannah,

Interview coaching can be scaled to fit your needs, budget and timeline. The feedback I have received from clients is that an initial session of 1.5 - 2 hours with a follow up session 1-2 weeks later is most helpful. I conduct the coaching sessions in a mock interview format where I will act as the hiring manager and ask questions. You will respond as you normally would and I will provide feedback on your answers. My goal is to help you convey your skills and personality in the most appealing way possible, so that the hiring team will feel you are smart, accomplished and fun to be around.

I am a strong believer in incorporating stories – examples of greatness – into interview answers. Stories are much more interesting and memorable than laundry lists of things you know how to do, and they can illustrate much more about your strategic perspective and enthusiasm. Part of what you would be doing in the interim between appointments is practicing your stories. I will give you guidelines and we will come up with 3-4 stories in the first meeting. By the second meeting, you will have a list of about 8-10 stories that can be used interchangeably to answer many interview questions and you will know what the interviewer is “really” asking when they ask a certain question.

If there are additional issues such as anxiety or lack of confidence, or if you just want more practice, additional coaching sessions can be scheduled. For local folks finding my Seattle office the most convenient, we will meet there. For others, we will meet in a mutually convenient coffee shop (I live in Bellevue). I provide phone coaching for people living outside the Puget Sound area.

Cheers,

Jill

Are Thank You Notes Necessary?

Here's an actual email I received this morning from a client and my response:

Hi Jill,

Is it appropriate to send a thank you by e-mail versus a letter? I had an interview yesterday, they're making their decision by Monday and I don't think regular mail would make it in time.
Thanks,

Loyal Client

Dear Loyal Client,

Email thank-you notes are ok; they are better than nothing. A handwritten note on a tasteful thank-you card is so much better. Your competition will probably not have gone to the trouble and, especially in your industry, taking an extra step to show you care is what makes all the difference.

In part, they are assessing your performance and follow-up in this interview process and making assumptions on how you will act around their "people" - co-workers, managers, customers, etc. Hiring managers and recruiters keep handwritten cards and think fond thoughts of those that wrote them; when I was recruiting, I kept the one's I received on a board above my desk.

If you sent it today from the post office, it is quite likely going to reach them by Monday. You could spend a few dollars more to have it shipped overnight. Doing both - email and a card - will cover all the bases.

Good luck!

Jill Walser

Why didn't HR give me feedback about my last interview?

As a former corporate recruiter for a publicly traded company, I got an inside look at this process. HR Managers, as you know, are the organization’s sheriff. They don't make the laws; they just interpret them and insist others in the company carry them out. Without perspective and a bit of common sense, deputized recruiters can carry out HR edicts so far that they become counterproductive to the goals of the organization, i.e., appearing so ridiculous and inflexible as to turn off good talent.

I have found that for the most part it is the recruiters (who usually report to the head of HR) with little ability to think for themselves that are the most rigid with rules. It’s very important to know exactly what the rules are and why they were put in place and equally important to use good judgment when working with prospective employees.

The main reason HR doesn't want managers telling interviewees why they didn't get the job is to protect the company from a lawsuit. Disclosure used the wrong way is a loaded gun. However, a smart recruiter can disclose lots of helpful information without equipping candidates with ammo for a lawsuit - so long as that information is based on goodness of fit, job qualifications, problems during the interview process, etc. For example, calling out that the candidate answered questions about key functions of the job incorrectly or took 20 minutes to answer each question is helpful. Telling applicants that they weren’t selected because they were too old to relate to the rest of the team or telling them nothing is just brainless and disrespectful.

As much as I liked recruiting, it’s much more fun to provide interview coaching where I get to tell job seekers about corporate HR’s true goals and provide them with ammunition to cope with the myriad of contingencies that arise during an interview. I also teach candidates how to interview the company. If a dimwitted recruiter with no judgment is calling the shots on behalf of HR, RUN! It won’t get better as you work your way up.

On the radio, whoa, oh, oh...

...it sounded really loud
they said it really loud
on the radio whoa oh oh
on the radio whoa oh oh
on the radio whoa oh oh
on the radio whoa oh oh
on the radio whoa oh oh
on the radio, radio, radio

I had the fun experience of being on The Good Life radio program Monday. If I do it right, you'll be able to hear it via the video link. Try it!

Maurice and Vanessa interviewed me about my business, including resume writing, interviewing and a bit about job search strategy. It was a blast.

The highlight of the day was meeting the original Clay Huntington, KLAY's (get it?) station owner. Clay claims to be 86, but I'm not so sure I believe him. He was adorable. Before getting into radio in the early 60s, he was a sportscaster. Very cool!

Enjoy the broadcast!

How to handle reference requests

You've read the ad for your dream job. This is it, the ONE. But what's this? Your prospective employer wants to see your references BEFORE you even get to the interview? What should you do?

First, treat your references list with the same care that you treat your credit card numbers. Identity theft and privacy abuse are real risks. Never put your references on job boards or send them with your resume when applying for jobs. Only disclose them to employers with whom you’ve fallen in love – AFTER the first interview, when you think you’d like to work there. They may ask in advance, who cares? As a corporate recruiter, I’ve never avoided a candidate because they didn’t fork over their references immediately. I actually consider it revealing of a candidate’s judgment and ability to recognize an unreasonable request. It’s a bit of a game, like salary negotiation. I can understand why some recruiters would request references up front. They may have been burned in the past when presenting candidates with weak references to the hiring manager and want to avoid a similar situation. They may be getting their ducks in a row for a demanding or time-strapped manager. They may just think they’re “supposed” to get them in advance. Regardless, this is personal information and should be treated as such, in as graceful a manner as possible. “I’ll zip my references over to you the second I learn I’m a finalist. Can’t wait to get that call!” or “Gosh, it seems I’ve left my references in my other briefcase, I’ll send them over as soon as I find out I’m the top candidate,” or “My ex-boss Joe said he’d be happy to provide a reference. I’ll email his contact information over as soon as we’re at that point.” Smile and change the subject.

If you have several irons in the fire, one strategy to avoid over-burdening your references with phone calls is to ask them for a letter of reference. Offer to write it for their signature if they agree but don’t produce one. Try to get it on letterhead. Having letters of reference available will help you to appear organized and well liked. Note: In the future, try to get this task done before you leave the job. How do you do this without spilling the beans that you’re looking for another job? Say you have a volunteer opportunity and the agency wants to check your references in advance. Better yet – actually pursue a volunteer job where you get to do something that’s a bit of a stretch for you. It’s good karma, great experience, and lovely networking occurs when you’re working alongside other volunteers. Another great time to ask for a reference letter is when your boss is leaving the company. Even when your boss is just moving departments, it’s easy to say, “We’ve had such a great working relationship, and I’ll miss working alongside you. Could you write a letter so that in five years when one of us leaves the company it will be easy to remember my accomplishments in this role?” When you actually announce your departure sometime later, ensure that your manager is still willing to serve as a reference, remind them of the fabulous letter they wrote, and you’re all set.

At the end of the interview, if you’re pretty sure you’re interested, you can show your prospective employer the original reference letters. At your discretion, provide a copy of the letter or offer to email one if you need to buy some time. Pleasantly ask the recruiter or hiring manager to make the reference check call when you’re the final candidate. They’ll already have the letters, so that should tide them over.

Another consideration regarding reference letters is that many agency recruiters and headhunters use references sheets as shopping lists. You’ve provided the name, job title, direct number and email address of decision makers and potential “steals” that they’ve been searching for for months, how nice of you! Sure, they’ll call your references and talk about you, but their objective is also to talk up their agency’s services or a fabulous opportunity with your reference’s competitor. If a recruiter won’t set you up on interviews without seeing your references, that’s a red flag that they are shopping your references list.

What has been your worst interview ever?

As I’m starting to put my resume writing, interviewing, and job search strategy book together, I want to inject a little humor and inspiration at the beginning of each chapter. For this reason, I'd love to hear your horror stories about the worst interview experience you've ever had as well as any “wow” moments where someone really blew you away during the interview process.

This one's a three-parter, feel free to answer any or all:

First, describe your most memorable experience in a truly horrible interview. What were you applying for, what happened, what made it so terrible, how did it all turn out, etc.?

Then, if you've been a hiring manager or a member of an interview team, what do you remember as the most cringe-worthy moment you've had while interviewing a candidate? What made it so horrible? Did you end up hiring the person?

Finally, again if you were an interviewer, do you recall anything in particular that a candidate did to really impress you? Explain why you felt the way you did. If possible, describe whether that candidate was hired, and how they worked out as an employee.

Thanks posters!!