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!!

Sustainability

"Sustainability" has come up a lot this week, especially in interview coaching sessions. What's not to love about it, right? People are seeking work where sustainability is a key factor. So, in honor of sustainability, I'm recycling an article one of my resume clients (a writer) wrote about me last year, before I left my corporate recruiting job to run my business full-time. I wrote the last bit, you'll see where.

Enjoy!

When to Splurge: Resume Writer


There are times when spending is the same as investing. And when it comes to putting your best face forward in a job search, you should invest in yourself.

Invest... in a resume writer.

I tend to overuse the term 'invest' because it indicates putting money into something that will offer returns of some kind, usually financial. I've had some people say, "You don't 'invest' in dog clippers, Andrea. You buy them." But dog clippers do offer me a return of sorts, because although they cost a good deal of money, they pay for themselves within one to two months, vis a vis savings on dog grooming costs. They could also be used to earn money, should I start clipping the neighbors' Pomeranian (not likely) every few weeks.

So when I say 'invest' in a resume writer, I mean just that. You are spending money on something that might seem unnecessary. However, not only will a brilliant, professional resume land you a good job, but the higher pay that you fetch could affect your income level for the rest of your life.

I should know - I've used a resume writer.

Sure, sure. I'm a tech writer by trade, so technically, I should be able to write. But resumes are a different beast altogether. I can whip up a user's manual like no one else, but when it comes to talking about what I've achieved over the course of my career, I don't always express myself in a way that is impressive to hiring managers. Very few managers will ever come out and tell you this, of course.

In fact, I might still be sending out my old resume and getting nowhere if it wasn't for the fact that I had an interview at a local company, one that does vendor work for Microsoft. I had updated my resume in a hurry, and the result was that there was a typo in one paragraph. It wasn't a big one, and in fact, it was something really simple. But it got noticed by a manager who had no tolerance for typos (which I understand, I really do) and the result was an insanely hostile interview in which everything I said was rudely challenged by someone who clearly wanted to pick a fight with me. Over a typo.

It was such a mortifying experience (and I didn't have the guts to stand up and say "Screw you! I don't need this job, Typo Nazi!"), that I went immediately home and started looking for resume help. And I found Jill Walser, a local HR guru who helps people tweak their resumes and prepare for interviews in her spare time from her business, I got the job!

It turns out that, in addition to the typo, my resume was kind of a mess. Which is really weird, since I wrote it using all those "how-to" books and online guides, and I was pretty confident that it was one bad-ass resume. Turns out that it was just ass-bad.

Jill was able to parse the important information out of my cluttered, 4-page resume, and massage it into a concise, 2-page resume that highlighted my strengths and accomplishments. She interviewed me and asked for more details than I thought anyone needed on a resume.

Immediately after Jill reworked my resume, I got the first job that I applied to.

I've heard people suggest that hiring a resume writer is dishonest, and I take exception to that. A resume writer can help you better express yourself in a way that makes sense to hiring managers. A resume writer does not invent experience for you, they merely guide you on how best to express what you've accomplished over the course of your career.

I asked Jill to give me the lowdown on her job, and why people SHOULD put money into something like a professional resume.

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Why should someone hire a resume writer?

People who obtain a professionally written resume are (hopefully!) ensured of several things. Primarily, they are ensured that there are no glaring NO!s on the resume like misspellings, misused words, lack of focus, lack of discernible achievements, etc. Additionally, a reader other than oneself is an absolute requirement when it comes to knowing if ones resume is understandable by others. People get into patterns of expressing themselves that make perfect sense to them and to their niche industry, but no sense at all to others.

You'd hire a professional resume writer for the same reason that you'd hire an attorney to write up your will. Yes, you could probably write it yourself, but you might forget something important and you only get one chance to get it right. Either way, you're dead.

How hard can it possibly be to write a resume?

Writing ones own resume can be excruciatingly painful. Like pulling your own teeth. Hours and hours of wandering through websites, reading books, looking at other people's resumes, getting 10 different and conflicting ideas about what must be included, struggling. Doing a "pretty good" job might be OK if one is an engineer, or software developer. As long as they get the basic facts down and don't look like they have third-grade writing skills, their resumes are probably OK. If, however, one is a marketing, sales or administrative professional or *gasp* someone who writes for a living, having a less-than-perfect resume can be the kiss of death.

I have a copywriter opening at work this week. You can bet that the first thing I'll look at is resume quality, even before the quality of their experience. Resumes have to do so much. They are a marketing piece, a business document, a way to convey your personality, and your only opportunity to brand yourself as perfect for the job before the hiring manager meets you. How hard could that be? Exactly.

Isn't having someone else write your resume kind of... dishonest?

Resume writing has become one of the last professional tasks that people feel should still be clandestine. I'm pro-professional. Why should I fix my own car, put 18 million of those little foil things in my hair, give myself a massage, etc.? Sure, I could do all those things myself, but why on earth would I want to? A professional spends hours and hours training and experimenting on other, unsuspecting victims, before she has her craft perfected enough to start charging for it.

On the other hand, I have no problem with people pretending that they wrote their own resume. Its sort of like me telling my mom that I spent hours cleaning before she came by for a visit. Its *kind of* true.

What kind of mistakes do people usually make on their resumes?

What kind of mistakes DON'T they make? Trite objectives, self-aggrandisement, segments that "break" in the wrong places. My personal favorites are those who spell "detail oriented" incorrectly and those who claim to be Mangers. Once a month, I do a search on Craigslist's resume section for Mangers and randomly pick a resume to rewrite and email to the person for free. Reactions are amazingly mixed! Of note, I have yet to meet an actual professional Manger. I keep hoping.

What kind of results do YOU typically get with your reworked resumes?

My customer's resumes get results! They are called in for interviews and offered jobs. They are more confident in their application documents and it shows! The coolest part of this gig is that every single week I get at least one, "I got the job!" email. It's very thrilling to me. The act of going over the resume, answering my homework questions, talking about networking and their career vision makes them better at interviewing, so they get more job offers.

How important is a cover letter?

Its crucial. Its the best way of showing a little glimpse of your personality and demonstrating that you have done your research and really want to work for THAT company. Its a way of showing that you have gone the extra mile to spell their name right. I cannot tell you how disinterested I am in hiring people who cannot even cut and paste my name correctly. There are NO Ms. Waslers that work for my company people! Plus, in the bulleted world of resumes, it's a nice way of showing that you (well, I) can put a few sentences together.

What's the most that someone should pay to have their resume professionally written?

A million dollars. That would definitely be too much. Pricing is all over the place with resume writers. It's hard to know what to charge. Resume writer's qualifications and backgrounds are quite varied as well. I've met resume writers who were actually out-of-work novelists, trying to make some extra money. I may be the only corporate recruiter with a resume business out there. I haven't yet met another.

Personality fit is crucial. If you don't feel your resume writer "gets" you, its going to be a frustrating experience. So it's hard to compare value. I will say that every time I've raised my prices, it's had absolutely no impact on customer traffic. My rates currently range between $95 - $245, depending on employment level. I've done resumes for people with horror stories about paying $400 for a resume that looks terrible. I feel their pain. $400 for a resume that looks fabulous and gets results is not too much. $95 for a resume that sucks and lands in the trash is too much.

This stuff makes my day!

Date: 3/03/2008
Subject: I got the job
Hello Jill,
Today, I started my new job at Cisco, thanks in part to the resume you created for me. Your attention to details and industry insight are invaluable which result in an honest, yet high-impact resume. Thank you.

I get “I got the job!” letters like this all the time and they always warm my heart, but this one is special. This gentleman, for a variety of reasons, hadn't worked for eight years.

I've had several conversations this week with clients about what is "realistic" for them in terms of what jobs they are likely to land with their shiny new resumes, given their work histories, education, etc. What's amazing to me is the lack of correlation between their accomplishments and their perception of whether they'll be victorious in finding a great job. Wildly successful individuals can have terrible self-confidence.

While my answer isn't always comfortable for people to hear, it's always the same. YOU choose how far you can go. YOU choose whether you are going to work towards a goal, or decide (or let someone decide for you) that you can't attain it. I will do my best to position you as a good fit for whatever goal you pick (and I think I do a darn good job at it), but you are the one who truly controls your future. Even if you haven't tried for years, as my client above illustrates, at ANY point you can decide to get back in the game.

Will it be hard? Absolutely! Is it possible? Of course! Think of the people you admire - the people who set their sights high despite improbably high odds and just went for it. Those folks never cared whether someone (their mother, their spouse, their high school math teacher) thought they could do it; they just went right ahead and did it. Were most of them scared to death? Probably, but so what? Those that let fear, or other people, or something they’ve read dictate their options are not running their own lives.

As the former CEO of the corporation said as I left to run my own business, "No guts, no glory." I couldn't agree more. The gentlemen above, who authored that email, has guts. And my admiration.

When it comes to salary, he who says the first number loses!

When applying for work, I recommend trying to avoid sending your salary history whenever possible. If the job posting says it’s required, you might eventually have to produce it, but it is never to your advantage to do so. Typically, a company has budgeted a certain salary range for a position and will do their best to stay within it. The budget for the position has likely been a source of discussion for several months by the time the company is ready to start interviewing. The manager likely petitioned for the position with the VP who sat in on budget meetings with the CFO and pitched salary numbers and job duties.

Disclosing your salary history could cost you thousands. For example, if the budgeted salary range for the job is $100-120k/yr, and your salary history indicates that you'd likely accept $90k/yr, you've just "lost" $10k due to disclosure. If you hadn't disclosed, they'd probably have offered you something in their budgeted range.

On the other hand, if your salary history indicates that you made $130k/yr on your last job, they may think you are either 1. Too expensive, or 2. Will leave soon after taking the "cut" in pay for the next opportunity to make more money. Had they not known your salary history and offered you something in their range, you may have been thrilled with the offer for a variety of reasons other than dollars, including commute, love of the company, job duties more in line with your interests, etc.

This is a dance that I see becoming less popular as time goes on. Employers are becoming more transparent about salary range, often posting it on the ad or disclosing it when people ask, and candidates are able to decide for themselves if the offer has value. Aim for companies with solid bottom lines and the number you start with can easily rise in a short time when they've fallen in love with you.

Do what you think is best. My suggestion is that if you are applying for public or private industry jobs, omit the salary history even if asked. Follow up in a week to inquire if they received your resume (attaching your resume/letter again) and ask if they need any additional info. If they ask for it again, send it. If they don't, don't. Adding a vague line to your initial email such as, "Salary expectations commensurate with job duties and experience," should suffice when salary history is listed as "required" in the ad. For government jobs, I'd cough up the info right off the bat. They'll likely have a published range anyway.

On job applications, where it asks for salary, some applicants write “negotiable” or “flexible”. In my experience, this has NEVER kept a great candidate from moving forward in the hiring process. You’re already there and they’ve had a chance to meet you. If you’ve indicated flexibility about salary, chances are they are onto more important considerations such as goodness of fit.

If you are asked about salary requirements in the screening or interview process, I recommend politely asking what the budgeted salary range is, look calmly expectant and wait for their reply. Then state that you are inside that range (assuming you are) and you’re sure something can be worked out that works for everyone. Smoothly change the subject as soon as possible to talk about aspects of the job itself. When they decide they can’t live without you, you can decide whether their offer is good and how it compares with others that you’ve received. Does it drive HR up the wall when you do this? Absolutely, it's their job to find this information out; but they are not usually the final decision makers. You don’t want to irk them, but a pleasant, “I’m sure we can work something out as the process continues”, should take you far in most situations. A good recruiter will push back. Accept this and remain pleasantly vague. Change the subject gracefully.

Benefits like vacation or level of health coverage are very difficult for most companies to negotiate. If they have a top performer in a similar role and they offer you more vacation, they’ll have a very dicey situation on their hands. It can be much easier to negotiate a one-time signing or performance-based bonus.

When you have become an expert in your industry and have skills they can’t get from the next ten people that apply for the job, your negotiations take on a completely different flavor and you can often get away with boldly leveraging one offer for another. Even so, that tactic is never really appreciated, leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the decision makers, and can backfire if you’ve miscalculated.

While your ability to navigate this landmine diplomatically will be closely watched, you really do have the employer over a barrel on this point. They have to put a number on your offer letter.

Are You Linked In?

When you join LinkedIn, you can see who you know from current and past jobs and add those people to your contacts list. Add your friends, neighbors, and family members. As you meet new people, add them. Soon, when you need the inside story on a company, you can easily see who you know that worked or works there (or who your contacts know). Then, email or call them to get the scoop! Be sure they know you'll be there for them too and be very respectful of their time.

A recent resume client wanted to get into Google, but didn’t know a soul there. I told him about LinkedIn, he added people he knew, and sure enough – one of his contacts was friends with a manager at Google. This manager offered to walk my client’s resume through the process. Without LinkedIn, he would never have gotten on an inside track at Google.

Here are some facts you should know about LinkedIn:

- 19,000,000+ professionals and growing by one million members per month
- 750,000+ senior executives
- Executives from all Fortune 500 companies
- 46% are business decision makers
- Average age: 41
- Average household income: $109,000
- Over 450 million page views per month
- Over 560,000 professionals visit the LinkedIn homepage on a typical day
- Average of 42 page views per member per week

Joined LinkedIn. Today. Really, I mean it!

Is it a good idea to use recruiters in my job search?

Using recruiters from staffing agencies can be a great resource, with one major drawback and potentially one great advantage. The good ones have met the hiring managers of the companies they represent and can offer some insight into personality types of the hiring manager and team, what works and what doesn't to get love from that company, etc. If you don't know anyone at the company who can give you this type of insight, outside recruiters can be a great way to get it.

The drawback is that their services come at a price to the employer, sometimes up to 25% of your first year compensation. For this reason, if you were to approach the same employer yourself (especially encouraged if a willingness to cold call and/or "sell" yourself are core competencies of the job you seek) you'll be more appealing than if a recruiter were to present you. It's also much smarter to apply for a position before the hiring manager has gotten so desperate for talent that they're willing to pay a premium for it.

The potential advantage of going through a recruiter is if the company only staffs certain positions through a particular staffing firm. I've been in this role myself as an agency recruiter where if someone wanted a particular job at a certain company, they'd have to impress me to even get consideration because the hiring managers didn't have time to post ads, wade through resumes, etc. Even so, if you landed on the hiring manager's doorstep without representation, and before she got so desperate for talent that the recruiter's fee was worth it, you'd be 25% less expensive.

Workforce Explorer

I'm driving to an industry meeting the other day, the Puget Sound Career Developers Association (PSCDA), and I'm dreading the speaker. It was raining, freezing cold, and I have to drive INTO traffic to get there (an anathema to a work-from-home type like me). But I go. True to form, traffic is horrible. It takes me 45 minutes to go 5 miles. Remembering my commitment to networking (gotta walk the walk), I soldier on.

Our association president bravely talks up the speaker, an economist with the State of Washington. I'm thinking, man, he's really putting his heart into this introduction; it's not going to be pretty. What could a dryer-than-my-chapped-lips economist, a state employee no less, have to tell me about employment? I was a corporate recruiter after all, I'm out there on the cutting edge, blah, blah, blah. I was dead wrong.

Jane Field, our speaker, opened my eyes about an amazing website that I will use and talk about for years. You’ll get sick of hearing about it, really. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, the state has put together a website using actual data from employers. Quarterly, each employer reports information including salary, hiring forecast, job duties, etc. to the state for each position they employ. http://www.workforceexplorer.com/ has compiled these facts into a *free*, easy to navigate and extremely useful website.

Want to know the average hourly wage for a Purchasing Manager in the State of Washington? It's $45.97. Wonder what their top work task is? It's maintaining records of goods ordered and received, according to the employers who complete the state's paperwork.

Ever wondered what actors make in King County? About $35.11 per hour, on average.

How cool is that?

The site is packed with helpful information. Want to sell paintbrushes in SE Washington? The biggest hobby, toy, and/or game store employer in Asotin County is Wasem's Artist Supply and their phone number and address are provided.

The site is perfect for career changers who want to research an industry and equally great for someone moving from one part of the state to another, to learn the lay of the land.

I'm sure as I explore Explorer further, I'll find even more things to love about it.

My apologies to Jane. I misjudged you. Economists from the State of Washington ROCK!! And while I'm not sure if Jane's personality is representative of others in her occupation, I found her downright entertaining.

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome everyone! This blog will include my thoughts on interviewing, resume writing and job search strategy. Your comments and input are welcome!