Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression

Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important first impression when you walk into the room for your interview. 

Some people don't think about what they're going to wear until the morning of the interview. Then they scramble to find something that's appropriate, clean, and doesn’t look like it’s been slept in.

Imagine putting on that rarely used suit an hour before your interview and discovering that it no longer fits!

Plan your outfit in advance, try it on to make sure it fits well, and get it cleaned and pressed if 

necessary.

When deciding what to wear, think "conservative business attire." Even if you are interviewing for a field job in which you'll wear jeans and steel-toed boots, those clothes are not appropriate for the interview. It's always better to dress "up" than to dress "down."

The key is to look professional.

Here are some preparation tips:

• Think about your hair in advance and make sure it's as ready for the interview as your clothes. Do you need a haircut or touch-up on the color? This goes for mustaches and beards, too.

• How are your teeth? If they’re not pearly white, consider using one of the many teeth-whitening products on the market today. Dingy teeth really can make a negative impression, so don’t ignore this.

• Freshen your breath, especially if it's been a while (or if you've eaten or smoked) since brushing your teeth. Don't go into the interview chewing gum.

• Do not plan to wear perfume or cologne. Having no noticeable scent is better than turning your interviewer off by wearing too much perfume/cologne (or wearing a scent that unpleasantly reminds an interviewer of an ex-spouse). And many people are allergic to ingredients in perfumes and colognes. It's safest to wear no scent at all.

• Women, if you decide on a dress or skirt, make sure it's not too sh ort. Be conservative. By the way, pantsuits are perfectly acceptable these days if they meet all the other criteria.

• Don’t forget to consider your shoes. Chose a pair that is stylish, but conservative and comfortable. (Spike heels are not a good idea.) Make sure they're clean and/or shined.

Remember, your goal is to look professional and conservative. This applies to makeup, nail polish, jewelry, body piercings, tattoos, etc.

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Succeeding with Panel Interviews

These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of three-to-six interviewers.

A "team approach" to finding the best candidate can be beneficial for the employer. Each member brings a different set of skills, experience and judgment to the team, and can point out pros (and cons) about a candidate that the other interviewers might miss. 

Panel interviews can also be beneficial for the job seekers.

In a one-on-one interview you only have one shot at making the best impression. With a team doing the interviewing, your odds are increased.

Say for example that Interviewer No. 1 had a bad experience with your past employer and unconsciously (or consciously) holds that against you, even though you had nothing to do with what happened. Interviewers No. 2, 3, and 4 have no such prejudices and so could sway the vote in your favor. 

While panel interviews often seem more intimidating than one-on-one interviews, here are some steps you can take to ease your stress and ensure a better outcome.

1. Relax. Remember that being faced by a panel of strangers (versus one) is better for you.

2. Smile. Everyone in the room will smile back and you'll all get off to a great start.

3. Greet each interviewer individually. Shake hands with each person. Repeat their names as you are introduced (everyone likes to hear their own name, and it will help you to remember them).

4. Include everyone when answering questions. Face and make eye contact with the person who asks the question, but then extend your eye contact to everyone in the room. You're speaking to all of them, not just the person who asked the question.

5. Get their cards. Before leaving, get a business card from each person in the room. These will come in handy when it's time to send your thank-you notes. (If they don't have cards, ask for their names again if you don't remember them; jot them down. You can contact the HR person or receptionist later to get their email or mailing address.)

6. Send individual thank-you notes. Immediately send a thank-you note to each member of the interview panel, but don't make the notes identical. Make it more personal by pointing out something that person said or asked. For example, "When you asked me about my marketing experience, I forgot to mention that in addition to my three years as a marketing representative at ABC company, I also participated on several marketing focus groups while working at XYZ company." 

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Interviewing Over Lunch: Are You at Risk?

Sometimes a hiring process will include having lunch with the hiring manager. Despite anything said to the contrary (like "It'll just be an informal lunch so we can get to know each other."), this is a formal part of your interview!  This can be a very tricky situation.

Impressions made in a restaurant are just as important as those in an office or meeting room.

If you don't want an "eating mishap" to ruin your chances at a new job (or a promotion if you're dining with the boss), follow these tips: 

1. Avoid ordering messy foods.

This includes long pasta, of course, but also anything with stringy cheese... you know, the kind that stretches up with your fork from the plate to your mouth.

Watch out for soup, anything with a sauce or other "drippable" ingredient. No matter how careful you are, you know an invisible hole can magically appear in your spoon and cause you to drip all over yourself!

Even a salad can be hazardous! Have you ever tried to spear a cherry tomato with your fork and squirted yourself, your neighbor, or watched the tomato go flying off your plate? Not impressive. Avoid cherry tomatoes.

2. Mind your manners.

First, let me say I am definitely NOT "Miss Manners." These are just common-sense tips, not something you'd learn at charm school. (So don't send me an email with the "proper" etiquette, OK?)

This may be considered old-fashioned and unnecessary by some (especially women's libbers, if there's still such a thing), but I think it's still a nice courtesy for a man to pull out a chair for a woman. Either sex can offer to take someone's coat and hang it up. In general, just be nice, thoughtful, and courteous.

Thank the servers.

If you're in a fancy place with 6 different forks, 3 knives and 2 spoons, don't freak out about which to use for what. In general, they're placed in the order in which the food that you use them with will be served... implement furthest from the plate being used first. So when the salad comes out first, grab the fork furthest from your plate. Or just watch what the big shot does and follow his/her example.

If your food comes out first, don't start scarfing it down while the other(s) wait for their food to arrive. If they're courteous, they'll invite you to go ahead before your food gets cold. Likewise, if someone else has been served and is waiting while your food is delayed, invite them to go ahead and eat.

Don't reach... ask someone to pass.

Don't use your bread to mop up sauce, soup, or anything else.

Don't slurp or burp. Ever. Yes, this may be acceptable in some countries as a way to show appreciation for good food, but if you're in the U.S., don't do it. Even if the big shot does.

3. Watch the cost.

It doesn't matter if you've been told, "Order anything you'd like, this is on me." Do not order the most expensive thing on the menu! Even if the big shot does.

4. Beer or wine?

Have you seen that commercial where several guys are at a restaurant with a big shot and he asks what they want to drink? They go around the table and all order a non-alcoholic drink except for the last guy, who orders a Sam Adams (beer). The big shot is "impressed" and orders the same.

Hah! Never fall for anything you see in a beer commercial!

Would you have a beer or glass of wine at the office? (You better say "No!") Despite the surroundings, food and drink, if this is a business function (and it certainly is if you're interviewing or discussing business with your boss), do NOT order alcohol! Even if the big shot does.

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How to Answer Questions About Underperforming Co-workers

Many interview guides will tell you to answer the very common "What's your greatest weakness?" question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a perfectionist."

That would be a mistake. Why? Because interviewers have heard these canned answers over and over again.

If you use one of them, it will likely backfire on you. They’l

You’re not being honest about your true weaknesses and are just regurgitating someone’s advice; You feel that expecting others to work hard and striving for perfection (or whatever other disguised positive traits you use) are "weaknesses," which makes you look ignorant, naïve and/or lazy; You don’t know how to do an honest self-assessment; Or you’re delusional and think you don’t have any real weaknesses! So state a true weakness! No one is perfect, so don’t try to convince anyone (especially yourself) that you don’t have any weaknesses. However, I cannot overemphasize the importance of not listing a key element of the position as a weakness! If you do that, you might as well send yourself the rejection letter. Pick a neutral weakness about something that’s not critical to the job. Mention that. Then emphasize what you've done to overcome the weakness. This shows that you are honest, that you recognize areas in which you need to grow, and that you are actively seeking ways to improve yourself. Sample Answers: "I honestly can't think of any weakness that would prevent me from doing an outstanding job for you in THIS position. But in the past, I've had some trouble delegating duties to others. I felt I could do things better and faster myself. This sometimes backfired because I'd end up with more than I could handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I've taken courses in time management and effective delegation, and I've managed to overcome this weakness." [NOTE: You would not want to use this example for a supervisory position] "I honestly can't think of any weakness that would prevent me from doing an outstanding job for you in THIS position. But I’m very weak in math and have to rely on a calculator even for basic computations. I always have one with me just in case a calculation is needed." [NOTE: You would not want to use this example for an accounting position or one that requires math skills!] This question really isn't so tricky, once you know what to expect and how to respond find all the vacancies in Job Vacancy Indonesia, Vacancy

How to Answer Questions About Underperforming Co-workers

A new subscriber recently asked me how to respond to this type of interview question: "What would you do if a colleague was not pulling his weight?"

Note: since the question is worded with "colleague" and not "employee" or "subordinate," I'm going to answer this as it would apply to a NONSUPERVISORY position. 

There are generally two management styles that determine how employers want their people to handle such situations. Unfortunately, they are completely different.

One style encourages employees to resolve conflicts and fix problems at the lowest level. So in that case, they'd probably want you to talk to your colleague one-on-one, to explain what he or she is doing wrong and how it's bad for the company and his/her own job

security. Then offer to help that person improve (as long as it did not adversely affect your own duties). If you can help this person improve, then you are helping the employee pull his/her weight (meaning he/she may not have to be replaced), you are helping the company maintain its quality standards, and also helping the supervisor/manager by saving them from having to deal with this problem.

The other style encourages employees to notify supervisor/managers immediately whenever there is a problem. The theory here is that management needs to know what's going on so they can make improvements. If there's an employee who is not performing up to standards, it could mean that employee was poorly trained, is not being properly motivated, or should never have been hired. Any of those situations should be addressed by management, so the best thing would be to bring the colleague's poor performance to the attention of your supervisor. He/she can then decide what to do about it.

As you can see, these management styles are opposite in nature. If possible, it would be good if you could find out which type of approach is preferred by the company involved. But I realize that may be difficult. In that case, I believe the best way to answer that question is something like this:

"My first step would be to determine how ABC Company prefers for these types of situations to be handled -- whether they want such problems resolved at the lowest level, or immediately broght to management's attention. Can you tell me which is preferred by ABC Company?"

If they do tell you, then you can easily adjust your answer to fit their particular management style. If they do not tell you, then you'll have to say something like, "Well, if they prefer that these situations be handled at the lowest level, then I would personally try to help the employee to improve his performance (as long as it did not affect my own duties)." (Then go into some detail about ways you could help, such as answering his questions, showing him how to do a particular task, etc.)

"If my attempts to help the employee were unsuccessful and I felt his performance was going to continue to be below ABC Company standards, I would bring the matter to the attention of my supervisor. I know that ABC Company prides itself on quality service and performance, so I feel it would be my responsibility to ensure those standards are upheld, not only by myself, but by those around me.

"If ABC Company prefers that such situations be immediately brought to the attention of the appropriate supervisor or manager, then I would, of course, do that instead of spending time trying to help the employee improve."

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Thoughtful Thank-Yous

I get asked these questions over and over: "Should I send separate thank-you notes to everyone who interviewed me? Can I just send one thank-you note to the hiring manager and ask him/her to thank others involved in the process?" 

The answers are yes and no, respectively.

Send a separate thank-you note to everyone who interviewed you, whether it was an informal pre-interview phone call, an interview lunch meeting, or the final formal interview after a lengthy process.

Don't be stingy with your thank yous!

It's an easy thing to do, it will only take a few minutes--and it will make the recipients feel good about you! Why wouldn't you jump at the chance to do 

that?

You can make your thank-you notes relatively short. They can be sent via snail-mail or email.

(There are differing opinions on which is best. I prefer the now "special" touch of a real letter over the routine method of email; others think email is best because it's faster. Just remember that what you say is more important than how you send it.)

Make each thank-you note slightly different by mentioning something in particular that you and the recipient discussed. This is a good reason to do your thank-you notes right away, while the interview is fresh in your mind. You might even want to take notes for this purpose.

Here's a great tip that will really impress the hiring manager: add a P.S. that mentions how helpful someone was, by name. I'm not talking about people directly involved in the interviews; they should get their own thank-you notes. But if there was a receptionist, an administrative assistant, or someone else who was helpful during your interview process, say so. Those people are rarely recognized, but may have influence with the hiring manager. The boss will think of you as someone who appreciates his team, notices things most other people overlook, and goes the extra mile.

Why make this a P.S.? Studies show that most people read the P.S. before (or even instead of) reading the main body of a letter. This P.S. will get attention and impress the reader, which will get your entire letter read and your thoughtfulness remembered!

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The Secret of Selling Yourself

A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is to promote its benefits as well as its features. Very simply, features are what something has; benefits are what those features do for you. For example, if you’re selling your used Oldsmobile, one of the features you might mention is its large trunk. If you focus only on the feature, you’ll say, “This car has a large trunk.” (Yawn) But if you promote that feature with its benefit, you could say, “The trunk is huge. You can get three suitcases and your golf bag in there for a trip to Disneyland and still have plenty of room for all the souvenirs you’ll want to bring home!” See how that makes a more powerful impression? The potential buyer can visualize how this car with its large trunk can make packing for his next trip much easier. Use the same tactic for each feature of the car, and (Ka-ching!) you have a much quicker sale.

When you’re preparing your resume or answering questions during an interview, you’re selling yourself, so use that same tactic: sell your benefits along with your features! Here’s how:

Consider these typical “features” a job applicant might mention during an interview:

• 10 Years of Experience
• Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute
• Strong Organizational Skills
• Dedicated
• Excellent Communicator
• 2004 Administrator of the Year, Acme International Inc.

Those are pretty impressive. Now let’s see how you can turn those “features” into “benefits:”

• Feature: 10 Years of Experience. Benefits: “I know what to expect in this type of position; I’ve handled this type of work before; I won’t need much training or supervision; I’ll hit the ground running and will start producing right away.”

• Feature: Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute. Benefits: “I can get your 10-page reports done in less than an hour; I will speed up your work flow.”

• Feature: Strong Organizational Skills. Benefits: “I’ll keep track of your schedule so you’ll always be on time and have the materials you need; I will be able to quickly retrieve any document; I will prioritize my workload to ensure the most critical projects are done first; I will save you time; I’ll help you make your boss happy.”

• Feature: Dedicated. Benefits: “I will support the company’s overall mission and do whatever I can to help achieve it; I won’t complain about hard work or long hours; I will faithfully do my job to the best of my ability.”

• Feature: Excellent Communicator. Benefits: “I will easily be able to give you and your staff the information you and they need, whether in verbal or written form; I will be able to compose much of your correspondence, relieving you of that duty; I will save you time and effort.”

• Feature: Administrator of the Year, 2003, Acme International Inc. Benefits: "I’m very good at what I do, and you don’t have to take my word for it – here’s proof that others have recognized my skill, professionalism, and outstanding contributions.”

Even more impressive!

See how that works? A “feature” is nice. But even better is answering the hiring manager’s unspoken question, “So why is that important?” You do that by selling your benefits.

Make a list of your own features and their corresponding benefits. Learn to promote these benefits to your potential employer. Do this in your cover letter, your resume, and during your interview to make a powerful impression. You will SELL yourself into a new job!
 

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Dealing With "How Would You...?" Questions

If you're a newsletter subscriber or frequent visitor to my website, you know that I'm always preaching about proper preparation prior to interviews. If you research the position and company carefully, you can anticipate likely questions and prepare excellent answers.

But something I also tell job seekers is that you can never anticipate every single question.

I once had to respond to a "How would you...?" question about exhuming a dead duck. I am not making this up. The position involved community affairs work for a sewer treatment plant. How could I have anticipated such a strange question? It took me totally by surprise.

But I got the job.

Often with problem-solving questions, the interviewer isn't looking for a "right" or "wrong" answer. He or she is more interested in the thought processes you demonstrate to come up with your answer.

The dead-duck question was based on an actual incident, and the person who asked it is the person who had to deal with it. My response showed that I would have handled the situation differently than she had, but it also showed that I knew about problem solving. I didn't panic at the unexpected question; I didn't answer before thinking about it for a few seconds; and I didn't blow it by giving a lame response like, "Gosh, that's a really tough question! I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation."

Here are a few tips to help you deal with "How would you...?" problem-solving questions:

1. Ask questions to determine exactly what the interviewer is looking for. (This will also give you a bit more time to think.)

2. Explain how you would gather the information and data necessary to develop a solution to the problem.

3. Tell how you’d use the information you gathered to develop and analyze alternative courses of action.

4. And finally, tell them your solution or recommendation, explaining how you feel it's the best option based on the info you were given.

The "How would you...?" type of problem-solving questions are popular in interviews these days. You must not let them scare you. Don't rush your response and don't stress yourself out wondering what answer they're looking for. 

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How to Overcome Being "Overqualified"

Have you ever gone through the interview process, felt confident that you'd performed extremely well, and then heard these dreadful words: "I'm sorry, but we feel you're overqualified for this position."

Arrggh!!

When I was told that after an interview, several thoughts went through my frustration-fogged mind... What kind of crazy excuse is that for not hiring me? So what if I'm 'overqualified' -- don't employers always want to hire the person with the best qualifications? If I'm willing to take this job, overqualified or not, why is that a problem? This isn't fair! What's the real reason they don't want to hire me? 

When interviewers say you are "overqualified," here's what they are concerned about:

(1) You'll be bored in this position;

(2) You won't be satisfied with the salary they're offering;

(3) You'll leave as soon as you get a better opportunity;

(4) They'll have to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of hiring and training someone all over again.

They may or may not make you feel better about being "overqualified," but you must admit those are legitimate concerns.

If you get the "overqualified" excuse once, you'll be wary about getting it again. So if you apply for other jobs that may be at a lower level than warranted by your background, skills, education and experience, you may be tempted to "dumb down" your resume and omit things like college degrees. But lying about your background is not the way to go.

Here's a better strategy: address it head-on. Be the first one to raise the "overqualified" issue with a potential employer. If you bring it up yourself, you can discuss it openly and convince the interviewer that it won't be a problem.

They key -- as with every job interview issue -- is to anticipate and prepare. Before you go to the interview, think about what you'll say and how you will convince them that they should hire you, even if you are "overqualified."

After explaining how you will be a great asset for their company, tell them why you are applying for a lower-level position. Do not say, "I can't find anything else and I really need a job." Though that may be the case, this approach is a little too honest and will reinforce their fear that you will leave at the first opportunity.

Say something like, "You can tell that I've worked at a higher level before, but this position is exactly what I'm looking for." Then, depending on the job and your circumstances, explain why. For example:

"I've always wanted to work for your company [or in this industry], and I'm willing to take a lower-level position to get that opportunity." "It will allow me to use my skills and expand my experience in a new field." "I'm looking for something a little less stressful, with fewer responsibilities, so I can spend more time with my family." "This position provides the stability and long-term growth potential I'm looking for." "The salary is not my top priority. I'd have no problem with earning less than I've earned in the past." Be very enthusiastic about the job. Explain how you can meet their needs now and in the future as the company grows. And most important of all, convince them that you will not quit as soon as something better comes along. If you are convinced that this job would be worth it, you might even try this: offer to sign an agreement stating that you will stay on the job for a minimum of 12 months. Whether the hiring manager actually takes you up on that offer or not, it will definitely make a very positive impression! If you anticipate the "overqualified" issue and address it up front, it will not be a drawback to your success!

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Are Your References Ready?

One of the most common forms of background check performed by companies hiring new employees is the reference check. They typically request that candidates provide them with three names of previous bosses. If you don't have three former bosses, then provide co-workers, teachers, college professors and/or professional colleagues as character references. 

The first thing you should do is develop your list of potential references and then contact each one. Explain that you're applying for a job, describe the type of work and the company, and ask if they would feel comfortable giving you a good recommendation.

If they have any hesitation, do not include them as a reference. Your goal is to have three strong references who can help you land the job.

Be sure to verify their contact information.

Don't list these references on your resume, but have them handy during an interview. Put the names, titles, phone numbers, mailing addresses and email addresses of your references on a single sheet of paper and take it to your interview.

After the interview, if this seems like a job you'd enjoy, go ahead and hand them this list of references along with any other "leave-behind" materials that are appropriate, such as a portfolio with samples of your work (this depends on the type of job, of course).

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