job interview Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Palladian Career Resources

Interview Question – Why You Left Each Job

In almost every interview, you will be asked why you left your previous employers. This is a question designed to uncover reasons for the hiring manager to reject you. It will not help you get the job and is a question you need to survive.

The reasons you left a company can provide a lot of insight into your performance, potential and motivation. With this question, a hiring manager is trying to see if there is something in the candidate’s background that will lead them to eventually fire the candidate. If another company fired someone for poor performance, a hiring manager will typically assume the candidate will perform similarly. You can change this perception if you prepare and speak honestly about the experience.

It would be nice if every candidate was always successful and never had a bad career experience. This would render a question about leaving a former employer unimportant. The truth is most people have failed at some point in their careers. The failure might be minor, involving an unsuccessful project, or it could be major, involving a significant performance problem resulting in termination.

To be successful answering this question, you need to do three things. First, you need to be honest. Never make up something that isn’t true. Second, take responsibility for your performance. I have interviewed candidates who blame everyone but themselves. This makes a terrible impression and will sink your chances. Third, show what you have learned from the experience and would do differently.

Confidence is important when talking about your failures. The more you avoid a question about a time when you failed, the more the hiring manager will ask about it. With a goal of trying to uncover reasons to not hire you, the hiring manager will look for signs of a problem. Once something is identified, the hiring manager will ask follow up questions until it is clear whether the situation warrants rejecting the candidate.

If you were fired, you need to be able to explain what you would do differently. This doesn’t necessary mean you would be able to change a failure into a success. A lot of people have tried one career and found they weren’t suited to it. That’s fine. You just need to be able to explain what it was about that career that was not a match for your skills and abilities. If you aren’t changing fields, then you need to show what you learned from the experience. Failure is a great teach – if you are open to learning. Showing how you learned from failures can be as impressive as a success.

A Babysitter Interview on Olivia

I was watching Olivia with my three year old daughter last night. Olivia is a cartoon about family of pigs, with Olivia the oldest child. In the episode we watched, Olivia’s mother interviewed babysitters. As my daughter and I watched, I was surprised when the interview turned out have some similarities to real interviews.

This question kicks off a large percentage of interviews. It gives the job seeker a chance to highlight their most marketable skills, experiences and accomplishments. It also provides a risk of starting the interview very poorly.

The actual question asked to start the cartoon interview was, “Tell me about yourself, Lilly. Do you have experience babysitting children?” The qualification of the “Tell me about yourself” question makes it clear what the interviewer wants the candidate to focus on in their answer. In real interviews, it is uncommon for the interviewer to provide this guidance.

When a hiring manager asks you to tell them about yourself, they are looking for a professional summary of your background. It is very rare that a hiring manager wants you to describe personal details unrelated to your career. The question gives you the chance to make your best sales pitch.

By following the Tell Me About Yourself question with a question about babysitting experience, the cartoon character directs the teenage pig to answer the question by focusing on her experience related to the job. Most hiring managers won’t help you like this. They will ask the Tell Me About Yourself question without qualifying it. It’s up to you to use your answer to promote yourself.

In the cartoon, the teenage pig’s answer started with some info of her experience caring for children, but quickly degenerated into a bunch of unrelated details of her personal life culminating with a cheer from her cheerleading team. I’ve never had a job seeker do a cheer during an interview, but I have heard a wide range of details, from the number of pets to unusual hobbies. I’ve had job seekers answer with details of their church activities, their kids or even specifics of their health. Probably the worst answers are a non-answer – with the job seeker responding with something like “What do you want to know?” This doesn’t make a good impression.

I thought it was a little crazy that a cartoon about a family of pigs that my 3 year old loves could provide insights for a professional job seeker. And yet, the answers given by some actual job seekers are not much better than the teenage cartoon pig’s answer.

Prepare for the Tell Me About Yourself answer. Rehearse it and practice it. Try different scripts and include different information until to arrive at a version that makes a powerful impression. If you need help, find someone to work with you on your answer.

This question and answer can set the tone for an entire interview and may be the most important question you will have to answer. It is worth spending a lot of time to get right.

If you have a preschool, kindergarten or elementary age child you want to get a book for, my six year old highly recommends the Olivia books. Check them out on Amazon.

Body Language in an Interview

How you present yourself in an interview can influence the overall impressive you make on an interviewer. Some studies have said the words we use only account for 10% of the information communicated.

How you present yourself in an interview can influence the overall impressive you make on the interviewer. Some studies have said the words we use only account for 10% of the information communicated. The other 90% is made up of you body language, eye contact, tone, pitch, pace and volume.

Can you improve the non-verbal aspects of your interview performance?

Absolutely. Your non-verbal behavior can be adapted to suit any situation. Individuals in the public eye, actors, politicians and salespeople, work on their non-verbal behavior. Some employ coaches to work on these skills routinely throughout their careers. Hiring a full time coach is not practical for most people, though.

There are a few basic tactics that you can employ. The first and most important is to be enthusiastic. In an interview, you should show your interest in the position. Speaking in a monotone with low energy will make a bad impression.

The second tactic you should employ is mirroring. Pay attention to the interviewer and their non-verbal queues. If they sit very straight and lean forward, adopt a similar posture. If they sit back and slouch, you can relax and lean back a little, although you should maintain a professional appearance regardless of what the interviewer does. Mirroring can be extended to speaking style. If the interviewer speaks very quickly, you should try to match their pace.

Mirroring is a talent and a skill. Some people do it very naturally, while others struggle. To be most effective, you should mirror the interviewer almost unconsciously. I’m sure you have had the experience where you met someone and immediately liked them and bonded with them. Usually, this happens when two people have significant similarities in their non-verbal communication.

Because our non-verbal communication is done naturally without thinking, it is extremely difficult to for most people to change. You can learn mirroring techniques, but they take work and practice. Many job seekers find interviews very intimidating and struggle to know what to say. Focusing on mirroring can make this a greater challenge.

Should you adapt your non-verbal communication?

Yes and No. There are significant advantages to a positive attitude, good eye contact and paying attention to the body language of the interviewer. At the same time, you should only pay attention to these elements if they do not distract you from listening effectively. Failing to listen will hurt your chances much more than having your body language a little out of sync with the interviewer. You should focus on listening closely, providing good answers and adapting subtly to the interviewer. If you do these three things, you will give yourself the best chance of getting hired.

Interview Tip #11

Interview Tip: Prepare for an interview by taking sample assessment tests.

Interview Tip: Prepare for an interview by taking sample assessment tests.

Many companies utilize assessment testing in their screening process. Test taking is a skill and can be improved. If taking a test intimidates you or you feel your test taking skills are rusty, practice. Find sample assessment tests online and take them. The practice will help prepare you and will improve your test taking skills. Even if you run into a different kind of test from an employer than you practiced, the practice will help by improving your test taking skills.

Interview Tip #10

Interview Tip: Don’t try to make a fashion statement in an interview.

Interview Tip: Don’t try to make a fashion statement in an interview.

How you dress for an interview will not help you get an offer, but it can hurt your chances. In most situations, conservative professional attire is expected. There are a few exceptions, but they are rare. Research the company. If nothing in your research indicates unusual expectations for how a candidate dresses, stick with a professional appearance. You want to be remembered for your skills, experience and potential, not your fashion choices.

Hiring Managers Want to Succeed

One of the most significant priorities of hiring managers is selecting a person that will make them successful. Every position within a company has goals and expectations. If it didn’t, the position would be eliminated. Managers need to deliver results, and this requires each member of their their delivering results that contribute to the team’s goals. To standout in the interview process, you need to show how you will contribute to the company’s and team’s success.

This is just the starting point though. There are other factors beyond individual contribution that a hiring manager will consider. A big issue is how easy a person will be to manage. Managers may overseas a few people or dozens. The larger the team, the less time the manager can devote to each individual.

I’m sure you have worked with someone that was very needy. The type of person that requires constant direction and management. This could be caused by insecurity, a lack of initiative or a low skill level. Regardless of the cause, an employee requiring significant time and effort to manage can make the manager less effective. It is rare that a manager today is only responsible for managing their team. Most are tasked with a variety of other responsibilities.

Some people won’t care about the problems and tasks of a potential boss. They are focused on showing they can do the job they are seeking. The downfall of this is hiring managers will hire the person who will make their team successful. This may not be the person with the most experience or talent.

Professional sports routinely show talented athletes that hurt their team’s performance. Terrell Owens has been regarded by many as the most talented receiver in the NFL for a number of years. His ability is exceptional and he can dominate a game. Despite this, he was cut from the Philadelphia Eagles mid-season a few years ago and has now been released from the Dallas Cowboys. There are a number of teams that need a good receiver that have passed over T.O. several times. Recently, the Bills signed him and it will be interesting to see if he helps or hurts the team.

In your job search, it is important to show how you will help the company, your team and your boss. If you only focus on your personal achievement or contributions to the company, without any concern for the success of your team, you can hurt your chances.

In preparing to interview, look at what you did to make the jobs of your past bosses easier. How did you communicate with them? When and how would you ask for help? Are you able to work autonomously or do you need a lot of attention? How did you get along with your team?

Consider these questions before your next interview. Even if you are not asked any of them, you can be certain you will be assessed on how you will contribute to the success of your prospective boss.

There Are No Stupid Interview Questions

Have you ever been asked a question in an interview that strikes you as complete ridiculous? The kind of question that makes you wonder how the person across the desk was able to get their job if they think a question like that is valuable.

At some point in your job search, you may be asked a question that seems valueless, or just plain stupid. Some people react to a question like this by making a joke out of it, asking if the interview is serious or stating that they think it’s dumb question. These responses are mistakes.

If an interviewer asks a question, they have a reason for asking it. It’s important to them. It may indeed be ridiculous and the basis of the question may not make any sense to you, but the interviewer asked it because they want the answer. If your reaction shows you don’t respect the question, it will hurt your chances. Even worse, the interviewer may have a very good reason for asking the question due to some detail of the position you do not know.

There are no stupid interview questions. Regardless of your feelings of the value of a question, the judge of each question and answer is the interviewer. Additionally, there are interviewers that intentionally throw in off the wall questions to see how the candidate will react. In this case, the interviewer doesn’t really care about the answer. They are more interested in the ability of the job seeker to stay focused and professional.

As you prepare for an interview, it is important to consider how you will react to a question that completely surprises you. No matter how much you prepare, there is always a chance that the interviewer will ask a question you didn’t anticipate. How you respond to being blindsided can make or break an interview.

If you get a question that surprises or stumps you, take a few seconds to answer. A short pause to think will not hurt the impression you make. If you need more than a couple seconds, stall. A simple phrase, such as: “That’s an interesting question,” followed by a restatement of the question can help you formulate your answer. Avoid the temptation to just start talking. Many people, when nervous and faced with a question they didn’t expect panic and start talking immediately – before they know what they are going to say. If you avoid this, you will make a much better impression.

Interviewing With Your Current Employer

Preparing for an interview with your current employer poses several unique challenges. You know the company and the interviewers. The process is clearly defined. You even have insight into the position that outside candidates would never have. Despite this, many people struggle with internal interviews.

Preparation is the key for internal interviews. You need to be able to talk about your experience in detail. Interviewers will expect you to discuss your accomplishments and experiences as if you were an external candidate. You need to prepare thoroughly.

In an internal interview, it is likely you will know some or all of the interviewers. They will also know you and have an impression of your abilities, experience and performance. Most interviewers will also recognize that they may only have a partial picture of your performance. Managers do not have the opportunity to see the full performance of every person within a company. They often form impressions of people based on a few isolated accomplishments or failures. It is possible that the interviewer is someone you see every day, but because they are in a different functional area, they may have little to no understanding of your day-to-day work.

Current or Past Experiences

One of the most common questions individuals have about internal interviews is whether to talk about experiences at their current employer or focus on experiences at prior employers. Many assume that the interviewer knows what they have done in their current role and only talk about past employers. This is a huge mistake. It leaves one impression above all others… you can tell a good story but have accomplishment nothing in your current role.

Focus on your experiences at your current employment. The most important assessment criteria in any interview is the value you will offer in the role. If you cannot show any value you have provided in your current role, no matter how impressive your performance in past jobs, you will not convince an interviewer that you will add value in a new role.

Focusing on your current experiences does not mean you disregard your past. Some interviewers will only know you by your current role. If you are interviewing for a position in a different functional area, you should discuss your experience with skills critical to that area. This may require discussing past jobs.

If you have been with your current employer for less than a year, you should prepare to discuss your current role for 25-50% of the interview. Experiences with prior employers will fill the remainder of your answers. If you have been with the company for 1 to 3 years, try to focus 50-75% of your answers on your current role. If you have been with the company for more than 3 years, you should target 80% of your answers from roles with your current employer.

As you discuss your experience with your current employer, prepare all the details as if you were interviewing with someone that knows nothing about you. Don’t assume that the interviewer knows the details and background behind each of your experienes. You are better off providing more detail, including information the interviewer already knows, than leaving out details that make your answer confusing or less effective.

Interview Tip #6

Interview Tip: Demonstrate your potential in an interview by showing your past successes.

Interview Tip: Demonstrate your potential in an interview by showing your past successes.

Many job seekers only state their qualifications and potential. The candidate that stands out will show their qualifications by presenting examples from their experience. Successful candidates will also demonstrate their potential by providing specific accomplishments in situations similar to those they will encounter in the new position.

Interview Tip #5

Interview Tip: Avoid topics where you are critical of your coworkers or supervisors in an interview.

Interview Tip: Avoid topics where you are critical of your coworkers or supervisors in an interview.

Hiring managers want to hire people that will fit in with their team. They do not want someone with an attitude that will cause conflict or personnel problems. Avoid topics that will show you in a situation that calls into question your ability to work well with others.