The skanner., May 30, 2012, Page 9, Image 9

2012 C AREERS E DITION
How to Master Five Key Job Interview Challenges
B y G e o r g e M a tso n
h a t d o y o u d o w h e n y o u f a c e u n u s u a l jo b in te r -
v ie w c h a lle n g e s ? H o w y o u r e s p o n d to a w k w a r d
s itu a tio n s o r o ff - th e - w a ll q u e s tio n s in a jo b in te r -
v ie w lik e ly w ill d e te r m in e w h e th e r y o u g e t th e jo b o ff e r o r
n o t. B e s u r e y o u ’ r e n o t a c a s u a lty b y f o llo w in g th e s e f iv e
g u id e lin e s to d iff u s in g s o m e p o te n tia lly e x p lo s iv e jo b in te r -
v ie w s itu a tio n s :
1 . A f lip p a n t o r in s u ltin g c o m m e n t. A r e c e n t c o lle g e g r a d -
u a te w a s in te r v ie w in g f o r a jo b w ith th e r e g io n a l m a n a g e r
o f a la rg e c o m p a n y. T h e in te r v ie w w e n t w e ll u n til, a s th e
r e c e n t g r a d u a te w a s p u ttin g o n a f la s h y o v e r c o a t, w h ic h w a s
f in e f o r a 2 1 - y e a r- o ld , th e m a n a g e r s a id , “ T h a t’s q u ite a n
o v e r c o a t. D o y o u w e a r th a t to a r a c e tr a c k ? ” T h e y o u n g m a n
c a lm ly r e s p o n d e d , “ N o . W h y ? D o e s it r e m in d y o u o f y o u r
b o o k ie ? ” B o th m e n ju s t s m ile d a t e a c h o th e r.
S o m e in te r v ie w e r s w a n t to s e e h o w in te r v ie w e e s w ill
re a c t to a n e m b a rra s s in g o r c h a lle n g in g s itu a tio n .
T h e r e f o r e , y o u s h o u ld g o in to a jo b in te r v ie w o n y o u r m e n -
ta l tip to e s s o , w h e n th e in te r v ie w e r th r o w s a v e r b a l p u n c h ,
y o u c a n th r o w a q u ip b a c k a n d n o t w in d u p o n th e c a n v a s .
2 . W h a t s a la r y a r e y o u s e e k in g ? I f s o m e o n e o p e n s a n
in te r v ie w b y a s k in g w h a t y o u w a n t f o r a s a la r y, o r if th is
q u e s tio n is a s k e d to o e a r ly in th e in te r v ie w , y o u s h o u ld n o t
g iv e a f ig u r e b e c a u s e y o u h a v e n o t h a d a d e q u a te tim e to s e ll
y o u r s tr e n g th s to th e p o te n tia l e m p lo y e r. A s y o u e x p a n d
y o u r q u a lif ic a tio n s , y o u g a in le v e r a g e in s a la r y n e g o tia -
tio n s . M o s t c o m p a n ie s h a v e f le x ib ility in s a la r y r a n g e s . T h e
p r o p e r r e s p o n s e to a n e a r ly in q u ir y a b o u t y o u r s a la r y
r e q u ir e m e n ts is : “ I ’ ll b e g la d to d is c u s s th a t w ith y o u la te r,
w h e n w e ’ v e h a d a c h a n c e to e x p lo r e th e p o s itio n a n d m y
q u a lif ic a tio n s in m o r e d e ta il.” A ls o , d o n ’t f o rg e t to d o
r e s e a r c h o n th e s a la r y p a r a m e te r s o n th e p o s itio n a n d th e
u s u a l h ir in g r a n g e . S o m e tim e s y o u c a n r e s e a r c h s a la r y
r a n g e s o n lin e .
W
a n c e o f c o n v e r s a tio n : id e a lly, 6 0 p e r c e n t in te r v ie w e e a n d 4 0
p e r c e n t in te r v ie w e r. I f th e in te r v ie w e r is ta lk in g to o m u c h
a b o u t ir r e le v a n t m a tte r s , th e in te r v ie w e e s h o u ld g e t th e
in te r v ie w b a c k o n tr a c k b y r e d ir e c tin g . T h e in te r v ie w e e
s h o u ld w a it u n til th e in te r v ie w e r ta k e s a b r e a th ( e v e r y o n e
h a s to b r e a th e s o o n e r o r la te r ) a n d im m e d ia te ly c h a n g e th e
s u b je c t. F o r e x a m p le , th e in te r v ie w e e m ig h t s a y, “ I t’s
im p o r ta n t th a t y o u k n o w a n o th e r s tr e n g th th a t I h a v e f o r th e
p o s itio n is x y z ,” e tc . I f th e in te r v ie w e e w a n ts th e jo b , it’s
n e c e s s a r y to h a v e u ltim a te , if n o t a p p a r e n t, c o n tr o l o f th e
in te r v ie w .
Be humble in your confidence
as you inquire about the
connection between the
question and the position and
responsibilities of the position
3 . B e h u m b le in y o u r c o n f id e n c e . S u c c e s s f u l e x e c u tiv e s
a r e a s s e r tiv e a n d , if w e b e lie v e a r e c e n t s u r v e y, e v e n a g g r e s -
s iv e . I f p o te n tia l e m p lo y e r s a s k y o u a q u e s tio n th a t y o u m a y
p e r c e iv e a s ir r e le v a n t o r r id ic u lo u s , d o n ’t p a n ic . I t is o k f o r
y o u to le a r n h o w th e q u e s tio n m a y b e r e le v a n t to th e p o s i-
tio n . T h e u s e o f h u m o r a n d h o n e s ty, w h ile b e in g r e s p e c tf u l
is a lw a y s th e b e tte r a p p r o a c h . I f y o u w e r e a s k e d if y o u w e r e
m a r r ie d , o n e p o s s ib le r e s p o n s e is , “ I lik e k e e p in g m y p e r -
s o n a l a n d p r o f e s s io n a l s e p a r a te . D o y o u s e e b e in g m a r r ie d
a s h a v in g a n im p a c t o n th is p o s itio n ? ” B e h u m b le in y o u r
c o n f id e n c e a s y o u in q u ir e a b o u t th e c o n n e c tio n b e tw e e n th e
q u e s tio n a n d th e p o s itio n a n d r e s p o n s ib ilitie s o f th e p o s i-
tio n .
4 . T h e u n r e s p o n s iv e in te r v ie w e r. U n f o r tu n a te ly, th e r e a r e
s o m e p e o p le w h o h a v e to c o n d u c t in te r v ie w s w h o a r e ill-
s u ite d f o r th e ta s k e ith e r b y te m p e r a m e n t o r tr a in in g o r
b o th . Yo u , y o u r s e lf , a r e th e C h ie f R e s c u s c ita to r o f th e in te r -
v ie w . T h e in te r v ie w e r ’s te r s e a n d s p a r s e c o m m e n ts m a y ju s t
b e f a tig u e , if y o u ’ r e th e la s t in te r v ie w in a b u s y d a y. O r th e
b r ie f p e r f u n c to r y g r u n ts y o u h e a r m a y a ls o b e a r e f le c tio n
o f th e in te r v ie w e r ’s p e r m a n e n t s ta te o f m in d . M a y b e th e
in te r v ie w is in tr o v e r te d , a n g r y, d e p r e s s e d , f r u s tr a te d , o v e r -
w o r k e d ( lik e ly in to d a y ’s b u s in e s s e n v ir o n m e n t) , ju s t p la in
c a n ta n k e r o u s , o r w h o k n o w s w h a t e ls e ? W h a t y o u n e e d to
d o is u n lo c k h is o r h e r m o u th to e s ta b lis h a r a p p o r t s o y o u
c a n g e t th e in f o r m a tio n y o u n e e d . To g e t th e p e r s o n to o p e n
u p , a s k o p e n - e n d e d q u e s tio n s ( e s p e c ia lly “ h o w ” a n d “ w h a t”
q u e s tio n s ) th a t f o c u s o n th e jo b . I f n e c e s s a r y, tr y r e p e a te d
a tte m p ts to g e t th e p e r s o n to ta lk m o r e . I f y o u f in d th e
r e s p o n s e s a r e s till te r s e , a s k y o u r s e lf if y o u w o u ld b e c o m -
f o r ta b le w o r k in g f o r th is p e r s o n if h e o r s h e w e r e y o u r
d ir e c t s u p e r v is o r. I f th e a n s w e r is n o , tr u s t y o u r in s tin c t a n d
lo o k e ls e w h e r e .
5 . G e ttin g b a c k to b u s in e s s . T h e o p p o s ite o f th e te r s e ,
b lu n t in te r v ie w e r, o f c o u r s e , is th e ta lk a tiv e , e g o - c e n tr ic
in te r v ie w e r. Yo u ’ ll g e t to k n o w m o r e th a n y o u ’ d lik e a b o u t
th e p e r s o n v e r y q u ic k ly in th e in te r v ie w . O f te n , th is lo q u a -
c io u s in d iv id u a l w ill q u ic k ly d e lv e in to in a p p r o p r ia te le v e ls
o f s e lf - d is c lo s u r e . D o n ’t f e e l o b lig a te d to d o th e s a m e . I f
y o u w a n t to te ll th e in te r v ie w e r y o u r lif e s to r y, s a v e it u n til
a f te r y o u ’ v e r e c e iv e d th e jo b o ff e r a n d e s ta b lis h e d a f r ie n d -
s h ip w ith y o u r e m p lo y e r. O th e r w is e , b e d is c r e e t in y o u r
r e s p o n s e s , a n d tr u s t th a t th e p r o f e s s io n a l w ill r e s p o n d in
k in d .
I n a n e m p lo y m e n t in te r v ie w , y o u w a n t to h a v e a g o o d b a l-
The Skanner News Careers Edition
M ay 30, 2012 Page 9