Career Information Online

If you’ve ever been on a job interview for any position (whether it was your part time job during high school or your last career move) you’ve probably been asked this question by an interviewer.  You know you’re going to be asked this question or a similar one so have a really good answer prepared.  Your potential new employer probably doesn’t care about your personal life or your hobbies when asking that questions (although you might be able to include this type of information in your answer).  What the interviewer wants to find out is who you are as a potential employee.  This is the goal you should have in mind when you answer their question.  Keep your answer on the short side (maybe 2 minutes) but try to convey some good points about your professional experience.

Here’s a brief example of how you might answer that question.

“Well, I graduated from the University of Wherever in XXXX.  From there I took a job with ABC company as a (fill in the blank).  I was promoted to (blank) where I supervised X number of people on X project. I was with ABC Company for four years and then I went to XYZ Corporation as a (blank)” and so on, following along the history listed on your resume. 

Keep your answer confined to your professional life, if possible.  One example where you might bring in your personal life could be if you were looking to relocate to another city for your job.  You could say something like “because of family reasons I am looking to get a position in this town and that’s why I’m leaving my former city.”

Since you know you’re going to be asked this question, be ready for it.  You don’t have to have an answer memorized, just have in mind the important points you want to convey.

I’m not kidding.  Have you ever considered that an interview is just like a first date?  You get dressed up in your nicest clothes and groom yourself until you look your very best.  You are on your best behavior – you’re going to say please and thank you and there will be no casual behavior that you might exhibit with your family or friends.  There’s a great deal of anticipation – you wonder what the other person is going to be like and you hope that the person will like you in return.  You make your very best impression on the person and hope that the interviewer will call you back for another meeting.

But what if you don’t make it clear to the interviewer that you like the career opportunity, the company and even the person interviewing you?  Perhaps you went into the interview with a casual, kick the tires, let’s go in there and see what happens kind of attitude instead of being in a true interview frame of mind.  What do I mean when I say interview frame of mind?  You spend some time in preparation for the interview, researching the company and formulating a list of questions you have.  You go into the meeting with the attitude that this could be the best career opportunity for you in the world and want to do whatever you need to do to win the position.  Before you finish the interview you clearly communicate an interest in moving forward.

What happens if you go into an interview with a casual attitude?  Maybe after speaking with the interviewer for a few minutes you realize this is a great opportunity for you and your career.  You suddenly get excited and interested but it is too late – you’ve already made a somewhat poor showing with your lack of enthusiasm. You may have killed your chances of getting the job.

Let’s go back to the first date metaphor.  Wouldn’t you rather have the other person wanting a second date while you aren’t so sure about it, instead of you sitting at home hoping and praying the other person will call you for another date?  It’s the same with an interview.  It’s much nicer to make the good impression and have the interviewer like you and want to bring you back instead of having them be lukewarm about you.  It’s so much nicer for you to be the one turning down the second interview instead of being turned down by the company.

It’s very frustrating when you have been on an interview and think you’ve aced it to find out you didn’t get the job.  You had great conversations with the people you interviewed with, you like the company and you thought you did really well.  You might just have had the skills and background that would be a match for the company but there wasn’t any chemistry.  Everyone has the same chemistry on paper.  Once the hiring manager has determined that your background is the type of background they want to see, many times the reason someone doesn’t get a job is because there was no chemistry between the interviewer and the interviewee.

However, there are other reasons why you might not have gotten the job.  These include:

• Making a poor personal appearance.  While you might not think it is important, many companies and hiring managers place a lot of emphasis on a professional appearance. 
• Having a bad attitude.  Arrogance or cockiness towards the interviewer can be a real turn off.
• Not being prepared for the interview.  A lack of research on the company or a lack of questions regarding the position and the company fall under this category and can be a reason for rejection by a hiring manager.
• Not having the skills listed on your resume.  Don’t exaggerate your skill level on a resume – it can usually be verified during an interview.

Preparation for an interview is key to help you get the position.  Pay attention to these areas where a job can be lost during a face to face meeting.  Being prepared isn’t a guarantee that you will get the job but it will certainly give you a leg up on your competion.

When a company contacts you to schedule a telephone interview be sure to ask the following questions:

• What kind of conversation will this be – a general screen or a technical screen?
• Who will be involved in this conversation?  What is his/her title and role in the company?
• How long do you expect this conversation to last?
• Who will be initiating the call?  Verify the telephone number to be used.

Remember that in a telephone interview it will be only your voice that can communicate who you are.  You can’t rely on body language or facial expressions to express yourself.  Try to speak in a manner that is relaxed, confident and enthusiastic.  Your goal for this conversation is to generate enough interest in the party on the other end of the phone to invite you to the company to meet with them in person.

Some items you might want to have with you during this conversation include:

• A copy of the resume you sent to the company.
• A note pad and pen.
• General questions you want to ask about the company and the position.
• Information about the company (and if possible, be at a computer with their web site on the screen).
• A calendar with your availability for a face-to-face meeting for the next few weeks.

Have a statement about yourself prepared to answer the question “tell me a little about yourself”.  Keep it brief and have it coincide with your education and work history.

You might think some of the suggestions we are about to make sound silly, but you would be surprised how many people mess up on their telephone screen because they have forgotten to pay attention to the basics.  The only tools you have available to sell yourself in the telephone interview are your voice and the words you use.  Here are a few suggestions to help you have a good phone “personality” that conveys confidence and enthusiasm:

• Talk directly into the mouthpiece.
• If possible, stand up during the conversation and move around to help keep your energy high.  Don’t have this conversation while in a hunched over, slouched or laying down position.
• Mirror the speech patterns of the person conducting the interview.  If he/she is speaking slowly then slow down, if he/she is speaking quickly then pick up your pace a bit.  By matching their cadence the conversation will flow more smoothly.
• Be conversational.  This isn’t an inquisition, it’s a conversation.
• Be upbeat and positive.
• Listen carefully – don’t lose your mental focus.
• No matter what is asked or stated during the conversation, always answer in a professional manner.  Never become argumentative or defensive.

What the representative of the company needs to bring away from this conversation is that you can get the job done.  Your goal is to share enough information about you and your background to get him/her to want to bring you into their office for an interview.

End the conversation on a positive note.  Tell the person that you enjoyed your conversation.  Ask him/her what the next step in the process will be and when you can expect to hear from them again.  And finally, if you are interested in the position and moving forward in the process communicate this to the company representative.  Make sure to emphasize this is the type of opportunity you are looking for. 

More and more companies are requiring their candidates for employment go through a pre-employment background check.  Many times the company will wait until you have completed a first interview before beginning the process.  Background checks can range from basic to very complex and complete, depending upon the position.

Just what is included in a background check?  Any or all of the following can be included
when performing a pre-employment background check or screen:

• Verification of previous employment
• Reference interviews
• Education verification
• Verification of professional licenses and certifications
• Motor vehicle report (driving record)
• Social Security number trace
• Military service verification
• Drug/alcohol testing
• Credit history check
• Criminal history check (local, state, national and federal)
• Civil history check
• Child abuse clearances
• Sex offender registry search
• Workers’ compensation history

These are just a few examples of the types of screens that can be performed in a pre-employment background check.  Depending on the nature of the position there might be even more screens that you will have to undergo before receiving an offer of employment.

Consent is needed for pre-employment background screens so your potential new employer will have you sign a form giving your consent.  Read the form very carefully to see what tests you have consented to undergo.

There are some things you can do prior to undergoing a pre-employment background screen.  You can request your own credit reports from the major credit reporting agencies to see if there is any derogatory information listed.  Only use personal and professional references you know will report positive information about you and your abilities.  Don’t lie on any application forms or on your resume. 

Pre-employment background screens or checks are becoming more common in this post 9/11 world.  Don’t be surprised if the next time you apply for a job you are told you will need to undergo a background screening process prior to being hired.

In every interview, no matter what position is up for grabs, the interviewer is going to ask “do you have any questions”.  Your answer must be Yes.  Saying “no” can really be detrimental to your chances of getting that position.

Why is it important to ask questions?  Asking questions shows you are interested in the company and position, and that you are interested in what the interviewer has to say.  It shows that you have done some research and thinking about the position and want to learn more.  It also shows that you have paid attention to what the interviewer has said during the interview, since a good listener will pick up on what an interviewer has said and ask questions about that information.

What might an interviewer think if you don’t ask any questions?  First, it shows a lack of preparation on your part.  He/she might be thinking “you couldn’t come up with even one question”?  Second, it might show you don’t know enough about your chosen career to ask intelligent questions.  The interviewer might be thinking you weren’t paying attention to what was said during the interview, because often a statement made will generate a question.

A suggestion I like to make is to have a list of questions mentally prepared before going into the interview, perhaps 10 to 15 questions.  Many of them might be answered during the interview, so have some prepared you can ask the interviewer.  Here’s one question you might consider using – if I were to get this job, what would be my primary goals and objectives for the first 90 days?

You know you’ll be asked if you have any questions – be prepared for this to show the interviewer your interest in the position and their company.

Punctuality is definitely a virtue when it comes to an employee. When you go for an interview, take that one step further and be sure to arrive early for your interview. You want to be sure you have enough time to fill out an application or any paperwork that might be required of you. However, you don’t want to arrive too early. HR departments and managers have scheduled your interview for a specific time for a reason. They are planning on meeting with you at that time and spending an appropriate amount of time with you to get to know you and your background. They aren’t expecting you to arrive super early. If that is the case, you’ll just be sitting in a reception area until they are ready to meet with you. As an interviewer it is frustrating to have someone show up too early for an interview. This has happened to me in the past and I speak from experience. I’d usually be in the middle of something else thinking I had until a certain time to work on a project, or I might already be in the midst of an interview when the candidate arrived. It messes up your plans and for some managers this might be very annoying to them. You don’t want to start out on the wrong foot before you even start the interview.

A good rule of thumb - arrive about 15 minutes early. If you do happen to get to the building much earlier than that, sit in your car or find a lobby or coffee shop where you can spend the time until you go for your interview. Fifteen minutes gives you enough time to catch your breath, fill out any applications, and compose yourself in preparation for your interview. It shows your potential employer that you care enough about this interview to arrive early.