Interview-Tips that Land the Job You Want (1)

INTERVIEW TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU LAND THE JOB Tom Ryan Founder & President The Recruiter Network [email protected]

PURPOSE OF AN INTERVIEW  More than just landing an offer…it‟s about the MATCH!  Focus on mutual benefit  Don‟t interview “for the practice”

CONNECTING WITH THE RECRUITER  List contact information everywhere (cover letter, resume, email signature block, LinkedIn)  Respond with interest (or lack of interest) ASAP  Reschedule with caution

BEING PREPARED: READ THE JOB POSTING • Highlight key words • Match requirements and duties to your resume • Develop questions on every aspect of the job • What requirements do you fulfill extremely well? • Where are you deficient? • Is there anything about the job that strikes you as odd or inconsistent?

BEING PREPARED: RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION  Mission and current corporate initiatives  Position within organizational chart  Reporting relationships  Bios on website, Linked In, Google  Read the strategic plan, if posted

BEING PREPARED: GOING DEEPER  NONPROFIT -- Guidestar.com (review 990s)  FOR PROFIT -- Hoover‟s or other research tool  Develop appropriate questions (Wait to ask financial questions until at least 2nd level interview)  Use contacts on Linked In to inquire about organization and/or supervisor

THE PHONE INTERVIEW  Use a landline (when possible)  No noise in the background (dogs, kids)  Have the website open  Dress professionally  Stand up  SMILE!

WHEN YOU ARRIVE  10 minutes early = ON TIME; On time = LATE  The interview starts before you walk into building  Be friendly to the receptionist  Shut off cell phone  Polite refuse beverages  Fill out or submit application…with a smile

YOUR PERSONAL PRESENCE open  Dress code  Nothing to distract  Clothes that fit  Conservative suit is safest  Refrain from perfume/cologne  Show your enthusiasm, eye contact, body posture  SMILE!

ICEBREAKERS  Find something kind or amusing to comment  Mention any personal connections  Ask the recruiter about themselves  Comment on the website / company reputation

GROUP INTERVIEWS  Be as confident as you would be on the job  Ask questions of each participant  Make eye contact with each person when answering questions

ANSWERING BASIC QUESTIONS  Personal (eg. Age, family status, etc.)  Travel / Overtime  Compensation  “Tell me about yourself.”  Weaknesses

PREPARING TO ANSWER: COMPETENCIES AND PASSIONS  What do you most WANT to do?  In what areas am I both highly skilled AND highly motivated?  Public Relations…Legislative Advocacy… Project Management… Operations… Fundraising…Strategic Visioning… Consensus Building…Policy Analysis… Board relations… Staff Development…Public Speaking…etc.

PREPARING TO ANSWER: CHOOSING THE RIGHT EXAMPLES  Demonstrate skills for the position you are APPLYING FOR!  Relate your answer to what you know about the position  Use it as a jumping off point for discussion

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS  Explores your past behavior  Allows the interviewer to probe into your answer  Hard to fudge your response!  Interviewer wants a story with detail (but not too much)

SAMPLE BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS “Describe a time or a situation when you…”  …were faced with a stressful situation  …used good judgment in solving a problem  …showed initiative to increase revenues  …motivated others (team or direct reports)  …effectively handled a difficult customer  …tried to accomplished something and failed

PREPARING TO ANSWER: CULTURAL COMPETENCIES  How well do you “play in the sandbox?”  Typical organizational competencies:  Critical Thinking  Independence vs. Team Orientation  Mentoring / Delegating  Crisis Management  Customer Service  Self-motivation  Willingness to Learn

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWS: USE S-A-R Situation – Action – Result  Situation (S): Revenues were decreasing for my division last year. Several loyal clients did not renew their contracts.  Action (A): While some thought this was owed to the economy, I believed this might be due to the clients‟ lack of perceived value in our product offerings. I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of our products with those of our competitors. I also set-up a special training session for the account executives to discuss competitive selling strategies.  Result (R): We „won back‟ 15 former clients and were able to up-sell additional products beyond what they originally purchased. We increased our overall revenue by 20 percent over the same period the prior year.

PREPARE A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT  Prepare a portfolio of documents (budgets, programs, brochures, writing samples or awards)  Addendum to your resume (detailing specific skills and accomplishments related to the job)  Prepare a deliverable (onboarding document)  A 30, 60 or 90-day action plan  A formal proposal outlining a project or program

ASKING THE EMPLOYER QUESTIONS  Showcase your interest AND curiosity  Ask about:  Long-term goals of company / department  Short-term objectives during 1st year  Corporate / departmental culture  Challenges in role  Resources (financial, staff, technology)  Management style

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW  If you want the job, say so!  Ask about next steps in the decision making process  Can you meet with future co-workers  Supplementary documentation (if appropriate: financials, pubs, reports)  Email Thank You note (within 24 hours)

EXERCISE 1. Choose your greatest competency and create a S-A-R story to demonstrate it 2. Choose a related behavioral interview question “Describe a time when…” Get into groups of two:  Each person alternates between interviewer/interviewee. Give honest feedback.

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