Employment Edge Interview Coaching for Today’s Workforce

Employment Edge Sometimes the smartest most talented people in the marketplace are unable to present their core skills to land a job. Securing a position doesn’t always come to the most “qualified” candidates but comes to the person who can elicit their strength’s the most effectively. If you are evenly matched in an interview, the one who communicates the best and is able to explain their experience most effectively will win.

Todays Reality. Challenging job market Qualified people struggling to get work Highest unemployment rate in a generation Challenge to differentiate yourself Qualified people unemployed or underemployed Interviews are scarce

Personal Experience. 30+ years in Staffing/Recruiting and Sales/Sales Management. Variety of industries covered. (IT, Marketing, Sales and Management) Financial, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Scientific, Commercial, and Government. Hired and trained some of the strongest recruiters and sales people in the IT Staffing industry. Grew recruiting/staffing businesses from the ground floor to excellent success. Married for 25 years, three beautiful daughters. Basketball and volleyball coach for 20+ years. 3 time Ironman finisher.

in·ter·view : /ˈintərˌvyo͞o/ A formal meeting in which one or more persons questions, consults, or evaluates another person. A formal discussion, in which an employer assesses an applicants qualifications for a job Preparation/Strategy/Performance/Follow-through

State of Mind. Nowhere is more important than where you are today. Go into character. Everyone is involved in the interview, reception to security. Warmest welcome you can muster without being unnatural or over the top. Get them to put the resume to the side and have a conversation. Energy level high and positive. Understand the mind set of the interviewer.

Interviewer Personalities. Easy going Structured Tough Negative Wolf in sheep’s clothing Honest, direct Talker Stoic

Pre-interview. Be presentable and prepared. Dress to impress. Review the company’s website, job description, and gather data. Arrive 5-10 minutes early. Bring a photo ID. Have questions prepared from your research. Turn off your cell phone before you enter the building, or better yet, leave it in your car. If you’re late for the interview – own it. Have company’s contact information just in case.

Pre-interview. Be prepared & bring your best attitude. Scope out the location the night before and make sure you are at least 10 minutes early. Get solid rest and eat a sufficient breakfast. Dress in the sharpest suit you have, even if the environment is considered “casual”. Wear a different suit on the second interview. Make sure you can speak to everything on your resume and have several copies with you. Have a note pad prepared with your questions and research you have done. Hit the rest room before the interview.

First Impressions: The interview begins the moment you enter the building. The first 5 seconds are critical. Firm handshake, eye contact, and thank you. Immediately thank them for taking the time to interview you and demonstrate that you are excited about the opportunity. Let them direct you where to sit and don’t sit before they do. Eye contact indicates you are interested and engaged in the conversation. Any given eye contact should last about five seconds at a time. Any more can be intimidating; any less could be seen as insincere.

During the Interview. Minimize distractions. Don’t use useless modifiers (tell stories) Be ready and attentive. Eye contact is imperative! Discover the Need during the Interview and be part of the solution. Turn the interview into a conversation vs. a Q&A session. Maintain good posture Use the interviewer’s name when addressing him or her. Make a strong personal connection

During the Interview. Focus Demonstrate interest by asking questions, regarding technology, products, methodologies etc. Turn negatives into positives Don’t complain. Idle the conversation: ask the interviewer if they are satisfied with your response or need something to be explained further. Be prepared to stand behind your answers

During the Interview. Close the sale – ask for the job. Don’t hesitate to let the interviewer know that you are interested in working for their company. Sum up the discussion of the day. If you can’t get a commitment for the job on the spot, ask for the next steps in the process. Try your best to schedule the next interview immediately. Clarify any questions the client may have for you. Differentiate yourself here, muster the courage to ask for the job, but stay natural and use your own style.

Pitfalls and Traps. Remember your place- that you are interviewing to work for them. Don’t get too comfortable. If food or drinks are offered, kindly decline. Don’t walk in with anything other than a portfolio or a briefcase. For example, coffee, soda and bagels are not appropriate. Be careful if the interviewer tries to bait you into creating a casual environment. Stay confident, interviewers may try to catch you off guard. Make sure your voicemail message is professional

Pitfalls and Traps. Be open and approachable. You want them to imagine you in their workplace. Make sure you stand up and greet whoever comes in the room with a warm smile and firm handshake. Don’t ever say anything negative about your previous employers, only positives lessons learned. Answer questions directly and succinctly. Listen more than you talk. Don’t interrupt. Make strong eye contact.

Post interview. Follow up Gather business cards of everyone you meet. Send individual thank you emails by the end of the day you interviewed. Make it personal by highlighting something specific from each discussion. No typos or spelling errors.

Post interview. Thank you note example I wanted to thank you again for breakfast, it was a pleasure meeting with you and learning more about NTT Data. It definitely seems like an interesting niche and a great professional opportunity. I enjoyed hearing your perspective on the position, as well as your approach to management and sales. You definitely seem like someone I would enjoy working with and can really learn from. I do believe I have the necessary social and sales skills to be successful in the sales role; however I would certainly be interested in learning more about the recruiting opportunity as I do view it as a positive stepping stone to be more effective in the sales role. Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide you with, and I look forward to the potential opportunity of joining the NTT Data team.

Prep Questions. Tell me about yourself. What have your achievements been to date? Are you happy with your career to date? What is the most difficult situation you have had to face and how did you tackle it? What do you like about your present job?

Prep Questions. What do you dislike about your present job? What are your strengths? What is your greatest weakness? Why do you want to leave your current employer? Why have you applied for this particular job?

Questions for the Interviewer. What are the biggest challenges the person in this position will face? Can you describe a typical day or week in the position? What would a successful first year in the position look like? How will the success of the person in this position be measured? How long did the previous person in the role hold the position? What has turnover in the role generally been like?

Questions for the Interviewer. How would you describe the culture here? What type of people tend to really thrive, and what type don't do as well? How would you describe your management style Thinking back to the person who you've seen do this job best, what made their performance so outstanding? Are there any reservations you have about my fit for the position that I could try to address? What is your time line for getting back to candidates about the next steps?

Discussion. What are some of the toughest situations you have had encountered in an interview? What are some of the hardest questions you have faced? Is there anything that you particularly struggle with in an interview?

Private Coaching Available. Jim O’Haganjohagan1406@gmail.com201-303-1958

Employment Edge Interview Coaching for Today’s Workforce