Presentation The Key To Job Interviews
There’s no denying that job interviewing is something of an art. In many cases, your success in landing a job will hinge not on your qualifications but on how well you present them to interviewers who have laundry lists of specific responses they want to hear and specific behaviors they want to see.
To gauge how interviewers perceive job applicants, we asked four managers and business owners to explain what sets candidates apart in an interview:
Peggy Wilhide, press secretary to Vice President Al Gore: “I look for good team players - people who will put the good of the organization first rather than constantly position themselves for bigger and better things. When job candidates use the pronoun ‘I’ over and over again - ‘I did this’ or ‘I did that’ - I question whether they’re a team player. Much of what we do in a press office or during a campaign involves working together on projects. I like to hear job applicants talk about working with other people and describe what they accomplished as a group. It’s OK to point out individual contributions as long as you explain how it related to the group effort. I also like to see enthusiasm. I always ask, ‘Do you really want this job?’ Some people hesitate to answer it, or they mumble, ‘I’m not sure.’ Even if you’re not sure, that’s the wrong answer. At least act interested, and if you’re offered the job, you can make a decision then.”
Arlis McLean, vice president of human resources for Fel-Pro Inc., in Skokie, Ill.: “Past performance is the best predictor of future performance. I want applicants to provide specific examples of their past experience when I ask open-ended, behavior-based questions such as, ‘Tell me about the time you seized an opportunity,’ or ‘When did you overcome a serious obstacle?’ I expect applicants to have fast, detailed answers to those types of questions. I don’t want them to sit there and think about it for three minutes. So before an interview you should reflect on the behavioral traits that are important to employers - initiative, leadership, loyalty, ability to influence others - and be ready to explain the situations in which you demonstrated them. It doesn’t have to be in your current position either. It’s OK to go back a few jobs.”
Patti Upton, chief executive officer of Aromatique, a home-fragrance manufacturer in Heber Springs, Ark.: “When I’m interviewing job applicants, I pay close attention to their body language, attitude and knowledge of our company. I want them to look me in the eye and offer me a firm handshake. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who duck their heads, avert my glance and fidget. That is not the type of person I want representing Aromatique. Secondly, I want to see confidence, not cockiness. Younger people tend to say, ‘I guarantee I can do this job.’ That’s a little too comfortable. They don’t know what you’re going to ask them to do. It’s better if they say, ‘I’ll give it my best shot,’ because as a boss, that’s really all you can ever ask of your employees. Finally, I expect applicants to do research on the company. I want to hear them name some of our fragrances because it tells me that it won’t take nearly as long to train them as it would someone who isn’t familiar with our products.”
Esther Orioli, chief executive officer of Essi Systems Inc., a San Francisco-based stress research and management consulting firm: “I want job applicants to take an objection and turn it around to their advantage. For example, I might say, ‘You really don’t have the health-care sales experience that we’re looking for.’ Many people just sit there and say, ‘Yes, you’re right.’ What I want to hear is, ‘Yes, that’s true. But the skills I have developed at XYZ company are extremely transferable and would benefit your company in the following ways.’ In sales, when somebody says ‘No,’ that’s when the selling starts. I put myself in the customer’s position because I need to know whether or not the person can overcome customers’ objections.”
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