Job Interviews Can Be a Real Bore

I'm sorry, but job interviews can be a real bore. If you get an interview with a company and have four people to meet, the odds are that two of those interviews will be boring. What do I mean by boring? Well, there are a lot of people asked to interview who don't do it very often and don't really know what to ask. There are also those that are so scripted that the candidate is forced to fall back on answers that are also scripted. If the interviewer was nervous or unsure going into the meeting and remained that way through until the end, you will be blamed for it.

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Boring interviews end up in a cycle of generic interaction that leads the interviewer to neither like you or dislike you. In the post-interview meeting that most companies have, you will likely not stand out. Instead, as you are peeling off your business suit or scraping off your fancy interview shoes, you are being described as "OK", "good gal/guy" or "capable". Not very inspiring for the hiring manager and not much cover if he/she wants to make you an offer.

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Whether your fault or not, you have not broken through to this interviewer. Because the interview was uneventful, even if the fault of the interviewer, you are going to pay the price.

So how can you turn a boring interview into a memorable one?

Turn the discussion around to focus on the interviewer.

In some cases, this will be a relief. They were not comfortable asking questions anyway. In other cases, they will love the idea of sharing a success or describing a key project that they led.

Yes, you have to take over. But you have to be careful. Each interviewer is different and may require a different style of takeover. Sometimes one question from you can change the entire structure of the interview, make it more personal and provide the opening for you to become more than just one of five candidates being seen that day.

How about some ideas, you say?

1. Ask the first question and keep asking.

Here's an easy one: How long have you been with (COMPANY)? Kicks off the interview as conversational and sets the tone a bit. If you sense that the interviewer likes talking, ask additional questions to better understand his/her role in the company and what influence they may have on the position in question. Once you've established a more conversational format, you can introduce key points about yourself with more precision.

2. Ask a personal question that focuses attention on the interviewer in a positive way.

"What have been your best moments here at (COMPANY)?" This allows them to share something with you and allows you to follow-up in a number of different ways. If the response is that the interviewer was critical in the installation of a new piece of plant equipment, ask him to show it to you. Oh, how an interview changes when you can get up, walk around and get conversational. You are now building a relationship and having an impact. And, by the way, everyone else you are interviewing with sees you on your walk - you look to be getting special treatment, right?

3. Ask questions to introduce your key and unique skills.

Ask a question like: Do you have a system to consistently guarantee new products will launch on time? After they answer, you are free to describe your skills here and cement yourself as someone who can make a quick and substantial positive impact. Be careful not to ask questions that could potentially embarrass an interviewer or force them to look less than strategic.

Now I hear some of you saying: "Hey, I'm thankful for every interview I can get. I need interviews, boring or not to get myself back in business!". I hear you. In times when interviews are hard to come by, your ability to make a really positive and obvious impact is crucial. You want the interview team to come in to the candidate review meeting with words like "wow", "I could see him starting here tomorrow", "that's the one we need". And those reactions won't come from a team of four when two of the four are asking standard questions and getting acceptable, standard answers. Don't wait until the end to ask your questions. You may run out of time and, for sure, you will not stand out. > employee  

Job Search - Success is Not a Secret, it is a System

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Once you have identified a job that you are interested in there are a dozen questions that you must be able to answer before you consider writing your Resume/CV, job application and cover letter. They all revolve around the principle of knowledge.

You must start with the right Attitude. You must have the Skills needed to do the job. You must have the Knowledge to approach getting the job in a systematic and results focused way. These three "must haves" form the acronym ASK.

Being offered a job that interests you is all about knowledge, from knowing yourself to knowing how to land the job. Using a system is at the heart of success. If you want a successful outcome then follow this simple step by step process.

KNOW YOURSELF. Many people go to the market not knowing the product being sold. The product is you. Who are you? What do you do? What have you done in the past? How did you do it? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? There are many tools for identifying these such as Strengths Finder from Gallup or simply visit your local book store to choose one that works for you. The simplest approach is to look back on your career to identify the roles you were really good at; the roles you enjoyed; and ask yourself if the job you are about to apply for successfully marries these two essential ingredients.

KNOW THE JOB. To know the job you are going for is of paramount importance. It never ceases to amaze me that people frequently turn up for interviews and do not know the requirements of the job for which they are being interviewed. You cannot expect to be successful if you have not gone to the trouble of finding out the specific requirements of the job. Make a phone call to the company and ask for a detailed job description before you commence your application.

KNOW THE COMPANY. It may seem obvious but many people do not check out the company before applying for the job. Detailed information can usually be obtained on the internet or from annual reports. You can also try to talk to someone that currently works for the company or to former employees. Is the company a fair employer? Does it reward innovation and hard work? Does it treat all employees equally? Is there scope for career growth within the company? Is the company successful?

KNOW HOW TO ANALYSE THE JOB ADVERTISEMENT. To analyse the advertisement or job specification you should ask 6 fundamental questions:
* What is being specifically stated?
* What is implied by stating it?
* What is not stated?
* What is implied by not stating it?
* What skills do you have?
* Which of those match those being asked for?

KNOW HOW TO WRITE WINNING LETTERS. What is the object of the letter of application? It is to get the company to read your Resume/CV. The letter of application should contain confirmation that you have all of the necessary skills and character traits what are contained in the advertisement and or the job description.

KNOW HOW TO FILL OUT APPLICATION FORMS. What is the objective of an Application form? It is to get the company to call you for an interview. Fill out all boxes and do not leave any blanks. If the question is not applicable, then simply put N/A in the box.

KNOW HOW TO WRITE YOUR RESUME/CV. What is the objective of the Resume or CV? It is to get the company to call you for interview. Thus your Resume/CV must feature an exact match with what was advertised and/or what is contained in the job description. This means at you must write a specific Resume/CV for every job that you apply for. Past performance is an indication of likely future performance. Therefore, your Resume/CV must be in the past tense, and contain a series of achievement action statements. e.g. Developed a unique system which increased sales by 10%.