Things You Should Not Say, Communicate Or Discuss On A First Interview

We all know that there are certain things one does not discuss on an initial meeting – salary, vacation, hours, etc.  But there are other, more subtle things which can kill a job applicant’s chances of getting passed on.  And the shame is that good people make these mistakes all the time.

Let’s start with basics:  The purpose of any interview is to gather information about the company and the job.  Smart candidates learn to listen before they speak,  so that way they can find out as much as they can about the situation.  The objective of any interview is to get passed on to the next person.  The objective of the process is to meet the most senior person possible.  That person is generally the one who controls the job and the hiring – and that is the person who, if he or she likes you, can adjust the job to fit your needs, if possible.

So, on a first interview – and it doesn’t matter if it is with HR, the hiring manager or merely a friend of a friend or even the CEO – you should follow the old adage:  You have two ears to listen, two eyes to observe and one mouth to speak.  Look and listen twice before you speak once.

I have seen candidates commit hara-kiri because they said too much or gave the impression that they were too good or senior for the job.  I had a candidate recently who was interviewing for a director position but clearly left the impression with the HR person who was screening him that he was way beyond the job (he wasn’t).  He did not get passed on and only afterward confessed that he was really interested, but said what he said to insure that the HR director understood his seniority.  Ironically, he did not have to discuss his seniority, it was evident and so he talked himself out of a job.

Here is my list of things to not to say or do.

·         Listen.  Listen. Listen.  If you are asked questions, answer them.  Don’t discuss what you will or won’t do or what you do or don’t do, unless asked. And then if you are asked, make sure the interviewer understands your interest in the job.

·         Don’t give the impression you are not interested.  I recently had a candidate who said that he was interviewing only because a recruiter called him.  If he had simply added that he was always interested in this company and relished the chance to find out more about them, he would have done better.  But by saying he was there only because he got called was the kiss of death.

·         Don’t tell people or give the impression that because you are a manager or director, you expect others to do the work. In every job, president or clerk, people are expected to roll up their sleeves and do whatever is needed to get the job done.  Giving examples of how you have done this will surely get you passed on to the next person for any job you are interviewing for.  Directors don’t simply direct and delegate.  They perform and execute and can tell stories of how they do/did this.  Asking about staffing on a first interview may give the wrong impression.

·         Don’t make it seem that the opportunity at your current company is better than what this new company may be offering.  You don’t know this yet.  And playing hard to get conveys disinterest. You are there to gather information and as you interview, the opportunity will unfold.

·         Don’t ask about working from home one or two days a week.  This privilege is reserved for people who are known and trusted, but rarely granted to new employees.  It is a certain turn-off.

·         Don’t take the person you are interviewing with for granted.  Too many senior executives think they are above interviewing with HR or other junior people. Often they are dismissive or convey an attitude. On a first interview you simply don’t know who you are seeing or their place in the company.  You can find this out in later interviews and may be surprised to learn of the high regard with which they are held. (This is also true on subsequent interviews:  there is a reason you are seeing everyone.)

·         No matter how good you are, arrogance is unacceptable.

·         Everyone knows not to discuss money, but don’t ask about things like your potential office, your vacation and time off.  Do not discuss planned time off if it is in the near future; that comes when an offer is close or has been made.

·         Don’t negotiate.  Many executives think that it behooves them to let a company know, from the get-go, what they expect.   You can’t negotiate until you have an offer. The leverage to negotiate is in the offer, not before.

I would also like to remind everyone, particularly those who are networking, that there is no such thing as an informational interview.   People who approach a meeting thinking that they are there only to gather information have the wrong mind-set. An interview is an interview. Anyone who sees you has the ability to pass you on, either within their company or to another friend.  If you remember that, you will leave the best impression.

Advice to Candidates: Don't Lose Out On A Job Because Of Your Personality; Advice To Interviewers: Don't Lose A Great Candidate Because You Confuse Adjectives

It is a shame that people with certain personality traits lose out on interviews because of them.  And  interviewers often misjudge candidates because they do what I call, confusing adjectives. Interviewees need to know themselves well enough to manage perceptions of themselves and interviewers need to carefully assess candidates by probing them carefully.

What happens is that interviewers assume, for instance,  that someone who is laid back cannot be dynamic when they present to a client.  Or that someone who is thoughtful cannot be quick on their feet.  Or, that someone who is assertive during their interview isn’t a good listener or follower.

This is a common interviewing mistake when it comes to assessing candidates.  It costs many companies to lose good candidates and many candidates not to get jobs that they should have.

If a candidate has the proper credentials and background, but may come across as not being exactly what you are looking for, it is incumbent on the interviewer to explore that issue, question further or even confront the candidate to determine whether they are right or wrong for the job based on details learned from questioning.  This is especially true if they come from good companies or strong competitors.  I have had candidates rejected because they came across in the wrong way.  Those same candidates then got other similar jobs where they succeeded admirably.  The difference is that the company that hired them spent the time fully understanding the candidate and did not confuse adjectives.

And candidates should know themselves well enough to understand how they come across and correct misperceptions which may come from their personality.

I once had a candidate delay his answer (hem and haw, actually) on a question about strategy. The interviewer concluded that he was not strategic when, what the candidate was really doing, was collecting his thoughts.  I was told the candidate was not quick enough on his feet.  Today that candidate is the chief strategic officer of a major ad agency, a direct competitor to the one where he was dismissed.  I am told he is witty, smart, great on his feet, but can be thoughtful when asked tough questions.  The original interviewer simply didn’t explore the issue far enough to discover the candidate’s substance and ability.

Following is a brief list of adjectives and descriptors which are easily confused.  This list could go on and on, but you will get the point.

Thoughtful = Quick

Laid Back = Aggressive

Aggressive = Patient

Quiet = Strong

Nervous = Unsure

Soft Spoken = Strong

Talks a Lot = Listens Well

Creative = Strategic

Strategic = Creative

Friendly = Tough

Glib = Credible

The key is not to stop at a mere judgement, but to fully explore your intuition to determine if the person you are interviewing is really capable of doing the job.  It is  also something that can be further explored during reference checks.

And, as a candidate, you must know yourself well enough to be able to communicate your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Why You Should Stay In Touch With Your Recruiters, Even After You Get A Job

Recently, a candidate I had been working with got a job on her own.  Good for her. I told her to stay in touch.  She chided me, “It is you who should stay in touch with me”.

I explained how difficult that is. While I really like this person, I meet dozens of new people each month. It is impossible for me to speak to and follow up with each of them.  However, there can't be that many recruiters they have talked to, so it is easier for them to keep me and others informed of their career.

Worse yet, I often get unspecific emails from candidates who tell me they have gotten a job, but not where or what.  This brings me to the point.

So often, I will catch up with a candidate who I have not spoken to in a while.  I find out that they have had major changes in their lives – marriages, new jobs, new experiences, title changes, huge increases in salary, new education, etc.  Knowing these facts might have enabled me to contact them sooner with opportunities which are in line with their careers and changes in their needs, desires and new abilities.

A good example is the senior vice president who, for the past four years, has been running a major car account, although he had not previously had automotive experience. I had not spoken to this person for about six years, but had placed him prior to that. I was working on a senior assignment for an automotive account which he was now perfect for (the job specs were that appropriate candidates had to have had automotive experience).  Unfortunately for him (and me), I didn’t know that he now had excellent automotive experience and would have been right for this assignment, but since I didn’t know, I didn’t call him.  His name came up through a mutual acquaintance, but it was too late for the opportunity. And when I contacted him, he confessed that would have loved the assignment.

I have written many times about the insanity of category experience.  Unfortunately, it is a fact of life. 

 

So a word to the wise is sufficient:  When you get married, move, get a raise or a promotion, get a new experience - any changes or new thoughts that may affect your career - let your recruiters know.  It can only help your future. 

I can’t speak for other recruiters, but I love hearing from people who I have not been in contact with for a while.  It is virtually impossible for me to stay in touch with all the people I like, but it is relatively easy for them to send me an email or give me a quick call.

And doing so might significantly affect their career.