Best advice in this thread so far. And, if you know the name of the person who is interviewing you, look them up on LinkedIn. Not to be ready to talk about their life, but it might give you an idea of what is important to them.
My question for the OP. What kind of job is this?
Amen.
I just got done phone screening someone. Who nailed it. Not because he will fit in or not fit in, but because he showed a deep technical understanding of the area, very good for a student.
What I’m looking for is technical understanding, not rote repetition of concepts. But only up to the level the candidate has had - I don’t expect a student to understand how the real world works yet.
I’m looking for enthusiasm. If you can’t convince yourself to be enthusiastic about the job during an interview, you won’t be during the slog.
I’m looking for flexibility and creativity.
I never, ever ask “what are your weaknesses” and haven’t in 35 years of doing interviews.
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. My interview is today at 1:00 and I’m reading your comments thoroughly.
As I said, I’ve been in my current position for nearly 20 years so my interview skills are certainly very rusty. My awesome sister updated my resume for me (they asked me to bring 4 copies) and it looks so good! My version was old-fashioned and stodgy looking. She used a new format with a splash of color and some bullet points and whatnot that makes me look really up-to-date.
I woke up with a nervous stomach today. Hopefully that will pass very soon! I can’t imagine how an interview would go if one had to ask for a bathroom break during the process- LOL!
“Fit” is important such that a technically competent candidate has the right professional attitude and enthusiasm for your company’s culture (like are they going to work 100 hours a week or are the more of a 9 to 5 type) and aren’t going to act like a freak. But typically what happens, particularly for less technical jobs, is that the interviewer approaches the process as if they are rushing pledges for a fraternity. Basically, they are just looking for someone who is exactly like everyone who is already there.
Interviews typically last 30-45 minutes. How about just ask to use the bathroom between interviews?
I remember when I first became “management” I was given a list of questions to ask candidates I interviewed. I got about half way through the list when I realized, I don’t know what the fucking answer is supposed to be!
My advice is don’t worry about the correct answer to their questions. But you want to respond as if you’ve given them some thought. What you want to do is try and get away from the “Q&A” mode and get into an actual conversation with the interviewer. Particularly if you can have that conversation be about some piece of tech or business process that’s relevant to the job.
I mean no offense by this, but it’s an interview, not an appointment with a psychiatrist (Unless that’s what your doctorate is in :)). No one is BSing anyone or giving trite answers, just redirecting an uncomfortable and intrusive question in a polite and professional manner. Most hiring managers I’ve dealt with did not really expect you to give out reasons not to be hired. If doing that gets an internal eye roll, then so be it, but I’m there to sell a product, not list its defects.
And regarding the “fit” concept, I have been hired for jobs I was not fully qualified for because personality-wise I was a better fit. Sometimes it’s a better fit with the corporate culture, sometimes it’s a better social fit with your coworkers. I’ve had the opposite happen where I felt like I just entered a foreign country and knew I was never getting a callback from these people. I agree with msmith537, the easier it is to turn the interview into a conversation rather than a formal QA session, the better the odds I will be hearing back from them.
It shouldn’t be an uncomfortable question if you’ve thought through an answer. They aren’t asking for personal weaknesses like you drink too much or you beat your wife. They are looking to see if you can recognize areas for improvement and are taking steps to correct it.
A good one is “public speaking”. Mostly everyone hates public speaking. I personally don’t mind it, but they don’t need to know that. What I would say is “I didn’t have much experience public speaking in undergrad, and like most people, it made me a bit uneasy. As I progressed in my career, I found that I had to do more presentations and lead meetings and whatnot. So I felt that it was something I wanted to get better at. Business school helped a lot, as most of my classes required group presentations in front of the class. I also joined my local Toastmasters club and I actively seek out additional opportunities at work to speak in front of groups. Speaking to grad school candidates, leading lunch&learns, whatever opportunities I could find.”
Or you can focus on a weakness that is probably already evident from your resume. Like being the only candidate who didn’t go to Harvard if you’re interviewing at some hedge fund or whatever, or why you might have changed jobs every 9 months, or why you might appear weak in a particular technology. The interviewer is probably wondering about this anyway. So you would want to give an answer like “I went to Whatever U because it met X, Y and Z criteria and I got a 4.0 there” or “due to a combination of economic blah blah and a desire to try out new things, I found it necessary to work an eclectic mix of short-term consulting gigs, some startup ventures and a couple of false starts that didn’t pan out. But here is what I accomplished in my time there and here is why I am looking to make a long-term commitment to your firm”, or “I’ve only been recently exposed to ABC#, but I found the structure is similar to Shabooty.neT, which I am extensively experienced in. And I’ve been learning and developing on my own time.”
Oh yeah, and don’t say anything fucking weird. I don’t know why candidates come in and talk about their eating disorders or their sex hobbies or whatever.
Regarding answering the “what are your weaknesses” question:
Avoid trite answers and avoid mentioning any “weakness” relevant to the job you have applied for.
Best way to play this game is to mention a weakness that is irrelevant or tangential to the job in question. Public speaking is good one if you’re applying for a job in software development; not so much if you’re applying for a position as a litigation attorney. Don’t use this question as an opportunity to actually expand on any real, relevant weakness unless it is blatantly apaprent from your CV. (e.g. such as frequently switching jobs)
If you haven’t gone yet, good luck! And use specific examples from your experience. For me that counts far more than answers to bullshit questions.
Any competent candidate is going to say yes to anything - during the interview at least. I think it would be a rare company who would tell a candidate they do 100 hour weeks, which is why glassdoor is useful.
I think the candidate can get a much better handle on the culture of the company and the people therein than they can get a handle on him or her.
An interview is public speaking. When my daughter acted, I learned that the difference between kids who could do it and kids who could not was that actors can turn on at will. But you don’t do that only when in front of a camera. When she auditioned, she did the same thing. She did it automatically her very first audition which is why she got signed.
Needless to say she rules at interviewing.
Just like an actor projects him or herself into a character, when you interview you need to project yourself into the character of the person they just have to hire. When I interview people, I have to sell, and I project myself into the role of someone who is absolutely thrilled to be working at my place. (Doesn’t matter how I feel that day.)
I’m a good public speaker. When I give a talk at a conference the room fills. The secret is turning on and projecting energy. If you do that as a candidate, the interviewer knows you’ll either work the 100 hours or work the 40 hours at top speed.
I survived the interview! Fortunately, my nervous stomach settled down early.
I was prepared with some short but interesting anecdotes for questions such as “Tell me about a time you showed leadership” or “Tell me about a time you had to problem solve,” etc., but I was not asked any questions like that.
I met with the Department Manager and was asked about why I wanted to work there, a question I had prepared for, and why I was leaving my current position. I was prepared for this, too, and made sure to praise my current position and not say anything negative although the reasons I plan to leave are legion. I am miserable there and can’t get away fast enough at this point. That’s a secret though, so don’t tell.
Then we really just talked about what the job entailed. She gave me a tour of the department and introduced me to some of the other employees. She told me that there were 3 candidates for the position and that I would be called by HR to schedule a second, panel interview.
I am generally a bit over friendly, sometimes over enthusiastic, and often very chatty. I tried to keep that all under control but a small bit of it leaked out. Overall, I think I did very well. Of course, being an optimist, I would think that. But she did tell me they would call me for a second interview, so maybe I am right.
For the second interview, I am going to plan to ask them a few questions that show I know something about the job and care about being successful there. I presume they will ask if I have any questions. I thought furt’s questions were simple, thoughtful, and show that I would care about quality work (“How will I/you know I’m doing a good job? What are my “success metrics?” What have others who have had success in this role had in common?”).
I wonder when compensation will be discussed. I suppose after the second interview and if they make me an offer.
Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and advice. Again, I have been at the same position at the same place for about 20 years. I feel very fortunate to be making the change from a comfortable place- secure and employed- so that I can shop for just the right position for me. Making a change like this is huge for me and I’m nervous about it, but also looking forward to it.
One small bit of advice for job hunters who have been out of the market for a while, like me, would be to update your resume. Mine was 20 years old and the format and font looked dated. I can’t do much with the content, but appearance does matter, too.
It seems most resumes are submitted on-line now. I submitted on-line, but was also asked to bring 4 copies to the interview. My friend took mine and added a splash of color and used a different format that was much sharper looking than what I had. She really made it look fresh and modern.
Sounds like you did great! Well done!
After asking those questions, make sure that you continue the conversation by bringing them back around to talking about you.
For example:
You ask: What have others who have had success in this role had in common?
They say: The people who have been the most successful are the ones that were self-starters, that didn’t need to be told what to do, they just saw something needed doing and they did it.
You say: Yes, I had a similar experience in my last position. I saw that xyz was happening, realised it was an opportunity for me to develop more in that area, so I did abc.
And also ask questions more about the company itself and the people you’d be working with. So you’re not just asking the ‘what’s in it for me’ types of questions. So ask things like:
How would you describe the company culture here? Are you trying to change any aspects of the company culture?
What are the biggest challenges for this company at the moment? What are the biggest opportunities?
What can you tell me about the people I would be working with?
None taken.
Sorry, but “Pick a mild flaw and spin it into a positive” is a trite answer. The “weakness” question, however phrased, is a legitimate question and deserves a legitimate answer. Everyone has at least one area of weakness, there is no shame in it. I can only speak for me, but I am not trying to get in your head when I ask it. Why would you want to work at a place where that weakness will be glaring? That would be uncomfortable at best, and could be disasterous.
Ever bought a product that wasn’t as advertised? Pisses one right off. The hiring manager is there to fill a piece of the puzzle that is his team. I, for one, keep a matrix of strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the tasks we have to accomplish of everyone on my team . When I need to fill a position, I look at the matrix and determine the skill set needed to make things work best. I gear my interview questions to identify the person who best fits that skill set (AKA strengths and weaknesses). No other motive exists.
When I say “good fit” I mean from a skill set perspective, although the better fit with our corporate/team culture would win out if skills are equal. Going in to the interview I know exactly what skills (strengths) we must have immediately and which skills (weaknesses) we can compensate for with other team members while you (the candidate) learn. For example, I could give a poop less if you can’t tie your shoes but if you can’t do complex formulas in Excel, I need to know.
Aha, common ground! I’m still going to get the info I need, but a conversation is much better than a Q&A session.
I completed my second, panel interview yesterday. Six people from the department were there, including the director that I had already met with, and one long boardroom type table- LOL! Scary!
This interview did have all those “Tell us about a time…” questions. The questions were printed and each department member had a copy and got to pick one question to ask me.
But, since folks here gave me a heads-up about some of the common types of questions to expect, I was prepared. They then asked me if I had questions for them, so I was well prepared for that, too.
I didn’t get to carry anything into the room with me, so I had no notes or cheat-sheet and had to rely on my memory for the anecdotes and questions I had prepared, but I did very well. I only forgot to bring up one point that I wanted to include.
So, having had two interviews now, we have not talked pay or benefits. I would presume that at this point, if they want to make me an offer, they will now call me to arrange one more meeting. I’m open to any advice folks have about negotiating pay. I have no idea what to expect.
Again, we don’t know the situation all that well. The following advice will be valuable if you’re dealing with a for-profit company, might work if you’re dealing with a non-profit, and is almost completely useless if you’re working for the government. I’m also assuming that you’re interviewing for a Sr. management job or higher, i.e., a position that requires education, training, and experience, and is relatively difficult for the company to fulfill.
So here goes…
For starters, go to a salary information website like www.salary.com, fill out the information requested and see the pay ranges for the position in your neck of the woods. DO THIS FIRST.
For example, an “Purchasing Manager” in San Antonio, TX makes from $60,000/year to $110k/year.
Now you know what to expect so the question changes to “How can I make sure it’s closer to $110k than $60k?”
Here’s a sample salary-negotiation conversation you should have for this position:
“We are budgeted for this position at $70,000/year.”
“$70,000? Hmmmmm.” (followed by silence - I let the salary negotiator make the next statement. Look like you’re thinking about it deeply and count to 30.)
“Of course, there is some flexibility allowed me and I can stretch that to $75,000/year.” (See? By merely being silent, you just got a $5k raise! If the negotiator doesn’t say anything, then you go into the next sentence. But do the “Hmmm”, pause thing first!)
“Well, let’s talk about what my ideal salary would be for the position that we’ve discussed. Keep in mind that this is only the ‘ideal’ salary, but I think the qualifications I bring will make it worth it. $100-105,000/yr.”
“gasp! Like I said, our budget is more in the $75k/year range.”
"I understand and appreciate that, however I think the qualifications I bring to the table will make me a bargain even at the higher range. Let’s go over them for a second:
And, finally, the nature of the position requires negotiating to get the best value for the company. If a candidate for this position is unwilling to negotiate the best package for himself and, by extension, his family, then how can you expect that candidate to go to bat, on a day-by-day basis, to get the best prices for ABC Inc?"
So you go back and forth a bit and let’s say you get the guy to $82,500 (a $12,500 raise from the initial offer, btw - the past 10 minutes of conversation earned you $1,250/minute. Not bad!) Then you say
“Obviously, salary isn’t the only issue on the table and perhaps the benefits package can make up for it. Let’s talk about that for a while.”
Remember, your goal is to still get to $100k/year. You might not get it in salary, but you may get it in perks, benefits, free stuff, extra vacation days, etc.
Each of the above is additional $1,000+/year, minimum, and should be discussed on a one-by-one basis. You likely won’t be able to negotiate on health care as that is a standard group policy, but you may get the company to pay a higher percentage for yours.
HERE’S HOW YOU END THE CONVERSATION!
“Looks like we have a deal! When will I get the updated offer sheet which covers the items we agreed upon?”
In other words, you must get all this in writing. If you don’t get it in writing, you’re screwed if there are problems. Please note that whatever happens, whatever package you get, it’s not real if it isn’t in writing. Period.
You may wish to spend $15-20 on Negotiating your salary: How to make $1,000 a Minute by Jack Chapman, one of the best salary negotiating books there are, and much of the basis of my post. I’ve used this advice and, trust me, it works.
If you can rush to the bookstore and buy a copy and work on it this weekend, you’ll be much further ahead of the game by Monday than you dreamed. Life doesn’t wait, and neither should you.
Hope this helps!
<Don’t say “banging your wife”>
<Don’t say “banging your wife”>
<Don’t say “banging your wife”>
<Don’t say “banging your wife”>
“Banging your wife.”
/Family Guy of course
Thank you, JohnT!
Any updates? 
I used to ask people what the OLD was for a track bike in interviews - I don’t think the OP will run into that though. A couple years later I went out of business, so maybe I should have asked different interview questions:(
Another question, to flip it around, is “Where do you see this company in 5 years?”
Ha! How do you like that question! 