Was laid off in Dec. (second time in 2 years) and have been sending out resumes and such for weeks. I finally have an interview scheduled for this Friday. For those of you who take part in the interview process of a regular basis, I have a few questions.
I just noticed that I say “um” a lot. Is that really bad? It’s a short “um” but noticeable, obviously.
Is it OK if I ask what they are looking for in the right candidate? Just curious.
Should I refrain from asking why the previous person left this job?
Do I ask for more money than I think is reasonable, because I know that they are going to counter-bid me on the low side?
This is a supervisor/management job in health care. It’s OK to ask for a detailed explanation of the orientation process, right? I have supervised for years, but I want to get specific guidelines for what to expect as far as training goes.
Is it better to be calm and poised, or totally outgoing and charming?
Thank you for your help. These questions may seem silly to some, but at my age I am interested in refining the impression I make during an interview.
**I just noticed that I say “um” a lot. Is that really bad? It’s a short “um” but noticeable, obviously.
** Depends on the job. You’ll get away with it in most jobs, everyone knows you are nervous. But I would try to curtail it as best I could. 'Um" is usually just a filler while you gather your thoughts. It is OK to take a few moments to gather your thoughts, silence won’t hurt you.
Is it OK if I ask what they are looking for in the right candidate? Just curious. I think it is a great question.
**Should I refrain from asking why the previous person left this job?
** I don’t see it as a bad question and some might think it is very good. I say go for it.
**
Do I ask for more money than I think is reasonable, because I know that they are going to counter-bid me on the low side?** I wouldn’t. I would ask for what I wanted and then stick to my guns. When I was hiring if a candidate was priced too high, usually he just wasn’t called back.
**This is a supervisor/management job in health care. It’s OK to ask for a detailed explanation of the orientation process, right? I have supervised for years, but I want to get specific guidelines for what to expect as far as training goes.
** I think it is.
Is it better to be calm and poised, or totally outgoing and charming? I think that is situational. I am totally into building a team, so I want someone who would work personality-wise. But others may look for someone more poised in a management position. Be yourself is my advice.
It’s a minor touch, but I always bring a legal pad inside of a leather folder to jot notes. I also break out the nice metal pen. (Hmm. Attentive and classy, eh) I also have a few spare resumes just in case (and it has happened) where my interviewer has misplaced his copy.
If you need time to think, and don’t want to “um” them, ask a clarifying question, or rephrase their question back as though you want to make sure you understand what they want.
What I have used in the past is, when asked for salary requirements, I simply give them what I made at my last (or current) job. Then when they come back with an offer, I’ll negotiate from that point. Kind of makes them show their cards first, as it were. Do not do this if you think your last salary would be a lowball for the job you are interviewing for, however.
Most important, though: when you get there to meet the interviewer (or anyone you are introduced to) – shake their hand firmly, smile, and look them in the eyes while doing so.
On the interviewer side, I have seen many, many candidates unable to recover after making a poor initial impression. Shifty eye contact is a bad impression to start out with. (I’m in a technical field, so we see that a lot). If there is one thing to keep in mind for the interview, that is it, even moreso than “um”.
If you are poor at remembering names (as I am), when you meet someone in the interview, write their name down in that notepad you brought along. If you can, ask for their business card. Not so likely for a panel interview, but at least try to get the card of the HR person or main interviewer. Not only does it give you a way to contact them after the interview if that seems warranted, but having the card in front of you makes you more likely to remember their name.
Is it OK if I ask what they are looking for in the right candidate? Absolutely. This is one of my key questions in an interview and gives you the chance to understand their priorities and even in a roundabout/implication way, what may have gone wrong in the past.
Should I refrain from asking why the previous person left this job? Nope, but you could ask it in terms of why the position is open at this time (new, restructuring,…?) rather than why the person left.
**Do I ask for more money than I think is reasonable, because I know that they are going to counter-bid me on the low side? ** Nope, be truthful about the salary but say you are open to negotiation if you are.
**This is a supervisor/management job in health care. It’s OK to ask for a detailed explanation of the orientation process, right? I have supervised for years, but I want to get specific guidelines for what to expect as far as training goes. ** I wouldn’t put it like you are implying that you are worried about not being up to it without training, but you could ask about how their organization approaches training a new person in this position, and what they emphasize in their training. This will get them to outline it without you having to look like you are asking for assurances about it. You can even preface it by saying “I’ve had a number of supervisory positions over the years [thereby emphasizing your experience and suitability] but I know each institution has its unique approach. How does your training reflect institutional priorities?” or something like that. They might not have thought about it so they will outline it in general so you get the same info but asked a cool question.
**Is it better to be calm and poised, or totally outgoing and charming? **For this kind of job, I’d say calm and poised, with a touch of collegiality so they know they’d be comfortable working with you. Which one is more you?
I have to second the idea of a portfolio with pad of paper and extra resume and materials. I used to break out the Cross pen until it broke during an interview :smack: but not so they could notice–whew! It allows you to take notes which can break up a monologue and the whole eye contact thing. I also jot down my follow-up questions on the pad before the interview.
If you have a job description, bring it in the portfolio. We had an interviewee recently who we asked about what in the description interested her and she hadn’t read it/didn’t have it. And this was for a job where the description was attached to the posting on-line. Highlight phrases you may want to ask about in more detail or refer to as things that make it a position you are excited about.
Oh, yes. They will expect that you have read the job description. And they will expect that you have done some homework on the company. At the least, go to the company’s website and familiarize yourself with it and the company, and look up the company’s financials if possible.
**I just noticed that I say “um” a lot. Is that really bad? It’s a short “um” but noticeable, obviously. **
You should probably try to avoid filler noises like “um”. “like”, “duh” and so on. Is it OK if I ask what they are looking for in the right candidate? Just curious. Should I refrain from asking why the previous person left this job?
Usually they will just say “they found a better opportunity” so the question might not be that valuable. I would try to get at how long the people you interview with have been at their job, what the turnover is like and so on. For example, I hate my current job. In the 8 months I’ve been here, the VP has been replaced (a good thing), the three Director positions above me have been occupied by six people and have been cut to the current two Directors and we have lost three out of five project leads (the position below me). That generally tells me that people do not like working in this group or for this company.
Do I ask for more money than I think is reasonable, because I know that they are going to counter-bid me on the low side?
An unreasonable offer might price you out of the job. Let them make the first offer. Really it is too soon to talk about money though, other than in a vaugue "this positions pays around X0 to X1.
**This is a supervisor/management job in health care. It’s OK to ask for a detailed explanation of the orientation process, right? I have supervised for years, but I want to get specific guidelines for what to expect as far as training goes. **
It is always ok to ask about the specifics of the job, training, culture and so on. I mean you don’t want to get into the minutiae of “how is my time entered”, but you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
**Is it better to be calm and poised, or totally outgoing and charming? **
You want to be interesting and engaging. The interviewer should come away feeling that you know your shit and you seem like someone he/she would like working with. You don’t want to come accross like a robot or like a zany goofball either. But ultimately it depends on the interviewer.
