Lindsay Olson

Just another WordPress weblog

Deadly Interview Sins

I came across this interview with Marc Cenedella, CEO of Ladders.com, from March 2007. Enjoy!

The Battle of Midway download

Interview oversharing


Starburst® Moments in Sharing: Interview from StarburstChannel on Vimeo.

This video is not exactly the typical interview experience, but I've had my fair share of finishing a conversation and saying to myself - "did that really just happen?"

Oversharing extends into areas outside of the actual interview. Our blogs, social network profiles and Twitter comments blur the line between personal and professional life and what is considered appropriate to share in a public forum is continuing to change.

But some details are not for sharing, no matter how casual or comfortable the relationship - especially in a job search.

Recently, I´ve been on the receiving end of these interview overshares and I´m beginning to wonder if it is just me.

Here´s a story for starters:

Miss Curious was very curious indeed. She liked asking questions - questions that probed into the personal lives of the office staff. While she was waiting for me to start the interview, she began to chat up my colleague and no more than 30 seconds into the conversation she asks, "So, do you have a boyfriend? What´s he like?" The recruiter, caught off-guard, answered her quickly and change the subject.

Miss Curious insisted and told the office the entire story of how she met her boyfriend and then detailed the difficulties of her intercultural relationship. She was having a hard time adjusting to living in a new country and sharing a home. Before the interview even started, the office knew about this woman's uncertain and unstable relationship.

And this is just one of the tamer stories ...

It wouldn´t be fair to say this only happens on the candidate side. Hiring authorities are guilty of TMI syndrome too like the time... well I´ll save that one.

Stories anyone? I´d love to hear your most memorable.

The STAR Approach to storytelling

.!.

By The Stars

Photo credit: Brian Talbot

Yesterday I wrote about why storytelling will help you land your next job. This is a follow-up post on how to effective tell your stories in a job search.

The STAR Model is a method of answering behavioral interviewing questions. You can also adapt this method to tell stories about your achievements on your resume (bullet points), a cover letter, or non-behavioral interview questions like the dreaded "tell me about you."

Part of your interview preparation should be to write out several examples of your previous successes - just another reason it is so important to keep track of your projects and work achievements. Anticipate what types of challenges you could face in this new role and create 5-7 stories around your previous relevant experience.

To do this, consider using the STAR Model:

S = Situation - describe a situation. This is a where you will set up the plot of your story for the listener. Give a brief outline of a situation you faced and your role.

T = Task - What was the task you had to accomplish? This is your goal or the hoped outcome.

A = Action - What did you do to accomplish the task? Describe what happened and how you attacked the problem through to resolution.

R = Results - What was the result of your actions? Be specific. Try to quantify these results if possible. The more specific you are, the more convinced the interviewer will be you are the person for the job.

Your stories require some thought and practice. Interview questions that begin with "Tell me about a time when...." are answered best using this model, but you can also find opportunities to tell a relevant story in various points in your job search.

Caution:

  • When using this approach, be sure to focus on your actions, even if the situation was resolved by the team. It's okay to give credit to your teammates, but don't let the interviewer wonder what part you actually played.
  • Be careful to not ramble on. Give concise, but powerful stories and make sure they are relevant to the conversation. Give a specific, measurable result and be quiet. Let the conversation flow from there.
  • Your stories should be factual accounts that demonstrate your relevant experience. Opinions and theories can be saved for other types of conversations.
  • Don't use the same story for more than one interview question.

Related articles

Stories That Stick


Storytelling can help you land your next job

The Infamy of a Story Never Told
Photo credit: Felipe Morin

Companies hire you based on your experience, ability to solve their problems and how well you fit into the "culture." If you are called in for an interview, you've passed the first step. More than likely the hiring managers have already seen your resume or heard about your work. They know you have the qualifications to do the job - that's why you are interviewing.

The interview is the company's opportunity to evaluate your ability to handle its organizational challenges once you have the job. Since the hiring manager may not be the most skilled interviewer, it's up to you to demonstrate you are up for the challenge. This is why being an effective storyteller is so important.

Stories will help you interview better and land your next gig in a number of ways:

    buy Sense and Sensibility
  • Stories engage the listener and help you become a memorable candidate. People tend to remember stories more than straight facts. That's why the best history teachers are usually great storytellers. Turning your career accomplishments into short mini-stories makes you a stand out against the competition.
  • Stories help build trust with the listener. Stories give more detail to back your claims and explaining the details builds your confidence and the hiring manager's confidence in you.
  • Stories reveal your personality and your communication skills. It helps you and the interviewer determine what it will be like to work together.

This is part one of a two-part series.

Part 2: Star Approach to storytelling A History of Violence divx

Interesting links: November 20-26

Interesting links for the long weekend reading... Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!

Career

Business

Top things to never put on your resume by readers

.!.

cono adoquin

Photo credit: Matias Dutto

Yesterday I listed five things to never put on your resume. By no means was it an exhaustive list. Paul Copcutt, former recruiter and blogger at Reflections of a Square Peg, left some great comments worth sharing.

Here are Paul's five things to never put on a resume:

  • Silly, Funny (usually just to you), or offensive e-mail addresses. Gmail is free and generic - use it!
  • An objective (still seen on far too many resumes) - by all means have something to give off a resume but make it a value proposition. Think: What you can do for the employer - not what you want from them? Jennifer Schooley chimed in here as well stating it's obvious by receiving the resume you are looking for a job, so don't waste the space.
  • No phone number! Yes believe it - when I was in recruitment I did a quick survey once and found over 15% of resumes had no contact phone number. Huh???!!
  • Reasons why you left - rarely seen now, but it does happen. Do not eliminate yourself before the interview. Save it for a face to face, or at least a telephone conversation.
  • Photos. In recruitment we used to have a "˜rogues′ gallery of photos that were attached to resumes. Again, save it for the interview or web interview. Or make sure any photo is professionally taken for bios and on-line profiles like LinkedIn.

Another great tip from Martin Buckland:

    Space Chimps video

  • Leave responsibilities out. Build each bullet around STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Tell a short story, max 3 lines, about each accomplishment. These can also serve as a platform for the interviewer to position his questions.

Bill Green added "GPA - leave it off. If you have a 3.8, you have just publicly said you not as smart as someone with a 4.0."

Jacob Share at JobMob also pointed me to his top 10 unusual resume mistakes. He puts out some of the most useful content in the world of job search out there. If you don't read Jacob's blog, it's a good addition to your daily feeds.

Thank you all for your insight! I'd love to hear any other ideas you would add in the comments.

This part two of a three-part series about what to never put on your resume.

Part 1: 5 things to never put on your resume

Part 3: Make sure your career progression is not mistaken for job hopping

Interviewing 101 for job seekers and hiring managers

A Cheating Oldie But Goodie

Photo by Jared Stein

Thanks to HR World for compiling this excellent cheat sheet of links to help the job seekers and hiring managers interview better. It doesn't mater how confident you are with your awesome interviewing skills, even the most awesome get hung up on something in an interview from time to time.

I recommend candidates also study resources applicable to hiring managers. Understanding the process from their perspective and what they are looking for will only help you to present yourself better.

Here's a brief overview of the type of information compiled in the 100 resources.

    Loverboy hd
  • Sample interview questions for candidates and good answers
  • Types of interviews
  • Tips and interview techniques for hiring managers
  • Interviewing strategies for candidates
  • How to dress
  • What not to do on an interview
  • Interview preparation steps and advice
  • After interview follow-up and thank you letters
  • Resume help

The list is extensive, so no need repeating here. Enjoy!

Links:

The Interviewing Cheat Sheet: 100 Resources for Interviewers and Candidates - HRWorld.com

Daylight Robbery rip

Newer Entries →


WordPressCreative Commons

© Lindsay Olson 2010 | RSS Contents | RSS Comments. Proudly powered by Wordpress. Web development by SocialSnack.