Starting your new job…

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

IT’s time to start your new job.  What do you need to do beyond show up and wait and see what the company has in store for you.  Of course it is not that simple, but, before you shift gears from the job search/interview process, take a little bit of time and put your search process to rest appropriately.

 

What does this mean?  It means revisiting or creating a list of everyone who assisted you during your job search.  This list includes professional and personal relationships.  This list is critical, because it will form the core of your ongoing networking list that you can refer to in the hopefully unneeded event you are exploring the job market. It is also the list that should have a few names on it that you can find an opportunity to return the favor and assist them in some way,shape, or form.  Once you have this list, you should take time to be intentional and write handwritten thank you notes that you will send via regular mail.  This personal touch will show your intentionality and should include some sort of personal comment as well as letting them know the results of your search.  For those who may have spent extra time or went out of their way, meet with them in person for a thank you lunch or coffee.  This personal touch will go a long way towards deepening these relationships.

 

But, that is not all.  Now you need to turn you attention to your new position.  Remember, first impressions are very important.  Before your first day, write down your objectives for teh first 90 days.  In this list, include who you want to meet, what you want to learn, and what you will need to accomplish for it to be successful.  As you do this, remember some basic points.

• Be ready to learn (you were hired for a skill or expertise, but you don’t know everything).
• Be flexible ( organizations are constantly changing.  Your role may be slightly different than when you interviewed. )
• Look for early wins (big or small.)  Being willing to have a win, no minor how big or small, will make a good impression.
• Be willing to do one more thing than what was asked.  Dont just do the job.  This could be as small as picking up trash in the break room, or as big as staying late for a deadline that is not your but you can assist on.  These little things will make a huge impression.

If you set a positive tone early, you will go a long way with your new employer.

Resigning and the counter offer

AUTHOR: David M. Young

You take a deep breath…you have the offer, you have accepted, and you have a start date.  So all that is left in the process is to resign and move on.  Wait… it is not that simple.  For whatever reason, you decided to look for another job.  Now that you have one, do yourself a favor and think long term.  Where you have been working, whether you like it or not, will be with you for the rest of your career.  It will be on your resume, the friends you made will move to other companies, and very likely, you will want to …or better stated, NEED to use this past employer and the people you worked with for a reference.  SOOOOO…be professional…don’t burn any bridges…don’t do that thing you always wanted to do but were afraid of the consequences.

Now that you have a new job, leave the old job with class and professionalism.  Before you walk in to resign, draw up a formal letter.  In the letter, you don’t have to give any reasons.  And if you will be negative, then don’t give a reason.  But if you can, write a simple letter indicating you are resigning, your desired last day, and thank them for the opportunity to work there and to expand your career.  What ever you do, be gracious.  This will go in your permanent file and you never know if you may want or need to walk through the same doors again in the future.  Your goal is to leave on good terms.  Be aware of any employment agreement you may have signed when you started and do not violate any conditions of that agreement in your exit.  By this, I mean, don’t go back and copy your hard drive before resigning.  If you have had a mobile phone, you may want to get your personal contacts, but don’t violate any professional terms by taking a list of clients, company information, or employee lists.  You may want to get personal emails that you have not saved to a personal location.  But otherwise, as soon as you resign, be ready to not have access to your data.

Now that you have the formal letter written, schedule time with your immediate supervisor as soon as possible.  It is appropriate and expected that generally you give “two weeks” notice.  So make sure you are resigning two or more weeks before your start date for your next job.  In that conversation, again, don’t air your dirty laundry.  Be gracious.  Thank them for the opportunity to grow in your career.  Let them know you have decided to take a new position and your desired last day.  Let them know you want to do whatever you can to help in the transition and your exit.  And before you leave, hand your supervisor your letter  Companies handle a resignation in many different ways.  You may have exit paperwork, you may have to meet with others, you may have an exit interview, and you may also need to follow formal resignation protocol.  Whatever it is, be flexible and available.  In some cases, you may be “escorted” back to your desk to get your things and that may serve as your last day.  So be ready…

But, you should also be ready for your boss/supervisor to not want you to leave.  This is when they ask what they can do to keep you.  I have seen this create much consternation and confusion for the person who had decided to leave.  It may seem counter intuitive, but a “counter-offer” as this is referred to, is never in the best interest of the person who is receiving it.  Yes, you may feel like you are being heard and you are getting additional financial benefit.  Or you may be offered whatever it was that forced you to look for a role in the first place, but keep in mind, it is now too late.  Are there exceptions?  There could be…and this is really only on a case by case basis…but a significant majority of the time, this is bad for the person resigning.  You should ask yourself why it took you wanting to leave to get the additional compensation or opportunity.  For whatever reason, you were not valued enough for this to be provided in the first place.  Also, now that you have resigned, the company knows you are willing to leave and you will have a target on your back.  If you stay, words like loyalty, commitment, and dedication will not be associated with you when it comes time for performance reviews, bonuses, or other opportunities.  You may get a short term benefit, but the company will not be thinking of you for the long term.  This counteroffer puts the company in control of your transition instead of you.    Most likely it will take time for the company to find your replacement, and anything they can do to reduce the amount of time for a gap in your position will help them.  The end result is that no matter how you respond, you will not have the favor of the company.

So, rather than consider, be ready for it, just smile, express your appreciation, and let them know that you have committed to your decision and want to help however you can in the transition.  Remember, you are in control.  If you future employer has flexibility on your start date, then if asked to be longer than 2 weeks before your last day occurs, be open to that.  This is part of building good will.  You know you are needed, and you will be looked upon very highly because you went above and beyond when you were wanting to exit.  If something like this occurs, make sure to get it in writing, even if it is just a confirmation email to your boss.  This will prevent any misunderstandings from occurring and will make sure you and your supervisor are in synch.  A respectful refusal of a counter offer and any flexibility you have on assisting in your exit will leave that door open for a future return as well as positive references as you move through your career.

To summarize…document, communicate, and be gracious in your resignation and exit and your long term career will be served well.

The job offer…don’t just say yes

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

You have interviewed, and possibly had one or several meetings with your prospective employer.  In some cases you have been waiting for a response or for the job offer.  In other cases you may have more questions that need answers and you are not expecting a job offer.  But despite the circumstance, at some point in the process, you will receive the job offer.

 

Most often, we see a company make a verbal offer to their prospective employee.  Many times this is phrased as “ if we were to offer you XXXX, would you be interested.”  In this case, this is a “soft” offer by the company and not a formal offer of employment.  They are opening the door to make sure you would be interested.  This is the appropriate time for you to ask any and all employment questions.  Benefit information, vacation, work environment, hours, title, start date and any other pertinent information you would want in order to either finalize your decision, or to allow you to plan should be asked.  If this has all been covered, you can simply state that yes, you would be interested.  But if that is the case, follow up with a question of” what are the next steps so that a formal offer of employment can be made?”  This confirms that it is not the formal offer, and allows the company to tell you what may be remaining in their process.

 

On the other hand, we have seen organizations make a verbal offer.  “We’d like to extend you an offer of XXXX with a target start date of  XXXX pending our background and on boarding process”.  In this case, what do you do?  The key is that you nor the company want any surprises.  We will discuss how to handle resigning and closing out your previous position and employment in a subsequent post.  It is appropriate for you to express your excitement, and even if you’re not excited, it is appropriate for you to be professional.  This may seem strange, but I would encourage you to respond with “ that is great.  I am very intrigued, but if at all possible, could I have some time so I can discuss this with my (fill in the blank…”significant other”, spouse, ) or if single, …”could I have some time to review this so that when I give you my acceptance I have made sure I have left no stone unturned for any questions I may have.”     Again, make sure you are professional.

 

This is now the time to negotiate.  You never know unless you ask, so ask.  Ask for whatever might be lacking.  Don’t automatically ask for a higher compensation.  If it has never been discussed, then this is appropriate, but if already discussed, don’t keep revisiting questions.  Now is the time to negotiate for vacation, benefits, compensation, or whatever else you would like.   Again, the worst case is they can say no.  But be reasonable.  If you are unreasonable, the company could politely “pull” the offer.   Parking allowances, cell phone reimbursement, or other possible company policy questions are also appropriate.  If you don’t ask, then assume it is not part of the offer.

 

If all questions have been answered and you don’t need any extra time, then don’t just say “Yes”.  This is a formal process.  Respond with “ that is fantastic and I am very excited.  I would love to accept.  In order to finalize all the details, when can you provide me with a written offer so I can make sure I have everything written down in front of me and there are not any other questions I may have, or that you may have for me?”

 

The point here, is you need a written offer.  Before you resign your current position, have a written offer.  This is not a formal contract in the state of Texas, but rather it ensures that any and all internal approvals have been completed for the company’s process and that everything is in order.  Oftentimes in a written offer, the company will designate a start date, and possibly could even designate a timeframe that you must sign the offer and return to them or the offer will no longer be valid.

 

I have seen company’s extend a verbal offer, and then have to put the position on hold.  I have seen company’s extend an offer, or discuss a “possible” offer, and decide for some reason or another to “go in a different direction”.  Is that ethical?  Should that happen?  Of course not, but as the future employee, you need to make sure all is in order to protect yourself.

 

But, when you say Yes, you should mean it.  Just as the company should provide a formal offer, when you give the company a verbal acceptance, your response should matter.  I have many times seen a candidate say yes, but continue to interview.  Why interview when you have said yes.  You can very quickly burn bridges and soil your reputation if you do this.  If you have already scheduled other interviews, then cancel them.  If you still want to attend those interviews, then do not say “Yes”.  Rather tell the company what is going on.  If you can’t be truthful in the interview process, how will you be able to work for the company.    When you say yes, confirm starting day procedures, timing, and who to ask for when you arrive.  And let them know you are excited and look forward to seeing them on that first day.

 

Bottom line, expect the offer from a company to be solid, but wait to take any action on your end until you have a formal written offer (or this could be via email).  And from your side of this discussion…let your “Yes” be a solid yes, don’t say yes while you look for something else.

 

Now what if you are not interested?  You have asked for a higher salary, maybe more vacation…whatever it was, the company has responded and you are not interested.  When the company responds, politely ask for time to think about it.  Don’t say no immediately.  Again, be professional.  Trust your gut on how to respond.  Either make a phone call, or you can send an email.  Simply respond to the company with a polite “thank you very much.  I have thought about this offer and while I am enthusiastic about the direction of your organization and this opportunity, after further reflection and personal review, I am going to decline this offer.”  If you are comfortable with doing so, personalize this with the reason.  You need more compensation, you are seeking more responsibility than what this position is offering based upon your understanding from the interviews, etc…   But if not comfortable with more details, just simply say thank you and you are declining the offer and removing yourself from their consideration.  Be polite, be professional.  The company would rather know at the offer that you are not interested, then bring you on and find out in a few months.  And for your sake, you should want this as well.  But, don’t say “No”, and then have second thoughts.  Just as you should let your Yes be a solid Yes, let your No be a solid No.

 

If handled appropriately, you have expanded your professional network and have learned much about another organization.  Just remember, a phone call with an offer is the first step in finalizing the offer, get a formal written offer, and respond with a formal written response.

pond with a formal written response.

Job Search… The Salary question

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

What salary are you seeking?  What was your salary at your last employer?    Or if worded how it can sometimes feel “Tell me your deepest and darkest secret.”   No, that is not what is being asked, but people are so private with their income and salary, it can feel like a deep dark secret being shared.

 

So why share your salary…or really when is the right time to provide this for a future employer.

 

First off, never be the one who brings up salary.  This also goes for benefits, vacation, time off, bonus, work hours, or overtime.  If you are in an interview and it is not brought up, then don’t bring it up.  This is something that will come up prior to an offer, our possibly during an offer discussion.  At large companies, the interviewer may not be able to discuss it and woudl refer you to Human Resources.  Discussing time off, work hours, overtime, or vacation can also be perceived as someone who is not a hard worker.  Yes, these are critical details that would help you decide if you want to work at that company, but you want them to want you to work there before you are giving them reasons to think you are more concerned about your time away from the office.

 

But, when it comes up, be intentional in HOW you answer the question.  I encourage people to not just give a specific number.  What salary are you seeking?  Answer with a range, with the higher number first.  For example…if mowing yards (a good generic example) and someone asked what do you charge for my yard.  I would answer (for purpose of this example…in real life I’d probably just give a specific number) “My fee ranges from $35 down to $20 for each time it is mowed depending on the size of your yard and any extras you would like included such as edging and bagging.”   Now in real life you may not answer a mowing question like that, but it gives you perspective on the salary question.  You might answer “$100,000 down to $85,000 depending on the other benefits and career opportunity.”  If you say “$85,000 up to $100,000”…most likely the other person only heard or will remember the $85,000.  You very likely might get an offer right at the lower number.  Instead, you want the other person to know you have some flexibility, but that is based on the total compensation which can include bonus, benefits, or other non base pay items. Additionally, companies will often have a target range.  If you give your dream number, you may price yourself out of the job.

 

On job applications, they will ask for salary at a previous employer as well as sometimes ask for desired salary.  Be honest, but again, it is not inappropriate to provide a base number plus a total take home that could include your annual or Christmas bonus.  If you have been making $50,000, but believe the market is paying $70,000, don’t just ask for $70,000.  Be transparent with the future employer that you have been at $50,000 but that is why you are looking for a new opportunity and you believe the market is paying $X up to $X.  You could also answer with a range and comment “depending on benefits and bonus”.

Before you make a hiring decision, you will want to know benefits, bonus, leave, vacation, etc….When asked for salary, just give your number as discussed above.  Once given, you can ask for benefit details and if an offer is made, that will assist you in understanding the total opportunity.
If handled poorly, the salary question can be tricky.  But if handled correctly, it will assist the future employer in understanding your desire and make sure you are rewarded financially accordingly.

Job Search….References

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

References…sometimes they are not asked for, other times they could really matter in your search and future employment.

 

NEVER put references on your resume.  I’ve seen people have a reference page that is the last page of their resume and unintentionally send it along with their resume.  References should be very important to you and you should manage who has them and when they are utilized.  Often times, a company would like a minimum of 3 references.  Generally they are seeking a past supervisor, peer (or peers), and possibly a subordinate where applicable.

 

As a general rule, I encourage people to have 5 references.  You should have the personas name, title, phone number, and email address listed on a document.  Additoinally, i encourage people to list when you worked with them as well as your professional relationship (supervisor, peer, etc…)

 

Your references should fulfill the following:

• Be professional references, not social/personal.
• Be aware that you are using them as a reference and have a current copy of your resume.
• Be someone who will be a positive reference, not just a confirmation of employment.  If in doubt, don’t use them.  Some companies do not allow their employees to give references but can only confirm dates of employment.  Don’t take this personally, just move on to another reference.
• Be aware that they will be contacted.  And as a safe practice, I’d follow up with them after they are contacted so you are aware what was asked and get their insight on the reference confirmation.
• I would prepare them.  Talk with them about your strengths, possible weaknesses, and help them feel comfortable answering in your best interest.  If you have to “coach” them very much, they may not be a strong reference for you.  They should already know you.  But you want them to feel free to be glowingly honest.  Key word here is Glowingly!
• If you have not talked with a reference in a couple of years, they should be removed from your list.  They won’t remember or could be fuzzy.  I have had references not be sure about who the person giving them as a reference was.  This is always a bad sign.
• The worst thing is a bad reference, or one who remembers an issue with you.  At some point, everyone has had some sort of disagreement professionally.  If that has occurred, you need to be the one to discus it and how you have grown.  Do not leave it to a reference to speak about.
• References can be from the overall course of your career, but if you have been working for several years, you most likely have grown in your career, and as a result, you should have individuals listed as references who can speak to your most current capabilities, not capabilities from 15 years ago.
• If you have skeletons in your closet, …. pause.  It is ok to ask the person checking references not to contact a given company from your past.  Most likely, you may not want your current employer to know you are interviewing.  If that is the case, then just ask the future employer not to contact your current employer.  The best way to provide comfort for them is to give them more references than they are asking for from a previous employer.  But…if you have only worked for a single organization throughout your career, then ask your friends who you trust to keep the reference confidential to be the ones that could be contacted.  People generally want to help others.  You may also be able to return the favor at a later time.

Be aware, invariably it is a small world.  As long as you are prepared with your references, and you have given the professional courtesy to the references that they may be contacted, you will serve to maintain your professional network and references will serve your job search well.

Job Offer Anxiety….waiting on the offer

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

The interview wraps up.  What next?

 

At the end of the interview, one of your final questions is to ask for next steps.

 

Most of the time you will not be told that a decision on making an offer will occur in 24 hours (or some other time period.)  Although, that seems to be an assumption with almost every candidate I work with, it rarely occurs.  What you will be told most of the time is that the next step will be to…and then fill in the blank.  It may be to come back and meet with others, it may be the company will step back from the meetings and then look to make a decision, it may be there is another interview scheduled and “we will follow up with you after we have concluded interviews.”  Yes, the ole “we will follow up with you” seems to be the most prevalent response.

 

As the one seeking the job opportunity, this is the only thing on your mind.  You really like to opportunity and want to move forward.  But not hearing back in 24 hours does not mean a thing.  When you are on the hiring side of the table, there are many other things that are taking your attention during the day.  There may be multiple individuals who are wrapped into the decision or approving a possible offer.  Some things for you to do while you wait after your interview include:

• Immediately write a thank you note.  Don’t wait, this will keep you in front of the person you met with.  Hopefully you got a business card with an email address.  If the person is not an executive and reads their own email, it is entirely appropriate to write a thank you via email.  If a more formal role, an executive, or a more personal touch is appropriate, then write a handwritten note and put it in regular mail as soon as you get home.
• Go into “sleuth” mode.  Further research the company.  Look for other people on LinkedIn who work at the company and find out if you have any other personal relationships with someone inside their walls.  If so, reach out to that person and let them know you interviewed for a job at their company.  See what they know and learn what you can.  Possibly, they can be an internal advocate if you don’t already have one.
• Continue to look for a job.  Don’t put all your eggs in this one basket.  Even though you have a good feeling, you never know what other factors will impact their ability to offer a position or could have a bearing on the timing of an offer. I have numerous examples of someone looking for a job and not having any traction for a long period, and then as soon as a single opportunity pops up, it seems that one or two other opportunities also pop up.  Let this happen to you.  But the only way it does is if you continue to look for an opportunity.  You can share that you had a good interview.
• Don’t quit your current position.  By this I mean exactly what it says.  You feel great about the role, they liked you, it is going to happen.  BUT…remember, you don’t have a job until you have a formal written offer.  And even then, you need to make sure you have a start date and everything is in order.  If all is in order, then it is time to give your “two weeks” notice.
• Don’t negotiate with your current employer.  We will discuss this in more detail, but i have seen many bridges burned because someone had an offer, and then suddenly the current  employer decided to express their desire to keep them.  Remember that there is a reason you were looking.  Short term fixes with a current employer will only prolong your end date with them.  They will see you as someone who might move, and you can lose favor with the current employer.  Rather, once you have an offer that you are accepting, then resign cleanly.
• Don’t pester the person or company you interviewed with.  It is appropriate to follow up with them up to 3 times.  The first is your thank you immediately after the interview.  The second time to touch base with them is the agreed upon period they had indicated  when you asked for next steps.  Say they said they hoped to have feedback in the next week.  Then wait a week, and a day after the week expires, touch base with your company contact to inquire if they had been able to make any progress towards a hiring decision or next steps.  Don’t be pushy…they do not owe you anything.  But rather politely touch base and reaffirm your interest and ask for a time period when they may have a decision.  The third time to touch base only occurs if you leave a message and get no response.  This would be double the period you were first given.  i.e. if told a week, then this would be 2 weeks later, if told 2 weeks, then it would be a month after the first meeting.  But, if they give you a response, the clock resets.  You want to be interested, but not desperate.  If you receive another offer, then that would also be a time to touch base with the company and let them know that you have a time frame when you need to make a decision.  If they do not get back with you, then your decision is made for you.  The exception to this…if you are working with a recruiter.  A recruiter is on your team.  touch base with them…seek their guidance…make sure you are at the front of their mind.  But here again, don’t come across as desperate and wear out your welcome.  Even though they are on your team, you want to keep them on their team.  If they give you a time frame, honor it.  If they don’t ask them when you can call them back. and then call back accordingly.

 

The overriding rule, make yourself wanted, not a nuisance.

The interview is over, you are interested….what next?

AUTHOR: David M. Young

The interview wraps up.  What next?

At the end of the interview, one of your final questions is to ask for next steps.

If a phone interview:

• Send your contact an immediate thank you via email, let them know you are interested, and look forward to hearing from them for next steps.
• Pull out paper and write down questions you have that were not asked, write down concerns, write down notes from what you learned in the discussion. (These will be building blocks for your preparation and discussion in the face to face interview, or in the next phone interview)
• Wait…:-)

If a face to face interview:

• Leave the location of the interview and find a place where you stop for a few minutes to write down the following… (if on company property, wait until you are off site)
  • Write down questions you have that were not discussed
  • write down any immediate concerns
  • write down positives of the position
  • summarize what you learned (responsibilities, supervisor and organizational structure, expectations)
  • Determine if offered, what would keep you from accepting the position and write this down.  This will be a key area for you to explore further before accepting an offer.
  • If working with a recruiter, call them.  If they know your thoughts before they talk with the company, it will expedite the process.  You may be able to ask them questions you have and they may know the answer.  If not, and if your questions are around benefits or other details that the human resource contact can answer, you will be in process of getting those answered before you have to ask the company.  bottom line, the recruiter is on your team and you want your team in synchronization with your thoughts on the position you just interviewed for.
• When you get home, write a thank you note to each person you spoke with.  If you have emails, it is acceptable to write this electronically.  If you do not have emails, call the primary point of contact and ask for their email.  If you do not have emails, send a handwritten note to the people you spoke with at the company’s address.  If you spoke with the CEO or senior executive, err on the side of formality and always make this a handwritten note you send via snail mail.  This will ensure they are the one who sees it and not their assistant.
• Now wait.

Wait? that is the worst part!  But yes, even though you are ready to move forward, you never know what else is on the interviewers “to do” list.  You don’t want to be over zealous.  You want to have a balance of the company wanting you combined with you wanting the company.  As a general rule, write your thank  you notes and then give them 5 days.  If at the end of 1 week from the interview and you have not heard from them, it is appropriate to touch base and ask for any updates or feedback.  “The wait” will be discussed in more detail, but be ready for the process to take some time.  That is why it is of benefit to document your thoughts immediately so that when they do call a week or two weeks later, you will still have fresh thoughts in front of you.
When they call, you will learn the next steps, or you may learn that an offer is coming.  Be ready, and you will be rewarded.

The interview is over, and you do not want the job….what next?

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

You prepared, you thought you wanted to position, you met with the interviewers, and lo and behold, the conversation and interview helped you discern that you are not interested in moving forward.  So what do you do?

 

Remember, we have been discussing that you want to put your best foot forward.  Even in situations where the company may want you, but you are not interested, you still want to put your best foot forward.  You never know what tomorrow holds.  Although you don’t want this role, the company may have other roles in the future.  Your objective has been to make the company want you.  You now realize it is not a fit.  The company may also realize this.  But, they may not.

 

You want to be honest, but make sure you are not making a split decision when one is not required.  Even in cases where it is absolutely obvious, you still want to be graceful and respectful in the interview process.  Don’t tell the company you are not a fit.  At the end of the interview, if not interested, still ask for next steps.  Let the company know they have given you great insight into the position and what they are looking for, and then gracefully leave so you can sleep on it to confirm your thoughts.  Keep in mind you are still building out your professional network.  The person you are meeting with could still further your career in other ways you are not immediately thinking of.

 

Once you have left the interview, jot down your immediate thoughts.  Still have the standard courtesy to write a thank you note.  Without that interview, you might be pursuing a position that may not have worked out after 6 months.  The purpose of the interview is to find the best candidate for the job.  And from your perspective, is to find a job you can enjoy doing.

 

If the company extends an offer in the interview, ask them for time to think about it.  Do not decline on the spot.  If you are not interested based on negotiable items (salary, responsibility, travel, benefits) but are interested in the role otherwise, then wait and explore how you would want to negotiate the position.  You can always ask for salary, travel changes, benefit modifications.  And you never know what a company can change if you don’t ask.

 

But if you are not interested in a role because of a personality, the responsibility is not a fit for your career, or you don’t believe in the company.  Step away from the interview.  Wait one day and then decline.  If you are asked to come back in, gracefully respond back to the company.  I always encourage this to be a verbal conversation.  In that conversation you can let the other person know that after the interview you have had further time to review the opportunity and have decided to “withdraw your name from consideration.”  If they ask why, just let them know your personal circumstances have changed.  You do not need to provide any further details.  If they pry, just indicate you are not comfortable discussing the details but greatly appreciated their time. Yes, you can put this in an email, but the personal respect to talk directly with the company will always leave a positive and lasting impression.

 

So to summarize, wait till the interview is over and you have had a day to reflect.  After a day, contact the company (or recruiter) and let them know you are no longer interested.  Still write thank you notes.  But be brief.  “Thank you for your time, it provided great insight for me.”   If working with a recruiter, you can give them further details as it may assist the recruiter in looking on your behalf.  If you don’t give more details to a recruiter, they may scratch their head and not know what you are looking for in your search.  The recruiter may be able to guide you through your concerns.  Their objective is not to just get you the job, but they have a vested interest to make sure you stay at the job.  Recruiters have to refund a fee if the job does not work out.  They would rather find the job you like and place someone else in the position you did not like.  They are part of your team.

 

Above all else, be honest.  But being honest does not always mean telling every thought you have.  It can also mean being honest in identifying you are not interested and leaving it at that.

Types of Interviews – Other often utilized interview formats/types

AUTHOR: David M. Young

In addition to the Standard or “Personal” interview and the Behavorial interview, there are often several other forms that an interview could take. As a recruiter, over time I have seen all of these utilized, but outside of the Standard and Behavioral interview, the following are used far less often. Even though they are less common, as a candidate, having an understanding of these other types of interviews can assist you as you prepare to meet with the organization.

• Informational interview – Often occurs in more informal settings, or through personal networking. But, it is still an interview because how one performs could open other job opportunities. This interview is used to ask for advice or learn more about a particular job, field, or discipline. In addition to expanding ones network, both parties can walk away from this interview with more insight into your field or passion as well as an understanding on the current state of the market. This is a fact finding meeting that is done during the job search.
• Screening interview – Prepare for a screening interview like it is an open book exam. Have your resume, the job description, references, company information, as well as prepared questions for this interview. The interviewer is most likely fact finding and ensuring a base skill set exists that backs up a resume. This is often times performed by a Human Resources individual, or could be the initial meeting with a recruiter. For recruiters, this is a third primary type of interview, but for organizations, I see this far less often. You don’t win a job during a screening interview, but you can quickly lose the position if you stumble, misrepresent yourself, or are completely disinterested.
• Panel interview (or called a small group or committee interview) – This is a meeting with several decision makers in a single setting. If not prepared, this can be intimidating. Normally, it is not intended to create tension, but every now and then it could intentionally create stress to see how the candidate responds. Multiple indivuals will ask questions and when complete, feedback is collected and standardized towards a hiring decision. As the interviewee, relax and handle it as you would a one on one interview. In this case, create eye contact with each interviewer no matter who asked the question, develop some sort of personal rapport if possible, and try and find out the names and titles of the participants. In larger organizations, there may be others attending via conference call. In this case, speak to them, but make eye contact with those in the room.
• The “Second” interview – You may be asked back for a second interview. They liked you enough that you made the first round of cuts, but they want to know more about you as well as very likely will wrap in others you may not have met. Second interviews often times are much longer. They could last a half day or more, so confirm and plan accordingly so that you are not in a rush. Often times this is the last step before an offer, so be ready to discuss your needs including salary and benefits, but don’t bring this up unless asked or if given an offer. More on salary negotiations will be discussed in depth, for now, be ready if that occurs in a follow up interview.
• The “Case” interview (or presentation, test, or task challenge interview) – As an individual who grew up in the Information Technology discipline, testing was more common place than other disciplines. As part of an interview process, you may be asked to take an online test, have a phone screen that is technical such that you are asked details about technology to assess your true depth of understanding, or you could be given a problem and asked to create or develop a technical solution. In consulting, sales and leadership type of positions, I have seen an organization ask someone to present on a specific item. In this instance, the position may require presenting on a regular basis and they want to gauge your comfort in front of an audience. If you have never presented, let them know, don’t “fake it” because they will figure out very quickly you are not a presenter. As a candidate, I don’t recommend you cram for a testing type of interview. Yes, brush up on terminology that may not be universal, and possibly brush up on rusty skills, but the last thing you want to do is represent expertise in something you may not be an expert and as a result, falsely set expectations before starting a job. It is best to truthfully represent your skills so that you can shine when you take a new position.

Contract Positions – The exception to interviewing can occur if you are engaging in a short term contract (6 months or less). In this case, personality fit is much less of a concern as opposed to the ability to deliver the specific project or effort. But even for these positions, you are adding experience to your resume. Make sure you are comfortable with the opportunity and can deliver accordingly. It is always tough when someone takes a job they don’t like, and in a couple of weeks “it does not work out”. As a result, you do not have good references, and you have to decide how to document that experience on a resume. Save yourself, and make sure even a short term engagement is going to be a positive one.

Organizations will have other types of interviews they may use, but invariably, they are some combination of these mentioned. The overriding rule as you interview is to be yourself. No matter the format, you are also assessing the organization and want to learn as much about them as they are learning about you.   When presented with an offer, you should hopefully have an idea of what the future holds for you with that organization.

Types of Interviews – Behavioral and Standard interviews

AUTHOR: David M. Young

For those who might be control freaks, or want to “anticipate” what an interview will be like, there is only so much you can do. Even though you have invested so much into preparing for the interview before you walk through the door, I have found that organizations rarely train the interviewers. As a result, most of the time, you don’t know what to expect. Invariably, people will interview others in a manner in which they were interviewed. They learn by what they experience. All though there are several different types of interviews, I have found that most interviews focus on either a “behavioral” interview or a “Standard” interview.

Before I discuss these 2 base types of interviews, keep in mind, there are several other types of interviews. These include:

• Informational interview
• Screening interview
• Panel interview (or called a small group or committee interview)
• The “Second” interview
• The “Case” interview (or presentation, test, or task challenge interview)

Stay tuned and we will cover these in much more detail.

The most common interview is the “Standard” or “Personal” interview. This is most common because the interviewer is rarely trained or the meeting is not generally planned in advance. It is a “one-on-one” interview in the organizations offices that will last 30 minutes to an hour. The interviewer meets with the prospect, and based on how the conversation proceeds, makes a decision on moving forward or hiring. In this interview, standard questions include

• “ Tell me about yourself” (or walk me through your background). The interviewer is looking for how you compare to the open position and if you have a history that indicates you can perform as expected for the open position.
• “Where do you see yourself in 5 years”.
• “Why did you leave” employer x.
• “ How do you get along with people”
• Tell me about XXX skillset, or “How did you use XXXX in your last job”.
• “What are you looking for?”

If a 30 minute interview, you will want to be concise and have a high impact with your answers. If 45 minutes to an hour or hour and a half, you will want to go into much more depth and use specific examples to support your generalizations.

As a recruiter, this type of interview is not something that can be measured. At the end of the interview, it ends up being a gut call on the interviewer.

The other often used interview is the “Behavioral” interview. Formally, this is called “Critical Behavior Interviewing” (CBI). The theory behind this type of interview is that past performance in a similar situation is the best predictor of future performance. The interview will probe much deeper than traditional interviewing techniques, and most of the time, the interviewer has been trained on how to interview as well has prepared questions specific to the position that is open. To prepare for this interview, you should think of specific examples that demonstrate your competencies in core behaviors such as communication, conflict, flexibility, teamwork, organizational management, and problem solving skills. Most of the time your examples do not have to be limited to a professional environment, but could be personal. You will want to tell your story. Make sure you answer with the task or problem at hand, what you did or your action taken, and the result or outcome. The more directly you can tie this to the position you are interviewing for, the better you will present yourself. As a candidate, the tough part of this interview is that unless you ask questions, they will learn everything possible about you, but you will gain very little insight on the open position. Make sure you are prepared with questions for the interviewer that will allow you to gain further understanding about the role.

Keep in mind, the best preparation for an interview is real life. Your experiences, your desires, your aspirations, and your skills that you have gained over time professionally. When you interview, you want to put your best foot forward. Your goal when you walk out the door is to get an offer. If that is your focus, you will shine. And in those rare situations where you know the position is not a fit, the last thing you want to do is cut off the interview and burn a bridge. If you have prepared, you will at a minimum, add someone knew to your professional network.