Feature Article: The Job Interview as Sales Call: Three Essential Interview Skills
Special Feature: Make a Lasting Impression at Job Interviews Using Questions
Bonus Feature: Helpful Job-Searching Hints for Teen Job-Seekers
Q&A with a Career Expert Diane Burns
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
Time once again for an issue on one of our most requested topics -- interviewing --
and we've got great advice from three contributors, writers Clay Barrett and Deborah Walker, as
well as our Q&A subject, Diane Burns, also a writer and speaker.
The Job Interview as Sales Call: Three Essential Interview Skills
by Deborah Walker, CCMC
With competition for good jobs at an all-time high, candidates
who conduct their job search as a sales campaign consistently
win out over those who don't.
When job-seekers practice the
skills of sales experts, they learn to apply the strategies
of a sales presentation to their job interviews.
To get to the top of the candidate list, you'll need
three essential sales skills.
Want to get your resume, CV or cover letter critiqued right away? Want to be able to interact with
the person critiquing your documents and ask questions?
Our sister site, Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters now offers Same-Day Interactive
Resume, CV, and Cover Letter Critiques via Instant Messenger.
Make a Lasting Impression at Job Interviews Using Questions
by Clay Barrett
Seth was just finishing an excellent interview. He had aced every question the panel threw at him. Questions ranged
from how he had dealt with difficult customers to his management style; he even gave specific examples of how he had handled issues
in the past.
The last question came up. It seemed to Seth more like a formality in contrast to the difficult questions he had already answered;
yet this question could have been one of his most powerful allies in landing this position. That question was, "Do you have any
questions for me?"
Unfortunately for Seth, his best answer was "No, you've pretty much covered all I need to know." He missed a great opportunity to make
himself stand out from the rest.
In a job market where you may be among five other stellar candidates, it is essential to use every opportunity to make a lasting impression.
MTV is currently casting for an upcoming "Choose or Lose" show that will follow people who are graduating and looking for a job.
The show plans to follow them for a few months (not every day -- mainly following up with them once a month) to see how their search
is going. The show seeks someone who has not found a job yet but does have a career in mind -- nothing in the media! This person needs
to be energetic, intelligent, and resourceful. Obviously today's job market isn't what it used to be, so the show seeks to capture that.
They need to be go-getters and creative with their job search.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE SHOW SEEKS SOMEONE FROM THE FLORIDA AREA.
If you or someone you know has just graduated this semester or will graduate at the end of the summer and would be interested in
participating, email: Jeff Schneider, the sooner the better.
More contact info:
MTV News & Docs
1633 Broadway, 32nd FL
New York, NY 10019
212.654.6210
Web site: MTV.com
Bonus Feature: Teen Job-Searching Hints
Helpful Job-Searching Hints for Teen Job-Seekers
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Finding a summer job is a rite of passage for many teens, and while some years it may easier to find a job than others,
the bottom line is that finding a job -- even a summer job -- takes planning, effort, and determination. And while looking
for a job in the classified ads may work for a small number of teens, you'll find better alternative ways to find work
in our article.
To maximize your job opportunities, you'll need to cover a lot of ground. One way to do that is to post your resume
on all the best job boards, large and small. It may take some time, but it's well worth the effort. If you want
to save 60 hours of research and data entry, consider using professional resume-posting service like
ResumeRabbit.com.
After filling in one simple online form, they'll instantly post your resume on up to 85 of the top career sites at once.
Within minutes you'll be seen on Monster, HotJobs, FlipDog, Dice, CareerBuilder and more, where 1.5 million employers
and recruiters search for candidates daily.
Diane Burns is an international careers industry speaker and national writer.
Overconfidence is the biggest mistake job-seekers can
make in interviews, says Diane Burns in the Q&A interview we did
with her. "Many job-seekers are overconfident in their interviews,"
she says. "Many clients say, 'If I can just get into the interview,
I know I will ace it.' When the interview is over they say, 'I blew
the interview.' It is not wise to assume that you can convince a
hiring manager to hire you; there is strong competition in the
marketplace. You have to be yourself and answer questions naturally.
"Overconfidence can make an interviewer feel intimidated or unsure
of your motives for wanting the position," Burns continues.
"Overconfidence also is displayed in how you treat other people
involved in the interview process -- the secretary or team members
you may meet during the day. Everyone that you come in contact with
on the interview day will be asked about youŠhow do they like you?
How did you treat them? Overconfidence allows you to think you don't
need to practice for an interview or conduct industry/company research.
Overconfidence may cause you to embellish your experience or credentials,
'Yea, I have done that,' or 'Yea, I can do that,' when you have never
actually applied the skill on the job."
Read more of Burns's advice, including how to prepare for interviews,
the importance of thank-you letters, the dangers of over-reliance
on the Internet for resume distribution, and the myth of the
one-page resume in our
Q&A with her.
Based on years of research, the Jackson Vocational Interest
Survey (JVIS) accurately measures your interests, showing how
they relate to the worlds of study and work, and mapping out
your route to an interesting career.
This site is primarily a collection of more than 1,600 possible interview questions and answers. Free registration is
strongly encouraged on the site to enable the privilege of viewing the entire collection of questions and answers.
Non-registered users can view only entry-level questions, while registered users can view junior and senior-level
questions and answers. Registered users can also suggest questions and answers for the site. One major
plus is the wide variety of occupations represented by the questions/answers.
The site also boasts a rather mesmerizing logo animation that looks like water splashing and moving over the site
logo. We're not sure what the water theme has to do with interviewing, but it's fun to look at.
Instantly email your resume to 1000s of recruiters,
headhunters, and direct hiring companies! With the most
comprehensive and targeted network of recruiters on the
net, you can rest assured you have taken the steps
necessary to jump start your search. We are so sure
you will be happy that we guarantee our service!
Agaveblue -- a job and career site for
IT professionals, where you can search for jobs or projects, as well as get information
on training and certification. Job-seekers can search for jobs (by keywords and location)
or post your resume. Free to job-seekers, but membership charge for freelancers.
canjobs.com -- a great Canadian jobs site, where
job-seekers can search job listings (by career type, province, and keywords), as well as post
your resume, register for a job-search agent, and find career resources. Canjobs.com also runs province-specific and
city-specific job sites for all of Canada. Registration required. Free to job-seekers.
DiversityWorking.com -- a
great diversity job site for all ethnic and sexual orientation groups, where job-seekers
can search for jobs (by location, industry, job listing type, posting recency, and keywords), as well as
post your resume, and sign up for a free newsletter. The company is also a national career expo
producer for the diversity marketplace. Free to job-seekers.
HealthCareerWeb.com -- a job and career site for
healthcare professionals. Job-seekers can search job listings (by location, profession, and skills),
browse job openings by employer, and post your resume. Also includes educational and career
resources, as well as information about job fairs and work-at-home opportunities. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
Ad: The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need
College students and new grads should check out this e-book,
The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need:
How to Find -- and Get -- The Job or Internship of Your Dreams!
The book contains must-read contributions from 149 of North America's top employment experts
and is available risk-free for 90 days.
Nadine writes: "I have a problem. My resume is selling me to employers, but when it comes to the time of the interview --
I seem to be 'shooting myself in the foot.' I do research the company beforehand, and after the interview, I send the thank-you
card -- but I never get the job offer. What I am doing wrong? Do you have any suggestions?"
J. H. writes: "I've been offered a job at a hospital pending criminal check. I had a conviction in 1992 and was done with
parole at the end of 1995. I didn't answer the 'ever been convicted of a crime' question on the job application. What should I do?"
Anonymous writes: "I am very grateful for the material you have on interviewing techniques on your Web site. However, I am still
not very clear on the recommended closing statements in an interview. I will be very happy if provide me some of the recommended closing
statements in an interview."
Wendy writes: "I recently sent a resume/cover letter for a management position in a state I would like to relocate to.
Unfortunately, I read your do's and don'ts list after I had my initial phone interview. I had no idea what salary range they
were offering and was afraid I might be looking for more than what they were offering (the cost of living is less there). I
told them how much I make now and said I was willing to accept 25 percent less due to the difference in the cost of living (I
made an error there, too -- I would guess the figure is actually 15 percent less).
"There was no job offer made, but I am flying there again this week for a second in-person interview. If they do offer me the
job, how can I negotiate after I've already given them this range of 25 percent less-present salary? I also did not take into consideration
the fact that my husband doesn't have a job there yet either, so I really need to make at least what I am now or 10 percent more. I
looked at salary ranges and I would be within reason in asking for this. Is there anyway to take my foot out of my mouth now?
Is there any hope?"
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Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Recently, ResumeDoctor.com surveyed more than 2,000 recruiters and hiring managers worldwide to find out what questions are most
frequently asked during job interviews. Participants came from a variety of industries, including information technology,
marketing and sales, finance, and healthcare.
Here are the most frequently asked questions, according to the ResumeDoctor.com survey:
Describe your ideal job and/or boss.
Why are you looking for a job? Why are leaving your current position?
What unique experience or qualifications separate you from other candidates?
Tell me about yourself?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Describe some of your most important career accomplishments.
What are your short-term/long-term goals?
Describe a time when you were faced with a challenging situation and how you handled it?
What are your salary requirements?
Why are you interested in this position? Our company?
What would your former boss/colleagues say about you?
What are the best and worst aspects of your previous job?
A moral dilemma presented to 200 job applicants and submitted by Dick Breit to Reader's Digest
shows the importance of creative thinking in job interviews:
The dilemma: You are driving along on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, where you see
three people waiting:
1. An elderly woman who is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect mate you've been dreaming about.
Who would you choose, knowing there could be only one passenger in your car? Should you save the elderly
woman or take the old friend because he once saved your life?
You may may never find the perfect dream lover again! The person who was hired for the job gave this answer:
"I would give the car keys to my friend and let him take the elderly woman to the hospital. Then I would
stay behind and wait for the bus with the women of my dreams."
Because we're in an employer's market, job interviews are becoming more intense than ever.
Business Week reports on situational interviews in which candidates must role-play,
for example, a bank analyst responding to a customer who is
irate about money lost when a trade wasn't executed. A colleague
of ours describes a similar such interview, her third round of
interviews with the same organization. "There were four of us...
the 'final four,'" she said. "We met face-to-face to
demonstrate our abilities to conduct a brainstorming session in
order to solve an in-house problem that dealt with lack of motivation
by employees. There were six staff members in the room with us
evaluating our performance. Another aspect is that I had to conduct
an actual counseling session with a 'disgruntled employee' in an
actual work situation; I was provided an office and an actual
employee of the firm did the role-play with me. I had two evaluators
sitting in the room with me evaluating my performance."
"Behavioral interviewing is one thing," our colleague notes. "Scenario-
based interviewing is the next thing. And the neat thing is that staff
evaluate, as a way to identify if they can work with us, as candidates,
and vice versa. It was a great way to see the culture as well. There
is yet a fourth round..."
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QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Can earning a certification boost your career?
* Letters of recommendation
* 10 job-search reality checks
* Is job flexibility right for you?
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Making your case for telecommuting
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* What employers are really looking for
* New series: 10 mistakes to avoid in: resumes, cover letters, interviews, salary
negotiation, career change, networking, job-search
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Quintessential Careers also offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
Need a speaker for your career-oriented conference or
event at your college or organization? The Quintessential
Careers Speakers Bureau can help! Our quintessential experts
can provide presentations/workshops on a variety of
career-related topics.
MTV is currently casting for an upcoming "Choose or Lose" show that will follow people who are graduating and looking for a job.
The show plans to follow them for a few months (not every day -- mainly following up with them once a month) to see how their search
is going. The show seeks someone who has not found a job yet but does have a career in mind -- nothing in the media! This person needs
to be energetic, intelligent, and resourceful. Obviously today's job market isn't what it used to be, so the show seeks to capture that.
They need to be go-getters and creative with their job search.
