Readers: Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis. If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Curtis writes:
I’m a college senior graduating next month, and I have a lot of questions related
to job-hunting and interviewing. I hope you’ll answer as many of these as you can.
Do you have any pointers about phone interviews?
Is it OK for the final question in an interview to be, "When can I expect to hear
from you?" or something along those lines?
How do you respond if the interviewer asks in 5-7 years where do you see
yourself? And then in 10+ years?
Do you have any suggestions on getting rid of ums and wells when answering in an interview?
Finally, what is (in your opinion) the most impressive quality for a student to posses in an interview?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Phone interviews are tough!! A lot more companies are using them to screen candidates
because of costs, so it's good to get some practice with these. The key is trying to
establish rapport -- which you do in person by making eye contact and smiling.
Over the phone, you really need to use your tone of voice and strong vocabulary --
and be a little more proactive.
You should ALWAYS ask -- in all interviews -- about the next step. When will I know
about the next step, how many more people are you interviewing, when do you expect
to make a decision, when should I call you to see about the next step, etc. Use one of
these always. It helps you in your timetable (not that anyone really sticks to it) AND it
demonstrates you are interested.
The key to the "future" questions is to show ambition. Employers want to hire someone
who has a clear picture of their future and a clear understanding of how they want to
contribute to the organization. So, the key is to show that you expect to be promoted,
not because of time spent, but because you are (will be) a valuable member of the team.
Ums and uhs are caused by habit. And the key is just working on breaking the habit.
We use them because we don't like silence, but silence is a million times better than
ums and uhs. It also helps to be prepared, because the more you have what you want
to say in your head, the more likely you will not need the fillers to compose your story/answer.
The best quality? Wow. Tough one. Because I believe the best quality is authenticity.
Don't pretend to be someone you are not. Go in there and wow them as you. Be real.
Now, this does not mean do not be prepared... I think the best interviews are ones
where the person seems real, has great answers to my questions, and makes good
eye contact and smiles, shows enthusiasm, has energy. And ask questions (because
that shows interest).
Allan writes:
I just read an article in Business Week that said that one should
never include the letters MBA after one's name if one has an MBA Degree.
That is the first that I have heard that dictum. Please provide your feedback.
And, yes, I have an MBA Degree.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I would have to agree. I have seen people use the MBA label after their
names, and I just think it sends the wrong message. Instead of saying
something of the quality of the person’s education, I think it conveys a
message of pretentiousness.
Don’t get me wrong. The MBA is a great degree and a great tool for moving
forward in a business career, but other than that, there is no real status
attached to it, such as to doctoral degrees, including the J.D., M.D., or Ph.D.
Q:
Mona writes:
Maybe this is a dumb question, but how does one know they are choosing the
right job? I’m close to graduating and am in the middle of a job-search and I
have come to the realization that I have no clue how I am going to make a decision
about accepting a job when a job offer comes my way. Can you give me some input?
Thanks for your help.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Well, first, relax. I think yours is a fairly common problem for new grads. I am going to
assume that you have a general idea of what you want to do -- based on your major --
and that what you lack is maybe a little focus and a little experience in how to evaluate job offers.
I think there are four criteria to evaluating job offers.
First, is the job itself going to be something you want to be doing 40+ hours a week for the
foreseeable future? Make sure the vast majority of the job involves elements you want to do.
If you like action, don’t take a job where you are stuck in a cubicle all day.
Second, does the organizational culture fit you -- and have you liked most of the people you’ve
met, especially your future boss and co-workers? Even if the job is perfect, you will never be
happy if the culture is toxic or if there is an element of negativity among co-workers.
Third, is there room for growth and advancement within the organization? The ideal scenario
is an organization that offers training, has a plan for promoting its workers, and offers some
sort of tuition reimbursement for continuing education.
Fourth, are you going to be fairly compensated? I put money last, even though most job-seekers
focus on this issue the most. Certainly you need to be compensated fairly, but money should
not drive your decision. You could be paid well and hate your job.
Finally, never, ever be rushed into making a decision. If a prospective employer will not give
you time to consider the offer, tell them no. And if an employer refuses to put the job offer in
writing, move on. The best employers will give you time to make an informed decision -- and
that includes having the entire compensation package (pay and benefits) in front of you.
Q:
Tim writes:
I had an interview about a week ago and at the end of the interview the interviewer
told me that they would be in touch with me by the end of week. I sent a thank
you email a few days later but I haven't heard anything since the interview. I
know most companies will send you an email and a letter in the mail letting you
know that you were not selected. I wanted to call the interviewer but wasn't really
sure what to ask. Any suggestions?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Call the employer today! Right now.
I cannot stress enough the importance of follow-up. Job-seekers who follow-up with
prospective employers send a message that they are very interested in the job. Those
who do not roll the dice.
So, you have done everything right so far. Prepared for the interview, received information
about the (proposed) timetable, and wrote a thank-you note. All that is left now is to follow-up.
Call the interviewer and politely ask about the progress of the search and whether
there is any other information you can provide him/her. It’s most likely that the
hiring manager simply was overly optimistic about how long the hiring process would take.
And if the person says to check back in another week be certain to do so!
Now, don’t be the angry or annoying job-seeker. Do not start checking in every day or
several times a day. Politeness matters, so be respectful while also following-up.
