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How to Check a Job Candidate’s Personality

September 28th, 2009 by lewis

Nick Corcodilos asks: “Managers, how do you check a candidate’s personality?” Interestingly enough, several posters mention personality tests. Here are ways to check without using personality tests:

Behavioral interview questions
For those of you who aren’t familiar, behavioral interview questions “asks candidates to recall specific instances where they were faced with a set of circumstances.” Here are a few examples from Wikipedia:
  • “Tell me about a project you worked on where the requirements changed midstream. What did you do?”
  • “Tell me about a time when you took the lead on a project. What did you do?”
  • “Describe the worst project you worked on.”
A single behavioral interview question can reveal a candidate’s personality. During a recent interview, I asked a candidate about his work, using the behavioral interview question technique. From his response, I deduced that he has had difficulty influencing others, can give up easily, and usually gets comfortable with the status quo.
Reference checks
References are a great way to verify a job seeker’s personality. Yes, references can be coached. However, I’ve found that most references aren’t coached, and those that are coached aren’t coached well. Contrary to popular opinion, references (even those that a candidate nominates) can be truthful. Straightforward questions like, “What’s his or her biggest weakness?” can offer surprising insights into a candidate’s personality.

Find out why employers don’t call you back

September 17th, 2009 by lewis

How many times have you heard, “We had a number of strong applicants, including you. However, we selected another candidate with better qualifications and experience?“
Or have you heard the completely opposite, that you’re overqualified?
A few weeks ago, I talked to a recruiter at a Fortune 500 company. She told me that 50% of the time she makes up a reason why a candidate did not get the job.
It’s not surprising. Job and interview rejection letters and calls can be puzzling. Sometimes the recruiter doesn’t know the real reason why the hiring manager chose a different candidate. Other times, they know the reason, but fearing legal liability, they cannot say it. And probably the most important reason of all, recruiters hate delivering bad news, worried that candidates will get upset, angry — or ask more questions on why they didn’t get the job.
We all want a good job. But you can’t get that job if you don’t know your true shortcomings.
I’ve developed a new service called the “Interview Rejection Report.” Send me the job description and your resume. We’ll do a 20-30 minute mock phone interview, and then I’ll spend another 30-40 minutes telling you what your shortcomings are and provide specific suggestions for improvement.
For a limited time, I will charge $50 for the Interview Rejection Report, a $40 savings. To get started, e-mail me at lewis@seattleinterviewcoach.com

Washington State Unemployment Rate Up to 9.2%

September 15th, 2009 by lewis

Across the US, the unemployment rate is slightly higher at 9.7%. The Seattle Times has more on the latest unemployment figures from August.

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How to Prepare for Cultural Fit Interview Questions

September 15th, 2009 by lewis

Over at the US News blog, Alison Green lists six main factors on “How Employers Choose From Among Many Great Candidates.” Here are the four that caught my eye:

  • How is each candidate likely to get along with the manager?
  • How much does each candidate fit with the company’s culture?
  • How much does each candidate seem to want this particular job?
  • Who do we most want to work with?
Ever notice how numerous companies prefer internal hires over external ones? Or do you see many external hires leave a company shortly after being hired? As Alison’s post underscores, many hiring mangers are concerned about cultural fit. Unfortunately, few candidates take the time to understand a company’s unofficial cultural rules.
What’s the best way to prepare for cultural fit questions? Here are a few ideas:
  • Review the company website. Many companies provide information on a company’s culture. For example, you can find Google’s corporate values on their website.
  • Talk to the employees. Ask friends, family, and alums whether or not they have contacts at a particular company. Also utilize social networking tools, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find contacts.
  • Be creative. Have an interview at T-Mobile, but don’t know anyone at the company? Visit a store and chat it up with employees. Alternatively, visit Glassdoor.com, a website that features thousands of user-generated reviews on the companies they work for.
How do you if you’ve got a great response to a cultural fit question? Kevin Gao gives us a glimpse on how one might answer a cultural fit question at an Accenture interview.

At an information session, I met Sally Stone, a consultant in the D.C. office. We ended up chatting for more than an hour. Over the last 3 months, we stayed in touch and she spent innumerable hours answering my questions about the firm, reviewing my resume, and helping me prepare for the case studies. I’ve never met a person as considerate and insightful as she is, and I consider the opportunity to work with people like that to be one of the greatest benefits of a career at Accenture.

This interview response is unique and filled with detail. Better yet, it demonstrates how much the candidate wants the job.

Save the Date: Seattle Networking Event for Job Seekers and Startups on September 30th

September 10th, 2009 by lewis

Here’s an interesting opportunity for Seattle-based job seekers and startups; Jobnob is hosting a Seattle networking event on September 30th. Here’s more information from Julie Greenberg, Jobnob’s founder:
Jobnob & PSN Happy Hour Seattle (9/30): connecting jobseekers with startups
Industrious Job Seekers—are you willing to volunteer at least 5-10 hours a week for a startup?
Help out a startup and you’ll get a leg up on the competition, keep your skills sharp and have some good experience to put on your resume.

Cash Conscious Startups—are you looking for smart and talented people to help grow your company?
Come with one or two specific projects that you need accomplished and we’ll help you find the perfect person to get the job done.
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Keep Up the Momentum and Get the Job

September 2nd, 2009 by lewis

John C. Maxwell is one of my favorite business leaders. His company, Giant Impact, recently wrote an article on how to recapture momentum in one’s life. The article offers a helpful snippet for job searchers:

If you’re searching for a job, don’t consider yourself a failure if no offers come your way at first. Work hard to strengthen your interviewing skills, polish your resume, and network more strategically. Take pride in how you conduct yourself during the job search. By giving your best day after day, you not only increase your odds of landing employment, but you also boost your self-esteem.

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Seattle is #3 on Best Cities to Find a New Job

September 1st, 2009 by lewis

According to CareerCast.com, Seattle is the #3 best city to find a new job, trailing just Washington D.C. and Boston. Riverside, California is the #1 worst city to find a new job, followed by Detroit and Memphis.
Best Cities to Find a Job (August 2009)
* Washington, D.C.
* Boston
* Seattle
* San Francisco
* Atlanta
* Chicago
* New York City
* Baltimore
Worst Cities to Find a Job (August 2009)

* Riverside, CA
* Detroit
* Memphis
* Louisville
* Tampa Bay
* St. Louis
* Cincinnati
* Phoenix

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Made it to CareerBuilder’s “Top 10 Job Tweeters” List

August 31st, 2009 by lewis

A few days ago, CareerBuilder.com posted its Top 10 Job Tweeters list. I made the list! I’ve included an excerpt below:

@AlisonDoyle
About the author: Alison Doyle regularly writes articles on job-seeking issues, ranging from interview advice to using social media appropriately.
Why you should follow her: She’s prolific, so you always have something to read, and she knows her stuff.
@AnitaBruzzese
About the author: Anita Bruzzese is the author of “45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy” and also writes a workplace blog full of tips and advice for employees.
Why you should follow her: She lets you know when she’s updated her blog, which is full of helpful advice. She also shares quirky, sometimes off-topic links that lighten the day’s mood.
@CAREEREALISM
About the authors: Careerealism.com founder J.T. O’Donnell and a group of job experts let you know when they’ve posted new advice for job seekers. They also respond to job seekers with career questions — in 140 characters or less, of course.
Why you should follow them: As a follower, you get to read advice from several experts who know what they’re talking about and give their own perspectives.
@careerdiva
About the author: Eve Tahmincioglu blogs, publishes articles and Tweets on career issues.
Why you should follow her: Her advice is excellent and she often brings up issues you might not have otherwise considered.
@CBforJobSeekers
About the authors: CareerBuilder’s team of experts writes for the job seeking blog TheWorkBuzz.com and workplace articles, such as the one you’re reading right now.
Why you should follow them: The team’s Tweets are a mix of tips, news stories, helpful articles and blog posts to keep you informed of what’s going on in the world of job seekers.
@heatherhuhman
About the author: Heather Huhman is an expert on helping Generation Y job seekers and recent graduates navigate the professional world.
Why you should follow her: Huhman Tweets when she writes a new article, directs followers to other helpful experts and offers her own tips from time to time.
@InterviewCoach
About the author: Lewis Lin is a Seattle-based interview coach who prepares clients for the difficult questions that will come their way during a job search.
Why you should follow him: Lin Tweets his own interview tips, as well as other experts’ advice and news articles.
@Keppie_Careers
About the author: Atlanta-based Miriam Salpeter is a career coach and résumé writer for Keppie Careers. She helps job seekers spice up their résumés, prepare for interviews and achieve their career goals.
Why you should follow her: In addition to posting links to the day’s job seeker headlines and news, she also offers career advice and lets you know where she’ll be giving presentations.
@Writerbabe
About the author: Chicago-based Raven Moore authors The Writerbabe Series, a blog that explores professional, pop-culture and newsworthy topics.
Why you should follow her: Moore directs you both to her own writings and to other writers’ works, as well as interesting news items she comes across. Plus, some of her personal Tweets are entertaining enough to make you forget about the current economy.
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Are you an “A” Player? CEOs tell us what they look for in top candidates.

August 27th, 2009 by lewis

This week, I’ve been reading Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street. When researching their book, Geoff and Randy asked top CEOs and scholars: which competencies are the biggest success factors?
Take a look at Geoff and Randy’s list below, and see if you are an “A” player.
  • Efficiency. Able to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort.
  • Honesty/integrity. Does not cut corners ethically. Earns trust and maintains confidences. Does what is right, not just what is politically expedient. Speaks plainly and truthfully.
  • Organization and planning. Plans, organizes, schedules, and budgets in an efficient, productive manner. Focuses on key priorities.
  • Aggressiveness. Moves quickly and takes a forceful stand without being overly abrasive.
  • Follow-through on commitments. Lives up to verbal and written aggreements, regardless of personal cost.
  • Intelligence. Learns quickly. Demonstrates ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information.
  • Analytical skills. Able to structure and process qualitative or quantitative data and draw insightful conclusions from it. Exhibits a probing mind and achieves penetrating insights.
  • Attention to detail. Does not let important details slip through the cracks or derail a project.
  • Persistence. Demonstrates tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
  • Proactivity. Acts without being told what to do. Brings new ideas to the company.
Additional competencies as determined by the authors
  • Ability to hire A Players (for managers). Sources, selects, and sells A Players to join the company.
  • Ability to develop people (for managers). Coaches people in their current roles to improve performance, adn prepares them for future roles.
  • Flexibility/adaptability. Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions. Copes effectively with complexity and change.
  • Calm under pressure. Maintains stable performance under heavy pressure or stress.
  • Strategic thinking/visioning. Able to see and commnicate the big picture in an inspiring way. Determines opportunities and threats through comprehensive analysis of current and future trends.
  • Creativitiy/innovation. Generates new and innovative approaches to problems.
  • Enthusiasm. Exhibits passion and excitement over work. Has a can-do attitude.
  • Work ethic. Possesses a strong willingness to work hard and sometimes long hours to get the job done. Has a track record of working hard.
  • High standards. Expects personal and team performance to be nothing short of the best.
  • Listening skills. Lets others pseak and seeks to understand their viewpoints.
  • Openness to criticism and ideas. Often solicits feedback and reacts calmly to criticism or negative feedback.
  • Communication. Speaks and writes clearly and articulately without being overly verbose or talkative. Maintains this standard in all forms of written communication, including e-mail.
  • Teamwork. Reaches out to peers and cooperates with supervisors to establish an overall collaborative working relationship.
  • Persuasion. Able to convince others to pursue a course of action.

“Interviews are the Only Things that Matter”

August 24th, 2009 by lewis

Careerbuilder posted an article about 10 things you’re doing wrong in the job search. Interestingly enough, five out of the 10 items are related to interviews:

  1. You don’t recognize that face-to-face interviews are the only things that matter.
  2. You don’t prepare well for interviews.
  3. You’re not selling yourself.
  4. You have the attitude, “What can you do for me?”
  5. You give poor reasons for leaving your job.
On #1, I’ve never been bold enough to say “interviews are the only things that matter,” but I’d have to largely agree. As a hiring manager at Microsoft and Google, I use resumes to determine whether someone was worth a phone interview. From there, I rarely refer to the resume. I focus on using the interview to determine whether or not to pass them onto the next round — or if appropriate, make the job offer.
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