Last week we talked about interviews and the results of them. Your humble mentors suggested that you all give perfectinterview.com a try. This week, hopefully with the experience of doing a simulated online interview, we will talk about the best ways to answer questions. Like always you will see contrasting ideas and differences between the two of us. We hope like always to continue hearing your ideas and views on ours. Enjoy!
Peter’s Perspective:
I think the best way to answer questions is to be direct and positive. When I say direct I mean to keep details to a minimum. I believe in an interview you want to show your attributes through the stories ideas, not the tiny unneeded details. The positive side of that I feel like is obvious, just show a pleasant disposition. An example of this would be question 3 in my interview. (Link on bottom) This question summed up asks what I disliked about my previous job. Rather then letting out twenty little things that I did dislike I went straight to a positive of me wanting to move on. A simple answer like this is usually quite functional in my view. This is the way I feel about all interviews. Whether your in a phone interview, or a panel interview attack it the same. This is my personal style I like being direct. I feel like being positive gets you further then being negative. You have to find what works for you. To have a successful interview you have to feel comfortable. Show your relaxed and confident in what you have to say and that is the best you can do.
The last thing to talk about is salary. The appropriate time to ask about salary would be at the end of the interview. There is a clause to this in my opinion. If the interviewer does not ask if you have any questions do not bring any up. You should be informed prior to attending of what position you are going for and basic idea of what you will be doing. That is your responsibility and if you’re not being hired on the spot you should not press the issue. It could be a multiple interview kind of business.
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/text_viewer.asp?id=F5EB82FA-EB8D-46F3-9610-1C312EAA3C19&mediatype=flv
Mary's Perspective:
Like Peter, I feel that the most effective way to answer questions is to first be direct. Employers tend to ask questions for specific reasons, or so I have found, and answering in a roundabout manner works against you. As I mentioned before, confidence is definitely a key quality in answering what might come across as a non-standard interview question. Confidence is so key because, as I also mentioned before, you need to convey your own security in your skills and values as an individual. Although we all will want and need jobs post-graduation, I also feel that being confident, direct, and honest in your results will help you to find employment within an establishment that will help you flourish- I don't think it's worth lieing or manipulating your answers so you fit in. In terms of phone interviews and panel interviews, you have to be very aware of your communication- the phone is obviously a very critical way to conduct an interview, only your words will convey your qualifications and your character to a prospective employer.
Finally, in terms of discussing salary, I believe it is poor etiquette to blatantly ask, but I also feel that it is an important detail to be discussed. I would consider discussing this detail at the end of, or if possible, outside of the scope of the interview.
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3020926&type=standard
Thank you both for adressing the issue of when and how to discuss salary during an interveiw. I have always felt uneasy about when to adress the topic and previously was unsure about how to bring it up. You both gave me a better understanding of the proper way to adress the issue.
ReplyDeletePeter, I enjoyed your point about making negative questions into positive answers. It is a beneficial quality to be able to answer a question like "what did you dislike about your previous job" with a positive quality about yourself. This shows that you can turn bad situations into learning experiences.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you both on keeping details to a minimum. I think that's a great point that I personally need to be reminded of. There's a fine line between letting the interviewer get to know you, and going off on a tangent. Simply highlighting the positive aspects about yourself is enough to let the interviewer know you.
ReplyDeleteOne part of the interview that proved to be a weakness was when the interviewer asked when the last time I went beyond the call of duty for a project. I wondered if they preferred to hear specific events or just a general overview of your initiative. It was my first question and I didn't get to view an example from the coaching option. How would you respond to that question?
ReplyDeleteMary, I agree with you that its important to be direct. Its easy to lose focus of what the interviewer is asking sometimes, because you want to be able to get in everything you have to say. I think what you said about being direct coincides with what Peter said about keeping some details to a minimum.
ReplyDeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteI have learned that a specific event is a lot better way to respond to a question. Just remember not to incorporate useless details. Keep the story simple and to the point but make sure you show the interviewer that this a genuine situation and not just a story.
I feel that in order to make a good impression on interviewers, it is important to be honest and straightforward in answering questions. Like Mary said, answering in a roundabout way will only make you seem elusive and unclear. Also, when answering questions diction is very important. Speaking with a clear, strong voice portrays that you are educated and intelligent and will be able to communicate with co workers and clients in a productive manner.
ReplyDeletePhone interviews are interesting because the interviewer is unable to see your appearance or personal mannerisms. In this case, it is even more important to have good diction and a level voice. In face to face interviews one can rely slightly on professional appearances, facial expressions and gestures. On a phone interview it is all about the spoken word.
I think it is acceptable to talk about salary only when you are sure you have the job. It may sometimes seem rude to bring up salary in the middle of an interview and may give the wrong impression to a potential employer.
I agree with all of you about remembering to be concise and to the point. I also liekd what Peter said about remembering to always be positive. Even when interviewers ask for a negative aspect of your previous employment, turning it into a positive experience and statement is a great way to seem competent and confident. That also relates to what Mary said about confidence. Confidence is key, and when answering questions that you aren't prepared for, confidence will always shine through and carry you through.
ReplyDeleteLike I said in previous postings, I think the best thing to do in preparation for an interview is to have an idea of what question will be asked, have answers already prepared, and to be confident. I’ve only had regular, one-on-one interviews, with one exception. I did a phone interview once, and the person asking the questions was a regular employee who had nothing to do with the hiring process-- she just recorded the answers on a piece of paper. It was very strange. I’m not normally very nervous during an interview, but I think I would be in front of a panel! That would be intimidating. Part of what I try to do in an interview is establish a rapport-- that really doesn’t seem as possible with a panel.
ReplyDeleteI have almost never even brought up compensation in an interview, and instead have waited for the other person to bring it up. However, what if you’re trying to make a decision between jobs, and an important deciding factor is the amount of pay? This is always the question I hate asking. I’ve even said so in an interview!
Samantha-- good point about speaking with a clear, strong voice. I once asked for help looking for what I wanted in the stereo department of Circuit City, and the man helping me thought I spoke so well (“concise”, “articulate”, etc.) that he offered me a job on the spot! I already had a job, but I thought that spoke volumes about what you pointed out.
ReplyDeleteMary-- I’m glad someone addressed the issue of lying or manipulating information. It was recommended to me once that I lie about some things on my resume-- like computer skills that are not relevant to the position but would make me sound more qualified. I would hope that the ethical issues involved should suffice to keep someone from that kind of dishonesty, but there are practical ramifications as well. What if those qualifications end up being something the interviewer knows about? What if they do become relevant? I would say to steer clear of dishonesty, and save that kind of unethical behavior for when you run a major corporation, if that is your goal...
ReplyDeleteThe issue of compensation is always a touchy subject. I agree with you Mary that it definitely needs to be saved for the last topic of discussion. I feel as though it is the responsibility of the employer to discuss compensation, however if it is not brought up by the employer I believe it is okay to politely bring it up and discuss it. They may be glad that you brought it up.
ReplyDeleteEduardo I agree with what you said about dishonesty. I believe you should always be honest, because maybe there are even differing issues you may have with the employer and through being honest, you may discover it isn't the job for you. On the other hand, it may be incredibly helpful to tell the truth even if you are reluctant to.
ReplyDelete