Most people have
seen Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw
Josie Wails. Throughout the movie, the old Indian comments to
himself, ‘A man has to have an edge.” In job interviewing, that pretty much
sums it up. The candidate with an edge has an advantage.
Half dozen edges
come to mind. These range from physical appearance to mental alertness. There
is not too much one can do at the last minute to garner a small edge, and thus
nose out the competition. Most interviewing edges are acquired well before you arrive.
For example,
reviewing potential interviewing questions and honing effective responses is
not something you develop the night before an interview. The same
applies to mental alertness, a healthy appearance, a clean credit record,
references, researching the company, and compiling a portfolio just to name a
few.
Candidates who
show up short in these broad categories encounter a premature
interview termination. There is no point in prolonging the event when it
becomes apparent the applicant will not be hired. Like trying to hold dry sand,
the opportunity slips through your fingers.
When you make it
to the initial interview, in most cases you have been prescreened and prequalified. Only a few issues remain. The two highest factors are whether you
are a good fit for the position and
if the interviewer likes you. The
final stage usually comes down to how you handle stress. At this stage, having an edge makes the difference.
Once the field
of candidates narrows, the interviewing process can be tricky. A skilled
interviewer will devise carefully constructed leading and open-ended questions
in an effort to uncover the real you. Open-ended and leading questions provide you
with great latitude. This is also referred to as providing you with enough rope. Shooting-from-the-hip, John
Wayne style usually does not work.
In the
beginning, most skilled interviewers are cordial, warm and upbeat. The initial
three or four softball questions are designed to relax you, or perhaps create the illusion that the interviewer wants to be your friend. Nothing
could be further from reality. This is merely a time-tested technique, and the
interviewer is on a mission.
Most interviews
began when the interviewer says, “Tell me a little bit about yourself.” From
here, an interviewer will broadly inquire about your work experience,
education, perhaps home life, or even hobbies and outside interests.
Again,
these are merely soften-you-up questions, all of which you are expected to easily
address. Drop or fumble a softball question, and the interview is essentially over. Think of it like this: You are a running back, and you've just been handed the football. Rather than run with it, you trip over your shoelace and tackle yourself. Don't expect to be kept in the game.
Keep in mind
that many of the initial questions could be gleaned from your résumé. Thus, you should consider these as
softball questions. The interviewer is merely attempting to keep you in your
comfort zone. The questions you need to concern yourself with are the ones not
addressed in your résumé.
Be prepared to
think fast, once the interviewer shifts gears. Knowing how to respond to probing
and stress-producing questions can provide you with an interviewing edge. The following are a few examples:
How did you feel when you had to
terminate someone? (Or, how did you feel when you were terminated?)
If you enjoyed working for XYZ Company,
why did you leave?
What did you dislike most about your
boss?
What is the biggest risk you have taken
with your current (or previous)
employer?
What do you dislike most about working
in management (or supervision)?
Why do you want to work here? (Better do your homework on this one.)
What is the worst thing you have ever
done in your life?
What makes you feel you are the best
candidate for this position?
I see that you worked at ABC for only
two years. What was the problem?
Tell me about your team-player skills. (This is a trick-and-trap question when you are seeking an executive-level position.)
How do you handle and resolve work-related
problems?
Who can we contact to verify your accomplishments?
Several of the
foregoing are potential sleepers. Take for example the question that
asked, What did you dislike most about
your boss? A placating response usually doesn’t work. If you loved your
boss, or your boss loved you, be prepared for a follow-up gotcha question, such
as, If you and your boss got along so
well, why did you leave? (or why are you leaving?)
Naturally, if
your boss is (or was) a nut case, it is probably not a good idea to grouse
about it during a job interview. Most interviewers would like
you to believe that total honesty is both therapeutic and self-liberating
catharses. An experienced job seeker knows otherwise.
Another gotcha is the team-player inquiry.
Most job candidates will fall over backward trying to suck-up and
placate the interviewer. Executive-level positions, however, often
require someone who can make difficult decisions apart from the "team
players."
A final area to
consider when you need an interviewing edge, is paying attention to what you eat. What you
stuff in your mouth directly affects how
you handle stress, your general alertness and brainpower. Job interviewing
alone causes super amounts of stress.
The fast food
(or Western) diet is not conducive to maintaining low stress. You may want to
consider switching to high fiber foods, reducing your caloric intake and
avoiding all white sugar and corn syrup products. Both your body and soul will
thank you for that.