What to say when you don't know

When I was a kid I took piano lessons which resulted in the yearly piano recital. Many, many times I wished that I didn’t have to rely on my finger-memory to get through a piece of music, but instead could rely on my vocal-memory to sing the music.

Then you become an adult and realize that your vocal-memory is just as unreliable.

So what do you do when you’re in a job interview and your head becomes as empty as a church on a Monday morning.

Relax. It happens to everyone. Even the interviewer. Many interviewers (with the exception of the really difficult ones) will understand if you stammer through a few questions. They know that you are nervous. Keep that in mind. It will help you relax.

Take a deep breath, and you can do one of the following things:

1. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question. Say that you were still thinking about your last answer and your mind wandered for a minute.
2. Rephrase the question. This is a classic way to stall for a little time, but if it helps you think of a better way to answer the question than blurting out the first thing that pops into your head—then it’s a successful strategy.
3. Ask if you can take a minute to think about it. When your only other immediate option is to open your mouth and say something stupid, the better option is to ask for some time to compose your answer.

You can’t use these techniques too often during the interview, but for most people just knowing that there are ways to handle these situations is like money in the bank.

Remember, the interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. It’s normal for your mind to go blank during a conversation, and you recover quickly enough because you don’t stress about the situation. The same thing will happen in your job interview. Stay calm, have these techniques in your mind, and you’ll stay in control of the interview.

How To Answer Why You're Looking for A New Job

Why are you looking for a new job?

This is one of those job interview questions that will be asked by the savviest of interviewers. Although it’s positively heart-stopping to be on the answering end of this question, if you were the employer, wouldn’t you want to know how this seemingly fabulous person ended up on the job market? It’s similar to meeting an interesting, attractive person of the opposite sex, or finding a used car that’s only got 1000 miles on it and is 3 years old. Just a little too good to be true, and you can’t believe that no one else has discovered this amazing find.

Basically they’re trying to figure out what is wrong with you, and suspect they will get a clue by looking at your relationship with your last job.

So your task is to not give them any ammunition to rule you out of the game.

1. Never, ever, ever speak ill of your current employer, or any former employers for that matter. Everyone knows that one reason for this is because your interviewer will envision you badmouthing them when you decide to leave, and nobody wants to think about bad rumors about themselves traveling through the industry. Another reason to avoid dissing your past employer is that in this very small world, they could be a friend, relative or even your potential client at this new job. No person works on an island and you must always be conscious of the seemingly invisible threads that connect so many people.
2. Another never is to speak ill of the tasks you were asked to perform at your past or current job. ANY tasks. You may think that this new job would provide a blissful escape from the tedium of your last one, and so gleefully explain to an interviewer all of the mind-numbing things you were asked to do. However, your interviewer is thinking about the similar (but different) mind-numbing tasks of this position, and decides that you would quit after the first month. There’s no reason to hire you if you’ve already given them a reason for you to quit.
3. Also, you don’t want to speak ill of your co-workers. Those were or are your teammates, and the same rule holds true as reason #1. This world is too small, and good jobs are too few to take the chance.

So what CAN you say?

1. You can say that you wanted a new opportunity. That you felt that you had taken your current or past position as far as you could within the company, you had achieved X, Y and Z, and now feel that it’s time for you to learn a different aspect of the business, or to work for a bigger (or smaller) company. The key here is to focus on the future. Focus on the opportunities you see in this new position, how it will help you grow and learn and not what was wrong with the last company you worked for.

2. If you are applying for a job that touts flexible hours, work from home or excellent benefits in the job posting, you can mention those qualities as a reason to look into this new position. Again you don’t want to speak ill of your current employer, but say that you understand why they need to run their business as they do, but if the working arrangements at this new company are better suited to your lifestyle at the moment then it might be a good fit. You are showing the employer that there is a natural fit between their needs and your needs.

In the cases where you were let go from a position, all of the above rules apply. If it’s the truth, you can say that you were laid off as a result of a company-wide restructuring or budgetary cuts. If it was due to a disciplinary action you can say that at the time you were having some time management issues (if you were fired for being consistently late), but you have learned your lesson, that you take an employer’s requirements a lot more seriously and have taken proactive measures (which you can briefly describe) to prevent yourself from getting in that situation again. Show that you have made your mistake with your past employer and have absolutely no intention of making the same mistake twice. Sincerity, an action plan and great references are necessary to counteract any remaining issues.

Don't give the hiring manager gifts!

It’s easy to start to panic about the job search process. You’re sending out resumes, not getting any callbacks, going on interviews, not getting any callbacks. It all seems like such a hopeless endeavor.

Then you read an article about standing out from the crowd. And you think—yeah, I need to do that--what can I do that will be different than everyone else?

Then you start to send “gifts.”

One of my good friends is a HR Director and she called me this week eager to tell me about a candidate’s latest attempt to stand out.

During the interview, the candidate directly compared their workstyle to a superhero cartoon. It was a memorable analogy, I would have recommended that he talk about a specific work instance where he demonstrated that quality that he used the superhero to illustrate, but it’s impossible to land every answer. It would have been OK if the candidate just left it at that.

However, instead of letting it go, the candidate sent my friend a thank you note in the form of an e-card featuring an animated superhero. Ouch! E-cards are NEVER professional. They’re what you send your friends when you forgot to put a card in the mail. They’re a cute pick-me-up to send to someone who is going through a rough time. They are never, under any circumstances, appropriate to send to a manager. NEVER!!!

Then as the candidate was leaving, he gave her a small tin of candies. This seems like a nice gesture on the surface, but let’s backtrack for a sec and think about the purpose of the job interview.

The hiring manager is looking for someone who is qualified to do the job and will fit in well with the company’s culture. That’s it. If you don’t meet that criterion, you won’t get the job. They won’t call you back thinking “well, I am not sure that he could really do the job, but he did give me a cute tin of cookies, so I’ll give him another shot.” No, won’t happen. Either your personality and skills are what they’re looking for, or they’re not.

Think of it this way. We’ve all gone through the grocery store when they’re passing out free food samples. I’ve even made a small meal out of it, but that’s another story. Just because they offer you a free sample, do you feel obligated to purchase the product if you don’t like it? If it doesn’t wow you, you don’t buy it. You move on and buy something yummy. Same goes for leaving gifts for the hiring managers. If you don’t have the goods, you won’t get the job. No matter how cool the gifts you give them.

So focus on prepping yourself for the interview. Come up with examples of your great work experiences that you want them to remember, show them that you’re the perfect candidate to do the job they’re looking to fill. Give them a Christmas gift when you’re they’re co-worker.

The Economy and Your Job Search

No matter how secure you are in your current job, or how many job interviews you’re getting, everyone is concerned about how the current or pending recession will affect them. This week I attended an event where an economist from the Connecticut state government brought up some interesting points about how the changes in the economy could affect a job hunt.

First, consider the industry that you’re looking to work in. If there is a recession, think about things that people will spend less money on. So as an example, people will always need to eat, and the government—at least in the short term—will continue to spend on defense. However, people may delay purchasing new cars, homes, or make upgrades on their homes. So when you’re trying to identify your target companies, focus on those who are logically more likely to either maintain or grow based on the products they produce. Should you not apply to an iffy company? Absolutely not—it costs you nothing to send in your resume and cover letter. But in the interview you should definitely ask them how sales have been and their opinion of the economy. You may not get a completely honest answer, but definitely watch their body language to see how genuinely confident they are about the company’s prospects.

Second, look at where you live. Considering that different companies will have different prospects during a recession, it’s natural that the major employers in your area are going to have an effect on all other companies in an area. You may not want to hear it, but if you’re looking for a particular opportunity, you may need to move to another part of the country where that industry is booming because it’s surrounded by other profitable companies.

So what should you do?

1. Research the companies where you’re applying. You need to do due diligence about their financial situation. Keep in mind that budgets overall are tighter, so you may not have as much leverage when it comes to salary negotiation.
2. Research other companies in your area to find other companies you may not have heard about. I had no idea that Connecticut is the home of a world-class ball bearing manufacturer and a company that makes titanium turbines for airplanes. Spend some time with your local librarian and have them direct you to the many databases that they have access to that details the many products that are being produced in your area.
3. Revamp your skillset. If it’s becoming challenging to find positions in your current field then maybe it’s time to think outside the box to look for jobs where your talents are appreciated. You will succeed when you do what you love and what you do well.

So does the economy make it more difficult to find a job? For some people in some industries, yes, it will definitely be a challenge. But each of you is up to it. Think outside the box, put some thought into your next position and get out of the house to meet people who could help you get an inside scoop on a great opportunity.