Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc....

23
Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. [email protected] 703-508-9573

Transcript of Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc....

Page 1: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Interviews that Land the Offer

Shira HarringtonFounder & PresidentPurposeful Hire, [email protected]

Page 2: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Purpose of an Interview

More than just landing an offer…it’s about the MATCH!

Focus on mutual benefit Don’t interview “for the practice”

Page 3: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Connecting with the Recruiter

List contact information everywhere (cover letter, resume, email signature block, LinkedIn)

Respond with interest (or lack of interest) ASAP Reschedule with caution

Page 4: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Being Prepared: READ THE JOB POSTING

• Highlight key words • Match requirements and duties to your resume• Develop questions on every aspect of the job• What requirements do you fulfill extremely well?• Where are you deficient?• Is there anything about the job that strikes you as

odd or inconsistent?

Page 5: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Being Prepared: RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION

Mission and current corporate initiatives Position within organizational chart Reporting relationships Bios on website, Linked In, Google Read the strategic plan, if posted

Page 6: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Being Prepared:GOING DEEPER

NONPROFIT -- Guidestar.com (review 990s) FOR PROFIT -- Hoover’s or other research tool

Develop appropriate questions (Wait to ask financial questions until at least 2nd level interview)

Use contacts on Linked In to inquire about organization and/or supervisor

Page 7: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

The Phone Interview

Use a landline (when possible) No noise in the background (dogs, kids) Have the website open Dress professionally Stand up SMILE!

Page 8: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

When You Arrive

10 minutes early = ON TIME; On time = LATE The interview starts before you walk into building Be friendly to the receptionist Shut off cell phone Polite refuse beverages Fill out or submit application…with a smile

Page 9: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Your Personal Presence

Dress code – Nothing to distract – Clothes that fit– Conservative suit is safest

Refrain from perfume/cologne Show your enthusiasm, eye contact,

open body posture SMILE!

Page 10: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Icebreakers

Find something kind or amusing to comment Mention any personal connections Ask the recruiter about themselves Comment on the website / company

reputation

Page 11: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Group Interviews

Be as confident as you would be on the job Ask questions of each participant Make eye contact with each person when

answering questions

Page 12: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Answering Basic Questions

Personal (eg. Age, family status, etc.) Travel / Overtime Compensation “Tell me about yourself.” Weaknesses

Page 13: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Preparing to Answer:COMPETENCIES AND PASSIONS

What do you most WANT to do?

– In what areas am I both highly skilled AND highly motivated?

Public Relations…Legislative Advocacy… Project Management… Operations… Fundraising…Strategic Visioning… Consensus Building…Policy Analysis… Board relations… Staff Development…Public Speaking…etc.

Page 14: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Preparing to Answer:CHOOSING THE RIGHT EXAMPLES

Demonstrate skills for the position you are APPLYING FOR!

Relate your answer to what you know about the position

Use it as a jumping off point for discussion

Page 15: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Behavioral Interview Questions

Explores your past behavior Allows the interviewer to probe into your

answer Hard to fudge your response! Interviewer wants a story with detail

(but not too much)

Page 16: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Sample Behavioral Questions

“Describe a time or a situation when you…” …were faced with a stressful situation …used good judgment in solving a problem …showed initiative to increase revenues …motivated others (team or direct reports) …effectively handled a difficult customer …tried to accomplished something and failed

Page 17: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Preparing to Answer:CULTURAL COMPETENCIES

How well do you “play in the sandbox?” Typical organizational competencies:

– Critical Thinking– Independence vs. Team Orientation– Mentoring / Delegating– Crisis Management– Customer Service– Self-motivation– Willingness to Learn

Page 18: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Behavioral Interviews: Use S-A-R

Situation – Action – Result Situation (S):

Revenues were decreasing for my division last year. Several loyal clients did not renew their contracts.

Action (A):While some thought this was owed to the economy, I believed this might be due to the clients’ lack of perceived value in our product offerings. I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of our products with those of our competitors. I also set-up a special training session for the account executives to discuss competitive selling strategies.

Result (R):We ‘won back’ 15 former clients and were able to up-sell additional products beyond what they originally purchased. We increased our overall revenue by 20 percent over the same period the prior year.

Page 19: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Prepare a Homework Assignment

Prepare a portfolio of documents (budgets, programs, brochures, writing samples or awards)

Addendum to your resume (detailing specific skills and accomplishments related to the job)

Prepare a deliverable (onboarding document)– A 30, 60 or 90-day action plan – A formal proposal outlining a project or program

Page 20: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Asking the EMPLOYER Questions

Showcase your interest AND curiosity Ask about:

– Long-term goals of company / department– Short-term objectives during 1st year– Corporate / departmental culture– Challenges in role– Resources (financial, staff, technology)– Management style

Page 21: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Closing the Interview

If you want the job, say so! Ask about next steps in the decision making

process Can you meet with future co-workers Supplementary documentation

(if appropriate: financials, pubs, reports) Email Thank You note (within 24 hours)

Page 22: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

EXERCISE

1. Choose your greatest competency and create a S-A-R story to demonstrate it

2. Choose a related behavioral interview question “Describe a time when…”

Get into groups of two: Each person alternates between

interviewer/interviewee. Give honest feedback.

Page 23: Interviews that Land the Offer Shira Harrington Founder & President Purposeful Hire, Inc. shira@purposefulhire.com 703-508-9573.

Questions?

Shira HarringtonFounder & PresidentPurposeful Hire, Inc.

[email protected]

www.purposefulhire.com