Guerrilla Marking for Job Hunters 2.0 - Jay Conrad Levinson [136]
Steve Panyko has been a senior executive at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Motorola, Harris Corporation, and ITT. He has also been CEO of 4 private equity funded companies that he helped establish, fund, and take through successful exits. Now Steve works out of the Colorado Springs office of Perry-Martel International. www.linkedin.com/in/sfpanyko/.
■ SECOND AND THIRD INTERVIEWS
It is rare that anyone is hired on the first interview. It happens, but normally only at the most junior levels. Even presidents will want you to meet their senior executive team before making an offer, no matter how impressed they may be. No one wants to upset the delicate team dynamics they have in place. Directors, of course, will have you meet their vice president. The lower you are on the corporate hierarchy, the more likely you’ll meet several people in the process.
You know that being invited back for second and third interviews means that the company is interested in you and you’re interviewing well. Make sure you continue to sell yourself just as you did in the first interview. Don’t assume the first person who interviewed you has passed on the details of that meeting.
Generally speaking, you need to ask everyone in the process the questions you asked the first interviewer. Plan your agenda so you know what you want to cover in the interview. Work on improving areas that may have been perceived as weak in the first interview. An employer’s decision-making process is less rational than you might think. You want everyone you meet to like you. Once you’ve made it into the “acceptable” category, getting the offer is a matter of fit. Make sure you get a business card from everyone you meet. Thank-you notes need to go to each interviewer separately.
Tips for Other Types of Interviews
• Telephone interviews: Phone interviews are used to screen candidates out—not in! The screener’s job is to decide whether you warrant an in-person interview. Your job is to convince them you do by sounding enthusiastic. Screeners don’t necessarily know what the job entails and may not care by the time they get to you on their list. It is your responsibility to tell them how your skills and accomplishments fit the requirements.
When someone calls you to do a telephone interview, make sure you can actually take the call. If you can’t speak at the moment, tell the caller and arrange for a time to return the call, or ask for a minute to walk into a conference room and change phones. Very few people will refuse you this time, and it could make the difference between receiving a so-so or a superstar rating. Take a few minutes to get ready by reading your resume and reviewing the company’s ad.
• Board or group interviews: If you’re faced with a panel of interviewers, the first thing you want to do is to walk to the end of the table and shake each of their hands and ask each participant for a business card. When you sit down, lay the cards out on the table so that each card faces its owner. When you begin to answer questions, you can address them by name. This will impress the interviewers and build your confidence.
When asked a question, look directly at the questioner when answering. Don’t worry about the rest of the panel. If multiple people ask you questions at the same time, answer the first one completely before moving to the next. It is quite all right to ask the speaker to please repeat a question. Be genuine and relaxed, especially if you sense they are trying to irritate you. They may try to see how you react under pressure.
Chapter 13
Negotiating the Deal
How to Bargain with Confidence
The worst thing you can