Seventeen ways to annoy the interviewer

From the same source as my last post (interviewstrategies.com) I found a list of ways to annoy potential hiring authorities. Seeing as the interviewers hold your future in their hands, it makes sense that you would want to avoid anything that would irritate them. Here is the list of 17 ways to annoy from the website that should definitely be avoided:


1. Apply for jobs you are not qualified for.
2. Send a generic cover letter that doesn't identify the position you're interested in, or match your qualifications to the job.
3. Put a useless, seen-it-a-million-times Objective on your resume that says you want a "challenging opportunity with a forward-looking company where I can utilize my knowledge, experience and skills to our mutual advantage."
4. Make your resume a list of past duties instead of accomplishments.
5. Lie, brag or exaggerate about ANYTHING.
6. Keep making repetitive "notice-me" calls to ask if your resume was received.
7. Fail to respond quickly to messages left on your answering machine or voicemail.
8. Expect them to schedule your phone-screening interview after normal business hours.
9. Refuse to give your salary requirements when requested prior to the interview.
10. Fail to research the company prior to the interview.
11. Arrive at the interview late.
12. Be rude to the receptionist.
13. Put "See attached resume" instead of filling out the application completely.
14. Be unprepared at the interview.
15. Ask "What's in it for ME?" type questions at the interview.
16. Fail to send a thank-you letter after the interview.
17. Call to ask about the status of the position days before when you were told they'd make a decision.

(http://www.interviewstrategies.com/interview_article_8.html)

Six factors that can cost you the interview/job

Today I found a site, InterviewStrategies.com, which has a wealth of information. The site includes interview questions, interviewing strategies, funny questions, tips & tricks, ace an interview, FAQs interviewing resource for managers, secretaries, engineers, sales & marketing, non-profits, executives, directors, teachers, financial/accounting, investment, healthcare, retail manufacturing, etc. Today I'm including what is listed as:

"SIX FACTORS THAT CAN COST YOU THE INTERVIEW/JOB
In addition to an unprofessional appearance, here are six factors that can help you remain in the unemployment line:
1) Being unprepared for the interview. Prepare, plan, and practice! In today's tough job market, you MUST do everything you can to give yourself an edge... preparation is the key.
(2) Not being able to communicate clearly and effectively. This is important during the interview and on the job. Being nervous can really mess up your communication skills, so being well prepared and practicing what you're going to say are always your best bet.
(3) Being aggressive, arrogant, or acting in a superior way. No one wants to hire or work with people who think they're better than everyone else. Be careful with your attitude, even if you think you're surrounded by incompetent fools. Being confident is good. Being an arrogant jerk is bad.
(4) Making excuses for failings. Your teacher never bought "The dog ate my homework!" and your boss isn't going to buy "The finance department gave me the wrong figures!" In the grown-up world, you have to take responsibility for what you are responsible for! You'll never earn respect by blaming others when things go wrong.
(5) Saying unfavorable things about previous employers. Even if you left a job because the boss was an egomaniac who took credit for all of your hard work, verbally abused you in front of others, and poisoned the plant on your desk, don't say anything bad about him/her during an interview. When asked "Why did you leave your last job?" say something like "My manager and I both agreed that my advancement opportunities were limited there and obtaining another position was the best option for me and my career goals."
(6) Having a poor/limp handshake. Why do people think you'll be a lousy employee if you have a lousy handshake? That's not really logical, is it? Doesn't matter. It just turns people off and gives them a bad impression of you. So make your handshake firm and confident but not bone-crushing. (It's not a competition to see who winces first!)
If you DON'T want to be unemployed, don't let any of those traits apply to you!"

http://www.interviewstrategies.com/interview_article_6.html

Ethics - The benefits for the Job Seeker

The University of Notre Dame has an Ethics Guide for Job Interviews. This is a very good guide to ethics for people who will be partaking in job interviews soon.

Some of the points that Patrick Murphy, professor of marketing and co-director of the Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide at the University of Notre Dame, has included in the ethics guide include:

1) Ethics Questions that Job Seekers should be asking Companies and Recruiters: According to the Notre Dame Ethics Institute, here is a list of suggested questions that you may want to address in your job interview:
--Is there a formal code of ethics? How widely is it distributed? Is it reinforced in other formal ways such as through decision-making systems and informal ways such as through supervisors?
--Are employees at all levels trained in ethical decision making? Is ethics an integral part of the company's leadership programs? Are employees encouraged to take responsibility for their behavior or to question authority when asked to do something they consider wrong?
--Do employees have formal channels available to make their concerns known confidentially and non-punitively? Is there a formal committee high in the organization that considers ethical issues? How does leadership encourage "getting bad news early," for example?
--Is misconduct disciplined swiftly and justly within the organization?
--Is integrity emphasized to new employees and then regularly to all employees?
--How are senior managers perceived by subordinates in terms of their integrity? How do such leaders model ethics-related behavior?

2) Unethical Behaviors Job Seekers Should AVOID during the job hunting process, per Murphy's booklet:
--Misrepresenting your background and skills, whether in a job interview or embellishing your resume.
--Misrepresenting the status of your job seeking efforts (e.g., number of offers).
--Accepting on-site interviews when you are not seriously considering the prospective employer. Most organizations will invite applicants to attend interviews or written tests before employment. When you are invited, you should take it seriously. Prepare yourself well and be on time. In case you are unable to attend the interview or written test for important reasons, you should inform the employer well in advance and ask him/her, if possible, to make another arrangement.--Canceling pre-arranged interviews unless you have accepted another offer. When you receive job offers from more than one organization, try to think over the merits and demerits of each post before you make the decision. At the same time, please remember to decline any untaken offers politely either by phone or in writing. When you have accepted an offer, you have to honor your commitment. Be faithful to your choice. Do not take it casually. Be a person with credibility and keep your promise!
--Upholding the work ethics is one of the essential elements of keeping your professionalism and career advancement. Therefore, don't overlook the above mentioned work ethics if you want to excel in your work.--Acting irresponsibly once you have a new job. Laziness and hastiness are big 'no-noes'. Being late for work, leaving early or not taking the responsibilities of your new job seriously will give strong negative impressions to your employer. Be rigorous in your work.
--Resigning your place of employment early. Unless you have no other alternative, do not defer the date of reporting to duty, quit the job or terminate the contract too readily. In case it is necessary to do so, you should discuss this with your employer as soon as possible, tell him your reasons and apologize. This allows the organization to have ample time to make proper arrangements. Furthermore, when you have to take leave, be prepared to go through the proper administrative procedures as set by the employer.

Ethics - Taking the Perspective of the Interviewer

Today I came across ethical considerations that interviewers should keep in mind while interviewing while reading "Communication for Business and the Professions" by Patricia Hayes Andrews and John E. Baird, Jr. According to the discussion on ethics in the interview process found on page 316, besides avoiding clearly illegal questions, an ethical interviewer should:

• Show concern for the interviewee and his/her feelings;
• Be interested in finding out what the interviewee thinks;
• Genuinely listen;
• Communicate respectfully;
• Plan the interview time so that information exchange can occur;
• Be familiar with the law and other organizational rules to make sure s/he is operating within the law;
• Be knowledgeable concerning the code of ethics of the organization;
• Be sensitive to power and authority differences in the interview setting and seek to minimize their potentially negative effects.

"Behaving ethically as an interviewer is a matter of knowledge, common sense, goodwill, and hard work" (page 316).

The Method, Traditional, Behavioral, etc.

In the past I have referenced job experiences related to interviewing. Today, I am going to look at some of the main types of interview questions. Most notably are the traditional, behavioral or a mix of the two. In my interviews I had three traditional interviews and one behavioral. In May I mentioned how grateful I was that the people interviewing my using the behavioral method were kind, helpful, and relaxed. They helped me to relax myself and take a few minutes to collect me thoughts if I needed to. The gentleman even gave me an example in his own life on one of the questions to give me an idea and a chance to think. Admittedly, afterwards I scratched my head and asked "Why didn't I think of this, or that?" A good way to prepare for such interviews is to look at similar questions and think of answers. Guard against memorizing answers, but start thinking about examples.

http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_behavioral.html has a good list of questions:

Here is one list of sample behavioral-based interview questions:
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.
Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.
Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete.
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.
Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.
Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.
Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed.
Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker.
Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.
Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.
Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.
Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.
Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.
Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low).

The Attitude

Attitudes portrayed during the interview are communicated through body language, posture, eye contact and much more. Dr. Krannich gave advice on how to portray a positive attitude in The Washington Post, which I retrieved at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9019-2003Apr11.html I am including the article below.

Also, this past weekend I attended Homestead's graduation. The speaker, Dr. Brian Smith, spoke with his parting remark much aligned to my posting of a couple weeks ago. His advice was "Be careful what you put on myspace. Watch what you put on myspace." He went on to say that even if it seems like a good idea at a time to put something up, it could ruin your career.

Here is part of the article now, some of the beginning has already been covered in my previous posts:

Positive Job Interview Attitudes
Communicate Positive Attitudes During the Job Interview
By Ronald L. Krannich Ph.D.Courtesy of Impact Publications Friday, April 11, 2003; 3:47 PM

Disinterest and/or dislike for the other person is conveyed when the interviewee leans back too comfortably in his chair, is slumped in the chair, constantly looks around the room, avoids eye contact with the interviewer, drums his fingers, wrings his hands, plays with his rings - perhaps turning them on his finger, fidgets, is stone faced or expressionless. The applicant who slumps or leans completely back in his chair simply can't convey the same level of interest and enthusiasm from that physical position, no matter how wonderful the rest of his other nonverbal messages may be, as the person who sits straight up in the chair and with a slight forward lean. A slouching figure may be interpreted by the interviewer as a sign of disrespect as well as lack of interest. Direct body orientation means that the applicant's body is facing the interviewer, rather than sideways to the interviewer. If you are seated directly across a desk from the interviewer this position will probably be automatic and natural. However if you are seated at the side of the desk with the interviewer directly behind it or in the corner to corner, 90 degree angle arrangement around a coffee table, you should position your upper torso to be facing the interviewer more directly. You can do this by sitting a bit sideways in the chair and further bending your upper torso, a bit if necessary, to face the interviewer. Openness of arms and body means that your arms are at your side rather than folded across your body. By folding your arms across your body it is thought that you convey, perhaps on a subliminal level, that you are closed to the other person and to his ideas. The arms open position conveys that you are open and responsive to the other individual and to his message. Granted, there are other reasons you might fold your arms - simply being cold is one of them. But since closed body language might send a negative message, it is better to avoid the closed posture. If you are too tense, you make the other person feel uncomfortable. There may also be a sense of wondering what it is you are trying to hide. So try to appear relaxed and comfortable - it will help the interviewer feel more comfortable - while at the same time not engaging in so much postural relaxation that you are slouching! By far the most important positive attitude you can convey is your enthusiasm - often referred to as dynamism. By your dynamic attitude you convey your interest in the other person, in the company, and in the job as well as toward life in general. You convey your dynamism through your tone of voice and facial expression as well as through your use of gestures and body language. Of course gestures can be overdone, but that is far less frequently a problem than the individual who uses few, if any, gestures. Gesture occasionally, naturally, and appropriately to reinforce your message. Do avoid wild gestures that are all over the place and don't reinforce your message. It is also a good idea to keep your hands away from your face. Both men and women can exhibit preening behaviors as they push hair back out of their face or perhaps unconsciously try to fix or rearrange their hair. Women may unconsciously play with an earring. Or an interviewee may nervously scratch his face or head or push back the cuticles on his fingers. These are distracting behaviors that will focus the interviewer's attention on the unwanted behavior rather than the applicant's positive verbal messages. Try to avoid having a pen or notepad in your hands except when you are using it. Anything in your hands such as a pen or notepad becomes a likely thing for you to nervously play with. Either of these items in your hands will also impede your use of gestures. If you are holding pen and notepad in your hands, you are far less likely to gesture than if you are not holding onto them.

The Humor Contained

You may look like this clown after misusing humor during an interview.


After my most recent posting with the humorous twist of interviews, I thought it would be a good time to look at where humor fits into an interview. The following article (Sense of Humor Preferred) by Dennis Barden addresses when and how humor should be included in an interview.





Section: Careers
Moving Up
Telling a joke in a job interview is almost always a mistake, but that's not the only way candidates can show they are funny
NOT EVERYONE can tell a joke. Over the course of the next few months, candidates for all sorts of positions will be invited to interview at campuses across the country to add flesh and bones to their curricula vitae. They will answer questions both predictable and idiosyncratic. They will eat innumerable meals with strangers who probe them for weaknesses and quirks. And they will make hundreds of decisions on the fly about how most positively to present themselves without inadvertently making a disqualifying misstep. They will choose which stories to tell to illustrate their points. They will make decisions about what to wear. They will settle on whom to offer up as references. They will opt to placate or to challenge a questioner.
And they will decide in the blink of an eye whether or not to try to be funny.
Humor is a powerful tool. It can disarm an adversary. It can leaven the purposefully self-aggrandizing nature of a job interview. Perhaps most important, it can serve as a window to personality in the same way that a résumé is a window to experience.
It can also backfire. One need look no further than last November's national election for an example. Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts was campaigning for Democratic candidates for office and, at the same time, positioning himself for another run at the presidency. In essence, he was interviewing with the American public for the most important job in the land. And he tried to be funny. To say that his attempt at humor in that environment was poorly executed is an understatement.
But was it also ill-advised? Senator Kerry was criticized on the presidential campaign trail for being stiff, impersonal, and, yes, humorless. Isn't one of the most obvious remedies for that criticism displaying a sense of humor? Just as former Vice President Al Gore and Sen. John McCain of Arizona chose to serve as hosts on Saturday Night Live, should Senator Kerry not take the opportunity to show the American people his wit and cheek?
Evidently, he should not.
Usually, though, humor is the candidate's friend. In fact, a sense of humor is a strong preference--if not a requirement--in the description of the ideal candidate in virtually every position specification we draft for colleges and universities. Usually a "sense of humor" is inexorably linked to that ultimate phrase of institutional code, "tolerance for ambiguity."
A critical quality of leadership, humor provides perspective, enlivens the workplace, and reduces stress. Perhaps most important, it provides common ground between people who might otherwise be distanced from one another as the result of intellectual preparation or job title. And for the president on the fund-raising circuit, humor can be an invaluable tool.
How, then, should candidates display that highly valued quality without unwittingly shooting themselves in the foot? Can you be funny and still have gravitas? Is it ever safe for a candidate to poke fun at anybody or any institution? Isn't the whole business of seeking and pursuing leadership too serious and too important to risk pointing out the inherent humor in any aspect of it?
And what if the candidate simply isn't funny?
It would be close to unprecedented for an entire interview process to pass without there being some opportunity to put a sense of humor on display. That opportunity should be seized.
In a recent campus presidential search, such an opportunity not only arose but was purposefully offered up to a very serious final candidate. A board member (who was no George Burns) gave his best effort at playing the straight man by making an irreverent comment to the candidate to give her an opportunity to speak to her own background. Unfortunately, the candidate--who, by the way, had already displayed a robust sense of humor in earlier interactions--missed the opportunity. In fact, she misunderstood the intent of the board member's comment, taking it for serious and, there fore, denigrating. She was most diplomatic, and the moment passed without further incident, but the board member was horrified and ran to the candidate at the end of the session to explain his intent. Clearly, that act Will not be playing in Peoria.
If a person who had already demonstrated a sense of humor and a person trying purposefully to use humor in a positive, productive way can't pull off a simple question and answer, what hope is there for the rest of us?
There are two ways to put a sense of humor on display. Telling a joke is always the most difficult and therefore the most dangerous. In fact, as a candidate, you probably should strongly resist the urge. Seldom does a planned joke at the outset of a presentation to a strange audience strike the right chord. In an interview, it is almost always a mistake--at best not funny and at worst offensive to someone in the room. Don't force humor; it must come naturally to have the desired effect.
The other way of displaying your sense of humor, however, is the easiest and the most ingratiating: Laugh at the humor of another.
For example, as a manager, I will not hire people if I cannot get them to laugh during the interview. Life is just too short to work with someone who can't laugh at its absurdities.
"Wait," you say, "doesn't that require that you be funny?" Certainly. The thing is, I have a track record of being funny, occasionally on purpose, and therefore might reasonably expect to say something at least marginally humorous in an interview setting. Besides, I am not subtle; I am obviously trying to be funny. (You can tell because I laugh at my own gags, a not-too-subtle tactic intended to signal that a joke has been told.) Even if I don't succeed, when it is obvious I am trying to be funny, the person I am interviewing should be polite and laugh, thereby putting not one but two highly valued attributes on display--humor and courtesy.
There are also ways of being proactively funny that are less hazardous than trying to tell a joke. Wit and word play are generally viewed as intelligent, even erudite, forms of humor. Building on the humor of another is both funny and complimentary. And self-deprecating humor can be the most powerful tool of all if it displays a level of self-knowledge and self-confidence and, at the same time, succeeds in making the speaker seem more accessible.
Above all, be yourself. It's far better to be hired or rejected based on an accurate read of your personality than on the facade you wear for the interview. If you have a sense of humor, you will have a chance to put it on parade during the hiring process without forcing the issue.
Leading a college or university is serious business. It requires integrity, intelligence, a monumental work ethic, judgment, political savvy, and considerable courage. Never before have the issues facing higher education been so public, and, for that reason, never have presidents and chancellors been under greater pressure both to deliver the goods and to do so squarely in the public eye. The times call for leaders of great ability and significant gravitas.
They also call for perspective, which is best displayed by a sense of humor.
At the University of Chicago, people tell a wonderful (and possibly apocryphal) story about the legendary President Robert Maynard Hutchins. Called to the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield to appear before the local version of the McCarthy hearings, Hutchins faced a group of state legislators who clearly smelled blood in the water. "President Hutchins, I understand that at your university, you teach communism," said one of the panelists with a gleam in his eye. "Yes," replied Hutchins without hesitation. "We also teach cancer."
Sometimes a knowing laugh can be the most powerful laugh of all.
For an archive of previous Moving Up columns, see http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/archives/columns/moving_up
~~~~~~~~
By Dennis M. Barden
Dennis M. Barden is senior vice president and director of the higher-education practice at Witt/Kieffer, an executive search firm that specializes in searches for academic and administrative leaders in academe, health care, and nonprofit organizations.

To Lighten the Load

Here is and individual who has some long term goals, but is not prepared for the short term.

This gentleman may have been a little too frank, and you can probably catch his contradiction.

Here is a man interested in telecommuting, which is relevant to the recent discussion on WebCT.

I hope you enjoyed this lighter look at interviews.

The Voice

Except for conversations, interviews are perhaps the most frequently occurring form of communication ... in an organization. ... Interviews are so common that they are taken for granted. - David A. Whetten and Kim S. Cameron, Developing Management Skills.

Your voice plays an important, although easily overlooked, role in the interview. The quality, pitch, clearness, intelligence, and expression all are important. When interviewing, monitor these voice characteristics. In addition, clear up your speech, use proper grammar (avoid slang), use persuasive articulation and steer clear from speaking in a monotone. In Communication for Business and the Professions by Patricia Andrews and John Baird, Jr., they found that after looking at several studies, "the applicant's communication effectiveness has a profound impact on how she or he is rated by the interviewer and on whether or not she or he receives a job offer" (349).

In the book, verbal communication guidelines that will lead you to success are identified on pages 349-350:

• Show how you and the position are a good fit.
• Compliment the organization.
• Substantiate your self-assertions with evidence.
• Accentuate the positive, don't dwell on the negative.
• Develop your responses adequately.
• Speak fluently.
• Communicate honestly.

These are some basic guidelines that have been found to be useful in successful interviews. While they seem intuitively obvious at times, its important to revisit them before an interview. You'll be better prepared if you know what to do to prepare! The next blog will be an extension of this, or a look at attitudes during interviews.

The Handshake, Additional Guidelines

As I researched the handshake to start off the interview again I came across an article from the September 2006 Career World Vol. 35 Issue 1, p7-7, 1/2p. While some of the points were already mentioned in my previous post, I think it does a better job of concisely stating the suggestions as well that fact that it includes a few new suggestions.

1. Make sure your hands are clean and dry.


2. Stand with good posture. Both men and women should stand to shake hands.


3. Approach. Step toward the person and stand facing him or her squarely. Make eye contact and smile.


4. Wait for the higher-ranking person to extend his or her hand. If he or she doesn't, it's OK to wait a moment and then extend your right hand.


5. Use a firm (not vicelike) grip. If your grip is too loose, your hand will feel like a dead fish. The right grip is palm to palm, web to web.


6. Use the other person's name in greeting or acknowledging him or her.


7. Shake. You'll feel a natural rhythm. Pump hands about three or four times-there's no hard-and-fast rule.


8. Release. Don't pull away. When you feel a natural pause, you can release your hand.

To follow the link to the article click here. I accessed it using EBSCOhost so the link may not work without the passwords. If you are an IPFW student/faculty sign in with your username and password.