Sex and Your Job Search 2013: A Guide to Scoring Your Dream Job (22 page)

The moment he finished that sentence, she pushed her seat back, held her pen up in the air, and dropped it intentionally. Then she said “whoopsie” as she leaned forward slowly, attempting to give my friend a show. My buddy is the consummate professional and saw this coming from a mile away. He quickly swiveled his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and waited ten seconds. Then he wrapped up the interview quickly and she was gone.

The woman clearly demonstrated that she would be nothing but trouble, potentially bad public relations, with a high likelihood of a lawsuit against the employer. Never ever do this. If you think you have to resort to flashing skin to get a job, apply at the Playboy Mansion or audition for Magic Mike 2.

SECOND BASE (5–7 minutes)
UNCOVERING YOUR EDUCATIONAL
& WORK BACKGROUND

Second Base focuses on pleasantly stimulating the interviewer by properly answering questions related to your resume, what you know about their company, and what your goals are. Take your time with this and thoroughly answer these questions in order to activate a desire in the interviewer to get even more intimate later.

Oftentimes the interviewer will gently start by confirming what’s on your resume, beginning with your education and moving on to your past work experiences. Focus on any similarities that your past positions have with the duties of the job you are applying to, in order to create the most excitement possible. The job duty questions will go back one to three employers, depending on how long you worked for these employers and how relevant the jobs are to the new role.

The interviewer will also ask why you left or why you are planning on leaving your current employer. If there were any gaps in employment, prepare for the interviewer to look for an explanation until they are satisfied. They may even come back to this.

Lastly, expect to be asked why you are interested in the company and the position. If you are a superstar applicant, you will have learned a few things about the company’s values, mission, and history. You should have two to three bullet points about them written on the pad of paper in your padfolio in front of you.

SECOND BASE STIMULATION:
GREAT ANSWERS TO COMMON
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

The Second Base questions can focus on any area of your resume, work history, and personal aspirations. Answering these correctly will send signals to the interviewer that you are worthy to go to Third Base with.

Listed below are the five most common Second Base screening questions, why they are being asked, and answers to those questions. Please note, do not talk for more than thirty to ninety seconds max.

#1. There will be a
question about your background. Most likely one of the following:

“Tell me about yourself.”

“Tell me a little bit about your education and work history.”

“I see here that you graduated from the University of Southern California, played football for the Trojans, and have worked at Acme Corporation for two years. Tell me about that.”

“Tell me what your top three to five job responsibilities were at Acme Corporation.”

I tend to be an introvert with people I don’t know. But once I get to know someone it’s, “Blah, blah, blah, this one applicant said the craziest thing, blah, blah, blah.” What I’m saying is that given the chance, even introverts like talking about themselves.

The questions above are asked so that you get comfortable with your own voice in the interview and loosen up a little. They’re also asked to verify whether or not you are qualified for the job based on your background.

Since you are an incredible applicant, you’ve already looked at the job description of the position you are being interviewed for (print it out), tailored your resume to the position, and created Seven Go-to Stories based on the job description. So, spend a little time coming up with a few sentences that summarize why you are qualified for the position and tie in the Teamwork, Integrity, and Excellence values. For example, here’s what I would say if I was applying for a Management position in HR, and I’ve taken this directly from my resume that I created with the DO IT exercise in Chapter 5:

“I am a recruiter in the talent management department for a university medical center that serves as the only level-1 trauma center in one of the largest counties in the U.S. I am responsible for hiring over three hundred people a year and currently supervise two assistants (Excellence, Integrity). My job duties include developing and maintaining strong working relationships with department directors, managers, and supervisors regarding recruitment strategies, advertising, and hiring needs (Teamwork). I led the implementation of a values based and behavioral based interviewing system for our institution (Excellence). My track record of reducing turnover, as well as understanding the needs of my employees, make me a good candidate for this position (Excellence, Teamwork, Integrity). I was born and raised on the East Coast to parents who immigrated to the U.S. Now, I consider California home and have lived here for over ten years.”

If you want to, throw in a little personal information. In the HR field, having an understanding of a broad group of people is a definite plus, which is why I mentioned the part about my parents immigrating. I know it will show compassion, understanding, and patience in having dealt with different and uncomfortable cultural situations. Hobbies are cool, too, if they are relevant to the company, interviewer, or industry. For example, if applying for a sales job, throw in your golf skills. Interviewing in Denver, briefly talk about your love for skiing, snowboarding, or mountain biking. You get the idea.

A colleague at another company was a few minutes into an interview and asked the question, “Tell me about yourself?” The girl she was interviewing was really nervous and had just graduated from a college. Here is her answer, which she gave in one long run-on sentence:

“I want to help people and I really like your company and I love everyone and I just want to be the best that I can be and I’d really love an opportunity to prove myself and I love everythinnngg and I want to help people and I think I can really prove myself you won’t be disappointed.”

I’m not making this up. This applicant loved “everyone” and “everything.” I respect that, to a point. But it’s not something you should say in an interview. From what I heard, she was a total sweetheart, but ultimately she had gone through four years of college and still didn’t know how to communicate what she wanted out of her career.

Fast-forward one year. There truly is hope for “everyone.” It turns out that some of the advice my colleague gave this girl during their meeting stuck, and she found a mentor who suggested she enroll in an MBA program. About a year into her MBA, she had matured, learned better communication skills, how to navigate politics, and got a fantastic internship. The advice of seasoned professionals and mentors can change your life!

#2. You will be asked about changing jobs. Not a problem, really.

“Why did you or why are you planning to leave?”

“Explain your job changes to me.”

“I noticed a gap in your employment. Tell me about that.”

Keep this answer short and have a good reason for leaving, like those listed below. About one to four sentences. Stay positive by reaffirming that you
learned
something at the previous job that will help you in the one you are applying to, and then state the reason for leaving.

Here are a few ideas of how to frame this response:

Job growth or a greater challenge:
You’re looking for professional progress and advancement

Location:
You had a long commute or the corporation moved

Job security:
You worked for an unstable company

Reputation and status:
Your goal is to work for an industry leader (this is a no brainer)

Financial:
You were poorly paid for your abilities

Make sure that the answers you give will align in a reference check. Here’s what I could say:

“After working a successful eleven years with a very large employer, I want to fulfill a lifelong dream and move closer to San Diego. In addition, working for a smaller employer where there is a family feel, as well as a commitment to teamwork and excellence like my current employer has, also interests me. Being a part of the HR management team at your brand-new hospital in San Diego would be a challenge I would gladly accept.”

Please don’t stress out about gaps in employment. For a lot of you who are unemployed, the reality of your situation is something you may have thought about several times a day for weeks, months, or years. That’s OK, HR reps and hiring managers see gaps in employment
all
the time and are understanding of them in this economy. Use them to your advantage by demonstrating you were keeping up with skills needed for your desired career. Here’s how:

“I was laid off at my previous employer due to the economic situation. I’ve been looking for employment ever since and I’ve used this time to brush up on all my Microsoft Office skills at the public library. I’ve even taken a free class in PowerPoint there. In a pinch, I bet I could have a presentation ready in under five minutes.”

In my mind, here’s what I would think if I heard that last answer: “Good Golly, Miss Molly, someone willing to accept a challenge, confident in their abilities, uses their free time wisely to learn, willing to go above and beyond, a little playful and showing personality in the interview by making a bold comment while smiling. I think I would like working with them.”

#3. Of course they will ask what you know about their company.

“What do you know about our company?”

“Why do you want to work for our company?”

Essentially an interviewer is asking “What do you like about me?” Having a good answer to this question is similar to saying, “You’re an amazing person” or “You look fantastic.”

Correctly answering the questions above will allow you to further excite your interviewer (you’re playing with
their
brain chemicals)! You should have bullet points for this on the pad in your padfolio next to your Seven Go-to Story Keywords. These questions gauge which applicant has the most drive and enthusiasm for the organization. Interviewees that do not have an answer to this question fall to the bottom of the list.

Make use of the company’s website, the Internet, and press releases to learn about the organization, its products, and its mission and values. Learn about matters affecting their industry and bring them up. Doing so will show your involvement in their business and will further bond you with the interviewer. Here’s a good answer if someone was applying to the corporate office of a national furniture company:

“I read that your mission statement is ‘We want to be the best furniture company’ and that the cornerstones of your business are ‘Quality and Service.’ This is in line with what I strive to be for an employer. I want to produce quality work and provide a service to external and internal customers. I read that you are now the largest home furniture brand in the country. Congratulations, that is a great accomplishment in this economy.”

Or, for a religious healthcare institution:

“I know that your mission is ‘continuing a healing ministry,’ and that fits perfectly with my career direction. My work is not just ‘work,’ I feel that it is a calling and that together we are all called to a higher purpose. I would love to grow professionally within your organization. I recently read how new proposed healthcare laws will change governmental reimbursement for hospitals. How will that change the way you do business?”

Or, you may want to get a little personal, which is totally fine.

“I really like how your company gives back and how your founders Jane and John Public gave 10% of their income to help the less fortunate in the community. I can identify with that a little, because I volunteer at Habitat for Humanity once a month on Saturdays. The reward is a feeling that money can’t buy.”

Saying this sets up the interviewer, who may or may not have thoroughly read all the way to the bottom of the resume (remember 8–10 seconds average per resume): “What did you do for Habitat?” Boom! Lay out and talk passionately your philanthropic work. Did you coordinate something? Did you improve something? Did you become the team leader for painters or learn how to install sprinkler lines in a single day? The one time I volunteered for Habitat I read the instructions of how to install a sprinkler system and worked with another guy to install it in one afternoon. Yup, that’s a #humblebrag.