Interview questions are sometimes really interesting, aren’t they?

Below are some different questions that may be asked of you:

How many gas stations are there in the United States?

According to Mike, a Software Tester, it’s hard not to get really flustered when you’re presented with a question to which you obviously don’t know the right answer. Increasingly more employers are starting to ask things like this not to test your trivia knowledge, but as a way to see how you problem-solve in real time. Michael said that after the initial shock of being asked this question, “I started by asking a few questions (like, are we including Alaska and Hawaii? What about the US Virgin Islands?)- to buy a little time, and then just talked them through my thought process: moving from how many I could think of in my neighborhood, estimating population sizes, and expanding from there. They were impressed with some creative angles I used, and it led to a good discussion.” Michael goes on to say that the worst thing he could have done would have been to say “I don’t know.” I agree. In fact, knowing the real answer (approximately 117,000, by the way) would not have helped Michael get the job!

If you were a car, what kind would you be and what color?
Your answer says a lot about you. This question helps a person think through more of their career branding, namely the value of who he or she uniquely is. Go a step further and translate how your answer gives value to the company you’d love to work at!

Are you nervous?
I think one of the character traits an organization might be looking for with this question is authenticity and confidence.

If you were the interviewer, how would you interview me?
As a leader, an organization may want to hear how you would handle communicating with direct reports.

What kind of fruit am I?
If you want to see A LOT of answers and interesting dialog answering this question, go to  Ask MetaFiler.

“If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”
This question was asked of Jon Bordon as he was interviewing for a position as IT Recruiter with Blue Cross Blue Shield. According to Jon, hiring managers like to throw a person off course and see how he or she handles the stress.

I have an interview prep package that will give you the foundation for answering questions. To schedule a complimentary, confidential session, email me. To see more on my interview prep package, click on career coaching.

Enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon!

Peter Weddle, a Recruitment Expert, wrote about his perspective of what hiring managers typically don’t know and what they think they know. I’d agree with Peter that many hiring managers find hiring a very difficult task. I’d love to hear your thoughts after reading his comments.

According to Peter Weddle, hiring managers don’t know:

• What it takes to write a reasonable and responsible description of the requirements and responsibilities of their open positions.

• When they’re asking for too much in a candidate or offering too little in compensation for the talent they need.

• What it takes to get that description translated into a recruitment ad that will engage the best talent.

• How to communicate the organization’s value proposition as an employer or how to articulate the opportunity their opening represents.

• Where to promote that message so that the best talent will actually see it. They don’t know where their target demographic hangs out online or off and in what specific venues or formats (e.g., email, networking, print) that they are most likely to be reached.

Peter Weddle goes on to say typically hiring managers they think they know…

• How to interview, but just about everyone else knows they don’t. In fact, there’s a University of Michigan study which proves that hiring managers are only 4% better than flipping a coin-they get it right 54% of the time-when it comes to selecting the best interviewee for a job.

• What it takes to attract and sell top talent, but more often than not, they are way, way out of touch. Motivating factors shift from generation to generation, and most hiring managers know their peers well, but are dumb as dirt about the younger professionals who work for them.

• What their unit must do to succeed so they focus on doing-on activity-rather than on recruiting and retaining the resources they must have (and effectively lead) in order to accomplish that activity. Most of them don’t realize that talent must be sold and resold over and over again.

Preparation for the interview is critical. How does a person prepare? That answer is for another blog. You can look up Interview tips on the left for other blogs I have written on this subject.

I’m passionate about people enjoying Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon. Packages are offered on strengths identification, career exploration, job search strategy, effective communication, career branding, networking, résumé & cover letter expertise, confidence-building interview preparation and jump-starting a new position.

Write Terri@SummitViewCareerCoaching for more information or for a 20-minute complimentary coaching session. Also, you can find out more about my services at Summit View Career Coaching.

Enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon!

Sharing success stories comfortably when asked questions by the interviewer is typically the determining factor whether or not we will be offered a position. Success stories are an interesting and compelling way to share our value, skills and strengths.

What are success stories? Think of the acronym “CARS”

• C – challenge

• A – action you took

• R – results

• S – strength it shows you have

What are some success stories you’ve experienced? Sometimes they’re hard to come up with, aren’t they?!

Kathy Hansen, A Storied Career, explained companies successfully use storytelling to market their products. Interestingly, the same concept of storytelling using success stories works well when marketing oneself.

“Just as customers are inclined to participate when they can see themselves in marketing stories, employers are inclined to participate (by hiring the candidate) when they see themselves in the job-seeker’s story,” wrote Meg Guiseppi.

Rick Saia, CPRW, writes in the Career Management Alliance blog, “One suggestion: Keep a running ‘career diary’ or journal in which you document the situation or task, along with the action you took and the result. Time tends to erode one’s memory of a particularly notable situation, so keeping a diary allows you to refer back to it when it’s time to look for that next career opportunity.”

I’d love to hear what you’re doing with your success stories and how you keep track of them! Also, if you new at keeping track of success stories, write me how you are going to start recording them!

I’m passionate about people enjoying Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon. Packages are offered on strengths identification, career exploration, job search strategy, effective communication, career branding, networking, résumé & cover letter expertise, confidence-building interview preparation and jump-starting a new position.

You are invited to schedule a 20-minute complimentary coaching session with me and then 5-10 minutes for both of us to determine whether or not career coaching is what would best meet your goals. If at any point during the last 5-10 minutes you decide career coaching would not be a good fit, I’d value you letting me know since both of our time is valuable!

For more information, go to my website at Summit View Career Coaching or email me.

In the USA, coaching fees are typically tax deductible since they are considered an expense for continuing education undertaken to maintain and improve business and professional skills. (See Treas. Reg.1-162-5. Coughlin vs. Commissioner, 203F 2d 307) Your tax consultant can provide you with further information.

Enjoy Monday morning as much as Friday afternoon!

Salary negotiations! The thought causes most people to cringe. To a large degree, salary dictates our lifestyle. We typically enter negotiations hoping to make as much as or more than our last position. Money is often a touchy topic because there’s a lot riding on it.

Perhaps you’ve experienced a prolonged period of unemployment and funds are low or exhausted. Perhaps you’re committed to getting out of credit card debt and need some extra income. Perhaps the future is arriving more quickly than anticipated and you need to beef up your child’s college fund or your retirement account. Perhaps you want to increase your giving to worthy causes. Perhaps it’s all of the above!

If you’re going through a job search, one of the final mile-markers is the phase of salary negotiations. You’ve probably heard lots of good advice about negotiating salary (for instance, “wait until there’s a firm offer before discussing salary” and “he who mentions a number first, loses”). But, have you ever considered some of the behind-the-scenes factors that influence your thinking about salary? … such as

1. Lack of Trust: Much of the fear and anxiety that creeps into our lives around money is rooted in a lack of trust that there will be provision for us. It’s the scarcity vs. provision mentality! For an interesting look at this topic, read “The Soul of Money” by Lynne Twist.

2. The Clutch Factor: We clutch what we think is ours (money, possessions), instead of realizing that we are simply stewards of things entrusted to us as we pass through this world.

3. Seduction: Our society and the media encourage us to buy into the lie that what we have is not enough. We think we need the newest techno gadget or brand-name shoes or late-model car to be happy.

4. Identity: We equate our identity with how much we make instead of by our innate priceless value.

5. Pride: We want to impress others. Outward appearances—the car we drive, clothes we wear, home we live in—pressure us to “keep up with the Joneses” instead of pursuing our individual course.

6. Priorities: We prioritize making money over creating relationships with people.

7. Debt: We have mismanaged our money and are now under pressure to land a high salary to pay off debt. We’ve not been disciplined in spending less than we earn.

If any of these situations ring true for you, it can color the salary negotiation process. Don’t get me wrong. Having money (and even lots of it) isn’t bad. The question is whether it is ruling you or you are ruling it.

So think about it. Where are you on the trust factor? The clutch factor? How about identity, pride, and priorities? Is debt driving your decisions? After giving it some thought, how do you want to live your life, especially as it relates to finances?

Bottom line: Overcome the stumbling blocks and make salary negotiations about the VALUE you bring to the organization.

If you are interested in salary negotiation coaching, please contact Summit View Career Coaching for a complimentary consultation.

I’ve known Dr. Mark Noss,O.D. of Traverse City, Michigan for about 25 years and have appreciated his excellent eye care throughout the years! He takes the extra step in making sure he provides quality service!

Dr. Noss answered the following questions at my request to help my clients prepare for interviews and jump start a new job.

1. What is your title? Developmental Optometrist - This is a subspecialty of optometry that takes into account the neurological, motor and cognitive development of the person and their vision. This development influences how we visually gather and analyze information in our environment as well as how it directs our actions and behavior. I have a special interest in vision as it relates to learning.

2. What do you love most in the optical field? Optometry has allowed me an opportunity to assure that people maintain good vision and healthy eyes so that they can function more effectively in their life.

3. What qualities are you looking for in an applicant? In an applicant, I am looking for a friendly, caring individual that has a genuine interest in helping people.

4. What does a person do or look like in order to turn you off? I have no use for deceitful, manipulative individuals that have only their own interests in view.

5. What are a couple questions you ask in an interview? I like to ask them to describe the best coworker or boss they ever worked with. I am also interested in knowing what type of person annoys them most. This tells me a lot about relationships in their life, and what they value in the work place.

6. What is your favorite way to find a new employee? Personal recommendations from friends or family that I can trust are ideal sources for good candidates.

7. After you have hired someone, what can a new employee do to jumpstart his or her job? I like to see a new employee come in with a lot of energy and a determination to learn quickly, whether it is on the job or on their own time. I also look for them to quickly buy in to our office philosophies and our mission, which is strongly tied to exceptional quality eye care.

8. What are some words of wisdom for someone wanting to enter your industry? Again, it is important that they have a genuine interest in helping people. The patient and their needs are the reason that we exist as a business, and that always has to be held as the highest priority.

For those preparing for an interview and for those managing their career, there are nuggests of gold in Dr. Noss’ responses. We’re thankful to Dr. Noss for taking the time to give us his answers!

If you would like to be well prepared with principles for answering almost any question at your next interview, please contact me for a complimentary consultation.

Linda Maginity, the owner and hiring manager of The Bottom Line, a bookkeeping service, has some great tips for job seekers! Before the tips, I’d like you to get to know Linda. Linda is very friendly, an excellent teacher and really loves the “mind numbing” work of data entry. The part of business that really excites her is helping other business owners realize their goals and dreams. Linda shared…

“The financial health of your business begins with a solid foundation and that means accurate bookkeeping. Without good numbers to base decisions on, you’re just operating in the dark. We teach business owners how to interpret their financial statements and how to generate management reports so they may make informed decisions.”

I asked Linda, “What qualities are you looking for in an applicant?” Linda said she is looking for a person that is…

• Eager to help others.
  
• Focused on what they can bring to the company.
  
• Knowledgeable about our company goals
  
• Articulate in sharing how to help us reach those goals.

What does a person do or look like in order to turn you off?

“When one of their first questions is what does this job pay, what are the benefits and what are the hours. This tells me they have an “entitilement” attitude. Businesses need people to help them to grow and in the end everyone will benefit.”

What questions do you ask at an interview?

• What did they like best about their former or current jobs?
• I want to know how & why they were separated from those jobs.
  
• I ask what their future vision is.
  
• I give them the most boring details about the job they are applying for and ask how they feel about performing those tasks.

After you have hired someone, what are some ways a new employee can jumpstart their job?

• Be eager to learn
• Ask questions
  

What are some words of wisdom you would have for someone wanting to enter the bookkeeping field?

“You must be computer litterate. You MUST be proficient using QuickBooks, and MS Office. I cannot stress enough the importance of education and training. To be employable in today’s market you must seek IT training.”

Not only Linda’s company, but all companies when hiring are looking to hire a person that knows their company goals and how you are going to be a solution for their need. I recommend taking the time to research companies well so that you are prepared in networking and interviews. If you would like help with job search strategy or interview preparation, please contact me for information.

I thought you might be interested in the following article…

In this month’s issue of Inc. Magazine, Leigh Buchanan writes,

When I interview job candidates I always ask: If we had a party, what would you bring? Some people come up with fun answers (one woman who was married to a radio personality offered to supply the DJ). Some offer panegyrics to their acclaimed artichoke purée with garlic pita crisps. Some say, “The napkins.” And some look annoyed and ask me what I’m getting at.

I’ve always justified the party question as one that provides insight into a candidate’s personality. And it does–a little. Mostly though, I ask it when I still have 10 minutes to kill before shuffling the poor applicant off to his or her next meeting.”

When you are sitting in the candidate’s seat, you want to appear confident and prepared. How can you do this? Different options. One option is taking in a few hours of preparation and a two-session ‘Interview Preparation’ package where you can build a successful foundation for all questions that are asked of you.

Many times interviewers ask:

• Tell me more about yourself
• Describe your ideal boss
• Can you give me an example of someone who wasn’t an ideal boss?
• What prompted each of your departures from previous organizations?

The list goes on. How would you answer these questions? The first session is designed to give techniques rather than rote answers, be aware why interviewers ask questions, build confidence, and help you stand out amongst all of the candidates. During the 2nd session we’ll role play and I’ll give helpful feedback. This package is a confidence builder and fun!

To find out more information, see my website. I’d be glad to answer your questions.

Each time I talk with Joe Williams, owner of Williams Bay Pumping Service, I see the passion that he has for excellent leadership and I go away motivated to be a better leader. When I asked Joe questions on different topics, he immediately gave the thoughts below.

When Joe is looking for future employees, he looks for a person that naturally…

• Gives exceptional service
• Really enjoys helping customers
• Sees the big picture of customer life-long service
• Communicates well in educating the customer

I asked Joe how his company differentiates itself from their competitors. Joe sees his company as striving to…

• Only employ those that genuinely care for their customers
• Have a focused vision of where the company is headed
• Show each employee their value and potential
• Surpass standard practices
• Educate those who aren’t even customers “Our advice is always free”

Keep it up, Joe! Thanks for sharing!

Gail Leino, Managing Partner, of Pointes North on US 31 North (on the bay near Don’s Drive In) sat next to me the first time I went to a Chamber of Commerce meeting and was very helpful. We’ve been friends ever since.

I thought you may find it interesting to read what Gail is looking for when she is looking for new associates at Pointes North.

When hiring, Gail looks for a person with a personality that is pleasant, outgoing, self-assured, warm and welcoming to strangers. A good work ethic and pride in Pointes North is very important. Helpful, but not required is a good knowledge of the tourist attractions in the area.

At the interview Gail will probably ask: ‘Why are you looking for a new position’, ‘What made you decide to apply at Pointes North?’, and, ‘What about the hospitality industry appeals to you?’ After explaining their dress code, Gail asks if they’re willing to comply.

Gail’s words of wisdom for the person applying for a position in the hospitality industry are,”You must find dealing with the public a pleasant experience and must have the ability to handle some unplesant matters with grace even though the public is not always courteous and well-mannered, we must be.”