Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Interviewing: The Reject and the Rock Star

Yesterday I interviewed 2 candidates - a reject and a rock star. So what separates the weak from the strong? To over simplify - preparation.

The Reject: Showed up with a wrong copy of his resume, didn't know what type of business we were in and could not articulate any details from past work experiences. When asked why he wanted to be in sales, his response "I just need a job".  Really? Is this the best answer you could come up with? It saddens me how ill prepared some 20 somethings are to enter the work force.

There is an enormous amount of information available on how to interview. What to wear, interview questions, tips and tricks. Endless resources!

The Rock Star: Showed up prepared, could draw parallels between past experiences whether academic or work related, asked specific questions of our industry and roughed out an action plan. I felt confident in his abilities to get the job done right and that he could deliver more than we expected.

Words of advice....If you are looking for a job, you only have one first impression. Spend 30 minutes and understand who you are going to see and prepare intelligent questions and answers.

If you have children entering the work force, teach them! Don't let your kid be the one who says "I thought it was better to show up with a wrong resume than no resume at all." 

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