In the film The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock is advised by a family friend that the one-word key to success is “plastics.” And what does it take to create plastics? Chemistry. And that’s also what it takes to get the job in most cases. Interview chemistry.
According to Wikipedia, plastics are “polymers: long chains of atoms bonded to one another.” A lot like the workplace where different people are in effect bonded together to create something or produce a service of some kind.
That’s not to say that you don’t need some basic skills and/or experience for most jobs. But usually by the time you get to the interview, you’ve been screened for that at least to some extent.
It’s true that the employer will want to make sure you can do the job. And in jobs where there are specific high-level skills like in technology, you will be quizzed at a much deeper level.
But before you can get to any of that, there has to be a feeling that you would be a match for the company. As well as the particular department interviewing you. And that mutual flash of energy can be summed up in the words “interview chemistry.”
Interview chemistry a two-way street.
Not only is the employer trying to decide if you would be a fit for them, but you have to figure out whether you think the job would be right for you. You can get a lot of cues about the way a place operates and how you might be treated from the interview.
I’ve usually been pretty lucky when it comes to the chemistry thing in interviews. But there’s was that one interview a few years ago I’ll never forget. Here’s the story:
I had heard about a job helping to improve public employment policies and, even though I hadn’t worked in a government agency in many years and wasn’t quite sure that was what I wanted, I decided to apply. I figured it was worth a shot. When I arrived at the office, my instincts went off immediately.
My instincts started “talking” right away
Something about the environment felt cold and not really a place I’d want to be, but still I shook it off and just put myself fully into interview mode. You always have to do that, no matter what else you’re feeling. It’s a little like acting: energy up, smile…the interview must go on!
There was a preliminary interview with someone who worked there already and it just clicked for us. She was delightful and I could see working with her. And she was genuinely enthusiastic about me when her boss walked into the room, telling him what a great interview we’d had so far.
I was feeling pretty good about the job at this point. But when the boss walked in, even before the woman spoke so glowingly about me, he glanced at me briefly and in that instant I could see he wasn’t interested. Seriously — his look showed it all.
Some interview chemistry doesn’t connect
But as he looked at me you could see his eyes deaden. Could it be that I’m in my 50s? Or maybe I just reminded him of someone he hated. I’ll never know. Anyway … we shook hands, and he sat down across from me. And then he proceeded to give me one of the toughest interviews I’d ever had — more like a grilling!
“Exactly how did you perform that analysis?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. Now this was a complex analysis involving lots of proprietary details. So I assumed he meant I should give him the basic steps. But almost with anger in his eyes, he said “I asked EXACTLY how did you do it. Give me details.”
OK. So you get the point. This wouldn’t work for either of us. I tried for a bit longer, since I always believe in giving things a chance. But we both knew it was over. Mercifully, we admitted it after only 30 minutes.
Like a blind date, first few minutes key.
It’s a time to make the best impression possible — and also to watch for cues. Bosses are looking for people who show appropriate enthusiasm and a positive attitude. If you walk in with your head low and don’t even look the interviewer in the eye, this is a big turn off from the git go.
Hard to get interview chemistry when they can’t even see the real you.
Sure you’re nervous — that’s ok. But make an effort to come in looking like someone who at least believes they deserve the job. A firm (not painful) handshake if the situation permits and a warm smile as you say hello always helps.
I prefer candidates who are natural.
Not that I’m telling you to take off your shoes and put your feet up on the desk (always a bad idea). But I need to see the real person behind the stiff, nervous interviewee so I’ll know if there really is chemistry.
By the way … it’s ok to say you’re a little nervous if that helps you relax. You’ll see right away what kind of person you’re dealing with. If they smile, that’s a good sign. If they are turned off by your honesty, then that might reflect something about the company. And whether you’d be comfortable working there.
Of course interview chemistry is not quite that simple. So no matter what the reaction, take a breath, ramp up your attitude, and keep your best interview energy going. And come well prepared so that you can let the real you shine.
Still … watch for those cues, and be ready to shift your own approach if needed.
About the author…
Ronnie Ann, founder of Work Coach Cafe and Work To The Wise, bases her real-world advice on her many years as an organizational consultant where she helped interview and hire people, added to a certificate from NYU in Career Planning & Development and her own adventures as a serial job seeker.
More posts to help
How To Mentally Prepare for a Job Interview
Please Help Me With My Phone Interview!
How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well
What Is a Behavioral Interview?
18 Practical Tips to Help You Ace Your Job Interview
15 Things I Look for When I Interview People
After the Job Interview: Why Haven’t They Called Me Yet?
Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview
What Is Being Overqualified for a Job?
Job Interview Nerves? Tips for Before, During & After
12 Ways to Stay Sane After a Job Interview
Why Does It Take So Long After Your Interview?
So glad I discovered this site today! It already has been very helpful, as I am at a “lull” in my job search (I resigned my last position, on good terms, 9 months ago).
My question is: I had two very good interviews – fantastic, even – with a local hospital. I had interviewed with the hiring manager last year, but the position was changed due to a reorg. (it went under a different hiring manager, who decided not to bring me in for another interview). The position was posted in March due to a promotion, and was back under the person I had originally interviewed with. I decided to reach out to her directly, and received back a very positive note, saying she had been meaning to contact me about the opening!! It doesn’t get much better than that, right? Well, that’s what I thought. I felt so confident that, finally, I’d get this great job I really wanted. And clearly, she wanted me, at least as a candidate. I felt all I had to do was do my homework, research, come up with great questions, write excellent thank-you notes, and I have the job. I did all that, and more. I was confident, excited, had good rapport with everyone I met, including the hiring manager, in both my first interview and final interview. That final interview was over a month ago – and I saw yesterday that the position is no longer posted on the hospital’s website.
Does this mean it’s been filled? I followed up about two weeks ago with the gentleman in HR with whom I interviewed/set up interviews, and did not receive a response from him, or anyone else. I am, of course, continuing to search, but am very disappointed that I have heard nothing from them. And, honestly, surprised, given that the hiring manager wanted me! I am scratching my head, trying to figure out what went wrong. The only thing I can think of, was that one of the “key stakeholders” I interviewed with did not feel as positively chemistry-wise as the hiring manager. HR did say it would be a collaborative decision-making process. Is it possible, in your honest opinion, that they may still be deciding, despite it no longer being posted?
Thank you for any insights you can provide!
Hi Carol,
Don’t give up hope, yet. You seem to have done everything right (which is, as you know, no guarantee of a job offer), and you are VERY smart to continue your job search.
They may simply have taken the posting down because they are no longer interested in collecting NEW applicants. They have identified their finalists for the job, and no longer need more applications. Or, it could be another reorg has happened, or even that the job has been cancelled. Hard to tell.
Since it has been two weeks since your last contact with HR, I would reach out again – by telephone – to see what you can discover. If your previous attempt at contact was via email, it is possible that your message was dumped into a spam folder or some other technical glitch buried it. Phone calls are less easily lost (although still possible). Politely check in. Give him the job title, job requisition number, and the dates you last interviewed, and ask him what the current status is for the job. If the job is still open, ask him about the status of your candidacy and the next steps in the process.
Be prepared for him to share no real information other than that the job has been filled, or not.
IF the job has been filled and you really liked the organization and the job, send the hiring manager a thank you for the opportunity to meet with her and the rest of the organization and an expression of disappointment at not landing this job. Add (IF TRUE!) that you would like to be considered for any other opportunities that may arise in the future.
Don’t give up hope yet.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
I lost my job four years ago when my company went out of business. The company closed it’s doors after 31 years in business, mainly due to a.) the economy and b.) bad business decisions on the part of the owner and upper management.
Initially I was frantically looking for a job but the longer I was unemployed, the more I realized how much I enjoyed being a stay at home mom. Fast forward 4 years and I need to find a job now. I have an interview this week and I know the question will come up “why have you been out of the job market for so long”
Any advice? Thank you
Hi Lisa,
Simply state that you were laid off when your former employer went out of business (not fired!). And, you discovered that being a stay-at-home mom was good for your family. Now, your children are in school (or out of school or whatever is appropriate), and it is time for you to re-enter the workforce.
No bad messages here. You were able to take time for your family, needed to take time for your family, and you now are able to return to work. Then, ask a question of the employer or interviewer, to move the discussion along to the next topic.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
I have my first major interview next week. I am very nervous and it is in a different state where I live on. (I am afraid we won’t connect since we are from different environments) I don’t want to mess it up. It is an engineering job and I don’t have a great GPA but I did meet the qualifications. That is why I would like to surprise them with other skills I have. I have had an internship before and I think that might help me. I am not sure what to answer if they ask me about my GPA. I did work and go to school and it was pretty tough for me. Do you have any advise? Thank you.
I want to say how useful this site is.
I went for my second interview this morning for a job I really wanted but I honestly can’t read the interviewer if the interview went well or bad. He was going to be the boss (he is British by the way) and even though I can see myself working with him I am not sure the feeling is mutual. The not so good- he seemed a little bored at some point, though he did smiled and nodded sometimes and he didn’t quite ask me ‘personal’ questions- as in what I am like as a person which was surprising. He also didnt quite have follow up questions. The good- he prepped me about his boss, another guy I would be working with, on his personality. And that he would get back to me by this week (good or bad news). I also wasnt sure if I gave the answers he was looking for. This wait would be so excruciating!
Hi Eileen,
Thank you for the kind words! We hope to help.
We Americans don’t read “Brits” very well, sometimes, and I think that the reverse is true, too. So, as you have noticed, it’s hard to tell whether or not the interview went well.
Overall, I think it sounds relatively promising, but I hope you are still looking and not waiting for this one to come through (or not). Often, the wait between interviews and offers is much longer than either side expects, so it’s good to have other opportunities pending to keep you distracted and to increase the probability that you will land a job sooner.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
I have applyed for over 30 positions – qualified for during the last two years. I am very discuraged – after using career services to make my resume/cover letter better, I thought a year ago I would have an offer. However 100 to 200 applicates are competing each time and even though qualified – never made it to an interview stage. Finally, I was invited to an interview last week ~ after all of the waiting, working, job hunting I thought this day would never come ~ I was so nervous that I was shaking horriblly the first few minutes – I can critize myself by saying that I talked too much or that I did too much complementing them on their work/business. I left uncertain. The decision was made today at noon and HR said they would call me today. They didn’t and that could be because they called the applicant they wanted first. I don’t know what to do at this point.
Patty,
Give it a little more time. It ALWAYS takes time after a decision has been made.
On the job search overall, I really recommend that you get more help on your resume, cover letter, and career story — I’d like to see you getting more interviews. Is there anywhere you can volunteer or work on a temporary basis so you will have something on your resume to show that you have worked?
Also make sure you are having everything you turn in proofread.
Be careful, and good luck.
All the Best,
Chandlee
I graduated college last December and still can’t find great work. I worked at 2 food service jobs but can’t put the last one on my resume because it was so bad and I’m pretty sure if anyone called my former boss he’d say horrible things. I was basically set up from the beginning, rude interview, took it coz I needed something, but he never gave me W-2’s, was treated like crap and talked about in Spanish as if I didn’t know and my boss once gave me my check with 0’s as my ssn which made me more suspicious. I decided to quit before I was fired. For the first time in a long time I had 2 interviews in 1 week.
One interviewer made me feel kinda crappy by asking why my last job was in 2011 (because I refuse to bring up my last job a few months ago this year) and although the interview seemed to go well towards the end, I basically told her I’ve been looking for a job before I graduated college. I don’t know if that was a good enough answer. I’m not lazy, and really did not want to quit those jobs but I can’t find any work (I apply to jobs everyday) and don’t know what I should say to deflect the crappy fast food jobs. I have a really good resume other than that but some interviewers seem to focus on the most recent. Do you have any advice?
Jen,
If I hear you correctly, you’ve been in the job market for ten months. That’s not an eternity, even though it may feel like it. Of the last job, I think you should mention it — but state only the facts without elaboration. I left because based on all signs I saw — the company was paying me under the table and not following state laws. I did not receive a W-2 and my Social Security Number was not listed on my paycheck. As I did not feel comfortable with this arrangement, I resigned the position voluntarily and did not list the job on my resume since it was a short time.
As much as possible, steer the conversation in interview to the job you are being interviewed for.
Good luck,
Chandlee
While I have worked with older people seeking to return to the workforce and I’ve shared various ways they can “manage” a hole in their jobs (skills resume, taking a relevant course to make them seem up to date and able to offer the most contemporary perspective/etc., volunteering in a relevant place they can talk about in an interview, cover letter, etc.), I wonder what other folks suggest as a way of working with a hole in one’s work experience due to child rearing or unemployment.
Thanks.
I have a “behavioral based” interview on Friday for an insurance company. I am having trouble coming up with ways to prepare for it.. I have a few examples of certain situations where I have excelled, but I worry I will end up sounding redundant or unqualified if they ask for more than I can come up with. Also, do you have any advice for trying to SHOW that while I have not worked in an office environment in a few years (currently I am a waitress), I still have the skills I previously gained? It’s a fantastic job, and something I have been looking for for awhile, but interviews and interviewers make me so nervous!! Thanks in advance for your help!
Since you are currently a waitress, you might want to bring some samples of the kind of work you did in the past that would be relevant to this job. Create and bring one or two samples of your work – totally fictional! Maybe letters to clients, to adjustors, or to carriers, incident reports, or whatever would be relevant and appropriate for the person doing this job.
If you create work samples, be sure those sample are fiction! Don’t include any person’s or company’s real name. You may not need them, but if there is a question which seems to be aimed at understanding how well you could do an office job, you can show these samples of your work.
For more information about behavioral interviews, see these posts:
* What is a behavioral interview?
* Behavioral Interviews
Advice from Rich DeMateo in the 2nd article above:
Be confident. Breathe slowly. Smile. These three things will go far in your interviewing, especially during a Behavioral Interview.
Good luck with your job search!
Regards,
Susan
Work Coach Cafe Team Captain
I love this blog. This is very realistic and down to earth advice for people and this article about chemistry is spot on. I think this is also something the interviewee should consider as well when evaluating an employer’s offer. Potential employees should trust their gut when confronted with chemistry they know probably isn’t right.
I had a series of interviews recently for a state government contractor managing a large and growing contact center. During the final interview, which lasted a little over an hour, the interviewer became much more at ease with me and proceeded to spend roughly 60% of the interview bad-mouthing the person currently holding the position I was applying for. I found myself considering a scene in the movie Star Wars: The Empire Strike Back. Darth Vader addresses an Admiral who has failed to meet his objectives, “You have failed me for the last time Admiral,” Says Vader while the Admiral drops dead under the lethal gaze of his superior. Vader then turns to the man’s subordinate (who just watched his boss die) and delivers his promotion, “Captain Piett, …. you are in command now Admiral!” The implication, of course, is clear. You’d better do a good job or you’ll end up like this guy.
I had to wonder, what would this guy be saying about me to the next interviewee 3 months into the job? How would this guy speak about me to other employees and managers? Did he have an unrealistic sense of what should be expected? Do I really want to work for the Dark Lord of the Sith? I quickly lost “that loving feeling” about the hiring manager, despite his chummy demeanor toward me. If the honeymoon didn’t even last past the interview stage I doubted I would find much happiness in the job.
I left the interview knowing I was going to receive an offer on a hand-shake but questioning whether I should accept the position. Despite having been out of work for awhile I had great reservations about accepting a position with someone who was sending up such serious red flags (this was just one among many). Then the offer came. It was far below market value for the position described. This made the decision to decline very easy, especially in light of the “chemistry” of the situation.
Excellent instincts and move, Mike. Chemistry is so important to both a successful job search and success in the job. As I was reading your comment, I kept thinking about what kind of recommendations this manager would give, both to the current incumbant and to the next person in the job.
Keep trusting your instincts!
Cheers!
Susan
Work Coach Team Captain
Oh…I’m so sorry Livi. )-; But yes…each time we can learn from something makes us all the stronger in our career down the road. I think you’re great.
I just wrote about you in my latest post and was totally rooting for you. But better to find a job that meets your schedule. Hope you get just what you want!
Good luck, Livi!
hi again, i did a follow up call but i didnt get the job because i wasnt as available. 🙁 at least i know what to say next time!! thanks for your help!!
Livi,
Keep the note simple. You can work that other part out once you have a job. 😉 The rest I leave up to you. There are no rules…only best guesses.
Hi again Livi,
I think your own advice is good: I’m thinking it’s the “thank you and I’m still interested”
note….” (Check carefully for typos.)
No guarantee, but nothing to lose at this point. And a little sucking up is ok, even if they chuckle. Just keep it as real as possible.
Fingers crossed for you. Please let us know how it goes.
ok sooo… i think i had all of these “qualities” when i was interviewed for a very easy, entry level job (movie theater conessionist/usher) and i had good answers too! but i dont know. everything was going good, they seemed like to me (i guess i did kind of “suck up” one time… and i couldnt think of any questions afterward) i was confident and smiling, and the general manager even noticed how calm i was! ( i was really nervous at first, but then i got used to it… also im a pretty good actor :))) im 16 and this would be my first job (they know that). im realllyyy hoping they call me back (its been a week today interview on monday the 22 now its the 29.. they asked if it’d be ok if they called on thursday the 25 but they didnt and i understand that they are super busy) ive tried calling this past saturday (he wasnt there) and sunday (he was busy) and i think they are inteviewing more candidates today….. anyway i guess my question is, since i didnt relly have any questions at the end and i may have been a “suck up” and i now remember things that i should’ve said at first, do you think they will call me back…ever? i thought they liked me and to me we had fun…. but maybe im all wrong… <:(
Hi Livi!
Welcome to the horrible but also wonderful world of job search. It sounds like you did well. Often energy and attitude is as or more important than your exact answers. As for not having questions at the end…although I hope you get this job, next time come prepared. It’s NOT a deal killer, but shows you are thinking about the company and what your job might be like on a daily basis – or anything else you might ask related to the field.
You gave it your best. You followed up. If you haven’t sent a thank you note, please do so and let them know again how much you enjoyed meeting them and you’d love the job. Other than that, you need to keep looking and hope they still get back to you.
BTW…sucking up would mean you’re being phony. If that’s true…don’t 😉 Just be yourself. But if you think smiling and being nice is sucking up…please don’t worry. People are looking to hire people they’d like to work with day in and day out. So reliable, competent, intelligent and above all NICE is very important.
Good luck, Livi!
thanks!! i think i had good attitude and energy (at least for my standards)
by sucking up i mean i complemented the general manager saying: “i can see it” -it being that she seems like she was young at heart after i asked how she became a manager at this large corporation (i didnt have any questions at the end!!.. and i could tell she was young at heart) but i didn’t say that… they also chuckled bc they thought i was being phony…. idk. maybe i was… ://
so you think, even after almost two weeks, i should still send in a thank you note? should i send a note and call… or just send a note with a reminder im still interested?… im thinking its the “thank you and im still interested” note….
anyway, thanks for the advice and good lucks, i appreciate it very much!!!
sorry, i forgot to mention that i am looking for a good solid, two year job till i have to go off to college….. unfortunately i forgot to mention that……. should i say that in the note? also, should i hand it in to them personally and/or leave it with someone? mail it?
…. maybe i should just look at the pages about how to composite a thank you note….lol.
thanks again!!
I like that JB! Good answer. Thanks!
Ronnie Ann
Linda, read your question because you have answere it entirely, and perfectly! Turning a negative, such as leaving a job, to positive, in illustrating you are someone who doesn’t settle and knows themself
Thank you for this great piece of advice! It was really useful. God knows I shrivel like a prune in front of a panel of interviewers. 😀
I have a question, however. I hope you can help me with it. I left my engineering job about 3 months ago. The reason is that I discovered I prefer people to numbers, and thus, I left to seek a new job. I believe successful people do not continue to do things that do not interest them. They move out of their comfort zone(and believe me, it was very comfortable at my old job). I had excellent working relationships at my old company and have made firm friends there. We parted on very amicable grounds.
Thing is, I left after working for only 7 months and I do not know how to answer the dreaded “Why did you left your previous job?”. I have an interview next week for my dream job and I really need help!
Thank you so much for even reading this!
You just answered your own question. LOL. ” I had excellent working relationships and parted on amicable grounds.To be successful you need to move out of your comfort zone and I am somebody who’s always interested in new challenges”. Then something to the affect that you’ll stick with this particular company and grow within the company etc.
Not sure who “me” is…but great advice! Thanks for the help, me.
Linda, your words “I discovered I prefer people to numbers, and thus, I left to seek a new job. I believe successful people do not continue to do things that do not interest them” are a powerful and honest answer. Shows you know who you are and what you want. That alone sets you apart from the crowd. 😉
I wish you MUCH luck, Linda. Please let us know how it goes.
~ Ronnie Ann
Hi Linda! Thanks for the nice feedback. It always makes me feel good to know people find the things I write helpful. I love your question. The short answer is…don’t worry. It’s not a problem. The longer answer can be found here:
Job Interviews: Explaining Why You Left The Last Job So Soon
Appreciate your comment, Smoky!
I love your intake on the proper interviews and what should be done for success. Thanks.
Smoky
Oh…one more thing about the questions suggested in the article that Natalie found:
Use your own common sense to adjust the questions to be a little more natural to you and reasonable for people to answer. For instance: “What 10 words would you use to describe your company?” I would hate someone to ask me that. Too much to put on an interviewer. You want to come across as an ally and potential co-worker, not put the interviewer on the spot! But you could simply ask “What words would you use to describe your company?” That’s a lot more considerate and still will provide you with useful information. Again, always adjust “expert” suggestions (including MINE) to feel right for you and the situation.
I just read my last comment and realize I could also apply the same technique to first dates. Lord knows I hate them and take them way too seriously. I guess I should just pretend it’s a job interview from now on. (-;
Thanks Natalie. I agree with SurfaceEarth about the article. Nice find.
I’m smiling about your comment regarding the interview with the place you realized you didn’t want. Once you weren’t as eager about that company, you loosened up and showed them the real Natalie who wasn’t afraid to ask good questions. And they liked you! It put you in the best mindset for an interview – one where you didn’t feel like you had to be anything but yourself. In fact, it’s a technique some people use – putting themselves in a mindset of “If I get an offer – great. If I don’t – great. Let’s just have a really good discussion about the job and the company.” I know it’s hard, but I’ve used it and it helps.
And by the way…the question you use for interviews doesn’t sound brash at all. I’ve hired people in the tech field and we want people who can think. As long as you ask it like a down-to-earth interested potential employee and not the grand inquisitor (which I can’t imagine you would) it is a very fair and useful question.
Again, good luck finding a great fit for you. They’ll be lucky to get you.
The article looks excellent!!! Thank you for sharing.
I found a great article on ‘uncovering’ a company’s culture. Some of the suggested questions to ask are key including: How are decisions made and communicated to staff? Does (and how) the organization emphasize working in teams? What 10 words would you use to describe your company? Around here what behaviors get rewarded? My favorite which i’ve come up with on my own is “How do you describe your product life cycle from beginning to end? What are the major phases and which parts or phases is my job role involved in?” http://www.quintcareers.com/employer_corporate_culture.html
This may sound brash but if these questions make them feel uncomfortable, I don’t want to work there. After sometime in the job searching arena I’ve learned to treat the potential companies as suitors.
I agree with you Ronnie, interviewing and sending the impression that you’re worth having is key. I feel and this may sound crude, that sometimes they pass up good people because they don’t ‘smell’ right to them… or they just aren’t really great at reading people. Some of the best interviews I had were the ones where I really felt at ease. Also, I love the dating analogy you used because sometimes hiring groups act like just like daters… Once I interviewed with a company and early in the process realized that it wasn’t really the place I wanted to be, I felt like I had less to loose and so was able to be a little braver about my questions and my answers. It must of gave them an impression because the interview went well.
If only interviews could go on for a while and people could really see each other as they are. You’re right – many good people are passed over too quickly. Just like with online dating sites. (-; Many of the people who are passed over could add richness and texture to an organization that may be too homogeneous.
But unfortunately, the reality is that interview situations do lead to snap judgments and an interviewee better come prepared to give it their all – be positive, be natural, be pleasant, show energy, and be alert – all in the few moments they have. It’s tough, but with preparation, each person reading this can do it.
Thank you Ronnie for your thoughts, as always. A final note or thought for the evening, I mean no disrespect to the ones that interview, I am just fearful, that they do not always know the rich commodities that pass through their doors, the many beneficial ways the interviewees can enhance not just their corporate lives, but also their human lives.
Cheers. Best to all.
I just want to add that, everyone should try their best to interview as if they are a commodity worth having and also see if the place is for them. Even in desperation, you better be alert to a place that may be abusive. Yes…it’s not easy. But you can always decide later. And being alert and observant will actually help you interview better. You’ll come off as more confident, competent and attractive to an employer.
Of course that doesn’t mean you can put your feet up on the desk and grill the interviewer. They are still in charge and, as in a ballroom dance, let them lead. (-;
Of course, SurfaceEarth you are right that each person has a different reason for being there. Only you yourself can know what you need. But desperation shows in an interview and not always to your advantage. Nervousness, as I’ve said is fine of course. Just be yourself and be honest.
But while there, notice what’s going on. Not only to assess whether it’s a job you want (assuming you have choice) but to help you turn around an interview that may not be going well. Notice the reactions. Try to make eye contact with and win over someone who doesn’t seem engaged. Maybe you’ve been speaking to only one person (if it’s a group interview). Or maybe you’re energy is low and you need to show a bit more enthusiasm. Or maybe you’re talking too much – or too little.
I know it’s hard. But that’s why you should spend plenty of time preparing ahead of time as suggested. Then, once you get there, just do your best to be fully engaged and hopefully engaging. These are only suggestions. Each situation will help determine how you respond, of course.
Incredibly true.
So many people walk desperately into an interview, they would never think they too are interviewing, rather they are thinking, hoping, praying:
give me a job, now, I’ll start now, give me a paycheck please, I can carry the electricity another month, let me carry home a suprise from the grocery store.
How many people can do that? Can interview?
Darn, it is so wise what is said, of course we should, we should be interviewing just as much as the interviewees; too often, there are many who are just begging to make a dollar to bring home the food.
How to reconcile?
You’re absolutely right Natalie. You’re also interviewing THEM and can learn a lot by observing. You can save yourself a lot of heartache later by keeping alert for things that tell you this might not be a good place for you. Good luck finding the right match for you!
As the interviewee don’t forget to observe the behaviors and demeanor of the people who are interviewing you. I decided not to pursue the hiring process for a company further when I sat through a panel interview and observed that half of the seven people I was working with weren’t smiling… and the other half felt ‘unnatural’ and fake, also my gut told me that these people did not feel at ease. Also, some of the questions I was being asked didn’t seem to really have a point. My father’s probably shaking his head right now saying… “A job is a job.” And I’m flatly saying… no, it’s not, if you’re good at what you do and you want the right fit, and you have the luxury of being able to choose.
Well said.
Ah, SurfaceEarth…as always, good questions. If I had those answers, I’d be a genius. Alas I am not. The best I can tell them is to put their amazing talents and full energies into other things…things they never had time for before. Volunteering. Starting a small consulting business that helps others. Going back to school for something they want to learn. Starting a small business that deals in things they love. Teaching. Or maybe even just putting aside issues of status and taking any job they can get.
I used to do temp work when I was between jobs just because I enjoyed seeing what was out there. A few times I was able to use my skills and parlay the “low level” temp job into a higher level job for myself. This also happened from a volunteer job I had – not at the place I was volunteering, but through someone I met there. If the person is bright and really puts their all into it, you never know where it will lead them! Corny as it sounds, if you see this as an opportunity rather than a curse, amazing things can happen. I know this from my own life.
But the chronically unemployed include people at all levels, for many reasons. I’ve worked with homeless populations and you’d be amazed at the number of college grads and talented people. So many issues there. And then there is the whole problem of structural unemployment and the chronically under-employed. These are huge problems that need to be tackled on local as well as national basis. But since I’m at the edge of my knowledge, I better stop here.
Have you posted anything or read/studied about the chronically unemployed? The energy exchange emitted and received?
Today, we are dealing with more and more “professionals”, high end employees out of work with corporations squeezing down to make sure there are few slots left.
What words are there for these over-achievers that once enjoyed such benefits and acclamation?
Thanks for the great comment, Marie H.! Good advice. I just want to add something about how much to talk. Don’t be TOO short in all your answers. Some answers definitely don’t need embellishment, but if you have a good story about something you did well – like saving a former boss money or improving a process – feel free to tell it. No…even more…look for a way to tell it if at all possible. But, as Marie H. advises, just don’t go on for too long and stay on topic!
Excellent treatment of your subject, with most valuable tips.
I’ll add a few observations from my personal experience (I’ve been through over 30 interviews myself when looking for a job a few years ago):
– Don’t talk too much. You might be tempted at times to fill in the blanks (intended blanks can be a technique used by interviewers). Just reply to questions, as precisely and to the point as required, no less, no more, but don’t get carried away off topic.
– Even if you think you know what the interviewer is getting at, or if an idea crosses your mind, always let the interviewer talk through, don’t cut him/her in mid-sentence!
I agree about the eye contact, although it can happen the interviewer himself refuses eye contact. In this case, just keep eye contact anyway 🙂