July 16, 2009 at 11:52 am
I am going to say a few things about the interview that women here might find a tad misogynistic, but they have always worked out well for me.
First, dress nice. You may buy your suits at a discounter, but make sure they are well tailored. Don't wear a tweed fabric or cuts that are dated. Either select a classic cut or something modern. If you don't know how to pick a suit go to somewhere that has shoppers and have them help you. I cannot emphasize enough how much a nice suite will give you both a boost of self esteem and impress your potential employer. Get at least two suites, because you may need another for follow up interviews. Make sure you get a tailored shirt or at the very least a fitted shirt. Most interviews will require you to take off you jacket at some point and nothing looks worse than a shirt that flounces up around your waist.
Second, work on your greeting in front of a mirror. This may sound a bit like a first date and in many ways it is. Observe how your eyes focus on the person in front of you. Try to stand solid in front the person and grasp their hand with a firm but not overpowering grip. Make sure to keep eye contact, unless they seem uncomfortable about it, then look slightly off focus and smile reassuringly. Don't be cocky, however don't be a mouse either. Most people remember you from their first 10 seconds of observation. When you sit, sit on the edge of the seat with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. You may want to practice this sitting pose, because you want to appear focused on them but not nervous. Also, practice unbuttoning and buttoning your jacket with one hand. It is subtle thing that people who were suits all the time will notice (CEOs, CFOs etcetera). Make sure to button your suit when you stand and unbutton it when you sit (only one button).
The first couple of people you will meet are generally the receptionist and the HR person and by and large they are women. You want to make a great impression on them. Basically, you want to appear to be a person, they would like to see every day. First off, tone back on the aftershave. Get yourself something subtle and not easily recognizable. Women sniff and catalog every cologne on the market, so get yourself something like an Armani or Hugo cologne, that doesn't react badly with your natural BO (yes that means going to that department and asking the woman behind the counter to help you). Then apply it by dabbing one small drop on your jugular, one small drop behind your ear and maybe another drop on your chest. The idea is that they should only catch a faint whiff of scent when you shake hands. Also, get yourself a neutral smelling soap and aftershave, one that doesn't leave any scent behind (nothing is worse than having various products cross mingling).
Be friendly with the receptionist while you wait. Try to make polite conversation and if you can make casual jokes, getting her to laugh is great. If your humour is suspect, kill it and just smile and comment on the weather. The same is true with HR, generally they don't know anything about the job, you are just trying to make a good impression. I once had the HR departments from 3 companies calling me and telling me that I should increase the amount of money I was asking for and telling me what I should say to the CEO to impress him. I ended up getting all three companies into a bidding war over me, it was one of the biggest ego boosts I have ever had. I admit my social skills are much better than the average DBA, but anyone can achieve this with practice.
Assuming you have managed to affect a gregarious, witty persona and you have duped the gatekeepers into letting you into the company. Tone back on the personality once you meet the guys you will be working with. No one likes the idea of working with someone who is too shiny and outgoing. Once you can talk shop, it is time to be yourself and let them see what a brilliant person you are.
July 16, 2009 at 2:12 pm
This is a great article; very timely in today's economy. There are 2 things I would like to add/say.
First, networking (in the old fashion use of that word) is, for IT people, hard. I've never gotten a job based upon the people I know. I've done it through newspaper ads. Not the way people say it should be done, and I'm aware of that, but that's been the way it has been for me. I am working at networking more, by going to local user group meetings and being involved. Should I ever need it, I believe this will help.
Second, Phil mentioned making sure your CV is up to date and "... positively glows. Then get it re-written by a professional." That, to me, has been one of the hardest things to do, because I've never seen anything like a professional who could re-write my CV. Several years ago my Dad, who worked as a network engineer for Honeywell, was able to find a professional to help him write his CV, and it really helped him. Some years ago, I tried to find someone similar in my area, and there just aren't any. So, although I think it is great advise, I also think it depends upon where you live; you may have one available to you, or you may not.
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
July 16, 2009 at 3:41 pm
If, as a community, we can find some good professional CV Editors and pass on the recommendations, that would be a great service. I'll discuss with Steve how we can make this happen. I was helped enormously by a professional CV writer, and I know a lot of people whose careers were transformed by what seems a very simple service. In reality, the way you present a CV requires a lot of attention to detail, and few of us are good at presenting ourselves in the best light. I've seen thousands of very badly written CVS in my time.
The CV Writers I know work best by interviewing the subject of the CV for an hour or so before doing the CV, so I suspect it would be best to find someone local to you if possible.
Best wishes,
Phil Factor
July 16, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Phil Factor (7/16/2009)
If, as a community, we can find some good professional CV Editors and pass on the recommendations, that would be a great service. I'll discuss with Steve how we can make this happen. I was helped enormously by a professional CV writer, and I know a lot of people whose careers were transformed by what seems a very simple service. In reality, the way you present a CV requires a lot of attention to detail, and few of us are good at presenting ourselves in the best light. I've seen thousands of very badly written CVS in my time.The CV Writers I know work best by interviewing the subject of the CV for an hour or so before doing the CV, so I suspect it would be best to find someone local to you if possible.
I agree. That's why I have my doubts about such services are resume writing by companies like Monster.com. Yeah, sure they're into helping people find jobs, but how can they get to you know over the phone or by email?
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
July 16, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Some years back, I took over a job and I was left a copy of the previous employee's resume. He had obviously spent a pretty penny to have his resume and cover letter put together. I was impressed with the look and clarity of his resume, so I put my information into his format and used his resume as a framework to develop my own. I had considered having a professional go over my resume for a long time, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth it. Suffice to say his resume format has been a gold mine and my job hit count increased exponentially. If you can find someone to at the very least help you with the structure of your resume and possibly your experience descriptions, it is easily worth the couple hundred dollars they charge.
Forums like ArsTechnica and HardOCP have active threads dedicated to resume review. Although it wouldn't be a bad idea if we started one here.
July 17, 2009 at 5:23 am
Doc (7/16/2009)
One little thing I would add to this list -- get your own blog or a web site and write, let the Employers see that you are interested into the stuff (technology) you wrote in your CV.
I suppose that's good advise but only if you're actually good at what you do. I've seen a number of blogs that have convinced me NOT to hire a particular person because their code style was, shall we say, less than adequate or they used loops to solve something instead of good solid set based code or they repeated a "myth" that's terribly wrong.
I also think that blogs can hurt you a bit because they're mostly one way... they typically don't show how you "play with others" like a forum would and can actually seem a bit arrogant unless you really know how to write.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
July 17, 2009 at 6:21 am
Another thing that's worth remembering. You're not trying to show employers how great you are; you're trying to show them how well you fit their requirements, which isn't quite the same thing.
If the company with the vacancy tells you what they're after, listen to what they're saying. If they haven't said what they want, ask them. Either way, once you have that information you can quote it back to them along with an explanation of how well you can fulfill those requirements. If you focus on how great you are, they'll see they're just dealing with another techie braggart. If you focus on their needs and how fantastically you can meet them, they'll see they're dealing with a customer-focussed professional. Smoke and mirrors? Perhaps, but it's effective.
Semper in excretia, suus solum profundum variat
July 17, 2009 at 1:39 pm
matt, do you mind to share your cv template? 😛
July 19, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Blogs could be a detractor, but they also show you learning, or trying to learn. The fact that you've repeated a "myth" doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad employee. It might be that you're ignorant. I'd use that as an opportunity in an interview to see if you can admit a mistake, or learn as you go.
July 20, 2009 at 10:41 am
While I agree with all the points mentioned so far in the interview process, I think there is one thing (a tad old fashioned some will say) that I have not seen in any of the posts:
A thank you letter to the interviewer who took time to interview you.
If your CV needs just that minor bit of polish that puts your interview over the next persons, it could be something as easy as a thank you. If you get passed over for the initial position, a polite, written thank you may get you a call back when the first interviewee tiurns out to "not" be working in that position. I'm not certain if this has actually helped me in past job searches, but it certainly doesn't hurt. 🙂
July 20, 2009 at 11:14 am
Loner (7/17/2009)
matt, do you mind to share your cv template? 😛
Matt, I have to agree, would you be willing to share your template?
July 20, 2009 at 11:15 am
Steve Jones - Editor (7/19/2009)
Blogs could be a detractor, but they also show you learning, or trying to learn. The fact that you've repeated a "myth" doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad employee. It might be that you're ignorant. I'd use that as an opportunity in an interview to see if you can admit a mistake, or learn as you go.
Good point, Steve! As with anything else, I guess it depends. If the blog comes out a bit on the "authorative" but incorrect side on such things as bad myths, it would force me to more heavily test the interviewee for "arrogance", as well. As you said, "see if you can admit a mistake" and learn from it.
I'll admit that I'd rather see an article on SSC that someone wrote... that would allow me to see not only how someone described, attacked, solved, and proved a problem (as well as what conclusion they reached), but also to see how they handle the discussions that follow. Even the absolute best writers on SSC have to deal with the occasional frustrated person or troll. You can tell a lot about how they deal with those types of people.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
July 20, 2009 at 11:31 am
Matt, I have to agree, would you be willing to share your template?
Sure, I need to go dig it up and clean it up a bit, since I haven't done the job hunt in a few years. I second the idea of sending out thank-you letters. If I didn't get a response back from someone after a couple of weeks, I used to send out a thank-you letter (thank-you for your time etcetera). I also would send one out immediatly after an interview. Job interviews are all about making yourself memorable. I have, unfortunately, hired people I shouldn't have because of how they came across in during an interview. However, don't go overboard on trying to stand out. I once got a pink CV, that emmited a thick cloying smell that I couldn't get out of my office for a day. I think I put that CV in a Hazmat bin.
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