We treat so many work goals as projects, and indeed project management skills and qualifications are very popular, - with good reason. However, we tend not to apply the same principles, rigour and frameworks to other matters such as developing our ‘personal’ or behavioural skills, or indeed our job search (which clearly is incredibly important to us in the scheme of things).
My recommendation therefore is to treat job-hunting like a project. Set goals and timelines. Keep records of every interaction, and monitor them and follow up as necessary. The records are really important: as you get into hundreds of conversations (which is what it can take to get the role you want), it’s so easy to forget someone – and they will be offended. There are various tools which can help here, and I cover them off in some of the ACT seminars we run. But in principle, it’s about being very methodological, and creating a large ‘funnel’ upfront.
Be aware that often recruiters are focusing on clients in the mornings – so if you want to speak to them, go for a later part of the day. If you are between jobs, it’s critically important to keep your health up through good nutrition, lots of water, and sleep, and if you are in a job in addition it’s critical to set some boundaries so you have sufficient space to proceed with your job hunt – it’s no good focusing solely on delivering the current role, if you are wanting to get out of it.
As I say, there are models I use to apply to a job hunt (with some success over the years), and within these there are more structured, or at least thoughtful, approaches to take.
Let’s come on to how we go about the interview and all that comes before, during and after.
Talking about interview techniques and what I recommend you do before the interview, the old adage is so true: it’s preparation, preparation, and preparation! Many people only interview rarely in their lives, so it’s not something they’ve practiced that much, and it can be easy to assume, once you’ve written a nice CV and you’ve been invited for interview that it’s then just a simple question of turning up and being yourself. Well, I agree with being yourself (or rather, one of your selves, which I’ll come back to), but if people are spending time interviewing you, then you need to be respectful and treat it seriously, and equally you want to get the best out of it yourself – as you are interviewing them too, don’t forget! And of course it starts way before that, as you need to get invited to the interview in the first place.
When looking for a new role I myself have always treated it like a project, al least in recent years. I’ve kept a detailed record of every job applied for, every interaction with recruiter or organisation, using a spreadsheet which recorded every conversation, name and outcome as well as next steps and time to follow up. I’ve tried to operate a system of contacting recruiters at times when they are most amenable to a call, which tends to be the afternoon I have found, as they are often busy following up themselves with clients in the morning. And whilst in a job and not looking I’ve kept in touch with recruiters and always tried to help with referrals when requested.
I’ve known many others however who simply refuse to treat their job search like an important piece of work – and I ask myself, how can that be? Isn’t this one of the most important things you could be doing? It’s about your career and future, after all!
One of the first things to do before applying for a job, and then whilst awaiting interview, is to carry out some research. Research the company, research the role, find out if you know anyone who has worked there or is on the board or has been a recruiter for them – anyone in your network who you can ask questions of, such as ‘what’s the culture like?’, ‘what are the people like who’ll be interviewing me?’, ‘why has the last person in role left?’ etc. And when it comes to it, find out the names of who’ll be interviewing you and research them. Look at LinkedIn profiles, Google any news articles – are they someone ‘out there’ in terms of the media and social media, or is it very difficult to find them? By carrying out this research you can a) assess better whether the organisation is the one for you, and b) be prepared in terms of the interview. Hearkening back again to the Ladder of Inference, your interviewers will be making judgements about you as they meet you, and if you’re one step ahead you’ll have better chances of creating a positive impact.
Of course you’ll have tailored your CV for this role, rather than just sending in a generic one, so make sure you’ve studied it, and that in the interview your interviewers have the same version as you (recruiters can sometimes reformat CVs and miss things out, or even get them entirely wrong – I’ve seen all sorts in my time!). If you’re asked to prepare a presentation, send a copy through in advance, and prepare paper copies as well as digital – think plan A, plan B and plan C!
Reflect during your preparation, and be clear as to what, at the moment, you really want, and who you really are, and will or want to become over time. What are the criteria this role and organisation need to meet, including the organisation’s culture, in order for you to really want the job? And if you find you don’t want it, you may not want to go for interview at all as, although it might seem like good practice, your heart won’t be in it, you therefore won’t perform well, and you’ll have let yourself down, - which is not a great feeling nor good for your relationship with the recruiter. Better to keep your reputation intact, as the recruiters will be asking the employer how it went too. And just don’t be afraid to turn away from a role at any stage of the process, if it’s really not for you.
As part of the preparation you may have built your own personal communications plan, of which this interview can form a part. Or you might have a mini plan just for it. Consider what are the top three things you’d like to communicate in terms of suitability for the role. Visualise a successful interview session, and being offered the job. Spend some time on doing this in detail as, if you really want the job, then this will increase your chances of landing it. Think positively, whilst not getting overly enthusiastic, which has the downside that you might not be receptive to your own rigorous assessment of the people and the organisation you meet.
Finally, one of my top recommendations for anything that’s important, is: get enough sleep! This is something most of us do not attach enough importance to. It’s also quite difficult, on the eve of something important, to sleep, sometimes. So you need to plan ahead, and get a few early nights the week before, so you have some reserves.
The it comes to the interview. On the day, ensure you have checked the location, and set off in plenty of time, in case of hold-ups, and so you are there in good time to get through reception etc. You might want to physically go past the location a few days before, to familiarise yourself. There’s nothing worse than being late for an important interview, and it will often lose you the job. Make sure you have a mobile number for the recruiter in case anything goes wrong. These are all really small and possibly seemingly stupid things to talk about here, but again – I’ve interviewed thousands of people over the years, and I see basic, silly mistakes again and again. So make sure you get the basics right, and then: enjoy!
So: now you’re entering the interview room after all that preparation, you feel at this stage that you really are interested in the job, so you want to both create a good first impression, as well as keep it up during the interview, but also make room in your mind for you to assess your interviewers, - to see if you in fact like them.
First impressions unfortunately count for a lot, so where in doubt, go neutral. Don’t try to impress by acting out of character, and ground yourself as you enter the room – holding your central core firm, standing straight, looking your interviewers in the eye as you come in, and trying not to be carrying lots of bags and other encumbrances which can make your entrance seem untidy or unprofessional.
Listen and learn throughout, though you’ll no doubt be the one answering lots of questions. Don’t ever interrupt during this first meeting, and be ready to ask questions only if you really genuinely have something you want to know. State your assumptions, if you’ve read something on the website, and do not assume you know everything yet. Be cautious in that respect. If it’s not clear, find out how to pronounce the company name in advance, and any particular jargon related to the business.
Whilst being cautious, and not extreme in any way, it’s always best to be honest and authentic in interviews, of course. I actually ask questions which test for this, when interviewing, and if someone doesn’t seem to ‘stack up’ to me, then it’s likely I won’t invite them back again. People can also just sense if you’re pretending to be something you’re not.
I think it’s always healthy once in the actual interview to think of it as a learning experience. This can help to calm you if you’re feeling nervous, which is of course quite natural and likely. Remember: everyone is in the same boat.
When your interviewers speak, it’s not only good to listen carefully, but the skilled interviewee will pick up on what’s being said and respond appropriately. It’s better not to focus too much on what you want to say, although if you can get in the odd nugget or two at appropriate times then this can work well.
When you sit, you should also remember to keep grounded, so: feet on floor, sitting up straight. Slouching and too much leaning forward, although the latter might be more engaging, have their downsides. But they are options, just they carry more risk. When we lean to one side or another in a chair, we can give a different impression. This is quite subtle stuff, but for those interested in such things: because we’re not symmetrical, it’s usual for individuals to have a sterner side and a more empathetic side. You can practice saying the same thing to a partner whilst leaning first on the left arm of your chair, and then on the right. Dependent on the point in the interview, and how you want to come across, you may choose to consider whether you lean one way or another, but safest is not to lean at all. It’s a balance between trying not to distract and being too much of an automaton (to exaggerate the point) – the key thing about grounding though is the giving off of an air of authority and calm, which generally speaking is very helpful, particularly in the first round with recruiters.
Just as with other important meetings, keeping voice pitch relatively low, speaking slowly and clearly and avoiding ‘ums’ and ‘sort ofs’ will all play to the good, as I explained in an earlier session. It’s also wise to avoid fiddling with something, e.g. a pen, or a ring, - or indeed exhibiting any other so-called ‘tic’ which could be distracting.
Eye contact with everyone in the room throughout the interview is really important – I know I’m turned off straight away if someone only looks at the most senior individual the whole time. Or doesn’t look at anyone at all.
And it’s also worth, if you really liked the people and the interview, expressing at the end your continued interest as you thank them for their time.
But now the interview is over, and you’re awaiting the outcome. It’s a delicate thing, but under some circumstances, and if you didn’t get a chance to say it at the end of the interview, contacting the interviewers direct (e.g. via LinkedIn) to thank them again for their time, and to let them know you hope they will be in touch, is not a bad idea. Especially if you thought you gelled well with them. It makes you stand out, and it reassures them that you are still interested. But the wording must not in any way come across as demanding feedback, nor be inappropriately friendly.
It’s key to get proper feedback via the recruitment consultant, not only if you’re successful, but especially if you’re not. You really want to know what the factors were that made you unsuccessful, particularly as some of them may not have been under your control. In either case, taking any learnings available will be useful either for this role or a future one, or both.
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Author: Caroline Stockmann, former Chief Executive, ACT