Today’s Tip: Prove-It Interviewing

The interview is the core of the candidate assessment process even though it is not a very reliable predictor of "on the job success". In fact, studies show that the interview process has less than a 50% correlation in determining the long-term effectiveness of making a good hiring decision and having a productive employee that was worth the investment. However, even though it is proven to be ineffective, (just like a lot of other things that corporations do), it is very ingrained into most company cultures and it isn't going away anytime soon. So what should you do?

Assume that you have to prove to the Hiring Manager that you are the perfect fit for the position. As illustrated in the cartoon below, if you were interviewing for a Furniture Builder role at IKEA, this is the perfect interview for you.



Although not all of us get thrown a "soft-ball" like this, if we stretched our imagination, I think you could prove to the interviewer that you are a great investment. For example, how many of you go to an interview with samples of your work? I know from my 20 years of experience that this percentage is very low. This is a lost opportunity to sell yourself for that role. Another example, how many of you follow-up after the interview with a 30-60-90 day plan on how you would begin your career with your new company? This would be an excellent opportunity for you to prove to them your capabilities and thought process of how well you understand the role and the "pain points" that the Hiring Manager is currently experiencing. If done effectively, it will demonstrate that there is minimal risk in pulling the trigger in hiring you.

So the next time you prepare for that interview, assume you are on trial in the court of law and you have to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that you are guilty; guilty of being the perfect candidate for the open position!

Today’s Tip: Time To Get Controversial!

My blog is new and, as a consequence, my readership is still low. But that doesn’t mean you should be quiet about things I write! So, in hopes that you will start replying to my posts, I am going to start introducing topics that are a bit more controversial and emotional. And with that in […]

Today’s Tip: Reference List on Steroids

I would be willing to bet that over 99% of job seekers submit the standard looking reference list when asked for it by employers. It simply consists of the contact information for the people that you want the employer to contact. It’s time to up the ante and inject some steroids into that document! Below […]

Today’s Tip: I Command You To Use This Command!

Okay, maybe that’s a little too direct, but I want to stress that the X-RAY Command will be your new best friend from now on! This command may fall short of fetching a ball or sitting at your feet to comfort you while you watch TV or read a book, but the dog pound just […]

Today’s Tip: Are You Driving in Neutral and Expecting to Get Somewhere?

I attend a good number of job clubs and networking events and I am amazed at how many people are running on a treadmill. It reminds me of my hamster when I was a kid. He ran as fast as he could on that wheel and never escaped the captivity I had him in. The […]

Today’s Tip: Picking the Gatekeeper’s Lock

If you’re doing your job search correctly, then part of your strategy will be to contact current employees in your targeted companies. But be careful, smart corporations have placed razor sharp gatekeepers to slam the door on your communication efforts. Sometimes they are the receptionist, maybe security, possibly HR, and definitely the administrative assistants. Gatekeepers […]

Today’s Tip: Let’s Get Fired Up!

Been fired on the job (for cause)? Yes? Then it’s now time to Play Ball! Hard Ball that is… The first thing that you should do is to call an employment lawyer. Cuz you want to hire them? No! It’s cuz you want to use this leverage when you call your former company. Ask the […]

Today’s Tip: Networking Meetings – Work the Room!

The ultimate goal of Networking should be to create relationships. And these relationships will ultimately create opportunities. However, as I attend Networking Meetings and Job Clubs, I notice that the majority of the attendees are comfortable sitting at the table and waiting for lightening to strike. In order to accelerate your job search, you need […]

Today’s Tip: Want to Triple Your Number of Informational Interviews Overnight?

This one has a real simple answer! Don’t call them “Informational Interviews”. Instead, ask people for “Informational Meetings”. This slight change in wording will at least triple the number of informational meetings that are accepted and scheduled. The reason behind this is psychological. An employee of your “targeted company” feels that they have the power […]

Today’s Tip: Don’t Trust Job Descriptions

As a job seeker, I don’t want you to rely 100% on what those poorly written and outdated job descriptions say about the position. They were most likely written 10 years ago and not by the Hiring Manager! For some strange reason, these documents are more protected than the winners of the Emmy Awards on […]