The Phone Interview

[rebel100]

Just thinking out loud....Burbuja has really changed the way I approach interviews. I no longer go in with just a plan to tell a good story, I approach every interview with quantifyable data and specific examples that I feel demonstrate leadership and initiative. For example I recently interviewed for a job halfway across the country for a position well above my current one. I put together a packet that featured my resume, a 4 page writing sample (a policy I wrote concerning weapons in the hospital), pictures of a command cart concept I brought to life, and what I called a "highlights" page that detailed career successes and some current goals and objectives. I created something similar for the promotion panel back in December/January (I got that promotion).

I realize of course that in a phone interview environment you might not be able to easily present such a packet, but I still think it's imperative to build one. Just having it in front of yourself would aid in formulating your thoughts and cogent responses. If you could request one of the interviewers to allow you to fax or email that packet in so they could see your work that would prove beneficial. Consider building a jam up linked in presecence that you could simply direct someone to while your interviewing...yopu might say something like "sure I've done some great work building teams, if you refer to my linked in profile you can see the document that verbalizes the problems my current employer was having and how I empowered my team to meet those challenges", something like that. Organize, project, convince, sell, interviewing is nothing more than a sales call where the product is you. If your technically savvy enough you might even create your own web presence like Steve Forrester from the other forum. He created a custom website that detailed his abilities and career success, a cool idea and a place you could point those interviewers in order to help sell yourself. http://hiresteve.com/resume/

I've managed to drive the last few interviews I've managed to land, I tend to be offered the jobs once I get to that stage (getting the interview is my biggest challenge).

You are landing the chance to talk, be sure your doing everything you can to project the right image.

[BIPolarGuy]

I would only add that at the end of your interviews you can "trial close". My favorite line is "First, I want to thank you for your time. After everything we've discussed today, is there any reason you don't see me as a perfect fit for this role?" (then shut up and listen and be prepared for any answer) You are asking for real feedback and when I have asked, I have always gotten it. Sometimes its not easy to hear, but its important to find out how you presented yourself. This is an extremely confident closing technique and it will leave a strong impression. The best part of this is that it gives you a chance to find out and then handle their objections!

Another fun thing to do when you have multiple phone interviews is to probe the current interviewer for specifics that the next round of interviewers will be looking for.

Hang in there, the right job at the right time is around the corner!

Good luck,


Greg

[burbuja0512]

Just thinking out loud....Burbuja has really changed the way I approach interviews. I no longer go in with just a plan to tell a good story, I approach every interview with quantifyable data and specific examples that I feel demonstrate leadership and initiative. For example I recently interviewed for a job halfway across the country for a position well above my current one. I put together a packet that featured my resume, a 4 page writing sample (a policy I wrote concerning weapons in the hospital), pictures of a command cart concept I brought to life, and what I called a "highlights" page that detailed career successes and some current goals and objectives. I created something similar for the promotion panel back in December/January (I got that promotion).

I realize of course that in a phone interview environment you might not be able to easily present such a packet, but I still think it's imperative to build one. Just having it in front of yourself would aid in formulating your thoughts and cogent responses. If you could request one of the interviewers to allow you to fax or email that packet in so they could see your work that would prove beneficial. Consider building a jam up linked in presecence that you could simply direct someone to while your interviewing...yopu might say something like "sure I've done some great work building teams, if you refer to my linked in profile you can see the document that verbalizes the problems my current employer was having and how I empowered my team to meet those challenges", something like that. Organize, project, convince, sell, interviewing is nothing more than a sales call where the product is you. If your technically savvy enough you might even create your own web presence like Steve Forrester from the other forum. He created a custom website that detailed his abilities and career success, a cool idea and a place you could point those interviewers in order to help sell yourself. My Resume » HireSteve.com

I've managed to drive the last few interviews I've managed to land, I tend to be offered the jobs once I get to that stage (getting the interview is my biggest challenge).

You are landing the chance to talk, be sure your doing everything you can to project the right image.

Awww Rebel you are so sweet. Thank you!!

I'm glad you brought up the "interview packet" - I really believe that having a story to tell and a leave-behind that's far beyond your resume is very powerful if you do it correctly. It also helps you get beyond the nerves and lead the interview in your direction. When I have brought a presentation to an interview along with full color glossy printout, the interviewer will generally let me lead the way rather than the other way around.

[scorched]

This is a difficult one for me personally, my emotions are all over on this one.
I don't know you personally, so please don't take this personal it's just a discussion.
Most of the jobs today are not about skill, but about fit within a team.
And as a person in a hiring position, I am torn how I feel about that trial close.
My first impression is tell you to pound sand, because I follow the book The no A$$hole rule.
And that comes off like your being a super A$$hole.
No one is ever perfect, so to ask why your not perfect as you mentioned are begging for some pretty raw feedback.
That can be good though, if your getting a lot of rejections.

I would only add that at the end of your interviews you can "trial close". My favorite line is "First, I want to thank you for your time. After everything we've discussed today, is there any reason you don't see me as a perfect fit for this role?" (then shut up and listen and be prepared for any answer) You are asking for real feedback and when I have asked, I have always gotten it. Sometimes its not easy to hear, but its important to find out how you presented yourself. This is an extremely confident closing technique and it will leave a strong impression. The best part of this is that it gives you a chance to find out and then handle their objections!

Another fun thing to do when you have multiple phone interviews is to probe the current interviewer for specifics that the next round of interviewers will be looking for.

Hang in there, the right job at the right time is around the corner!

Good luck,


Greg

[scorched]

So the hint I left is technically the answer to get noticed.
My 10-12 resumes are the same, except for one key aspect.
Certain words get replaced by the words from the job description.

I have held the titles; Director, Enterprise Architect, Developer, Engineer (System, Infrastructure, etc.., Analyst (Applications, Business, etc).
The key here is that each of these has it's own vocabulary. When companies hire, most of the time your resume will be passed through software that searches for certain words, usually found in the skills and requirements section of the job description.
The software will then score each resume, based upon matching words found. If your at the top of the list you are almost guaranteed to get a human to read your resume. Thereby increasing your odds of getting a call.
For example, as mentioned in the other post, I recently applied to AWS for a solutions architect role.
After reading the job description, but before applying I took my resume template and created a new one with the title of the job I was applying for. I then took about 15-20 minutes replacing / substituting words from the job description in to my new resume. I already do a lot of "Cloud" things in my job, but some people in other companies call that by an acronym like IaaS, PasS, ITaaS. So if they had been looking for PaaS for example, I would add or change my new resume to more reflect the work I have done in PaaS. I never lie, but just re-use the words from their description.

This will significantly increase the odds!

Next is some people say the cover letter is dead. Maybe it is, I never chance it, I always create a brand new from template with words from the job description. If they don't read it, who cares, but if they do, I just gained another leg up on the competition.

This is really GREAT advice. I wouldn't mind reading more.

[scorched]

I will post a few things about once I get the interview.

Assuming I did not already know about the company, I then break out my google search.
I google the job title and the company name and look for anything that can help me understand the job more.
Glassdoor.com tends to come up a lot when doing this search.
But now google just the company in general, look up the Executive staff, the directors, find out if they are public or private, if public what is the stock trading at, is it up, down, etc..
Also look for things like charities they support. Anything that can help you relate yourself or your skills to the company.
Many times I have used the charities info to ask questions to get personal. But guard this one, don't always ask, as some people do not agree with the company charities.
"Do you participate in the annual BLAH BLAH COMPANY cancer(other) fundraiser?" For me, I tug on their hearts with this one depending on how they respond. I say "yeah my mom past in 2009 from lung cancer, so you can bet I will be at the next one"
Two things, you just used future tense of being at the company, and of course you just became closer to them by sharing a personal story. Even if they have yet to participate or lose anyone to cancer, we all know someone who has or had it.

Okay so the next is quasi cheating by some people. Google the job category with interview questions. "Accounting interview questions" or Programmer, Systems Analyst, Legal, ...... on an on.
Read through them. If your not answering them the same way or you don't understand them, then you either learned differently and need to be able to explain that or your over ski tips so to say, and applying to a higher level than you understand. Don't use the interview questions to get a job your not qualified for.

Also google challenging interview questions. Read through them, some have ZERO to do with the job, and they just want to know that you can logically think through certain scenarios.

Then google interview questions that you can ask, and ones to never ask.

Once on the phone make sure your in a place that is quiet(obvious).
If you can, try to be sitting at your computer, with all the research from above, or in a panic to have google at your fingertips.
I use an application called evernote, pretty popular, but if I am away from my computer, I put my headset on to be able to have my phone with the evernote app running so I can see the research still.

Then as long as your not in a panic, type or write just like a lecture class, as much as you can possibly write what they say.
Repeat things back to them in your answers.
And don't be afraid to answer a question with a question.
Lets say they ask you a stats question, like what is the probability heads would come up three times in a row? Well that depends on how many times was it flipped. So ask. Obvious I know, but just an example.
I will go back to my AWS interview, he tried to find out something I have long forgotten the details of at a deep level, but I responded by asking a question back, "did you want me to break it down to the OSI per layer or is keeping it higher level okay?" It showed I understood the question just needed clarity. Keep it high level he said.. Okay..blah blah blah. But had he gone the other route, I would have admitted its been a few years since, I had done that, but would do my best.

Anyway, I have rambled on a while.. Best of luck!

[bluebooger]

..
And as a person in a hiring position ...

have you never interviewed someone and at the end asked them "Tell me, why should I hire you over the other candidates?"

because I've gotten that question so many times

it sounds like BIPolarGuy found out a way to make a preemptive strike

I think BIPolarGuy's way sounds a little pushy too, but I think its a perfectly valid technique for certain kinds of jobs : the MBA, managerial, decision maker position - you want someone pushy, someone who will take control, a decision maker

[scorched]

I have worked at 10+ companies over 28 years, and never in my life can I recall being asked that.
If I got asked that question, I would realize I am in jeopardy of not advancing. If you didn't convince them already, it's doubtful you will by answering that question.

But my answer would be "I honestly don't know who your interviewing, but there skills are obviously similar to mine", and I would ask them to recall my history of success, my military duty, responsibility, and adaptability from a personal and team perspective. And then use BIPolar's technique of asking for the close, "if all candidates skills are fairly equal, wouldn't you want someone who can adapt to the team, yet has the individual can do attitude ?" .

have you never interviewed someone and at the end asked them "Tell me, why should I hire you over the other candidates?"

because I've gotten that question so many times

it sounds like BIPolarGuy found out a way to make a preemptive strike

I think BIPolarGuy's way sounds a little pushy too, but I think its a perfectly valid technique for certain kinds of jobs : the MBA, managerial, decision maker position - you want someone pushy, someone who will take control, a decision maker

[burbuja0512]

I agree that it depends on the type of job you're applying for regarding whether the close will work. I am hiring for sales positions, so if someone doesn't ask a solid closing question such as what BiPolarGuy said, I would think twice before hiring them. It's not for all areas of the company, but for sales, it's a must. If you can't "close" yourself, you will likely be afraid to ask for the sale.

[scorched]

Hmm.. Yes a sales person needs to get the deal, but are you looking for them to check the box on knowing closings?
Maybe it's just me, but in my experience for the last 10 years, any sales person doing hard closes is desperate.
If you interview someone and your not convinced by the end, a closing obviously won't help them, but if your convinced at the end, and they don't close you, you wouldn't hire them?
You said you would think twice? Really? because they didn't? I don't get that in todays social society. Sure you might get sales, but buyers remorse from high pressure closings is far more detrimental than even a bad product release.

Sales is psychology, and using closing statements reminds people of the old used car salesmen. What people want are relationships, they want to know your there when things go bad, they want to know you care.
I am in some definitions a pre-sales engineer as I help sell technology solutions. I have been to several formal sales training systems over the years, and the most successful was where only 1 close was allowed.
Never close the customer, always pre-close the customer with the up front contracts and one thermometer type statement. Anything more and your perceived as the slimy sales.
The 4 years my sales guy and I ran that system, our lowest year ever was 160% of quota. We were a brand new product with intense competition, yet he and I went to presidents club 4 years straight until we were sold to Dell, where we subsequently left. Then hooked up with another sales person running the same system at a much smaller company, we still crushed it. No less than 140%.

I am not sales but still get commission and brash enough that I bring my W-2's to the on site interviews, show them my salary vs. my commissions. I bring my quota sheet as proof.
Between the interview and that, if it isn't enough, then I don't worry about not getting that job, as I would have a low chance of success working there anyway.

Not trying to be argumentative, but just offering different views.

I agree that it depends on the type of job you're applying for regarding whether the close will work. I am hiring for sales positions, so if someone doesn't ask a solid closing question such as what BiPolarGuy said, I would think twice before hiring them. It's not for all areas of the company, but for sales, it's a must. If you can't "close" yourself, you will likely be afraid to ask for the sale.