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Category Archives: Interviews

HomeArchive "Interviews"
Should you Embellish on your Resume or in a Job Interview?
September 20 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Embellishing, interview tips, resume tips

Over the last number of years, more and more people have found themselves between successes for longer periods of time.  This, for the most part, has had to do with the increased trend of organizational downsizing.  As a result, many job seekers will either embellish the dates of employment on their resumes in an attempt to close some of their employment gaps or will embellish their experience in an attempt to elevate their profile.  This can tend to follow through to a job interview as well.

That said, honesty is the best policy.  There are ways to frame your experience on your resume or in your interview answers to highlight the great experience you have while keeping your integrity intact.

How to Avoid Embellishing on your Resume

When considering any employment gaps you may have, most employers are aware of the increased frequency of corporate downsizing.  As such, it matters very little if a person had been downsized from their previous position.  It does matter, however, if a person lies about the dates or circumstances.  In fact, it is very easy for an employer to uncover the truth through employment verification and reference checks.  Exaggerating on your dates of employment could put you in a bad light.

In terms of your work experience, it may be tempting to elevate your profile.  To illustrate this, I’ll use the example of a Customer Service Team Lead who changes their title to Customer Service Manager.  The difference might seem like semantics, however, the difference in title can indicate a higher level of authority.  As an alternative to changing the job title, consider framing your resume to highlight your accomplishments instead.  Using our example, this person may state under their accomplishments that they were promoted to team lead in six months.  They could provide further context by adding that this promotion occurred in half the time that other team lead promotions have occurred.  Of course, this is assuming that both the promotion and timing are truthful statements.

How to Avoid Embellishing in a Job Interview

It can be tempting to embellish your experience while in a job interview.  After all, there is a job on the line and you want to show that you are the best person for that job.  The downside is that you paint yourself into a corner, especially if you are asked follow-up questions.

Again, it all comes down to framing your answers.  Using another example, let’s say you were asked if you have experience using a particular software program, System A.  Instead of saying yes and risking follow up questions, you could say that although you don’t have experience with that particular system, you are a quick learner.  Follow up by saying that in your previous roles you were able to quickly learn System B and System C, and became so proficient in these systems that you were considered a super user.

By framing your answers in this way, you can demonstrate your transferable skills and ability to learn quickly while keeping your integrity intact.

Final Thoughts

As I’ve said before, honesty is always the best policy.  Further, keep in mind Murphy’s Law: whatever can go wrong will go wrong.  The one thing that you choose to embellish on your resume or in a job interview might be that one thing that is thoroughly checked by an employer.  If the employer determines that you were not being honest, this could put you in poor light.  Further, it may also result in a negative hiring decision.

 

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.  For personalized advice, click here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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Top Tips for Acing the Lunch Interview
September 06 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, interview tips, Lunch Interview

More and more interviewers realize that by meeting candidates in an informal setting, such as over lunch, they can create a closer, personal connection with the prospective hire.  As an interviewee, the lunch interview is a great opportunity to showcase both your skills and your cultural fit.  That said, it is still considered an unconventional setting for a job interview.  Here are my top tips for acing the unconventional lunch interview.

Lunch Interview Tips

  1. Prepare – preparation is critical for any interview, but there are unique considerations when attending the lunch interview:
    1. Dress as you would for a more formal interview. Remember, a lunch interview is still a job interview.
    2. Do your research. Researching the organization is critical, but be sure to also research the restaurant.  Familiarize yourself with the menu.  After all, you don’t want to waste valuable interview time pouring over the menu.
    3. Conduct a Google image search on the interviewer. In doing so, you will have an idea of who to look for when you arrive (15 minutes early).
  2. Table Manners – be sure to be polite to the wait staff and practice those childhood lessons like no elbows on the table, and no speaking with your mouth full.
  3. Follow the Interviewer’s Lead – order something at a similar price point to what the interviewer orders. Ordering the most expensive item on the menu could send a negative signal.
  4. Easy to Eat –avoid ordering food that is cumbersome to handle such as ribs or chicken wings.
  5. Avoid Alcohol – even if the interviewer orders an alcoholic beverage, I recommend refraining. Consuming alcohol during an interview may inhibit you from presenting the best version of yourself.
  6. Informal, Not too Informal – it is perfectly acceptable to have casual conversation. That said, this is still an interview, so be sure to stick to professional conversation topics.
  7. Interviewer Pays – when an organization invites you for lunch, the expectation is that they will pay for the meal.
  8. Thank You Letter – it is a best practice to send a thank you letter after your interview. After a lunch interview, you have the opportunity to make the letter more personal by making mention of the restaurant or meal.

Final Thoughts

As with any other job interview, it is important to remember that you are interviewing the organization as well.  Take note of how the interviewer treats the wait staff as an indication of their potential treatment of employees.

 

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time, happy hunting!

For personalized advice, click here.

 

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How to Explain Employment Gaps
July 28 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, Employment Gaps, interview tips

From time to time, a person may find themselves out of work, leaving gaps in their employment.  Explaining these employment gaps in a job interview is inevitable.  So how do you address these questions?

Tips for Explaining Employment Gaps

For some people, they may find themselves between successes for any number of reasons.  For example, you may have needed to take time for medical reasons or to care for a family member.  In other cases, you may have been downsized due to company restructuring.  Regardless of the reason, there are a two key things to keep in mind when answering questions about employment gaps:

  1. Understand the purpose of the question and answer the question. The first step in answering any interview question is to understand its purpose.  For the most part, an employer is assessing candidates to determine if they can do the job and if they would be a good fit.  Addressing employment gaps is a way for an employer to assess a candidate’s ability to do the job.  Their concern is that with gaps in employment a candidate’s skills are not as current or relevant as other candidates.  As such, it is not necessary to go into great detail about the “why” behind leaving your previous employer.  Instead, focus on what you have been doing during this time to keep your skills relevant and current.  Perhaps you have taken a course or have volunteer experience.  Highlight your activities as it relates to the job for which you are interviewing.
  2. Be truthful, but don’t over share. It is important to be truthful about why you left your previous employer.  That said, it is not necessary to go into great detail on this.  As an example, if you left your previous employer due to medical reasons, you can simply state that.  You do not have to go into detail about your medical history.  Again, the key here is to demonstrate your commitment to your craft by keeping your skills as relevant as possible during this time.

Final Thoughts

Even if your employment gaps occurred many years ago, the interviewer may still ask about it.  Although you should be truthful, it is not necessary to go into detail about why you left your previous employer.  They focus should be on how you demonstrate passion for your job field through volunteer work or education.  After all, the employer wants to see your commitment to your craft, not your commitment to daytime TV.

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

For personalized advice, check out the services section here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

 

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Preparing for a Recruitment Agency Interview
July 24 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Recruitment Agency Interview advice, Recruitment Agency Interview tips, Recruitment Agency Interviews

Recruitment agencies can positively augment your job search strategy.  Not only will they have a wealth of knowledge on the industry and your target companies, but they will also have insight into the hidden job market.  In addition, the main motivation for recruitment agencies is to place candidates with their clients.  The client then pays the agency a finder’s fee when a candidate is placed.  As a result, using recruitment agencies should not cost you any money.

Recruitment Agency Questions

To ensure that a recruitment agency can place you, there are 3 key questions that they will want to answer:

  1. Can you do the job? You will likely be asked technical questions about your experience.  Even if you do not work in a technical field, such as engineering, the recruitment agency will want to ensure that you have the aptitude and skill to perform your job duties.  As such, the “tell me about a time when” type of question will be less prevalent during the recruitment agency interview.
  2. Do you want to do the job? The recruitment agency will want to dig deep to understand your motivations.  They will want to understand your motivation to changing employers or in targeting specific companies.  They will also want to understand your passion points to ensure that they align with their clients’.
  3. Will you represent the recruitment agency well with the client company? Recruitment agency recruiters will want to meet with you in person or via Skype to see how well you present yourself.  In addition, they will want to ensure that there are no conflicts with your job applications.  In other words, they will want to make sure that if they were to present you to their client that you have not yet interviewed with this organization.

During the Recruitment Agency Interview

It is important that you take the recruitment agency interview seriously.  Be sure to follow the key interview do’s and don’ts when meeting with the recruitment agency.  For example, be sure to maintain eye contact and to dress for success.

Further, it is important that you bring your list of target companies and companies that you have applied to and interviewed with to the recruitment agency.  In doing so, you will be better able to partner with the recruitment agency.  In addition, you will enable them to avoid any conflicts when they represent you to a client.  Keep in mind, by applying with an organization directly and by having a recruitment agency represent you to the same organization, it may backfire.  The organization in question may reject your application on the basis that you have been presented twice.

Final Thoughts

You can be more open and transparent with the recruitment agency than you would with a potential employer.  Think of the recruitment agency as your job search partner.  For example, if you are looking to change jobs because of a conflict with your current supervisor, you can disclose this to the recruitment agency.  You may need to position this differently with a potential employer, however.  Given that recruitment agencies work with a variety of organizations and have insight into the market, they may already be aware of reputational issues with this employer.  In addition, this would be useful information to the recruitment agency as they council some of their other candidates.  It is important that you balance transparency with diplomacy, however.

 

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time, happy hunting!

Click here for personalized advice.

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How to Prepare for Case Interviews
July 21 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Case Interview, interview tips, Job Interview Tips

Case interviews are very popular with consulting firms and investment banks when they are hiring MBA graduates. In recent years they have become increasingly popular with other organizations as well. In fact, some organizations use the case interview as part of their screening process for business undergraduates.

Case interviews come in many forms, such as a brain teaser or a classic case study, much like business students use as part of their program. It is used to assess a candidate’s ability to analyze and solve business problems. Specifically, the organization is assessing one’s ability to see the big picture, understand the root cause, and the implications of the issues at hand. Finally, organizations want to hear the “so what” behind the issues. In other words, it is not enough to say that profitability is down because sales are down. Why are sales down? What impact does the economic or competitive landscape have on the issue?

4 Tips for Preparing for the Case Interview

  1. Increase your business knowledge. Keep up to date on business news by reading Forbes, Maclean’s Magazine (Canada), Bloomberg, CNN Money, etc.
  2. Practice, but not too much. Many of the big consulting firms like BCG, McKinsey, Bain, and Deloitte, will have sample cases on their websites. In addition, there are numerous books and websites dedicated to helping people practice doing case interviews. With no shortage of practice material available, it is important that you do not over practice. In doing so, you can get brain fatigue which may prevent you from coming up with an innovative solution to the case presented in your interview.
  3. Know your frameworks. There are several frameworks that you should have in your toolbox, such as the SWOT, Porters 5 Forces, and the 4 Ps of Marketing. Although it isn’t necessary to know every framework that has ever been used, it is important to know which framework is appropriate for the issue at hand. If you need to put a nail in the wall, you can use a wrench, but a hammer would be much more effective and efficient.
  4. Mock Interview, but not too much. Seek out people with whom you can conduct a mock case interview. It would be ideal if this person has recently been through a round of case interviews, or conducts case interviews. They should be able to provide you feedback on your approach. Much like with practice, try not to overdo it or work with too many different people. You could run the risk of getting conflicting feedback which can be counter-productive.

5 Tips during Case Interviews

  1. Ask questions. The quality and relevancy of the questions you ask will be assessed during the interview. Practice makes perfect when it comes to framing your questions.
  2. Group Interview. In some instances, the case interview could be conducted as a group interview. Company representatives will observe the interactions of the group. As the group tries to come to a consensus, the observers will make note of any candidate who might be trying to dominate the conversation. This behaviour will not bode well, especially in a consulting environment where teamwork is expected.
  3. Use simple math. It is not necessary to make your calculations precise during a case interview. Consulting math, or using round numbers and estimates, will suffice.
  4. Bring a pencil, paper, and graph paper. It is always best to be prepared for any interview by bringing paper and a pen or pencil. For the case interview, you will certainly need these tools. I would recommend using a pencil for your calculations and making changes to your notes. In addition, having graph paper will enable you to quickly draw graphs or charts to visualize the information you are given.
  5. Write legibly. At the end of the case interview, don’t be surprised if the interviewer asks you to hand in your notes. This information can be used to further assess you.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned, the purpose of the case interview is to assess a person’s ability to solve business problems. It is not about being 100% correct in your answer. Instead, the interviewer is assessing strategic thinking and thoroughness in coming to a conclusion. As a result, the questions you ask and the way in which you frame your presentation are critical for the case interview.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time, happy hunting!

For personalized advice, please click here.

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#1 Job Interview Skill – Listening
June 23 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Interview Advice, Interview Skills, interview tips

Having been in recruitment since 1997, I have interviewed thousands of people.  In many cases, I would ask a question and the person being interviewed would give me all kinds of wonderful information, but not actually answer the question.  Not only does this demonstrate to the interviewer poor listening skills, but it is also very frustrating to the interviewer.

 

We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

― Epictetus

 

Benefits of Using Finely Tuned Listening Skills

As mentioned in previous posts, it is imperative that you are prepared and practiced before your interview.  You should be well prepared with your career success stories and war stories.  By doing so, you can answer the interview question with a relevant answer.

It is also important to use your eyes when listening.  In other words, it is important to watch the interviewer’s body language.  As such, you will be better able to engage the interviewer in a back and forth dialogue or conversation.

Finally, using your finely tuned listening skills will enable you to assess the organization as a potential employer.

The bottom line is that by using your listening skills, you will be presenting the best version of yourself and you will be memorable – in a good way.

 

Until next time, happy hunting!

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How to Identify and Answer Illegal Interview Questions
June 19 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, interview questions, interview tips

Illegal interview questions are those questions which breach discrimination laws.  In Canada, the specific areas in which a person is not legally allowed to be discriminated against are considered “Protected Grounds.”  Most countries have similar laws, and the chart below highlights the protected characteristics in Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK:

Chart1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being familiar with the protected grounds characteristics for the country in which you are interviewing will better enable you to identify discriminatory interview questions.

 

How to Answer Illegal Interview Questions

For the most part, good interviewers know not to ask discriminatory questions. However, sometimes interviewers are not aware that these types of questions may lead to perceived bias in the hiring process.  If you are asked one of these questions, then it is best not to be argumentative and to respond to the question the best you can.  After all, the question may be asked innocently.  In other words, the interviewer may ask a question not realizing that it is breaching a protected ground characteristic, and with no intention or desire to discriminate.

 

4 Common (Illegal) Questions

  1. Age:

As an example, if you discover that you and the interviewer were raised in the same hometown, you might find that you went to the same or neighbouring high school(s).  The interviewer may ask:

“What year did you graduate?” (This is likely a way to determine if you have friends in common.)

Recommended Answer: (In a light-hearted tone) “It seems so long ago, I’d hate to admit when I graduated.”  This will subtly remind the interviewer that the question was not appropriate as it could lead to age bias, and will save the interviewer the embarrassment of you calling them out on the inappropriate nature of the question.

Alternately, the interviewer may ask you a more direct, discriminatory question: “How would you feel about working for a person younger than you?”

Recommended Answer: “Age does not interfere with my ability to get along with others. I am adaptable and respect superiors who are knowledgeable and competent.”

 

  1. National Origin

Example Question: “Where were you born?” OR “Of what country of origin are you a citizen?”

Recommended Answer: “I am a permanent resident of Canada and have legal permission to work here.” OR “I am quite proud that my background is               .  My heritage has helped me to deal effectively with people of various ethnic backgrounds.”

Again, this question may be asked because the interviewer is also from the same country or neighbouring region and is looking to find a common, shared experience.  Even still, this type of question should not be asked in an interview.

That said, the interviewer can legitimately ask: “Are you legally eligible to work in Canada?”  The difference is that this question does not focus on a person’s national origin, rather, it clarifies whether the person being interviewed requires sponsorship to work in the country.

  1. Religion

Example Question: “Do you hold any religious beliefs that would prevent you from working certain days of the week?”

Recommended Answer: “No.” OR, if your response is yes: “Yes, I do, however, I am able to work other days of the week to make up for it.”

  1. Disability

Example Question: “As a person with a disability, what help are you going to need in order to do your work?”  OR “How severe is your disability?”

Recommended Answer: “Actually, I don’t need help doing my work because I have been adequately trained.  I may need minor adaptations of the workstation, however.”

An interviewer can legitimately ask, “What accommodations will you need to perform this job?”  The difference is that this question does not call attention to the disability.  Employers may ask this question to better prepare them if you are offered a position with the organization.  In some cases, an employer may ask a similar question before inviting you in for an interview.  Again, this is simply to ensure that they are properly prepared for you.

 

Final Thoughts

For the most part, employers will avoid asking protected grounds questions.  If they do, it will most likely be because they are not aware that the question is in breach of protected grounds, and it is not their intention or desire to discriminate.  If you are asked such questions then it is important to use tact and decorum when providing your answer.  As mentioned in previous posts, you can use the interview as a tool for evaluating the organization if and when the position is offered.  If you feel that the questions asked could lead to a perceived bias then you may want to reconsider the organization as a potential employer.

 

References

Commission, Canadian Human Rights. What is Discrimination? 9 January 2013. http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/.

Commission, US Equal Opportunity. US Equal Opportunity Commission. n.d. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/.

Government, UK. Discrimination: Your Rights, UK Government. n.d. <https://www.gov.uk/>.

Ombudsman, Fair Work. Protection from discrimination at work. n.d. <https://www.fairwork.gov.au/>.

 

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Top 10 Skype Interview Tips
June 16 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Interivew Tips & Tricks, interview tips, Skype Interview tips

Skype interviews are becoming increasingly popular with employers. Like any interview, it is important to prepare for your Skype interview and the nuances that come with them. Here are my top 10 tips on preparing for your Skype interview:

  1. Test your Audio and Video Equipment – it is vital that your video and audio equipment work during your Skype interview. You can test this through the Skype system, or better yet, test your equipment with a friend or family member to ensure that everything is in fine working order. Also, be sure to test your equipment well in advance so that you have ample time to borrow or purchase new equipment for your skype interview.
  2. Background – while testing your video equipment, take note of the background. Be sure that there isn’t any mess or distasteful art on the walls behind you. Remember: the interviewer will be able to see it, so be sure your space is neat and tidy.
  3. Lighting – good lighting could mean the difference of you being visible to the interviewers or not. As with the previous point, be sure that you do not have a window behind you with a lot of light pouring in towards your back. This will cause you to appear too dark and difficult to see. Instead, make sure that your face is well lit, either from the natural light from a window or by using a lamp. In addition, recently, I was speaking with a friend of mine, Tao Liu, on Skype. He was wearing eye glasses and I could see the reflection of his computer screen in his glasses. So be sure that your lighting minimizes this reflection.
  4. Frame – make sure you are in the frame of the camera. This will be especially important if you are using a laptop computer. Having your laptop computer or webcam at eye level is optimal. Otherwise, you could be at an awkward and unflattering angle.
  5. Dress & Groom – my recommendation is that you wear a suit for your Skype interview as this will help you get your head into the interview mind space. Since the interviewer will only see you from about the shoulders up, some people may choose to wear jeans or other comfortable bottoms. This choice is entirely up to you. Just be sure that you wear an interview appropriate top and/or blazer and be sure to be well groomed.
  6. Look into Camera – this may feel awkward for most people, but by looking into the camera or webcam, you will be creating “eye contact” with the interviewers.
  7. Cheat Sheet Notes – an advantage of the Skype interview is that you can have your research notes at the ready. You can either have your notes on your computer screen and access them by simply minimizing your Skype window. Alternately, you can have them prepared on sticky notes placed around the outside of your monitor. Either way, I recommend that you keep your notes in bullet form so that you are able to quickly access them without breaking your virtual “eye contact” as mentioned in the previous point. As a final thought on this, if you are using a laptop computer, it may be worthwhile to invest in an external mouse and keyboard so that as you access your notes on your computer, your movements will be less obvious.
  8. Taking Notes – it is a best practice to take notes during an interview – noting any interesting insights or questions the interviewer shares. The interviewer won’t necessarily be able to see that you are taking notes, and as such, you might appear to be restless, distracted, or uninterested. When taking notes during a Skype interview, be sure to let the interviewer know that you are taking notes and ask if they are ok with you taking your notes.
  9. Distractions – typically Skype interviews will be scheduled in advance. Make sure that during your scheduled interview time, especially if you are interviewing from your home, that you remove any potential distractions and set aside a quiet space for your interview. Be sure to turn off your mobile and/or home telephone ringer(s) and to turn off your computer’s email alerts.
  10. Relax – the key advantage of a Skype interview is that you are likely able to participate from your home. You can think of this as having a “home court advantage.” This should help you to remain calm during your interview so that you can put your best foot forward, and hopefully, bag the job!

If you have any tips on preparing for a Skype interview, I invite you to leave them in the comments below. If you would like personalized advice, check out the services section here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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Top Questions to Ask in an Interview
May 19 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, Interview Tips & Tricks


The questions you ask at the end of a job interview are almost as important as the answers you provide the interviewer.  At the end of your interview, you will likely be asked if you have any questions.  If you don’t have any, then you may give the interviewer the impression that you are not interested in the role or that you haven’t done your research.

As a best practice, make sure you bring a list of questions with you to your interview.  Although it is recommended to only ask 2-3 questions, some of your questions may be answered naturally through your interview – so be sure to prepare a minimum of 6-7 questions just in case!

Questions to Avoid

Before diving into examples of questions you could ask, let’s take a look at the questions you should avoid, namely salary, benefits, and vacation.  When you ask about salary and benefits, you could give the impression that you care more about the money and benefits than the role or company.  In terms of vacation, you could give the impression that you are already planning a vacation before you’ve started.

That said, you can ask about salary, benefits, and vacation during a follow-up conversation after your 2nd or 3rd round interview (ideally with the recruiter or Human Resources representative).  Alternately, if the interviewer broaches this topic, then you should engage in an open conversation.

Questions to Ask

There are three main categories of questions that you can ask: organizational questions, department (or team) questions, and role questions.  Let’s take a look at each.

  • Questions about the Organization
    • Use your research – this is the perfect opportunity to showcase the research you would have conducted. As an example, if a recent news article noted a merger or acquisition, you can ask how this might impact the organization or department.
    • Charitable work – most large organizations donate time and money to charitable causes and will highlight this on their website. If the organization you are interviewing with is a good corporate citizen, ask about their involvement in the causes they list on their website or other causes that are important to you.
  • Department:
    • The leader – if you are interviewing with someone other than the person the role reports to, ask about that person. For example: “Can you tell me more about the manager for this role?”
    • Size of team – you may want to ask about the size of the team you could be potentially joining, and follow up with questions about the experience and tenure of other team members. For example: “Can you tell me a bit more about the team?” “How many people are on the team currently?”  “Has this team worked together for a long time?”  You may gain insight on the amount of turnover the team has experienced.
    • Other teams – many roles will provide the opportunity for teams from various departments to collaborate. You can ask questions like: “Does this role or team work on cross-functional projects?” “How often would this role interact with other teams?”
  • Role
    • Reason for the opening – in most cases you will know whether or not a role is new or existing. If it is not clear by the end of your interview, it is a good idea to ask “is this a new or existing position?”  If it is an existing role, you can ask “why is the role currently vacant?”  This could provide you with insight on internal mobility or promotional opportunities within the organization.
    • Measures of success – unless this has been covered in your interview, you may want to ask: “How is success measured in this role?”
    • Expectations for the successful person – a great question to ask in your interview is “What are the expectations of the person in this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days?”

Having a list of questions is a key component of preparing for your job interview.  Having well thought out questions could make you stand out among the competition.

If you have any other recommended questions to ask in an interview, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.  If you have any questions, video ideas, or would like to collaborate, please feel free to contact me directly.  For personalized advice, check out the services section here.

In the meantime: Happy Hunting!

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The Meaning behind Recruiter Questions
May 05 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, interview questions, job interview questions, recruiter questions


I have received a number of questions and comments about a misconception many job seekers have regarding two key recruitment questions: salary expectations, and availability to start.

There is a great deal of literature out there to suggest that these questions are key indicators that a company is interested in hiring you.  For the most part, I would agree.  The one caveat to this, however, is timing.  When asked about your salary expectations and availability to start during a 2nd or 3rd round of interviews, it could be a good sign that the organization is seriously considering you as a potential hire.  That said, if a recruiter asks you these questions during an initial telephone interview, the recruiter is merely gathering information.

The important thing to remember is that there is no hidden meaning behind the recruiter question during your initial telephone conversation, and recruiters don’t intend to mislead.  That said, it is helpful if job seekers recognize the purpose of the initial recruiter telephone conversation.  In the wonderful world of recruitment, this is considered a pre-screen stage wherein recruiters are gathering information to help the company decide on which candidate(s) they wish to invite in for an in-person interview.

As someone who has been in recruitment for nearly 20 years, I found this question to be a great reminder that recruiters should endeavour to make it clear to candidates the intention of their pre-screen questions.  We recruiters may think that it goes without saying, but it actually doesn’t.  Being clear about your intentions will help to manage candidate expectations, and in the long run, will make your job that much easier.

Final Thoughts

Another term I hear job seekers use to describe job opportunities they are presented is “job offer.”  Technically speaking, a job offer (in the recruitment world) means an offer of employment or an employment contract.  The job conversations that recruiters have with job seekers are job opportunities.  I realize that this may seem like fussy semantics, but there is a difference.  For example, a recruiter may ask you if you are considering other options.  If you respond by saying that ABC company has approached you about a job offer, the recruiter may think that you have (or are expecting to have) a job offer in hand.  As such, the recruiter may well decide that you are soon to be off the market and choose to invite someone else to an in-person interview.

As a result, it is important that both job seekers and recruiters are clear in the language we use and intentions of our questions to ensure the most effective communication.  As we all know, communication is key in building strong relationships!

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  • Should you Embellish on your Resume or in a Job Interview?
    Should you Embellish on your Resume or in a Job Interview?
    September 20 2016, 0 comments
  • How to Handle Repetitiveness on Your Resume
    How to Handle Repetitiveness on Your Resume
    September 15 2016, 0 comments
  • Top Tips for Attending Job Fairs
    Top Tips for Attending Job Fairs
    September 13 2016, 0 comments
  • Top Tips for Acing the Lunch Interview
    Top Tips for Acing the Lunch Interview
    September 6 2016, 0 comments
  • Top Sources for Your Job Search
    Top Sources for Your Job Search
    August 30 2016, 0 comments
  • 5 Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer
    5 Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer
    August 23 2016, 0 comments
  • Top 5 Resume Mistakes to Avoid
    Top 5 Resume Mistakes to Avoid
    August 14 2016, 0 comments
  • Job Searching: Is it a Good Sign When….?
    Job Searching: Is it a Good Sign When….?
    August 11 2016, 0 comments
  • How to Turn an Interview Rejection into a Networking Opportunity
    How to Turn an Interview Rejection into a Networking Opportunity
    August 7 2016, 0 comments
  • How to Conduct a Keyword Search on Job Boards
    How to Conduct a Keyword Search on Job Boards
    August 4 2016, 0 comments

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