Ace the Interview Archives - Job Hunt Solutions

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

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).
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.
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.
Easy to Eat –avoid ordering food that is cumbersome to handle such as ribs or chicken wings.
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.
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.
Interviewer Pays – when an organization invites you for lunch, the expectation is that they will pay for the meal.
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:

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.
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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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

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.”

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.

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.”

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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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 2^nd or 3^rd 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 2^nd or 3^rd 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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How to Craft an Elevator Pitch

April 28 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, Elevator Pitch, Networking

What is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine being in an elevator with a prospective employer and you only have the time it takes for the elevator to reach your floor to tell this person a bit about yourself. The elevator pitch is a short introduction that should briefly (i.e. roughly 30 seconds) describe your skills (who you are and what you do), your accomplishments (what value you can bring), and your goals (what type of role you are seeking).

A well-crafted elevator pitch is an essential tool when you are conducting your job search. Not only is it effective when introducing yourself to a network contact, but it also provides a basis for your answer to the “Tell me about yourself” interview question.

How to Craft an Elevator Pitch

There are 2 key elements to your elevator pitch: self-reflection and company research. The more important of the two is self-reflection, because who else knows your skills better than you! In your self-reflection, you will identify those top skills, accomplishments, and goals (including why this is a goal and who you will be helping with this goal) discussed earlier.

The second element, company research, is important for preparing your answer to the “Tell me about yourself” interview question. We will examine this later.

Pulling it all Together – Network Meeting

To help illustrate crafting an elevator pitch, I will use fictional character ‘Joe.’ He is a skilled tradesperson who has a vast amount of experience in custom home finishings. He has won awards and loves his job. Here is what ‘Joe’s’ elevator pitch might sound like:

Hi, my name is Joe. I am a highly skilled tradesperson, with expertise in carpentry. I have received several “Home Builder of the Month” awards for my outstanding craftsmanship in home finishings. My passion is for making a house a home by creating custom home finishings, and I am looking for a role in which I can work closely with home buyers in making their dream homes a reality!

Pulling it all Together – Job Interview

Much like the elevator pitch ‘Joe’ used before, we can simply add a ‘call to action’ at the end of the elevator pitch. Notice too that the introduction at the beginning will be removed as we must assume that in the interview, introductions would have already taken place.

The ‘call to action’ statement is your way to highlight how your skills, accomplishments, and goals align with the company’s short- and long-term goals. How would you know what the company’s goals might be? This is where your research comes in. By conducting a Google News search for recent news articles about the organization, along with the other research you have prepared for the interview, you should have a fair amount of knowledge as to any key developments within the organization. This could include things such as a major investment or company expansion. Using our previous example, Joe’s ‘call to action’ statement might be something like this:

I understand that your company is investing in custom build homes for 3 new developments in the city. I believe my talents in carpentry and passion for engaging customers with my personalized designs would be a benefit to your organization.

Final Thoughts

The elevator pitch is a great tool not only for your job search activities but also for networking within your current organization. That said, crafting one is not always easy as it requires a great deal of self-reflection. The only person who really knows about all of the great things that you do is you. So to enable you to articulate all of your wonderful skills and achievements, self-reflection is an important exercise.

If you would like personalized advice, please feel free to view my services here. If you have any questions, you can leave a comment below, or send me an email – I’d love to hear from you.

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Top 5 Telephone Interview Tips

April 07 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, Interview Tips & Tricks, Phone Interview tips, Telphone Interviews

Telephone Interviews have become increasingly commonplace as a tool used by recruiters and hiring managers in narrowing down their short-list of candidates. Chances are, if you are applying for jobs, you might be called for a telephone interview. Here are my top 5 tips for passing the telephone interview:

Remove Distractions

You still need to treat the phone interview like an in-person interview, so make sure you are distraction free. In most cases your telephone interview will be pre-scheduled, but in other cases, you may get an unexpected call from a recruiter or hiring manager. If you do receive a call unexpectedly and it is not a convenient time, it is ok to ask to schedule the meeting at a time that is mutually convenient.

Remember, the telephone interview is an important step in moving towards a job offer. As such, it is imperative that you are focused and present during your phone interview.

Dedicated Space

Make sure you have a dedicated space in your home or office where you can have an uninterrupted telephone conversation. Ideally, this will be a space with a desk or table where you can be seated comfortably. If you are at home and laying on the sofa watching TV, you will not sound as professional as you would if you were seated or standing.

If you have trouble projecting your voice, it is a good idea to stand during the interview, as long as it is comfortable to do so.

Smile

Believe it or not, smiling on the telephone shines through in your voice. A best practice used by telephone sales people and recruiters is to have a mirror at their desk which they use to help remind them to smile. The added benefit of using a mirror is that it can sometimes help you annunciate and pronounce your words properly. As important as it is to have a pleasant telephone manner for the phone interview, it is equally important that the person on the other end of the call can hear and understand you.

No Slang

Be mindful of your word choice during your telephone interview. The telephone interview is still a business meeting, even though it may be a bit more casual in approach. Ensuring that you refrain from slang, and profanity will ensure you sound professional over the phone. That said, it is important to show your personality over the phone – and that is where smiling, as was mentioned in the previous tip, will help.

Be Organized

As part of your interview preparation, strive to be diligent with keeping a record of the roles to which you have applied. Along with this, you can keep your company research notes and any questions you may have for the interviewer together in one place. The advantage of the phone interview is that the interviewer can’t see you, so you can readily refer to your notes on the job and company during the interview.

In addition, with your organized company and role-specific notes, you can have your pre-written answers to common interview questions ready. My advice is to have your answers written in bullet point as this will make you sound more natural than if you were to read from a script.

I hope you found this helpful! If you have your own tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below. I look forward to hearing from you!

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3 Interview Mistakes to Avoid

April 03 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, interview tips, Interview Tips & Tricks, Job Interview Skills

Interviewing is stressful, and for many people, this stress can cause people to make mistakes. Here are the three biggest mistakes that people make while interviewing and how and why to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Dishonesty

Dishonesty in an interview can range from saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear through to telling an outright lie. Let’s take a look at each scenario separately.

First, saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear will, in most cases, come across as phony. The main objective in an interview should be to present the best version of yourself. If you spend your time “gaming” the interview, then you are not being authentic. Although the interviewer may smile and nod, they will sense that you are not being sincere and this could cost you the job. In addition, your authentic answer to the question may, in fact, be a much better answer than the one you think the interviewers want to hear. As a result, you could be ‘shooting yourself in the foot’ by not being genuine in your answers.

Second, lying is never a good idea. Most savvy interviewers can detect when someone is lying to them, and if caught, then you lies will most certainly cost you the job. For arguments sake, let’s just say that you are a fantastic liar (if so, whatever you do – do not add this to your resume under special skills). If you lie about having a particular skill or qualification and you are hired based on that skill, you run the risk of having an uncomfortable conversation with your boss or, at worst, your employment terminated.

The bottom line is: honesty is the best policy!

Mistake 2: Arrogance

Most people strive for being confident in an interview, but being over confident can be a deal-breaker. I have seen this more with internal candidates and those who were referred by the hiring manager. It gives the impression that the candidate thinks that they have the job ‘in the bag’ and by attending the interview, they are merely checking a box in the recruitment process. Not only can this leave a bad taste in the interviewer’s mouth, but you may also be selling yourself short. By not fully engaging in the interview process, you may end up leaving out pertinent information in the interview that could mean the difference between getting the job and being outperformed by another candidate.

For some, going into an interview is incredibly nerve-wracking and they try to overcompensate their nervousness by exuding confidence. This can backfire and make it look as though you are arrogant. For all of the reasons mentioned above, it is important to maintain a level of modesty in the interview so that you do not appear overly confident.

Preparing for the interview by practicing common interview questions should help to reduce anxiety. Pausing to collect your thoughts in an interview will also help to calm your nervousness. Just remember, even though you may be a front-runner in the interview process, someone else may outshine you.

Mistake 3: Unprepared

As mentioned in a previous blog post, being prepared for an interview is paramount to performing well. Ensuring that you have done your research on the job and company will help you to showcase your skills in the context of the employer’s needs. Preparing your answers to common interview questions will help you feel more confident in the interview. Finally, preparation for the interview may even make you excited about the role and company.

In summary, through proper practice and preparation, and presenting the best version of yourself, you should be able to avoid these common and potentially interview-killing mistakes.

If you would like personalized advice, please check out our services section of this site. If you have any questions, you can leave a comment below, or send me an email!

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Viewer Question: Employment Assessment Tests

March 24 2016 nfougere Job Screening 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, Job Assessment Tests, Job Hunt, Job Search Books, Job Search Tips, where to begin a job search

Another great viewer question: What is the purpose of employment assessment tests?

As usual, the short answer is: it depends! Analytical tests have been debated on both sides of the table. The main reason for this is that their predictive validity (how well they actually predict a person’s potential success in a given role) varies. In addition, there can sometimes be a gap between the intended use and the actual use of such tests.

That aside, although the type of test can vary (i.e. aptitude, personality, intelligence, etc.), the purpose of the test is to provide a deeper understanding of the candidate. The resume and interview is the “tip of the iceberg” and doesn’t highlight how a candidate’s values, aptitude, and beliefs make them a fit for the role. The intended use is usually to assess a person’s personality profile as an indicator of a person’s ability to fit with a company culture, team, or to perform a role.

But, here’s the rub: Although the intended use is for the test to be an indicator, hiring managers may use these tests as a way to “screen in” or “screen out” candidates. The good news is, the H/R or recruitment teams usually recognize these coachable moments to ensure that hiring managers see such tests as indicators and not screening tools.

On a personal note, I am a fan of these tests if they are implemented well. I find them very helpful in doing my own self-reflection to set my own personal and professional goals. In doing my own research, I have come across a free assessment test that is really comprehensive and you can get a lot of great insights from it. I have linked it below for your reference.

Free Assessment Test:

Here is the site that provides a free job seeker assessment test: Take the FREE MAPP Assessment

Interesting Books:

In addition, here are a few book ideas that you may also find helpful!

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How to Answer the 3 Most Common, and Most Difficult, Interview Questions!

March 20 2016 nfougere Interviews 0 comments Tags: Ace the Interview, interview tips, Interview Tips & Tricks

Preparing for your job interview can seem overwhelming. You spend hours preparing only to walk in to the interview to face a series of questions for which you hope you have the right answer. In the video attached, I will discuss the three most common interview questions:

Tell me about yourself.
What is your greatest weakness?
Tell me about a time when….

Tell me about yourself.

First, the “tell me about yourself” question is typically used as an ice-breaker. It seems to be a straight-forward question, but bear in mind that your answer can either reinforce or destroy the interviewers’ first impression of you. This could be good or bad – depending on how good a first impression you make and how well you answer this question. Your answer should be short and relevant, answering the question, why should we hire you. Bottom line: this is where you use your elevator pitch. If you don’t have an elevator pitch prepared, or if you don’t know how to write one, here are some articles I would recommend you read:

Article from Forbes, click here
Article from The Ladders, click here
Article from Self-Promotion for Introverts, click here

A really great book to help with your interview is in the What Colour is Your Parachute series:

What is your greatest weakness?

Second, the “What is your greatest weakness?” question is probably the most over-thought interview question. The interviewer is really looking to see how self-aware, committed to self-improvement, and how able to overcome obstacles you are. Answers to avoid include: I am a perfectionist; I am an over-achiever; or I am a workaholic. These responses are over used and seem insincere. Instead, think of an actual area that you are trying to develop. Identify the strategies you are using to develop, and what improvements you have seen to date. An example can be found in the video.

Tell me about a time when….

Finally, the ever so popular “Tell me about a time when…” question seems to strike fear in the hearts of even the most seasoned interviewers. The use of this question is based on the theory that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Here is where you would insert your “war stories” (“War Stories” were discussed in my previous video, which you can find here) and format your response using the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, and Result. An example of this can be found in the video.

In summary, part of being prepared for your interview is practicing. Anticipating these questions, preparing your answer, and practicing your response should drastically reduce your interview anxiety. As a result, your performance will skyrocket!

There is a bonus blooper reel at the end of the video, so watch ‘til the end!