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This is a subject and conversation that I have had with so many people over the years. With it there comes a lot of strong opinions from all sides stating their perspective on why/why not to do this, or how to approach it. It surfaced this morning in a discussion about why people will not take certain jobs, and the fact that a high powered engineer we were working with has been turning down job offers in this economy. Do people do that I was asked……the answer is YES and for good reason.

Turning the interview on its head is what some people call it. I get a lot of fear when discussing this subject, as most people discuss being uncertain of how they will be perceived when asking serious and in-depth questions surrounding the role. Logically, I think when people really look at it, there fears are crazy. Why would anyone go into an interview, discuss their capabilities and really leave there not knowing exactly what the role is.

Now I say this with caution, as the approach and how one is to do this becomes ever more important. In speaking to some managers, they cannot stand when they feel the candidate is attempting to take over the conversation and really run the entire process. That is not at all what I saying here and really do not want that to be the point of the message. The real idea here is to leave with a conscious understanding of the role, with explicit information, without the manager feeling like he got grilled. And I think there is an easy way to do this.

One of the reasons most people get caught in not know enough information is the format of the interview. The candidate answers questions, waiting for the 10 second time frame at the end where the manager says “do you have any questions” leaving the candidate not knowing which of the 50 that are going through their mind should be asked first. The key is to re-format the interview without upsetting the flow. Create the flow by making the interview conversational and asking questions, or follow ups to certain subjects the interview wishes to discuss - as the interview is progressing. Doing this will allow you to get details answered without ending the interview with the 2 minute jam as much down the manager’s mouth as I can session.

Interview flow - keep the interview progressing as any conversation. Asking and answering questions without taking over the conversation. Ensure to stay on subject, allowing client to get the information they need as well. They are interviewing you for a role. Do that and you will find it easier to leave the meeting knowing more, the manager knowing you, and the two of you knowing whether or not to continue the process.

 http://www.ugtechnologies.com, a leading recruiting and consulting firm serving the IT and engineering vertical based out of Charlotte NC. http://www.lambentpath.com,

Before applying and interviewing for your dream job, make sure you have gone over the following interview tips:

Job Interview Tip #1: Update your Resume

Submitting an outdated resume will almost always eliminate you as a possible candidate. Below is a list of the top things to look out for when updating your resume.

1. Work Experience: If your last job was listed in 2005, most employers would assume you have been out of work for the past three years.
2. References: If an employer attempts to call an individual on your reference list and that individual’s number is not accurate, or that individual is unaware they are listed as a reference, you will leave a poor impression with employers.
3. Education: It is okay if you are in school, just specify when you expect to graduate. Further, if you have taken a break from school, clearly state that as well.

Job Interview Tip #2: Research the Company

You want to know more about the company than any other candidate, which requires a little extra effort on your part. Visit the company website and search engines to find:

a. Recent and past business dealings
b. Products and services
c. Company successes and failures
d. Changes in management and/or ownership
e. Their mission and vision
f. Their short term and long term goals
g. Who their customers are
h. Who their major competitors are

Job Interview Tip #3: Prepare for Job Interview Questions

The more you practice the more comfortable you will feel. Not only should you look into popular interview questions, but you should practice them in front of a mirror as well. Pay close attention to facial expressions and body language as they speak much louder than words.

Job Interview Tip #4: Dress Properly

Make sure you dress for success. Within the first ten seconds of meeting an employer, you will have already made an impression with an employer. How do you want them to view you? I suggest a nice pair of pants, a dress shirt and a tie, and if appropriate, a suit jacket.

Job Interview Tip #5: Arrive Early

Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Not only does it make a good impression but it gives you the ability to analyze the office. Pay close attention to:

a. Organization: Does the office, or waiting room, seem clean and organized or messy and stressful?
b. Employee Expressions: Do the employees seem happy, stressed, angry, upset?
c. Promptness: How long does it take before you are noticed?
d. Friendliness: How does the individual who notices you greet you? Do they offer you a place to site? Something to drink? When an employee walks by do they acknowledge you?
e. Professionalism: When you are greeted, does the greeter shake your hand? Approach you or yell for you to have a seat? Is the greeter chewing gum?
f. Effort: How is the office, or waiting room, organized and decorated?

Job Interview Tip #6: Bring a Notepad

During an interview, information is equally exchanged. The employer will have questions for you and you will have questions for the employer. Because you don’t want to interrupt the employer, having a notepad will enable you to write down important information and questions you may have. http://www.inovahire.com

We are all afraid of the unknown and one of the biggest anxieties individuals face is the job interview. Employers aren’t always sure what will walk through their door and candidates aren’t always sure what they are walking into. Now, I can’t help employers but I can help you!

When I asked employers what things they look for in a candidate, from searching to selecting and interviewing to hiring, these were the most common responses:

Mistakes and Errors

This primarily applies to the resume. If you can’t spell your name right, fail to include important information or are including too much “fluff,” this may hurt you.

Gaps in Education or Career

It isn’t the end of the world if you have a gap in your resume. What is important is whether or not you can justify the gap.

Confidence and Its Source

If you are confident in your abilities, why? If you are not confident in your abilities, why not?

Expressions and Body Language

Don’t worry, employers take into account nervousness. Just because you look to the right or are twirling the tissue into a million pieces on your lap does not mean you won’t get the job! Keep in mind, the only one who knows you are nervous is you; act confident and present yourself as being confident and you will be seen as confident!

Enthusiasm and Energy Level

Do you really want the job? How bad do you want the job? An interview doesn’t just assess whether you are capable of doing the work; it assesses whether you want to be there and how much you will contribute.

Interview Attire

This is an often underestimated topic. What you where isn’t a representation of who you are, it is a representation of who you want to be. I am sure you have heard of the term, “dress for success.” Dress for the job you want, dress for the position you crave, dress for who you want to be. If you are interviewing for a position in the customer service industry but show up in a belly shirt and tight jeans, what does that say about you? That you don’t care? That you are unable to analyze a situation? That you are not an independent thinker?

Personality

It is important to be who you are instead of trying to be someone you are not. Every company has a culture and if you are a good fit for their culture, you will be happy at that job; if you are a bad fit for their culture, chances are you won’t be there long. You want to go to work happy and they want you to leave work happy.

Comprehension, Listening Skills and Articulation

In sum, do you really know what you are doing? Do you know why you are doing it? Do you know how to explain what you are doing to others? Do you listen and learn or do you talk and ignore?

Long Term Goals and Objectives

Where do you want to be in five years? How do you plan on getting there? Are you working just to get by or do you really love what you do? Is this a temporary fix or a permanent solution?

Weaknesses

They don’t look into whether or not you have them, they already know you do. They are looking into your ability to acknowledge your weaknesses and what steps you are taking to improve on them. http://www.inovahire.com

Career Change is becoming an increasing popular subject given the economic times. With changes in industry, uncertainty about the future, and the global shift towards cheaper resources, people are looking to better their position by approaching industries they see as less volatile. The idea is not unique however needs to be given the proper planning and attention it deserves as the impact will ripple for years, well after the economic factors change to the positive.

I have seen and navigated job changes for people in the past. With this comes increasing difficulty well passed what most had expected in their original plan. Career change is something I see as being one of the more dramatic shifts in people’s lives. However when done in mass as I have heard recently, there is a more concerning trend. Passion and short/mid term economic changes are causing professionals to make rash changes beyond what we call normal. Career change can be small, or dramatic, however when made in light of non-logical information - no matter how small the change, it can be very wrong.

With all that being said, let us address the process of change. Follow the steps:

Evaluate your passion, what do you love to do. If you are not doing something you love, well - you should have changed a long time ago.

If you are doing something you enjoy, however not making enough money - lets look at how to make a better decision.

1. Understand your industry, do trend analysis over last 10 yrs to determine patterns

2. Look at your specific company, how are they comparing to the competition. If not well, look at moving to another company

3. If the industry is failing, look at your role in other industries. If positive, do the same job in another vertical

4. If your role is the issue, take a look at your skills and figure out what you are good at - look for transfer

5. When you find careers that can use your skills, make sure they would be something you enjoy

6. Evaluate the verticals and look at 10 yr analysis to look at trends, see patterns

7. Avoid similar patterns as current company, as that could be indicator

8. Find companies in those industries that have solid track records

9. Network in the companies you are looking at

10. Be HAPPY

Although the process is clean and short, we need to understand the reasoning behind. For most people, they need to realize changing their career is not the answer. Just because things go wrong does not mean the end of the world. No matter the industry, the market, the company - there will be ups and downs. Be prepared for them and handle them well. Stay the course if possible. Make educated and logical decisions avoiding emotional decision making whenever possible.

 http://www.ugtechnologies.com, a leading recruiting and consulting firm serving the IT and engineering vertical based out of Charlotte NC.

http://www.lambentpath.com, making it easy to access key informational points to better help navigate your search for your next position.

 All the HR screeners and managed to land yourself an interview with a prospective employer. Your first step is to find out everything you can about the organizations culture, business, and product. It looks horrible if you go to a job interview and you know nothing about the company you are interviewing with. See if you can connect with someone that works at the company (via LinkedIn/FaceBook) to get some pointers. You will be surprised where old friends and connections end up, and most will be more than willing to help out. Take notes and bring them with you to the interview and make sure to bring any questions that you have about the company and position. You should have a pretty good idea about how interested you are in the position before you even go to the interview.

On the day of the interview try to make sure you have the day off from work (Doctor’s appointments always work) so that you can prepare properly. The most important thing to remember when dressing for an interview is that you can never take back a first impression. Dress to impress without going over the top. If you’re a guy, a suit is the rule, wear a nice suit no matter what. For girls a conservative pant suit is always a good choice.

Prepare examples of some of your achievements at work so that you can bring them up when asked. Be prepared for behavioral type questions. A behavioral question is when an interviewer asks you to provide an example of how you reacted to a specific situation. Go back through your work history and find examples of how you dealt with stressful situations, situations where you did something out of the ordinary (not in your job description), and times that you had to convince someone of something they didn’t necessarily want to do.

If you go to an interview with a number of specific examples you shouldn’t have to worry about being put on the spot and drawing blank.

In the thirty minutes before an interview don’t forget to have a drink of water and go to the washroom. When you’re interviewing be specific and don’t “avoid” the hard questions. Give honest, concise, answers and provide examples wherever you can. Stay relaxed and don’t be afraid to take some time to formulate your answers. When the interview is finished thank your interviewer and take a card so that you can send them a thank you e-mail as soon as you get home. Provide them with an invitation and phone number to contact you at if they have any further questions.

Following these steps will greatly improve your chances of landing your perfect job. Stay tuned for my next article on ‘Giving Notice; how much, when and dealing with counter offers.http://www.joshtherecruiter.com