Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (25 page)

A.
This was one of the more unusual question I’ve been asked. A student applying for a job wanted to use a famous former teacher who was about to undergo a sex change. His old name would certainly have been recognized, but his—well, her—new name would not. He had been a mentor to the student, and it was an important reference. I suggested she use a dated but effective marker for women’s maiden names and write, “Joan Smith, née John Smith.”

PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING

You’ve used your network. You’ve sent out your cover letter and résumé. Now you get the call. “Can you come in for an interview tomorrow at ten?”

That’s good news, but don’t just say yes and hang up! There are several things you need to take care of before you get off the phone—and even before you answer it.

In the cell phone era, the first thing to determine is whether or not you’re able to have a professional conversation at that particular moment. If you’re alone and somewhere quiet—where you can sit, take notes, and possibly be interviewed—yes, you may be able to take the call. If not, let the phone go to voice mail and return the call as soon as you can. In short: While you’re job-hunting, don’t reflexively answer your cell phone when you see an unknown number.

If you’re on the road or in a store and you do answer a call when you shouldn’t have, be brief and polite: “Thank you so much for calling! May I call you right back in a few minutes? At what number?” (Don’t just assume the number that shows up on your cell phone is the number to call.) If the phone wakes you up, don’t answer it! Believe me, you are not at your best when you first wake up. Let it go to voice mail, take a shower, have a cup of coffee, and then call back.

When you do pick up the phone for an interview request, how should you respond? Be positive but not gushy. No squealing, no jumping up and down, no yelling, “Oh wow, I can’t believe you called! When I didn’t hear anything I figured you didn’t want me….” Say nothing but, “Thank you so much for calling. I’m available tomorrow and Friday—what times work best for you?” Be available. Juggle appointments if you need to, accommodating the employer’s schedule as much as possible. Write down the date, time, and place of the interview and make sure you find out:

With whom you’ll be interviewing. It may be the hiring party, an assistant, an HR person, or some combination thereof. Get names, titles, and positions so you’ll be able to look people up before the interview and thank them afterward.

Whether there’s anything in particular you should bring. Would they like references or writing samples? (Even if they say no, bring them and have them ready just in case.)

Make sure you get the name of the person who calls you to schedule the interview. That way you can thank her personally when you meet at the interview, and you’ll have a contact if anything comes up before then. If you need directions or parking information, do some research following the phone call. Asking, “So how do I get there?” during an initial call may send the message that you’re not that resourceful.

W
HEN YOU ANSWER YOUR PHONE
to schedule your interview, you may find yourself in the middle of an impromptu “screening session.” A screening session is the preliminary phone conversation you have with a potential
employer after your résumé has been received. It may be scheduled or spontaneous.

Whether or not a phone call actually qualifies as a screening session, it’s essential that you take it seriously. Your answers to seemingly offhand questions are significant. Prompts like “How did you hear about us?” or “What made you decide to apply for this job?” are opportunities for you to break out your spiel (see pages 27–28).

T
HE
H
UMAN
R
ESOURCES OR
P
ERSONNEL DEPARTMENT
of a company is technically in charge of recruiting and hiring; it also deals with internal personnel issues such as employee benefits and relations. Large companies are likely to have HR departments, small companies and nonprofits less so; an employee may function as an unofficial recruiter and personnel manager.

The degree of influence an HR department has on the hiring process varies greatly from company to company. In some places, HR interviews are pro forma routing sessions in which you’ll fill out basic informational forms outlining your job history, contact information, and salary requirements (see page 172 for guidance on how to handle the latter). For other companies, the process may be much more involved.

An HR interview is essentially a screening interview. An HR person’s main goal is to narrow the pool, selecting a short list of candidates for the boss-to-be to see. HR interviews also tend to run shorter than staff interviews. If your interview is a success, your “callback” may be immediate; it’s not unusual for candidates to be shepherded directly from HR to the hiring party’s office when all goes well.

If you’ve followed my advice, you’ll have found someone on the inside with whom to interview; either a person who’s in a position to hire or someone in a department in which you’re interested. Even if that’s the case, you should still read this section, as you may be required to go through an HR interview per company policy.

Depending on whom you ask (and, of course, on the HR interviewer), HR interviews can be easy, useful, useless, boring, or difficult. A good HR person will be a perceptive people person who has a real sense of the job and the culture of the organization as a whole. You can learn a lot from a
good HR person, especially if you’re meeting for an informational interview and trying to get your name on the company’s roster. A less skilled or experienced HR person will do the interview by the book, robotically running through a list of prepared questions. Whichever one you get, it’s important that you remain composed. Some HR people try to “throw” you, asking questions to catch you off guard. Keep your cool, and know that if you are qualified for the job and manage to maintain your professionalism throughout the interview, odds are you will make it to the next round. Essentially, HR’s job is to weed out inappropriate candidates. So if you do get weeded out, perhaps the job wasn’t right for you.

What are HR interviewers looking for? How interested you are in the company and what you know about it; whether or not you appear to “fit” the company culture; and how presentable, professional, and articulate you are (qualities any employer will look for). In a general way, they want to see if you’re suited for the job. If they feel you aren’t, they may turn you away or suggest other departments or openings for you to investigate.

A
S NOTED IN CHAPTER 2
, in informational interviews no particular job is at stake. They tend to be more casual than regular job interviews. You and the interviewer will be getting to know each other. You may talk about your professional goals or about the interviewer’s career path and experiences. Depending on the interviewer’s personality, he may be more candid about the nature of the work environment than he would be in a formal interview. You may find yourself discussing the merits and drawbacks of the particular industry or company.

But don’t be misled by the apparent casualness of the meeting. There is something at stake. Many informational interviews turn into job opportunities, so you must take them seriously and present yourself as if the person you’re speaking with is a potential employer. Prepare exactly the way you’d prepare for a real interview. (More on that to come.) Create the best possible impression—a job may become available in the future, and the interviewer may even be willing to pass your name along to friends in the industry.

R
EMEMBER WHAT
I
SAID ABOUT SCREENING INTERVIEWS
?
Anytime someone calls from a company to which you have applied, you are essentially
having an interview. Be polite and professional at all times. But if you have a phone interview scheduled for a specific time of day, prepare for it:

GREAT INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS