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Don't let small talk derail a job interview
Career Corner is a program produced by the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network, part of State Services for the Blind, and it is recorded for people are blind or have reading disabilities. You can listen to the stream of the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network at www.mnssb.org/rtb, and the password is RTB. Your host, for Career Corner is Anne Obst.
Music
Don't let small talk derail a job interview
Go light on personal chat, but give the interviewer a sense of who you are.
By Steve Twedt Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
June 11, 2016 — 7:00am
PITTSBURGH – Whether it's a summer job or a career launch, job search specialist Cheryl Hyatt has a word of caution for aspiring candidates: Don't get tripped up by small stuff or, more specifically, small talk.
Hyatt has heard some doozies about too-nervous interviewees. There's the applicant who inquired about the company's policy regarding employee theft, or the one who sought a $90,000 salary so he could finance his new Camaro.
"Most people have common sense and would not ask those questions," said the co-founder, CEO and partner at Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search
But even savvy and experienced candidates can get tripped up by little things, she said.
First, she says, job candidates should assume the evaluation process begins the minute they drive into the parking lot. Be professional with everyone from the security guard to the executive assistant who rides with you on the elevator up to the C-suite. Arrive five minutes or so before the scheduled time unless you've been told there will be application forms to fill out beforehand.
Also, get familiar with the company's culture. If it's a workplace where everyone wears jeans and polo shirts, "You need to come in one step above what you think the company policy is." In this case, a shirt and tie with khakis would work for men, a pantsuit, skirt or dress for women.
Once that preparation is done, you've come to an often-overlooked phase: Those first few minutes of "small talk" after introducing yourself to the interviewing committee. Even if the topic is weather (and hopefully not religion or the current election cycle), remember that you're making a first impression.
Touch lightly on the personal, if at all. It's OK to say you have relatives in the area but telling them you want the job so you can move closer to family will not help your chances.
Once the formal interview begins, she said the best responses fall in the 2- to 4-minute range, touching on how you would handle the situation and drawing on a related personal experience. If you don't understand a question, don't fake it. "Just say, 'I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for.' "
If you've been invited to interview, the company has probably already decided you have the technical skills for the job "so they want to find out if you are you are the right fit for us," she said. The objective of the "small talk" phase is to avoid giving them reason to choose someone else.
"You want to make them like you for who you are and what you can bring to the institution."
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By Radio Talking BookCareer Corner is a program produced by the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network, part of State Services for the Blind, and it is recorded for people are blind or have reading disabilities. You can listen to the stream of the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network at www.mnssb.org/rtb, and the password is RTB. Your host, for Career Corner is Anne Obst.
Music
Don't let small talk derail a job interview
Go light on personal chat, but give the interviewer a sense of who you are.
By Steve Twedt Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
June 11, 2016 — 7:00am
PITTSBURGH – Whether it's a summer job or a career launch, job search specialist Cheryl Hyatt has a word of caution for aspiring candidates: Don't get tripped up by small stuff or, more specifically, small talk.
Hyatt has heard some doozies about too-nervous interviewees. There's the applicant who inquired about the company's policy regarding employee theft, or the one who sought a $90,000 salary so he could finance his new Camaro.
"Most people have common sense and would not ask those questions," said the co-founder, CEO and partner at Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search
But even savvy and experienced candidates can get tripped up by little things, she said.
First, she says, job candidates should assume the evaluation process begins the minute they drive into the parking lot. Be professional with everyone from the security guard to the executive assistant who rides with you on the elevator up to the C-suite. Arrive five minutes or so before the scheduled time unless you've been told there will be application forms to fill out beforehand.
Also, get familiar with the company's culture. If it's a workplace where everyone wears jeans and polo shirts, "You need to come in one step above what you think the company policy is." In this case, a shirt and tie with khakis would work for men, a pantsuit, skirt or dress for women.
Once that preparation is done, you've come to an often-overlooked phase: Those first few minutes of "small talk" after introducing yourself to the interviewing committee. Even if the topic is weather (and hopefully not religion or the current election cycle), remember that you're making a first impression.
Touch lightly on the personal, if at all. It's OK to say you have relatives in the area but telling them you want the job so you can move closer to family will not help your chances.
Once the formal interview begins, she said the best responses fall in the 2- to 4-minute range, touching on how you would handle the situation and drawing on a related personal experience. If you don't understand a question, don't fake it. "Just say, 'I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for.' "
If you've been invited to interview, the company has probably already decided you have the technical skills for the job "so they want to find out if you are you are the right fit for us," she said. The objective of the "small talk" phase is to avoid giving them reason to choose someone else.
"You want to make them like you for who you are and what you can bring to the institution."