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What Interviewers Really Want to Know About You
by Chandra Prasad
What do interviewers really want in job candidates? The answer may be
different for every hiring manager. But first-time job hunters may be
surprised by how simple their wish lists are. We asked hiring managers
from a variety of industries to share what they look for in
candidates.
Work experience is usually the first item on the checklist when hiring
managers read a resume. They ask: Where did this person work? What did
he do? And, is his experience transferable? Susan Cheng, a manager at
a major media-entertainment company, says she'll only glance at an
applicant's education, preferring to focus on whether he or she has
relevant work experience.
A Positive Attitude
A human resources manager at a federal courthouse has plenty of
accomplished candidates to choose from. He says he cares less about a
candidate's skills and experience than he does about her outlook. "The
No. 1 thing we are concerned about -- because we have so many
qualified people who apply -- is: Are we sure this person will have
the right working attitude?" he says. "We just spend [so] much time
with each other, in meetings and discussing things, that we don't have
time for people with a bad attitude."
In other words, if a hiring manager has to choose between two equally
qualified candidates, the person with the better disposition likely
will win out. It makes sense. After all, who wants to spend 40 or more
hours a week with a killjoy?
A human resources manager at a global information technology provider
offers similar testimony. "It comes back to confidence, energy, and a
positive attitude," he says. "I'd interviewed candidates a little
while back for a senior strategy position. One person had such energy,
such passion. We needed a go-getter. It was the energy and passion
that impressed me." It's little surprise that this interviewee was
offered the position.
A positive attitude is reflected in not only what a candidate says,
but also what he doesn't say. Shawn Jarrett, a manager of strategic
alliances for Pitney Bowes Inc., an office technology and services
company, warns interviewees against adopting an aggressive or superior
attitude during interviews. "You don't want to interview the
interviewer," he says. "Don't delve too much into an interviewer's
background. Everything you ask should be directed toward the job or to
ascertaining information on [your potential boss's] management style.
Don't try to nitpick, or try to find flaws in what people are saying.
Interviewers, like everyone else, don't want to be made to feel
unintelligent."
Honesty
Hiring managers are alarmed by the startling number of candidates who
misrepresent themselves. Prospective employees, they say, may
exaggerate parts of their work history or disguise aspects of their
personalities. The occasional candidate will even out-and-out lie. Yet
it's the straightforward candidate who is most appreciated by hiring
managers.
Robin Pelzman, a former human resources specialist at Hewlett-Packard,
says, "There are those lucky moments when, within the first five
minutes, you know you've found the right person. This happened later
in my career, when I'd built up my experience and I knew exactly what
we needed in terms of fit. One person was memorable for his openness.
He said, 'I have three other offers. Here are the amounts they're
offering, but I want to work for HP. This is where I'd like to be.'
His openness wasn't presented as: 'I'm hot, so you'd better come after
me.' It was presented as: 'My values and work goals correspond with
this company and I want to work here.' By being open about his
preference for HP, he impressed me and made me far more receptive to
his other attributes."
Indeed, Hewlett-Packard isn't the only company to value honesty in its
employees. Hiring managers everywhere say that this quality is an
essential. A consultant at a recruiting firm specializing in executive
placements and board director appointments says that candidates should
avoid practicing their answers as if they're memorizing lines because
interviewers want to see natural self-expression. "I don't do a lot of
prepping with my candidates, because I want the interview to be an
organic experience," she declares.
Current Employment
Even if you've had it up to your eyeballs with your present job,
hiring experts advise that you keep working as you search for new
employment. Why? Employers are often more inclined to hire candidates
who are employed than those who are out of work. Beth Camp, the owner
of a professional placement service, says, "Go with market value for
your skill, suck it up, and stay working."
If you're already out of work, don’t sweat it. Employers can -- and
often do -- sympathize with people who have been unemployed for
several months or more, especially when the economy is ailing.
This article has been excerpted from Outwitting the Job Market:
Everything You Need to Locate and Land a Great Position, Lyons Press,
2004
Copyright © 2004 Chandra Prasad
For more information, please visit www.smartbooks.com.
Chandra Prasad has written on career issues in The Wall Street
Journal's Career Journal, IMDiversitycom, and JobCircle.com, among
others. She has been quoted as a workplace expert by Black
Entertainment Television, The Christian Science Monitor, and The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Finding Your Dream Job Online. She is the
former Editor-at-Large of Vault, an online careers site that has been
called "the best place on the Web to prepare for a job search" by
Fortune Magazine.
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