_Your Background
- Of course, you've kept an exemplary Facebook profile and never posted anything objectionable that a future employer might see. "All it takes is one person sharing information you might not want shared, forwarding a post, or otherwise breaching a trust for the illusion of privacy in a closed network to be eliminated,"
- And of course, you've set up a professional e-mail address (from now on,"[email protected]" is just for friends).
- A LinkedIn spokeswoman tells that a job hunter with a "100 percent complete" profile on the site is 40 times more likely "to receive opportunities".
- But have you checked your credit history? Michell Singletary, who writes the Color of Money column for the Washington Post, reports that some employers are checking applicants' personal finances before making an offer. Though the checks are controversial and somewhat regulated, 60% percent of companies use them for some positions.
- "Interviewers hire based on the previous employee's failures in the job," HR consultant Bill Byham tells Fortune. Find out why your predecessor left (problems with deadlines, problem speaking coherently?). Then mention, in flawless English, how you like to get things done early.
- Come prepared with your own talking points or even a portfolio of work, say Byham. You may get an incompetent interviewer who will follow your lead.
- Eye contact, a smile, a firm hand-shake: They're as important in the reception area as in the big corner office.
- If you're applying for a service position, let your voice and chin "rise" at the end of each sentence so you seem more agreeable.
- If it's a management job, use 'the credible voice pattern", one that has "a calm cadence, almost monotone, with the chin dipping down a bit."
- Sit up straight, and keep eye contact "consistent but not constant" - no need to creep anyone out with too much intensity. Where you look is important: Stay in "the professional zone", from the bridge of the nose to the top of the forehead.
- "Tell me about yourself." Be ready, and be ready with something good, writes Penelope Trunk of the CBS Interactive Business Network (bnet.com); "Tell the person what is important to you, and tell it to her in a story she can remember and relay to other people".
- Boast and you're toast. An interview is no time for embroidering or fabricating the truth, says Byham.
- "Do you have any question for me?" This usually comes at the end of the talk, but Trunk says to ask early on what the perfect candidate looks like. That way, you can tailor answers accordingly. Before you leave, ask whether the interviewer has any reservations.
- Don't lie, but don't tell. Do not reveal your current salary until you absolutely have to. Leave the space on the application blank or write "To be discussed in person". vault.com's Jason Levin tells Money magazine. Instead, say "I'd like to focus on the opportunity here and whether it's a good fit."
- Make them name the number first. Pam Lassiter, author of The New Job Security, Revised recommends ducking when the question comes. Tell the interviewer that the pay systems at the two companies differ: "I'm sure you pay competitively. What did you have in mind?"
- Be general at first. Lee Miller (Get More Money on Your Next Job in Any Economy) tells Money magazine, "The phrase to use is 'my total compensation'. "That way, you can include upcoming raises, bonuses, and other benefits without overstating things. Lassiter suggests giving a broad range that includes all these things and then asking what the company's own package looks like.
- Be specific when you're pushed. When their patience flagging, tell them what they want to know, Lassiter says. Then, smiling, ask what salary and compensation they have in mind for the job.
