What Recruiters think about interviewtips

WHAT RECRUITERS THINK ABOUT

Asking for the job directly is tricky, and there’s some disagreement from

recruiters and job coaches. Some consider asking for the job assertive;

others think it cheeky or smacking of desperation. My personal preference

is to err on the side of being assertive. The meek may, as the Bible

says, inherit the earth, but they don’t necessarily get jobs. As always, you

have to use your radar and trust your instincts.

It’s good to be direct when asking for the job, says Tony Stanic, resource

manager at CNC Global, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. “I think it

is good to come across as enthusiastic and direct as possible. The person

that appears to want the job the most will get the offer. Try to find out

their level of interest in you by asking them directly.” Stanic has been

impressed with candidates who could deliver lines such as:

• Do you feel that I am suitable for the position?

• Do you have any reservations about my ability to do this job?

“Don’t be afraid to ask these questions,” Stanic continues. “You may be

able to overcome any objections that they may have. It may feel a bit uncomfortable

but it’s better to find out what their concerns are than it is to

find out that you did not get the job. Asking for the job can be a crucial

factor in the interviewer’s decision-making process.”

“There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance,” says KnowledgePoint’s

HR director, Rich Franklin. To be successful in some jobs,

you need to be pushy and demonstrate in the job interview how aggressively

you can sell. For example, Franklin recruited stockbrokers for

Dean Witter for 10 years before he joined KnowledgePoint. Stockbrokers,

of course, are salespeople who sell securities. One question from

a sales candidate that that impressed him was:

• I’m the person for the job! Can you tell me when you can make me

an offer?

“In the software industry where things are more laid back,” Franklin

continues, “I’d be a little less comfortable with a guy coming on that

strong.”

The Pacific Firm’s Nancy Levine also urges caution. For her, such

direct questions are indications of too much thinking inside the box.

What Levin likes to hear from candidates are more subtle probes for

objections:

• I am very interested in this position. Do you have any questions or

concerns I can address?

• It has been a pleasure meeting you. I really want this job. Can you

tell me where you are in your process?

“Then, hopefully, the interviewer will cough up objections that the

job-seeker can address and overcome,” Levine says.

The important thing, she says, is not to appear like you’re trying

too hard. For example, Levine criticizes a formulation such as

this:

As I understand it, the successful candidate will be someone with x education,

y qualifications, and z experience. Do I understand the opportunity

correctly?

“For me this formulation is too cookie cutterish, too car salesman-y, a

bit transparent in terms of trying to close,” she says. “It may work as a

line of questioning in a first phone call, but not to close in an interview.

I would expect that our discussion would pinpoint what we’re

looking for.”

Counter provided by free-website-hit-counters.com .