By Bob McIntosh, Career Trainer
It really shouldn’t be this way, but interviewing is as unpredictable as New England weather. In article written by the staff at PongoResume.com, Interviewing Tips: What Hiring Managers Really Want from You, hiring manager Michael Neece was interviewed by the staff for his take on what he looks for in job candidates.
The answers he gives to Pongo’s staff are honest and revealing. They reveal some of his strong feelings about candidates and, not surprisingly, the importance of being the “right fit.”
For example, here’s the answer he gives to the question: What are the “hidden hiring criteria” that can’t be written in a job description?
Want to know a secret? The most qualified candidate never gets the job. You may match the job description perfectly, but that doesn’t mean you’re the best candidate or are entitled to the job. The job description is only a small part of the hiring decision. “Fit” is probably the most important hidden criterion.
An employer wants to know that you can do the job and do it well, but they’ve asked you in for an interview, so they probably already think you can do the job. What they don’t know until they meet you is whether you’ll be an effective addition to the organization.
Read the article to get the answers to the following question:
• What do hiring managers really want to hear when they use the standard line, “Tell me about yourself”?
• What would you say is the single most impressive thing a job candidate can do in an interview?
• How do you determine “fit?”
• What’s the most memorable thing a candidate has ever done in an interview you conducted?
• What’s the most incredible blunder a candidate ever committed in an interview you were conducting?
• What’s the best way for a candidate to address employment gaps in their résumé during an interview?
Interviewing for a position can be stressful, but there are some important points Michael makes, namely being prepared and cognizant of the impression you make, that. You’ve been selected to be interviewed based on what’s on your resume - you have what it takes in the technical realm—so now you have to come across as someone who can work well with others and add another dimension to the position. If you can do this, the rest is history.
About the Author
Bob McIntosh, CPRW, is a career trainer at the Career Center of Lowell, where he leads more than 20 workshops on the career search. Bob is often the person jobseekers and staff go to for advice on the job search. As well, he critiques resumes and conducts mock interviews. One of his greatest accomplishments is starting a LinkedIn group, which is one of the largest of its kind in the state, and developing three in-high-demand workshops on LinkedIn. Bob’s greatest pleasure is helping people find rewarding careers in a competitive job market. Please visit Bob’s blog at www.thingscareerrelated.wordpress.com.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - February 2, 2012.