10 Clues to Decoding the Interview

By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

Wonder whether you nailed that interview? While you won't truly know until you get "the call," there are many signs throughout the process that can help you determine whether or not you'll make the first cut. Following are questions and clues to help you decode the interview.

1. What is the interviewer doing?

"If I am interested in what a candidate is saying, I will nod my head, smile and likely jot down a few notes," says Inside Sales Manager Karen Nance. "I may also ask questions to probe further about what the applicant is talking about or share some thoughts on how this topic relates to the open position."

Nancy Kim-Phillips, owner of NKP Consulting in Chicago, says that candidates should observe the interviewer's body language for positive signs, "I find myself leaning forward when I'm interested in what someone has to say. I would expect the candidate to match my body language and lean in too."

Watch for negative signals as well. If the interviewer seems distracted, is checking her watch, shuffling papers or looking at his Blackberry, you're probably not captivating your audience. "I'll often put down my pen if I'm not feeling good about what the candidate is saying," she adds.

2. Were you engaged in dialogue?

"An interview is going well when there is a dialogue," Kim-Phillips says. "If I don't have to refer to a list of questions, and the conversation flows smoothly, it means there's a natural exchange of information we are both interested in. This can begin from the very first question, which is usually, 'So, tell me about yourself.'"

3. Did you hear positive verbal clues?

Lynn Hazan, owner of Chicago-based recruitment firm Lynn Hazan and Associates, says some interviewers may urge you on with positive words like, "Yes, go on...," "This is good..." or even "I like what I am hearing, tell me more..." These are all clear indicators that it's going well.

4. Were you reciting a monologue?
"A turn-off for me is if I ask a question and it becomes a monologue with a five-minute answer," Kim-Phillips says. In prepping candidates for interviews, Hazan suggests they prepare a concise 30-second and 60-second elevator pitch. "This, in a nutshell, is the ideal response to questions like, 'Why should hire you?'" she discloses. "I encourage candidates to practice in front of a mirror. There's no better way to judge how others see you than by seeing yourself," Hazan notes.

5. Did the interviewer interrupt you?

If the interviewer interrupts you or starts to look bored, it's time to change gears. Hazan suggests that candidates stop at the first sign of disinterest from the interviewer and ask a question like, "Am I answering your question?" Or "Would you like to hear more about this or would you like another example?" This may save the day and gives the interviewer a choice on where to proceed.

6. Did you ask questions?
As the conversation comes to a close, interviewers inevitably ask candidates if they have any questions. Kim-Phillips says that, "When I would ask, 'What questions do you have?' and there were none... that would close things out pretty quickly."

When interviewers give you the opportunity to ask questions, this is your cue to gain a better understanding of anything discussed during the interview. Questions like, "You said you want someone with a sales background; what else does an ideal candidate need to succeed in this position?" This is also a chance for you to demonstrate that you have done your homework on the company.

7. Were you asked about timing?
It's a good sign if you're asked about your availability. "I may start talking about time frame for making a decision, and ask 'How does this sound to you?' and 'How soon can you start?'" Kim-Phillips says.

"If I'm interested in someone, I want to know who my competition is," Nance adds. "I will ask, 'Where else have you interviewed?' and 'Do you have any other firm offers?'"

8. Were you a good fit?
The more the interviewer talks about what is going on in their company and how you will fit in, the better. Kim-Phillips says she never quite comes right out and says, 'I don't think this is a good match,' but might say 'We're really looking for the right match for this position.'

9. Were you invited to meet others in the company?
Nance and Kim-Phillips both say that if it is going well they'll mention that there are some other people they would like you to meet. They may even introduce you on the spot.

10. How long was the interview?
Most opinions about candidates are formed within the first few minutes. The rest of the time is spent validating these opinions. If an interview is less than a half hour, it's generally not a good sign. If you reach the one hour mark and the conversation is flowing enthusiastically and evenly between you and the interviewer, you may have hit a home run!

How to Answer: 'What Have You Been Doing Since You Were Laid Off?'

By Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder.com Writer

When you first lost your job, you spent your time wallowing in your sorrows -- eating ice cream in your pajamas and watching Judge Judy all afternoon.  Then your determination kicked in, and you decided to find a new job. You perused job boards, polished up your résumé, searched for old co-workers on LinkedIn -- and occasionally watched Judge Judy all afternoon. 

While this may be the truth about what you've been doing since your last job ended, telling this to a recruiter probably won't be all that impressive. Though looking for a job is an admirable and necessary task for those out of work, telling a recruiter about your job search won't set you apart from the pack.

So how do you answer the "What have you been doing" question in an interesting, unique and truthful manner?    

Focus on activities you've been involved with

For example, if you have three kids, tell the recruiter how you've been able to serve as team parent for your child's soccer team since you have more free time. Or, if you've spent your extra time going to the gym, talk about how you've been focusing on improving your health. These things show that you're making the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.  

Activities like volunteering and part-time work can also yield transferable job skills.  If you've been helping out a local charity with its online marketing efforts or putting in 20 hours a week as a part-time receptionist, relate the experience to the job you're applying for.

"There are tons of transferable skills that are gained from volunteer work and unpaid projects," says Susan Fletcher, psychologist and author of "Working in the Smart Zone." "Community involvement, events you've participated in or even been in charge of, volunteer boards you've served on and organizations you've been a member of provide a network and skill set similar to a paying job."

Highlight self-improvement

Have you been reading up on your industry in an effort to stay current? Did you recently start a blog about your field or try your hand at consulting?

"Our chief technology officer likes to ask people what they learned last month," says Daniel Ruby, research director at Chitka, an advertising company.  "[Whether it be] a new coding language or a new database structure -- keeping up on the latest emerging skill sets is a very good sign that this is someone we want to hire."

Showing an interviewer that you've been developing your skill set while unemployed demonstrates that you are motivated and interested in furthering your career and have a passion for your industry. "We've interviewed several people who were laid off and had been unemployed for a while," Ruby says. "Personally, I like to hear about entrepreneurial ventures they've tried, whether it's building an ad-powered website, starting an online store, etc.  Like many tech firms, we love seeing the entrepreneurial spirit in someone. If they started a company and failed, that's great, because they started a company and were actively working to control their own destiny."

Lay the groundwork

You can't give an interesting answer to the question "What have you been doing since you were laid off?" if you haven't been doing anything interesting.  Although it may be hard to concentrate on anything but finding a job, it shouldn't be your sole focus.  Taking on volunteer activities, signing up for a class that will improve your skills, doing contract work or joining a job-search support group will not only help you keep your sanity while you're unemployed, but will also make you more attractive to potential employers. 

Keys to Researching Your Next Employer

By Beth Braccio Hering

"I know right away when a candidate doesn't know the current news about our company," says Chris Brabec, director of leadership talent acquisition for Western Union. "If you don't know the CEO is retiring, or if a company made a big acquisition recently, that's not a good sign. If a candidate can't tell me what the company does (or thinks Western Union still does telegrams), that's another sign she hasn't done her homework."

In a job market where applicants frequently cast a wide net with the hope that anybody will respond, job seekers sometimes cut corners by not thoroughly checking out potential employers. But failure to know about the place you claim you want to work at can make you seem unprepared and disinterested -- and cost you a job offer.

Here, experts weigh in on things you should learn before seeking employment and how to find that information.

What to know

"Companies have told us that one of the things they use to weed out candidates is that the student didn't know anything about the company," says John M. Thompson, executive director of career services at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

Among the things Thompson encourages his students to find out are:

• What does the company do?
  
• What are its products?
  
• What is the company's mission?
  
• Where are its offices?
  
• How big is the company in terms of employees/revenue?
  
• How is it positioned in its industry?
  

  "Everyone, but particularly for more senior-level roles, should know our stock price," says Yolanda Bush, director of human resources for Western Union. "Research the company's leadership team and the company's efforts around corporate social responsibility. This will help candidates position themselves to discuss how their skills and experience will help us succeed in the marketplace."
  

Julie Rulis, a senior recruiter for Western Union's talent acquisition team, agrees with her colleague's advice and adds, "If you are doing an interview at a company, find out if it's in the Fortune 500 and where it is on that list. Even better: Find out where it was a year ago, and if it's different, maybe ask why. It shows you've done your homework. A job candidate should know our products and services beyond just the basics. With all the tools available nowadays, there's no excuse not to know."

How to play detective

The "tools" Rulis is referring to are all the different ways a job seeker can find information. Abby M. Locke, master résumé writer and personal brand strategist for Premier Writing Solutions in Seattle, offers these suggestions:

• Review the company's website.
  
• Read press releases.
  
• Pay attention to industry publications.
  
• Use Google alerts to stay on top of current company news.
  
• Do an informational interview with past or current employees.
  
• Talk to a representative at a career fair or trade show.
  
• Follow key decision-makers on Twitter.
  
• Use LinkedIn groups and other online social media tools.
  

Online directories such as Bloomberg and Standard & Poor's also give information on many businesses. For additional help in finding appropriate databases, job seekers may want to consult their local library or the college career center of their alma mater.

Show what you know

Finally, while you don't need to be a walking fact book, be ready to incorporate your knowledge of the company into correspondence and conversation when opportunities arise.

"I ask job candidates questions like what they know about the company beyond what's on the website, how they feel they fit in with our overall values and corporate culture, or what they found out about the company in their research that they didn't know before," Rulis says. "This is a great opportunity to show off your preparation -- talk about our competitors or the fact that you read that we're entering an entirely new business segment."

Get to know your potential employers, and chances are they will want to get to know  you.

How Do I Find A Job When Nobody Is Hiring?

By Chris Tidball

Which word best defines today's economy?

A.      Downsizing

B.      Layoffs

C.      Mergers

D.      Outsourcing

E.       All of the  above

In the morning paper and on the evening news, these buzzwords have become synonymous with the Great Recession, a time of chronically high unemployment with no end in sight.  

Businesses continue to scale back, leery of increasing taxes, regulations and mandates that have them hamstrung.  Making matters worse is that the unemployment rate, typically a lagging indicator of recovery, is likely to deteriorate before it improves.

It is often said that perception is reality, which is why it seems like nobody is hiring. The reality is that nobody is advertising, but there are jobs.  The key to finding those jobs is to seek out not jobs but business opportunities.

While employers will move away from hiring people in the traditional 9-to-5 sense, there is actually an uptick in independent contracting or business-to-business relationships that limit a company's exposure to the rising costs of health care, workers' compensation, litigation and disability.

Searching classifieds, enduring cattle calls and answering questions that have nothing to do with your ability aren't going to land you your dream job.  Rather, consider the following:

·         What talents do I have?

·         How can I put those talents to work?

·         How can someone benefit from what I have to offer?

·         How much am I willing to risk for more personal freedom?

·         What price would I pay for a better home/work balance?

As an individual looking for a job, you have the power to create the product to present to the potential employer from the perspective of a self-starting entrepreneur.   By actively seeking out decision makers in venues such as Rotary clubs, chambers of commerce or trade organizations, you are taking steps to move to the front of the line. By devising solutions and positioning yourself as a business partner willing to absorb some costs and risks traditionally borne by employers, you have become the embodiment of what will define employment in the 21^st century

In my own situation, I saw a 20-year career fall apart as a bank too big to fail nearly fell into the abyss. Despite the overwhelming odds, I used the knowledge I had gained during my tenure to develop multiple business solutions, which are being sold to a variety of organizations looking to decrease costs while increasing productivity and income. This success came because I recognized the changing economy and understood that my full-time job was to identify new revenue streams.

Through the prism of history we have seen recession followed by prosperity time and time again.  People who take great risks may reap great rewards. Carpe diem is Latin for "seize the day" and that day is now, for businesses and individuals alike, to begin their quest for a more prosperous and successful tomorrow.

Why Your Job Search Is Not All About You

By Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder writer

We all get calls from telemarketers. Their generic, impersonal sales pitches typically yield responses like:  "Really? Why would I let you spend 10 minutes telling me about your vacuuming services?  I have a vacuum cleaner in the closet." Click.

Chances are you have received this type of call. And chances are you have hung up before you even know what the caller has to offer.

Were the vacuum company to peek in your window for a few hours (creepy -- but go with me here) they'd find out you were a single parent with three kids, two shedding cats and a bad case of seasonal allergies. With this new background information, the call might go something like:

"Hello Ms. Murphy!  Since you're so busy you barely have time to vacuum these days, I'll send my professional cleaning service to your home. In addition to saving you time, our filter-equipped vacuums will get rid of the pet hair on your furniture and decrease the amount of airborne allergens in your home!"  Since the telemarketer just solved three of your most pestering problems, you're probably more inclined to listen to his or her sales pitch.

Vacuum cleaners and allergies aside, applying to a company without targeting your application to its needs is a lot like making a random courtesy call. Employers aren't going to pay attention to you unless they know what you can do for them.

Solve a problem, land a job

"You have a job for one reason: to solve a company's problem," says Debra Benton, author of "Lions Don't Need To Roar" and "The $100,000 Club."  "You do not have a job because you need or want one; that is irrelevant to the marketplace."  That means you need to stop focusing on what your strengths are and start focusing on how your strengths can help the company you'd like to work for, Benton suggests.

Putting it all out there -- strategically

Rich Dukas, president and CEO of Dukas Public Relations, says that targeting your cover letter to address the needs of each company you apply to is the only way to get noticed. "Specificity rules," he says. "I am impressed when a candidate spends the time to learn about our firm and tells me in a cover letter and interview how they would directly contribute to our business. Generic cover letters don't cut it."

Using employer-centric language when applying to a position can also help, Benton advises. "Every part of your communication should be them-oriented instead of you-oriented, from the first word in your cover letter," she says. "Instead of writing, 'Dear Mr. Smith, I'm interested in a job at XYZ ...' your letter should start with 'Dear Mr. Smith, You have an exciting position at XYZ that I'm interested in ...'.  Just making the first word 'you'  versus 'I' is the start of a myriad of ways to be company-oriented."

Tina Chen, director of operations at Carlisle Staffing in Illinois, says today's tough job competition makes it especially necessary to focus your job search on the needs of employers and how you can make their organization a better one.  "Employers are no longer just looking for 'qualified candidates' but rather those who will go above and beyond to justify their seat, so job seekers really need to stay ahead of the curve and lay their best assets on the table," Chen says.

The bottom line:  Employment is a relationship

Although it is important for your communication with a prospective employer to stress how your skills can meet its needs, employment is ultimately a relationship, and you still need to keep your own interests in mind.

"Take a step back, assess the potential employers that you would like to work for, do your homework and decide if there could be a  long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. Look at it as 'job dating.'  In order for the relationship to work, both parties have to bring something to the table," Chen advises. 

Kurt Weyerhauser, managing partner at Kensington Stone, an international search firm in California, also compares employment to a long-term relationship. "It's like a marriage of sorts," he says. "Most of us who are married realize that we wouldn't be married if leading up to the wedding it had been all about -- 'me' or, for that matter, all about my spouse's interests. The key is to understand that while your primary interest is you, it's not your sole interest." 

7 Questions That Make Interviewers Cringe

By Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder writer

Chances are you've prepared answers to a variety of questions an interviewer might throw your way, but have you spent equal time considering the questions you want to pose to a potential employer? What you ask (and sometimes when) can speak volumes about your interest and work ethic. Keep interviewers from cringing -- and possibly questioning your suitability for the position -- by avoiding these seven questions:

1. What does your company do?

Sure, an interview is a two-way street designed for both parties to learn about one another. Yet how can a job seeker prove he is the person for the position if he doesn't even know the basics about where he wants to work?

"I feel that if someone is coming to an interview, he should have some background about who we are and what we do," says Tina Kummelman, human resources business partner for Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore, Md. "Specific questions are great, but the overall blanketed question tells me someone did not do his homework."

Bottom line: Don't waste the interviewer's time by having her recite what could have been learned beforehand on the company's website.

2. How much does the role pay?

It may be the answer you're dying to know, but seeking this information too soon can make you look like you're jumping the gun.

"Just don't ask it. It sends the wrong message," says Chris Brabec, director of leadership talent acquisition for Western Union. Adds colleague Julie Rulis, senior recruiter with the talent acquisition team, "I believe this question should be saved for later stages in the interview process. Asking about salary or benefits in the first interview isn't the impression you want to leave with an employer."

A better idea: Do some research ahead of time to get a feel for what similar jobs are paying.

3. What are the hours of this position?

"This one question makes me cringe more than any other," says Paul Solomon, president of Solo Management, a New York-based executive recruitment firm that specializes in financial industry recruitment. "Wall Street managers don't want a clock watcher, so when I hear that question I know the candidate will not be the right fit."

Rulis agrees. "Although I understand why candidates are eager to know this  upfront, it
can raise a question regarding their work ethic if asked too early in the process."

4. How many sick days do I get?

What goes through the interviewer's mind when hearing this question?

"We are in the business of developing leaders, not slouchers," says Gary Rich, president of Rich Leadership, an executive coaching firm in New York City.

Keep a potential employer from questioning your motivation (or your health) by looking this up in the employee handbook  later.

5. How much time do I get off?

Like numbers three and four, this question can make a potential employer wonder if a candidate is more interested in getting out of work than contributing. It is especially frowned upon in fields requiring significant motivation from the get-go.

"A career as a financial representative is what you make of it. Your hard work helps determine your rewards. You have the ability to be your own boss, build your own practice and arrange your own schedule, while making a positive impact on your clients' lives," says Randi Michaelson, a director of recruitment and selection for the McTigue Financial Group in Chicago who recruits career changers to work as Northwestern Mutual financial representatives. "In the beginning, it takes time, energy and commitment, but successful financial representatives -- like successful entrepreneurs -- are able to enjoy work-life balance among other rewards."

6. If I'm hired, when can I begin applying for other roles within the company?

"This question makes it seem like the candidate isn't really interested in the job she is currently interviewing for -- that she really just wants a foot in the door," Rulis says.

While ultimately you might have higher aspirations than the position for which you are applying, remember that an employer is looking for the best person to fill an opening for what the company needs now, not in the future.

7. Do you do background checks?

If you don't have something to hide, you probably aren't going to bother asking this one. If you do ...

Rich sums up the feelings most interviewers have after hearing this question, "I definitely don't want this person on my payroll!"