"Why did you leave your last Job?"

   There are a lot of thoughts regarding this toughest of interview questions. There are books that will give you specific responses to use. However, there is really more here than meets the eye. In an interview there really are only two kinds of questions asked. First, the informational question... tell me about yourself, for example. Second, the elimination question... why did you leave your last job? What is important to remember is that the goal of an elimination type of question is to get you to shoot yourself in the foot. So don't!

   So when you're asked why you're looking to change jobs or why you left a previous job don't panic. Relax, it's no big deal even if you left under less than positive circumstances. The one point all the experts agree is not to trash your previous employer. Don't even say anything that could be mistaken for a negative. You're a professional and you don't make problems, you solve them. So, when you are asked the question you'll deliver you response in a relaxed, unimportant manner that is quick and to the point. The more you say the more opportunity you have to shoot yourself in the foot. Answer the question with a short and positive response and then you're ready for the next question. 

    This means that you have an answer already before the interview begins. You've practiced it over and over again. You have the response down pat! You know it backwards and forwards so that it comes across like a conversation with your best buddy asking about last night's game. You don't want it to sound practiced or rehearsed. You want to come across as genuine and honest.

That's how you deliver the response, but what do you say? All the experts agree... No Negative! I like Challenger's format of creating a conversation:

Interviewer: Why did you leave XYZ Company ?

Candidate: There were no more challenges.

Interviewer: What do you mean? (Tell me more...)

Candidate: I had accomplished all my goals and I decided to seek new challenges elsewhere. 

But what if you got let go and it wasn't your idea to leave?

Interviewer: Why did you leave FX Inc.?
Candidate: The company consolidated operations.
Interviewer: What do you mean?
Candidate: A business decision was made due to the economy to consolidate operations within the company. This affected 30% of all positions including mine.

   There is safety in numbers and this reason for leaving says nothing negative, or as Joe Friday use to say, "just the facts." Normally you'll want to have the reasons for leaving any job going back ten years. Remember regardless of the situation that resulted in your leaving, you got a lot out of your experience there and you have nothing but positive things to say about the experience, the people, your boss and the company as a whole.

 

Learn How to Protect Your Identity While Searching For A Job Online

This is a timely and good article on this subject. Check it out and pass on this blog or at least the information included.  I follow  Jessica Holbrook, Expert Resume Writer's blog and find it to be worth while.

Learn How to Protect Your Identity While Searching For A Job Online

- Cheers, Thomas (Coach Cunningham)

Relationship + Success Story = Job Offer

A month or so ago I met with a fellow who asked me for some coaching regarding his job search.  This past week Jim sent me an email saying that he landed a job. I asked him what made the difference in getting the job offer. He said that he was very relaxed and built rapport during the interview . He also said that he and the interviewer talked at great length about one of his professional success stories . I asked Jim if I could share his email. He said that I could as long as I fixed his typos. Here's Jim's email with minor editing.

Hello Thomas…

   My knowledge of the job, combined with a degree, is what got me the interview, but I believe it was my rapport with the people interviewing me that actually got me the offer. I can definitely say, your advice helped a lot…

   First thing, as you mentioned, they offered me something to drink, and as you suggested, I accepted. From there we discussed the companies origins and how the people interviewing me helped to get the company where it was today. We then discussed where they were trying to go and what part the position I was interviewing for played in the company plans. During that time I talked about what I could do to assist the company with reaching their goals and targets making sure I kept the conversation more in the atmosphere that I was already part of their team. They really seemed to like the fact that I used the We/team concept rather than the I/me concept. 

   I must say the one thing the interviewers were really impressed by, was a quality award I had received from a company I did not work at….   We probably talked for 20 or 30 minutes about how, when, and why I won the award, the customer and team focus it represented.  Anyway, Michael, the owner, got back to my old boss and told him he really enjoyed our meeting and he was looking forward to seeing me again. 

   The only other comment I think I have is that…  for some reason I was extremely comfortable when we sat down to talk and I think that comfort might show as confidence. Like myself, the owner was a Southsider, and as you know, when I get excited about an issue I tend to develop somewhat of a Chicago accent. Well Michael, caught on to that pretty early in the interview and talked with me about where I grew up and how the neighborhoods had changed since we were kids…  Thinking about my childhood got me to think about my own kids and it just made me feel comfortable…

Jim

What Jim's letter reminds us is that being qualified gets you the interview. What gets you the job offer is how well they like you and believe that you can help them succeed. I imagine that the more Jim relaxed, the more confident he appeared and the more relaxed the interviewers were. That made it easier for them to envision Jim working for them. Additionally, when Jim cited the success story about the quality award he won from a customer he hit on an important value to the interviewer. Jim went into the interview prepared and he didn't try to be something he wasn't... and that won him the job offer. Now you know that it's not magic, anyone can do it, so "Do it, Make it Happen!" 

Congratulations, Jim. Thanks for sharing your story.

If you have a story about an interview that went well, send me an email or post a comment here.  It really is important to realize that interviewing is all about establishing a relationship with the interviewer(s) and building on that with relevant success stories. 

Later this week I'll be speaking at Harper College at the Career Stimulus Program. My topic is, "Would you hire yourself?" I'll be discussing what interviewers are looking for in candidates. Interviewing is an ability that everyone can build into a skill.

Listening vs. Asking Questions in an Interview

   A large percentage of interviews are lost because the job seeker talks too much. Ears are for listening: use them in the interview. At Challenger, Gray and Christmas the rule of thumb was 75% of the talking should be done by the interviewer and 25% by the candidate. That's a good rule of thumb. Often the candidate talks on and on and never gets to the point. Sometimes they lose the interviewer's attention by not answering the question in a short concise manner. Someone wise once said, "The good Lord gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason!" Listening to the interviewer will tell the job seeker a lot about the needs of the boss and the requirements of the team. Carole Martin of InterviewCoach.com discusses this whole idea on her website from a slightly different direction. 

"You've been missing a major point if you thought job interviewing was just about answering questions. You've also been missing a huge opportunity to gather valuable information. Listening is one of the most underutilized skills by candidates. The majority of people go into the interview thinking and worrying about how they will answer the interviewer's questions. They forget that they are there to also find out about the job and the company and whether this is the right place for them.


"The bonus of listening is that you impress the interviewer by the fact that you have heard what was said, and sometimes what was not said. The best questions you can ask come as a result of listening. Turn up your listening and intuitive skills. Read between the lines!"  - Carole Martin, President of InterviewCoach.com 

   The interviewer's job is to pick one out of several candidates who have similar skills and abilities. They are looking for the person that will best fit into their team. People like people who listen to them and know what they said. This is important in making a positive impression on the interviewer. The job seeker then has the opportunity to communicate success stories to the hiring manager that addressed the organization's specific need. The job seeker is telling the hiring manager what they could do for them and not what they did for someone else. This is a good "one, two punch" in an interview and increases the likelihood of getting the job offer.

Branding, On-line Resumes & Volunteering

Three Valid Points for everyone to consider

In beautiful Palatine, Illinois, at Harper College's monthly Career Stimulus Program, I heard a speaker talking on the subject of marketing and branding. This is a key area of interest for many in job transition. With so many millions of people out of work, how do you stand out from the rest? This speaker challenged the audience with three ideas to consider.

Jonathan Salem Baskin, author of the books Branding Only Works on Cattle, and Bright Lights and Dim Bulbs, made a point that went something like this... applying to jobs posted on the internet is like writing & mailing a letter to Santa. His point deserves serious consideration. 

What is the return on investment (ROI) from applying to jobs on line? How many applications are even acknowledged even in an electronic automatic email response? Now compare this with the response rate of a letter to Santa? How often does Santa actually respond to the letters sent around Christmas time? 

I would say that you cannot ignore internet job postings, but you really need to consider the ROI question. Think about the about of time you put into this effort and the likelihood of actually landing an interview from this source. If you are spending an hour or two per week that is probably appropriate. Remember that your highest ROI is networking with people, people currently working in an organization. So it makes sense to pursue internet job applications off hours when you really cannot be meeting with or talking to people. I suggest later in the day or earlier in the morning depending on your schedule.

Jonathan made another point that really hit home. He said that resumes are all alike. They are all about what has been done in a career. Resumes do not tell the hiring manager what you're going to do for them. Now, it is true that we cannot abandon resumes, but we need to do more. I help my clients understand that the resume is a calling card; it's the interview where the magic happens. I explain that the job seeker needs to bring past successes into the interviewer's experience by telling a story that paints a picture of solving the company's problems, or doing what the organization needs done.

Jonathan also stated that everyone is looking for a job today. Not just the "so called" unemployed but everyone. Some are working at a company collecting a paycheck and others are working to find a job, but not collecting a paycheck. But, everyone is looking! The competition is huge! So the job seeker needs to be even more creative and forward thinking. He suggested to look for ways to find out what a company needs and ask for the chance to do it; he challenged the audience to consider volunteering to work without pay to prove your value. I had to admit that the suggestion is intriguing. It would be prudent to put a time limit on the offer though. 

Harper College in Palatine, Illinois is a A++, two year, Community College that offers a unique opportunity for job seekers. Their Career Stimulus Program is an excellent experience for those who have never received outplacement services.