Job Interviewing - Do's and Don'ts

[axeman90210]

Got a call from the recruiter this morning. Evidently the CEO of the company that would be hiring me went and closed every open rec they had at the same time, and invited managers to go through the formal justification process again if they really need the role. The recruiter talked to my final round interviewer (would be three rungs up from me), and the role they want me for is still a high priority for them and he thinks it'll just be another week or two before they can get the rec open again. Frustrating, but hopefully just a bump in the road.

[gmillerdrake]

Got a call from the recruiter this morning. Evidently the CEO of the company that would be hiring me went and closed every open rec they had at the same time, and invited managers to go through the formal justification process again if they really need the role. The recruiter talked to my final round interviewer (would be three rungs up from me), and the role they want me for is still a high priority for them and he thinks it'll just be another week or two before they can get the rec open again. Frustrating, but hopefully just a bump in the road.

I know that's frustrating but stay patient.....at least you know they're interested in you and they still want to fill the spot.

[Nick]

Got a call from the recruiter this morning. Evidently the CEO of the company that would be hiring me went and closed every open rec they had at the same time, and invited managers to go through the formal justification process again if they really need the role. The recruiter talked to my final round interviewer (would be three rungs up from me), and the role they want me for is still a high priority for them and he thinks it'll just be another week or two before they can get the rec open again. Frustrating, but hopefully just a bump in the road.

This level of corporate tomfoolery makes my head hurt. That said I hope it all sorts out. Caught up a few pages and glad you're out there and getting looks at some good offers!

[cramx3]

Got a call from the recruiter this morning. Evidently the CEO of the company that would be hiring me went and closed every open rec they had at the same time, and invited managers to go through the formal justification process again if they really need the role. The recruiter talked to my final round interviewer (would be three rungs up from me), and the role they want me for is still a high priority for them and he thinks it'll just be another week or two before they can get the rec open again. Frustrating, but hopefully just a bump in the road.

That's frustrating and annoying, but that's also exactly what my company has done.  We had all the approvals to hire someone and then they shut everything down and are in a phase of re-evaluating every open position.  Hopefully they don't take their sweet time like my company is doing, they are re-evaluating essentially everything it seems, which is including lots of layoffs (not affecting me thankfully).

[millahh]

That is certainly obnoxious.  But...the position is seen as a priority, you're the person they've decided on for it, and you have someone who is fairly high in the company advocating for it.  So it's the least bad it could be, like you said it's hopefully just a bump in the road.

[millahh]

Alright folks, I've got useful info to share.  I was speaking with a recruiter this morning (follow-up regarding a position that didn't come through), and I asked him how to better get on the radar of recruiters, and he gave me the following insights and advice re: LinkedIn:

-Be active on LinkedIn in some form every day (add new connections, like posts, make comments).  When recruiters do searches, the algorithm prioritizes results by who it thinks is most likely to respond, and it estimates that by how engaged you are on LinkedIn

-Join relevant groups.  It is activity (as described in the first bullet), but there is more to it.  Apparently it is pretty expensive for recruiters to send messages on LinkedIn, but it is free within groups.  So if you're already in a group with a recruiter, they are more likely to notice you, and it's of no cost to them to ping you

-Add "Looking for my next opportunity" or something similar to your profile.  Specifically, the "looking for" bit is critical, because recruiters use it in their searches

-Include the "acronym salad" somewhere, as this will help you be found in searches

-There's a setting that indicates to recruiters that you are open to hearing about new positions.  Enable that.  And can can also add the #opentowork frame to your pic/profile, that also makes it free for recruiters to message you

--
And on my search, I finally got feedback on my call with he COO, and that went sufficiently well that I'm on to the next round (though it's still early, this is another 1:1 call).  But if that goes well, I should be on to a proper interview.

[millahh]

Second-round call in the books, went well, I should hopefully be on to the virtual "on-site" interview next.  Today's interviewer works in Business Dev/Ops, so I was expecting to get (and was preparing for)  lots of stuff around contracts, alliance management, etc., but instead he had actually held the posted role previously (before it was officially created), so it made sense for him to talk to me.  So I prepped wrong, but it was fine.  And, I'm now very prepared for when I eventually get the business questions!

This is probably nothing revolutionary for anyone, but in my recent experiences and talking with colleagues who are also about interviewing, there are a few questions that are recurring:
-Why are you interested in this company/role? And why now?
-What in your career are you most proud of?
-What would someone with whom you've clashed say about you? What kind of people do you not get along with?

Axeman, you hear more?

[Stadler]

How do you answer that very last question?  It's an obviously pandering and potentially unsatisfying answer to say "I get along with everyone!", but in the work environment, it may be true.    I know for me, I suck it up.  Clashes are few and far between, and only seem to happen when there's an ethics/compliance problem, or when the team needs to all be working in tandem and someone tries to hot dog.  I personally do not like inflexible "we've always done it this way" people, but I can't change them, and it's my job to make it happen. 

What are others' experiences?

[cramx3]

Try to be the better person in clashes.  Try to understand their thought process, try to see how they interpret yours, and be the better person in your interactions with them.

I had a coworker who was such an asshole.  Everyone hated that person and for good reason, this person was extremely difficult to work with and would rat you out if you didn't follow their process.  My way of handling it? I tried to be friendly to him, no one liked him or chatted with him socially, so I did.  I needed to really, I relied on this person a lot so I needed for my own sanity on the job to be on good terms with him.  It took some time but eventually this person started liking me and treated me better than anyone else and slowly I didn't need to follow his insane processes that made no sense and he would actually talk good about me to management.  Meanwhile I totally hated the guy still but just understood there was a social aspect to him that I need to win over.

[jingle.boy]

People who are openly and publicly selfish, or rude, or aggressive, or disrespectful... and worse of all, leaders that carry all of the above qualities.

[millahh]

I answer the questions pretty honestly/bluntly, because it makes it clear what I'm about, and where the interviewer stands.  If they don't like my answers, then it's a bad fit and I wouldn't want the job.

My answers:
-Who I don't get along with: People who are more interested in maintaining their fiefdoms than adapting; those who withhold information; people who are motivated by making sure they can't be blamed if something doesn't work, rather than reaching for success
-What people I've clashed with would say: That I'm not good at staying in my lane. On this one, I also talk about how I've managed to turn some adversaries into key allies, through assuming positive intent, identifying mutual interests, and stripping away bad assumptions (but I note that some people are so entrenched that all I can do is manage around them, or make it uncomfortable for them to keep being uncooperative).

Perhaps those answers are a little bit cocky?  I can live with it if they are, I would rather know immediately if there's going to be a poor cultural fit straightaway.  And anything I'm looking at, my job is going to be making things happen, it's good to get the sense of whether the culture will allow me to do that.

[axeman90210]

No news yet. It was two Thursdays ago that the recruiter gave me the news about them needing to reopen the rec and they thought it would take a week or two, so I'll text the recruiter tomorrow afternoon if I haven't heard anything.

[millahh]

No news yet. It was two Thursdays ago that the recruiter gave me the news about them needing to reopen the rec and they thought it would take a week or two, so I'll text the recruiter tomorrow afternoon if I haven't heard anything.

FWIW, the recruiter I talked to said this week is still slow, sorry of the summer hangover and kids going back to school, but next week should be full speed ahead. It will vary from company to company, but that's the overall trend.

[millahh]

So, folks who have done video interviews, are you going full suit? Or pantless? Or somewhere in between? On a related note, I'm on to the full interview...

[axeman90210]

Texted the recruiter yesterday, he said he hadn't heard anything this week and he'd follow up today and get me an update.

So, folks who have done video interviews, are you going full suit? Or pantless? Or somewhere in between? On a related note, I'm on to the full interview...

When I did the first round interview for this job I went full suit, including dress shoes. I went shirt and tie + gym shorts for a big client demo/pitch Zoom for my current job, but I was only a small part of that and could have discreetly enough turned off my video if I needed to get up.

[Stadler]

I went with panties.   

Wait, I might have read that wrong...

[bosk1]

I'm a firm believer in your wardrobe and your mindset being in sync and synergizing one another, so I would resist the ever-so-justifiable urge to go less formal in any aspect.

[Stadler]

I'm a firm believer in your wardrobe and your mindset being in sync and synergizing one another, so I would resist the ever-so-justifiable urge to go less formal in any aspect.

Agreed; having worked from home for a while now (well before COVID hit), if there's anything of importance going on at work, I make sure I'm showered and ready, as if in person. 

[Orbert]

Wow, that's dedication to... something.

For me, the best part about working from home is that I get out of bed, make some breakfast/coffee, then stumble down to my desk to log in.  Showering and/or getting dressed are strictly optional, and I rarely exercise that option.  I've gone days without getting out of my "jammies" (which are a T-shirt and sweats), and I honestly don't even think about it anymore.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I'm pretty sure I've been wearing pajama pants exclusively for six months now.

I mean, not the same pair. I still change and do laundry.

[cramx3]

I usually shower at some point during the work day 

But my job is not formal and I don't deal with customers or clients.  We already had a no dress code policy.  I have my meetings with my boss with both of us in PJs.  I'd never do that for an interview though or if I had a meeting with someone higher than my boss. 

[bosk1]

To clarify, my comment was only meant to say, if it is a formal event, resist the urge to go informal from the waist down. If a regular workday is wfh, go as informal as you please!

[Orbert]

When the lockdown first came down and many folks transitioned to working from home, there were memes everywhere about people doing Zoom calls without pants, even a few examples online of people literally getting caught with their pants down.  I gotta be honest, I wouldn't have even guessed that this was a thing.  I have kids, so hanging around the house with no pants on isn't really an option, but are there really that many people who do?  And in what universe is it okay to attend a business meeting with no pants on?  Sure, the odds of anyone finding out a pretty low, but they're not zero.  Put some clothes on when you get on a video call.

[cramx3]

I live alone and I still don't walk around the house without pants/shorts on

[Stadler]

I think there's something to the idea of establishing a work environment.   I have worked out the house far longer than COVID, and I've learned long ago that I'm an EMPLOYEE first and foremost, and for any other employee, the difference between dealing with me and someone in an office should be no different.   Yes, with COVID we've had to make compromises, but if I won't have a dog barking on an in-office call, I won't have a dog barking from my home office call.   

And that goes to wardrobe.   I wouldn't wear a t-shirt and wrestling shorts to an office even if I could. I have a position of semi-authority and I am asked in many cases to be the "conscience" or "mediator" in my business, balancing differing concerns.  I have to earn the respect of the people I deal with, and as much as I love Iron Maiden, wearing the latest tour shirt to a video conference where I'm driving the decisions on a $100M bid I think undermines my credibility.

There's also mindset; it's different for everyone I know, but for me, I want to and need to be in "work mode".  I'm an officer of the company, and so my decisions sometimes carry weight.  Making those decisions starts well before the call/video conference, and in part, for me, that includes wardrobe.   I don't wear a suit every day in my basement, nor even a collared shirt, but if I have a day that is involved in the more corporate aspects of my job, I make sure I'm showered and have a shirt on that I would wear in an office was I there.   I wear pants (though I will wear shorts more often than not, though again, they are not ratty gym shorts; I would not be embarrassed to wear them at a work outing for example). 

[jingle.boy]

I usually shower at some point during the work day week 

Fix'd.

And, also what Bill said.

[Orbert]

Mindset I can understand.  "Work mode" as a state of mind, a state of being.  I guess I got jaded on that at some point.  I hadn't really thought about it that way, but it seems to be true.

[Skeever]

I think there's something to the idea of establishing a work environment.   I have worked out the house far longer than COVID, and I've learned long ago that I'm an EMPLOYEE first and foremost, and for any other employee, the difference between dealing with me and someone in an office should be no different.   Yes, with COVID we've had to make compromises, but if I won't have a dog barking on an in-office call, I won't have a dog barking from my home office call.   

And that goes to wardrobe.   I wouldn't wear a t-shirt and wrestling shorts to an office even if I could. I have a position of semi-authority and I am asked in many cases to be the "conscience" or "mediator" in my business, balancing differing concerns.  I have to earn the respect of the people I deal with, and as much as I love Iron Maiden, wearing the latest tour shirt to a video conference where I'm driving the decisions on a $100M bid I think undermines my credibility.

There's also mindset; it's different for everyone I know, but for me, I want to and need to be in "work mode".  I'm an officer of the company, and so my decisions sometimes carry weight.  Making those decisions starts well before the call/video conference, and in part, for me, that includes wardrobe.   I don't wear a suit every day in my basement, nor even a collared shirt, but if I have a day that is involved in the more corporate aspects of my job, I make sure I'm showered and have a shirt on that I would wear in an office was I there.   I wear pants (though I will wear shorts more often than not, though again, they are not ratty gym shorts; I would not be embarrassed to wear them at a work outing for example).

Got a dress in slacks and a dress shirt to get in the proper "work mode" required to post on the forums from home

[gmillerdrake]

Back on a payroll today! Driving to Kansas City to meet my boss and pick up my work laptop.....then spending a couple days there to visit a couple job sites

[Stadler]

I think there's something to the idea of establishing a work environment.   I have worked out the house far longer than COVID, and I've learned long ago that I'm an EMPLOYEE first and foremost, and for any other employee, the difference between dealing with me and someone in an office should be no different.   Yes, with COVID we've had to make compromises, but if I won't have a dog barking on an in-office call, I won't have a dog barking from my home office call.   

And that goes to wardrobe.   I wouldn't wear a t-shirt and wrestling shorts to an office even if I could. I have a position of semi-authority and I am asked in many cases to be the "conscience" or "mediator" in my business, balancing differing concerns.  I have to earn the respect of the people I deal with, and as much as I love Iron Maiden, wearing the latest tour shirt to a video conference where I'm driving the decisions on a $100M bid I think undermines my credibility.

There's also mindset; it's different for everyone I know, but for me, I want to and need to be in "work mode".  I'm an officer of the company, and so my decisions sometimes carry weight.  Making those decisions starts well before the call/video conference, and in part, for me, that includes wardrobe.   I don't wear a suit every day in my basement, nor even a collared shirt, but if I have a day that is involved in the more corporate aspects of my job, I make sure I'm showered and have a shirt on that I would wear in an office was I there.   I wear pants (though I will wear shorts more often than not, though again, they are not ratty gym shorts; I would not be embarrassed to wear them at a work outing for example).

Got a dress in slacks and a dress shirt to get in the proper "work mode" required to post on the forums from home

I go the opposite way.  My wife asked "honey, why are your pants down?"  "Oh, just going to post on a prog-rock band's forum about politics!"

"Have fun!"

[millahh]

The pairing of mindset and clothes is definitely a thing for me, but it cuts both ways.  In the before times, if I had a presentation to C-suite or to a big forum, dressing sharp made me feel the part and like I was projecting being "polished" the way I wanted to, and I just felt sharper.  On the other side of things, back when dress code was business casual with jeans ok on Fridays, I did my best, most innovative thinking on Fridays; it's when I had my good ideas, and was able to shift how I was relating to a problem.  I was effective the rest of the week, but felt more "corporate", stilted, and my imagination didn't flow as well.  When we moved sites (and concurrently went to permanent "casual Friday" dress), I found that I had better ideas and my strategizing was more efficient/effective...despite a significant downgrade in how much I liked the environment (urban high rise with well-appointed office with a big window to suburban open-floor plan office building).

I'll definitely interview in a full suit, but looking at corporate culture with respect to clothes is part of my process, I want to be able to be my most effective, present self when I'm working, and clothes impact that in both directions.

Back on a payroll today! Driving to Kansas City to meet my boss and pick up my work laptop.....then spending a couple days there to visit a couple job sites

Congratulations!!

[cramx3]

That's interesting that you noticed a difference in your creativeness based on how you dressed.  I bet that probably went into the reasoning why my company (tech company that is VERY big on being thoughtful and creative) is full on no dress code.  I guess maybe the freedom of expression in your outfit can lead to freedom of expression in other ways?

[millahh]

That's interesting that you noticed a difference in your creativeness based on how you dressed.  I bet that probably went into the reasoning why my company (tech company that is VERY big on being thoughtful and creative) is full on no dress code.  I guess maybe the freedom of expression in your outfit can lead to freedom of expression in other ways?

At least for me, I don't think it's about expression.  I think it's of of two things (or maybe a combination):
-With business casual, there is a small part of my brain that is aware that I don't like how I look or feel in khakis, and I think that might keep my mind from going all-in the creative stuff, sort of like a buzzing fly can make concentration a challenge
-I learned to think in a truly strategic and occasionally out-of-the-box way in grad school, and that was wearing exclusively comfortable/durable clothes. So maybe some part of my brain associates those?

That said, I could believe that a looser culture (in this respect) is better for encouraging creativity and new approaches, it sets the atmosphere.

[Skeever]

I had that mindset about so dressing for work a little bit early on, but it's gone to the wayside. Between covid 19 and a bunch of other major things that have happened in my personal and prodessional life, I just now take great pride in being able to somehow get all of my work done on time and at a high quality throughout the day, and don't have this lack to worry too much about any other insecurities. I don't care if somebody sees me in a collared chart or a t-shirt on zoom as I know that person understands my work speaks for itself these last six months.

[millahh]

So here's another question I got during a recent interview, which caught me a bit off-guard:

"What did you do to prepare for this call?" 

It's an interesting twist on a behavioral interview question, because those are normal about something fully in the past, whereas this was present tense, bordering on meta.  I think she was looking to get a sense of how (and how much) I prepare for important things, and how much I try to understand something before opening my mouth. And maybe how seriously I was taking things (which is a big thing for her). And as much as it surprised me, it wasn't a "gotcha" question, I think it was a way for her to understand some very important things about me quite quickly; it was also later in the conversation, after we'd established a rapport, so it wasn't intended to throw me off balance.  But still...keep in mind that this is a question you could be asked.