Business
Has this ever happened to you? You hear about a job and review the posting. The job description reads just like your resume. You have done everything that the company is looking for. Your references and your on-line presence confirm you are that person. You apply and get a call for an interview. The job seems destined to be yours! But something goes a little sideways during the actual interview and two weeks later you learn they hired someone else. What happened? Employers really are only looking for three things. The first two are what get you into their office for the interview. The third is what gets you the job. The Three C’s of Interviews are: 1. Capability 2. Character 3. Compatibility First, they want to know if you can do the job. Some major employers now use keyword software to sift through on-line applications looking for specific skills. Make sure you read the posting completely and include references to the exact skills being advertised. Second, employers want someone they can trust. Be sure to coach your references so they know what position you are applying for. Remind them of specific projects that you were involved in, so they have a positive story to tell about your abilities. And review your on-line presence. Know what an employer will see when they Google your name. The third C is the hardest to measure. Before the interview make sure you have done your homework about the company, the industry and the major players in the organization. As you enter the building, the office or the conference room, you must be observant. Look at the posters and pictures on the walls. How are the employees interacting? Are there clues you can pick up about the culture? Years ago, I had an interview for a management position. The Executive I was to speak with was seated at his desk. Behind him was a huge photo of a sailboat. I was the Commodore of our sailing team in college and had lived on a sailboat for a year between high school and college. It was very easy to find a mutual interest that showed the interviewer I was compatible. Conversely, at another company the poster behind the interviewer said, “we are going to have a sales contest, the winner gets to keep their job”. That was a very different kind of interview. In the end, you can feel confident that you have gotten past the first two C’s when they call you for an interview. Your job during the interview is to make them “C” you are fitting in. Do that and you will be sitting in a new hire orientation for your new job.