Go hard and make it pay
Q: Two jobs have come up in the same company. I’m very attracted to one of them and think I could land it and do a good job in it; the other one is not quite as interesting for me, but I could do it at a stretch. I’d probably get bored in it fairly […]
Get the best out of the candidate
I was interested in the collaborative interview style you recommended last week. Could you give me some more details on how this might play out? How might I, as an interviewer, conduct this kind of interview? My business is a tourism one and I am about to interview for a marketing manager to lead a […]
Take the pressure off and find the right candidate
A recruiter recently asked me which type of interview should be conducted to get the best out of candidates. My answer was that I wouldn’t slavishly follow any one style, but that I believe all interviews would ideally include a strong collaborative dimension. There are a number of definitions of the collaborative interview, and, by […]
Cutting through the verbiage of wordy job specs
Inspired/deflated by one particularly wordy job specification I recently had to prise open with a crowbar for a client, I posted the following on LinkedIn: “Is it just me, or have job specs gone completely doolally lately? It seems like they are getting longer and longer and longer and longer by the minute, and the […]
How to get to the heart of job spec
Q: The job spec goes on for miles – 840 words and 22 bullet points. I don’t even know where to start. A lot of it is waffle in my opinion but I have read what you have written consistently about meeting the job spec with your CV. In this case they’re looking for a […]
Prepare, yes; learn off, no
Q: I’ve a big interview coming up and really want to put my best foot forward. I’ve started practicing already but I’m beginning to fear that I will sound too rehearsed. How do I avoid that? (DV, email). A: Avoid it by avoiding it: don’t be too rehearsed. Yes, practice, and practice lots, but avoid […]
Deep research pays dividends in job interviews
Q: This is sort of an ‘asking for a friend’ question, if you know what I mean. Of all the things people do poorly when preparing – or failing to prepare – for interviews, which, in your experience, is the most grievous? Is there one that you encounter repeatedly? (DF, email). A: I might give […]
Robotic approach can switch panel off
In any business contract, there are terms and conditions. Often overlooked or misunderstood are terms of endearment. Do they actually like doing business with you? The same applies in a job interview. While you needn’t bend and twist to suit their will, you should make every effort to present yourself as somebody they can get […]
Three typical post-interview reactions
In an interview, anything can happen. Like the path of true love, it can take wholly unexpected turns. A well-prepared candidate reacts accordingly. Here John Moloney, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers, elaborates on three common post-interview reactions from candidates. “The interview was very short – it felt like they were just going through the […]
Application forms: Where to start?
Q: I am going for a promotion in my job – it’s a public service position, Along with all my job details (i.e. dates worked, positions and responsibilities), there are another 12 sections in the application form where I’ve got to elaborate on what I learned, my greatest strengths, specialist knowledge, examples of self-development, where […]