Worst Interview Mistake I've Witnessed

I started this blog to help college students avoid the mistakes I made, as well as witnessed, during the job search process.

This week I'm beginning two regular features – "Mistake I Made" and "Mistake I Witnessed." I'll rate each mistake on a scale from "Career Implosion" to "Miraculously Got the Job." If you have any you'd like to share, I'll post the best ones.

Mistake I Witnessed // Post 1

Me: "If I were to talk to your best friend, what is the worst thing she would say about you?"

Finalist for Job: "That I can get out of control. One time, while at a bar, I was so drunk I tried to pick up an entire group of baseball players ..."

And she continued her story. And wouldn't stop. Oh God, she wouldn't stop.

Sadly, it got worse. Since this was a final interview, my boss was sitting in the interview as well. He tried to stop her (my ability to speak had been taken from me by her answer) and she talked over him to finish her story.

Every question, no matter how innocuous-sounding is about getting the measure of you as a person or employee. Never ... ever ... ever forget you are being interviewed. We try to put you at ease, make you comfortable, forget you are being interviewed, so we can get to know the real you. The finalist viewed us as buddies and let her guard down. Bad move. Last I heard, this talented designer was working in fast food.

Mistake Scale: Thank You, Please Drive Through

Maintaining Your Creative Edge During "The Search"

Nothing sucks the creative life out of you like a job search.

A large part of creativity is having the confidence to experiment, think differently or just dive in. The search process can rob you of that confidence.

You have to make a conscious effort to be creative everyday. Even when you're tired. Or down. Or just plain beaten up.

If necessary, make an appointment with yourself everyday, even if it's only fifteen minutes, to be creative. And make sure it's creative for creative's sake. Allow yourself to enjoy the process. It will remind you why you want to go into the business.

Also, check out mikebrownspeaks for a daily dose of creative inspiration.

Good luck with your search. Let me know if you have any questions.

Turn Downtime to Your Advantage

I've said it before—what a suck-ass job market. And it doesn't look like it's changing soon.

What to do? Well, you can either get upset, which gets you nowhere, or you can embrace the situation.

I know quite a few talented recent grads who are hitting the wall in their job search. They're all handling it differently, but one is handling it especially well. We'll call him Mike (since that's his name).

Mike is using his downtime to get actively involved in his local ad club. He volunteered to help on two major events for the club. His theme concept was even chosen to market one of the events. Talk about a nice piece to add to his portfolio. It's also an excellent way to get his work out in front of the very people who are in a position to hire him.

Sure, Mike is frustrated in his search. But he is placing himself in the best position to land a copywriting job in the near future.

• He's expanding his portfolio with professional work.
  
• He's meeting industry people who can hire him, pass on job openings, or act as a reference for him.
  
• He's sharpening his skills while working with other talented people.
  
• He's keeping his enthusiasm high.

You can either get down about the situation, or you can take positive steps to put yourself in the best position to get a job.

I vote for the second choice.

THE Question to Ask During an Interview

You know the drill.

You arrive armed with a few questions to ask during the interview. They are evidence you've done your research and you're interested in working for that company specifically — not just any company. The questions show you're engaged, driven and serious about the opportunity in front of you.

And once in a while, a question you ask may be what gets you the job.

I heard one such question this weekend from my friend Melissa. She just started a new job and was telling me about her interview. She said something didn't seem quite right, so she asked them:

"What concerns do you have about me and my ability to do the job?"

What a great question – and one I recommend you ask.

• It shows maturity and self-awareness.
  
• It shows you are open to honest feedback (a trait in very short-supply).
  
• But, most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to address what they deem to be your weaknesses. You can talk about the adjustments you would make or even address some false perceptions they may have about you. The question gives you a second opportunity to sell yourself. And that may be all you need to separate yourself from everyone else.
  

It's a simple question. But one that may open the door to you landing the job.

Increase Your Odds of Landing an Interview

Want to increase your chances of obtaining an interview? Hand deliver your resume.

• Items that arrive via delivery, rather than mail, are usually opened first. They're seen by the recipient as more important.
  
• You can do a little reconnaissance. You'll get a sense of their environment while sneaking a peak at their dress code so you know what to wear if you're called for an interview (just don't judge them by what they wear on Fridays).
  
• Also, it's a chance to make a good first impression on someone very important – the receptionist. He or she can make it easier to get through to people; or more difficult. Always, always, always treat the receptionist with respect.
  
• Who knows? You may even bump into the person doing the hiring. If so, just say a quick hello, tell them the information is inside the envelope and let them know you'll follow up when it's more convenient for them. Respect their time and they'll respect you.

A little extra effort can make all the difference in landing that all-important interview.

Your Job Search is Never Over

Whew...

"I finally landed a job. Now I can put all that stuff behind me. No more networking. No more working on my portfolio. No more nothin'."

Ummm, wrong.

Time to put together the pieces for your next search. I know, I know. You haven't even started your new job yet and I want you thinking about the next one? Yes.

Let's face it, all jobs end at some point. You always want to have your foundation in place so the next search doesn't have to start from zero.

Here's what I recommend:

1. Celebrate your job. You've earned it. Now ...
   
2. Continue to be involved in industry organizations. I ran into someone at an Ad Club event a few weeks ago. He was out of a job and was trying to reconnect with people. The last time I saw him was a year and a half ago at an Ad Club event when he was – you guessed it – looking for a job. Had he stayed involved he would have had strong relationships to call on instead of trying to create them when he needed them most.
   
3. Maintain your relationships (see again recommendation #2). If someone was helpful in your search, thank them. Let them know where you landed and give them your contact information. You may need them again in the future. Or they may let you know when they hear of the perfect opportunity for you.
   
4. Help others. Someone helped you, return the favor. Plus, you never know when you may need to call on them.
   
5. Collect your work. All of it. Whenever anything gets printed, grab a few samples for your portfolio. Keep a box or file you can throw samples in. Collect screen grabs of web sites and digital files of any broadcast work. You may not get a chance to collect samples later.
   
6. Expand your skills. Besides making you more valuable to your new company, they was also make you more marketable next time around.
   
7. Be a great employee and co-worker. Keep in mind that your new co-workers will be joining your network and may eventually be your future references. Give them lots of good things to say about you.
   

Congratulations and good luck. Your search hasn't ended. You just get to move to the next chapter.

A Little Known Fact About Interviews

That scary person on the other side of the desk – he's pulling for you.

He may appear gruff. Or bored. Or even disgusted. But know this – he's hoping to God you are the perfect person for his team.

He doesn't conduct interviews for the shear pleasure of making you feel bad about your work. Frankly, he doesn't have the time to waste. He's interviewing you because something or someone made him think you might be the right fit.

Keep that in mind the next time you are interviewing.