As an employer I’m regularly processing job applicants. And one thing is undeniable from my experience: the privately educated are better at interviews. In fact, this is so obvious I can now divide interviewees by their education without even looking at their CVs. The way the privately-educated walk in the room and greet me, their poise and eye-contact during the interview and their assertions regarding their suitability all exude self-assurance.
This comparative deficit in confidence is an appalling outcome for the state educated majority in the UK. Sure, my evidence is no more than the anecdotes of a small public relations agency. But it also rams home my own ineptitude as a young man “educated” at a failing Essex comprehensive and looking for work both before and after university (which I attended after night-school studies, lest you think I exaggerate the poverty of my secondary education).
To the failings I witness so painfully as an employer, therefore, I can add plenty of my own job-interview disasters. Here are some of my howlers. Thankfully, now, with lessons included.
1) The bullsh***er: Asked to introduce myself at a mass interview for a brewer-turned-leisure company I decided to play on the fact I knew the brewing side had been sold by stating I could tell the difference in the taste of the beer. What utter rubbish! The way the beer was brewed hadn’t changed one jot from the way it had always been brewed – as all the wizened company executives in the room well knew. My clever comment meant I got no further in the process.
Lesson: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Do your research about the company, and never offer BS thinking it’s insightful, when it’s almost certainly the opposite.
2) The crafty smoker. Early for one interview, I decided I had time for a cigarette in the street outside, although with no lighter I asked the professional-looking man in the street for a light. Of course, as a professional man (even in the early 1980s) he didn’t smoke. He did work in the next building, however, and – as luck would have it – was the very man interviewing me for the post. He was distinctly unimpressed.
Lesson: Reign in the oikish behaviour. To win any job you have to behave in ways that are attractive to the employer. And such behaviour starts well before that company’s front door.
3) The chippy state school boy: Left in a meeting room for an interviewer to arrive, I waited with increasing frustration until he tripped in late apologising for the fact he was “the wrong side of a bottle of claret”. In fact his jollity continued as he disregarded my CV and said “forget all that, tell me: what school did you go to?” I resented the question and let it show. He ended the interview soon after.
Lesson: Why assume the prejudice? If there’s genuine prejudice you’re doomed anyway. But the chances are you’re being overly-sensitive and your reaction is a self-fulfilling own-goal. Looking back, my interpretation now is that he was a little drunk and keen for a matey chat rather than a dull Q&A about experience and qualifications. If I’d found another connection I’d have been away. Sport, wine, long lunches, relationships, uni, boring interviews – there’s always something. Rapport is important in an interview: don’t reject it when it’s offered on a plate.
4) The political animal: Up for a summer job with a travel company my interviewer noticed I’d written “politics” as one of my interests. He frowned at this, stating “as long as you don’t bring it to work”. It was a great summer job travelling the UK as the driver’s mate. Yet he didn’t call back.
Lesson: Why volunteer something potentially off-putting? He suspected I’d bore him senseless on the long journeys. And he was probably right, but what a shame he couldn’t have found out on the overnight trip to Aberdeen. When interviewing, I’m suspicious of any “interest” that may deflect from the job. “DJing” is a common one these days – suggesting (at least to this employer) late nights and illegal substances. So why’s it on the CV (politics was my degree, so why I had to add it as an interest, lord only knows)?
5) The “I can do that” exaggeration. Another summer job – this one as a driver, via an agency. In fact the interview went something like this: drive that to Edmonton, now. There’s a map in the cab. Yet the truck was so terrifyingly large I couldn’t believe I could legally drive it. I got as far as the first roundabout – panicked – parked up (illegally) and fled home. The agency never rang me again.
Lesson: Don’t lie about your skills and experiences. You’ll get caught out. Mild exaggerations are fine, but saying you can do something you patently can’t (such as driving sizable commercial vehicles) is setting you up for a nasty reckoning.
6) The criticiser: An important post-uni interview with a national newspaper editor. Left alone with his deputy for a period I decided to fill the silence with my criticism that the paper had not covered some ridiculous and pointless protest march in Manchester, that I’d not even been on. In fact I was trying to engender a conversation about provincial events and their importance, but my approach was so inept he ended up on the defensive.
Lesson: Never ever put your potential employer on the defensive. You are giving the clearest signal possible that you’ll be a problematic employee. All companies have a purpose and an ethos set by the senior management. Your role in an interview is to demonstrate your knowledge of this and your ability to aid the cause. Not your ability to be an opinionated fool, even on a national newspaper.
Through bitter experience and 10 minutes of interview-skills training at one enlightened job agency I became much better at interviews, although I still regret the fact my school failed to teach the basics. Sadly, I’m left with the impression this has not changed – with state schools still offering insufficient guidance on how to navigate these critical moments for goal achievement.
Martin John Yate tackles this very area in his excellent book Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions (2001). He states that your aim in interviews is to offer concrete proof of your suitability for the role, with the interviewer assessing your poise, confidence and personality as much as your job skills and analytical abilities. His tips include (with my own thoughts added):
• Dress conservatively. Wear a suit (buy one if necessary) and make it one for work, not for impressing potential conquests in a nightclub. And play it safe. I had a recent candidate turn up wearing an Obama 2008 badge. I told him off for making aggressive assumptions regarding my opinions, even of US elections (in fact, he was innocently trying to emphasis his relevant experience on the Obama campaign, but there was no need: it was on his CV). Women should avoid short skirts or low-cut tops, unless they want to be judged solely on things other than their suitability for the role.
• Get the body language right. This is an intense assessment based on your every facet. So facial expressions, posture and gestures all matter enormously. Be attentive (but not intense), alert and engaged. Constant head bobbing, grinning or exaggerated hand usage should all be contained. Eye contact is good but don’t stare. Mirroring is good but don’t freak them out. Taking notes is good (and helps prevent overdoing both the eye contact and mirroring) but don’t write verbatim.
• Know about the company. Research the company and your interviewer. It will impress them. Never “wing it”. The previous guy didn’t.
• Flattery goes a long way. Use any silences to admire the company and suggest your alignment with its values. Criticising the company – about anything – is suicide.
• Experiences count. If need be, offer college volunteering or internships to support the requirements of the post – any actual experience can be used in support while offering “enthusiasm” or the fact you’re a “quick learner” is meaningless.
• Be aware that “an untruth could cost you a job”. Most interviewers can spot BS a mile off. Having said this, its fine to exaggerate a minor aspect of a previous role to suggest alignment with the employer’s need. Though caution is required even here: remember I’m in PR, so I’m looking for someone who can spin a yarn. Other sectors may take a dimmer view.
No comments:
Post a Comment