Career Strategies

Here is an interesting story about an interview I went on recently. I got lost in the office looking for the exit!

Recently, I went to a job interview for a major company in New York. My recruiter who prepped me for the interview kept telling me how the company was all about image. Well, on the outset it seemed like a good company to work for. They were in need of a star recruiter and my recruiter thought I was perfect. However, something struck me as being very curious. She kept saying that they were concerned about image. Right away I thought about racial discrimination. I have been in the corporate arena for a while now so when a company talks about image a right flag goes up. The interview went well. At the end they took me through a tour of the office. As they did I took count of how many people of color there were. In all I counted a grand total of ZERO!!! I couldn't believe that such a large company had absolutely no minority representation. Well, after the interview my recruiter called to stay they decided to look at other candidates. I wasn't at all surprised and since I consider myself an expert at interviewing I knew what was at the heart of the matter. I'm sure my recruiter knew nothing about the blatant discrimination that this company was engaged in. Be that as it may if you feel that you are the victim of discrimination I would urge you to report the company to a government agency or seek legal advice from a good attorney. Companies that engage in such a practice are violating the law and must be brought to light by individuals like you and I. As a top recruiter I can tell you from first hand experience that this stuff goes on everyday. Many people have gone through terrible emotional pain due to it. But take heart. There are still many good companies out there who are looking for good people regardless of sex, race, religion or nationality. Good luck!

Here is a great technique that will make you seem like the perfect candidate for a job position! Try it and let me know how it works.

Let's say you are in an interview and the hiring manager asks you about your last boss. Or let's say he asks you a loaded question such as what didn't you like about the last company you worked for. These types of questions can be tricky because you want to answer honestly but at the same time you don't want to seem like a spoil-sport. What should you do? Well, no matter what you should never speak negatively about any company or manager you've worked for previously. Even more important is that you should never criticize the company's policies or procedures. Regardless of how you may personally feel, sharp criticism can and will kill your shot at the position. The truth of the matter is that you could be right. But because of different viewpoints or a lack of seeing the whole picture; the person interviewing you will frame you as troublemaker or bad apple. You simply don't know how that manager thinks and feels so to assume they will agree with you is faulty logic. This rule should especially apply if you are dealing with people in the same industry. Usually, people know the players in their market and may personally know or like the manager you are speaking negatively about. I've seen many cases in which candidates go into a long story about how bad their former boss was or how bad the working environment was. They would tell me how the person interviewing them would nod in agreement or actually sympathize with them. Yet, the candidate never got the position. This technique is common. Hiring managers will nod in approval to lull you into a false sense of security. The goal is to keep you talking. In this way they can find out who you really are. In fact the technique works all the time and many candidates fall into the trap! I even use it when I interview potential candidates for a position. So, though it may appear you are gaining favor reframe from any and all criticism. Do the exact opposite and praise the company. Now don’t go overboard but maintain a positive disposition. After all, no one likes a spoil-sport.

Check this one out. It really gives you an inside look at jobs in the entertainment industry!

Many people submit their resumes through online jobs sites and after a few days complain that they are not getting any responses. The truth of the matter is that given the current job market companies are literally flooded with resumes. Many times the hiring manager becomes overwhelmed by the unexpected tsunami. As a result, the pile may sit there for a while or worse he or she may only skim through just the top portion. The managers may only schedule interviews with those and then select one candidate from that small pool. This leaves a huge pile of candidates who miss out on an opportunity for their resumes to be seen. To combat this I suggest that after you email that resume out into cyberspace you should follow up with a phone call. Do this the very next day. This is a great technique because it gives you an excuse to call the manager and actually pitch yourself. If done right the manager will go to the pile and pull your resume out ahead of the rest. Now this takes a bit of research on your part as many companies, or managers, will not list a contact number. However, some of the bigger job sites such as CareerBuilder have company search directories. This should make your job a lot easier. Try this techniques and I am sure you’ll find yourself landing many interviews!

Here is a great interview technique. Try it and let me know how it works out!