First of all before the interview, do at
least the most basic level of research on the company you’re applying to. I was
wildly shocked by how many people showed up for an interview with me having not
even looked at our company website. It’s important for a few reasons: One an
employer can use this as a quick and dirty way to assess your diligence.
Frankly if you show up to an interview having not even checked the company website
you’re not diligent. Two, you can speak more intelligently about the company,
their challenges and the job itself. Lastly, you can begin to evaluate whether
you actually want the job and see what additional information you want.
During the interview there are a few
strategies I recommend. One, whenever possible, turn the tables so that the
interviewer is qualifying themselves and selling the job to you. You do this by
asking the right questions about the company and the position. On the surface
you are gathering information but the undertone is asking, why should I come
work for you? This is a good strategy for a number of reasons. First, you want
to properly understand the company and the position. It’s no good if you get
yourself a job but it’s a shitty one. Once you’re going through the pain and
the ecstasy of a job search you might as well find a longer term solution
rather than a short term band aid. Similarly an employer wants someone who
wants their job not any job. Two, probing and asking the right questions shows
you’re intelligent and that you think things through. Three, once you’ve
demonstrated that you properly understand the company and the position, you
come off as less full of shit when you tell the potential employer that you’re
very well suited for the job. Lastly, getting someone to qualify themselves to
you is a very effective psychological ploy. It leverages the concept of
cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance is the idea that a
person feels unsettled or experiences cognitive dissonance when their beliefs
and behaviors are inconsistent with each other. People will then look to change
either their beliefs or behaviors in order to restore consistency. Cognitive
dissonance affects many aspects of daily life. If you spend a lot of time taking
piano lessons and you dislike playing piano you’ll feel silly about yourself.
To resolve this you’ll either stop playing piano (change in behavior) or start
to like playing piano (change in belief). Similarly if an employer finds
themselves engaged in the behavior of trying to persuade you that he is
offering a good job, he will feel silly about himself if he doesn’t think you are
a good job candidate. To avoid feeling silly he will subconsciously begin to
like you.
Cognitive dissonance has a very strong
influence on people. Don’t underestimate its effect. Incidentally the exact
same principle applies to attracting women. Whenever possible avoid qualifying
yourself to women. You will improve your chances with a girl considerably
whenever you can stop persuading her that you’re a worthy mate and get her to
start trying to persuade you.
In general both with jobs and with women
just remember you are there to try and prove your worthiness but you are also
there to assess whether the job or the girl is worthy of you.
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When applying for a job it helps to create
the impression that you have competing options. Again, this parallels meeting
women perfectly. Human nature is to want what others want. This is a big part
of why I so strongly recommend asking evaluative questions during interviews.
Someone who has multiple employers competing for their services wants to know a
lot about each opportunity to help them decide. When someone doesn’t care to
learn about the company or position it’s usually because they have few other
options and are happy to take any job they can get. Similarly whenever possible
it helps to look for a new job while you still have your old one. Your old job
serves a viable alternative to the job you are applying for.
I also think it’s a shame that so many
people are too shy to ask about compensation. It’s a perfectly reasonable
question. Part of the interview process is you evaluating whether you want the
job. How can you make such a decision and weigh the job against competing options
without knowing how much you’ll get paid. If an employer doesn’t volunteer the
information, ask confidently and without hesitation.
Some companies have a structured hiring
processes and have a built in time line for when they will make a decision to
hire you or not. I think it’s great when a company has this structure.
Unfortunately most companies do not and it’s easy to get in a loop where you
are perpetually waiting for an answer one way or another. In the absence of the
company bringing structure to the hiring process, it’s important that the job
applicant does. Ask about what the next step is and when possible politely
establish a timeline.
Many people fear establishing a timeline
because they would hate to rush an employer who might have hired them had they
only had more time. I suggest that scenario while theoretically possible is
rare. I prefer to be told no and move on with my life then to be strung along
with a maybe. More importantly, I’m confident that many people fail to get jobs
due to the employer’s indecision and you increase your chances of getting the
job by pushing for a decision one way or another.
When I first graduated from school I was unemployed
for nine months. Then I finally had a successful interview. I inadvertently did
something very clever. When I saw the interview was going well, I asked them
what their timeline was for making a decision. They told me sometime within the
next month or two. This is the type of answer which can put you in an endless
loop of indecision. I told them I had a job offer from an investment firm and
had committed to let them know if I would accept within the next week. I said
that I didn’t expect an answer from them within one week but I would appreciate
if they could at least get back to me to let me know if they were seriously
considering me. This way, if they were considering me I could get back to the
investment firm and ask to push back my deadline. They agreed to my request and
in fact called to offer me the job an hour after my interview.
I did two things very well here. One, I
created the impression that I was highly in demand. (I did have a competing
offer but in truth it was a shitty one) Two, in a non-threatening way I created
a timeline. I didn’t give the employer an ultimatum but in a respectful,
tactful way I got them to commit to a concrete date.
Applying for a job is very analogous to a
sales process. In fact you’re selling yourself.
And any good sales person will tell you it’s crucial that you create a
structure to the process and create a track towards making a decision one way
or another. The people interviewing you are real people who have day to day
responsibilities that have nothing to do with hiring you. It’s very easy for
them to put making a hiring decision on the backburner and forget about you.
You’re doing them a favor and increasing your odds relative to other candidates
if you can establish a clearly defined course for the hiring process.
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When you’re offered a job, if the employer
doesn’t have a cemented pay scale don’t be shy to ask for more money. It is
much easier to negotiate for more money upfront than down the road. Plus most
employers provide annual increases on a percentage basis so a higher starting
salary will have a ripple effect for your entire time with an organization. An
employer has gone through the time consuming, tedious task of searching for a
new hire and finally decided on you. He won’t want to settle for someone they
liked less or start the whole process over again over a few shekels. Don’t be
greedy but ask for what you’re worth and what you feel an employer would
reasonably be willing to pay.
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