Then you'll give your summary.
Seven minutes may seem like a long time to talk nonstop, but it really isn't. It gives you just enough time to summarize your work history and education and then have a couple minutes left to share some strengths. Of course, while you are describing your work history you should briefly mention some of your accomplishments. This will give the employer an excellent overview of your background. It will also allow the employer to ask some questions if he or she is so inclined. Often the employers you meet with will have no questions for you. Assuming a fifteen-minute appointment, half of your time will be gone when you've completed your monologue. If the person does not ask you to clarify or expand on anything, you should ask some questions. For instance, you might ask questions like: "Do you see any expansion in the next six months?" "Do you think there will be any openings in the next few months?" "When you have openings, what skills, qualities, and experience are you looking for?"
After the person has finished answering your questions, your time will be almost up. You should indicate the appointment is drawing to a close by saying, "Mr. Klucewski, I don't want to take up any more of your time. Maybe I should just summarize what I think my strengths are." You would then share some of your key strengths. This would all be part of a two-minute summary you should have practiced numerous times. In addition to recapping your prepared summary, you would also cover some of the points the employer mentioned just minutes earlier in response to your question about desired qualities and skills. Some of the words you use might be identical to the ones the employer used, some you would paraphrase. All the while, however, you'd be showing that you possess those skills and qualities. After sharing your points, you would then thank the person for the meeting, stand up, and say goodbye. Whenever possible, you should be the one to terminate the conversation to show that you are a person of your word: you asked for fifteen minutes and you got your fifteen minutes, so it's time for you to leave.
Unless the employer is truly keeping the conversation going, you should terminate it at the set time. This is a crucial point. Sometimes conversations go on for an hour, and in most cases, the employer gladly gives the additional time. I also know that sometimes a person walks out the door and the employer is saying, "She asked for fifteen minutes and she stayed almost 45 minutes. Now I'm really behind in my work." No matter how impressive the person was, no matter how well she sold herself, and no matter how good some of her stories were, this person will be remembered primarily as the one who did not keep her word.
The way to avoid this potential problem is to be aware of time. If you sense time is drawing to a close, you should very deliberately look at your watch. Do it in an obvious way. By doing so you are demonstrating that you are concerned about taking too much of this person's time. One way to do it is to look at your watch just as you are finishing a sentence. Lift and turn your wrist in an obvious manner and glance at your watch. Since the employer has been maintaining eye contact while listening to you, the employer will definitely notice that you are looking at your watch. And the person will know why.
If you really are hoping for some additional time, and it appears that the employer is enjoying the conversation, and perhaps even keeping it alive, you might say, "Mr. Barratt, I appreciate the time you've given me. I did ask for just fifteen minutes. Do you have an upcoming appointment?" If he wants to terminate the conversation you have provided a perfect out, with the person probably saying, "Well, I do need to get back to my project in about five minutes." Or, the person may say, "No, that's fine, I've got another fifteen minutes."
If the person is clearly directing and continuing the conversation, then you may continue past the allotted time. After the appointed time has passed, however, be very alert for signals that the meeting has gone on long enough. If you notice the person looking at a clock or watch, looking away as if bored, or fidgeting, quickly draw your comments to a close and thank the person for the time.
If the person begins asking you specific questions about your experience, the appointment has probably turned from an appointment into an interview. A person who has no openings and knows there will be no openings in the next few months will rarely ask those types of questions. One of the few exceptions would be if the person were considering referring you to someone who has or may have a job opening. In any case, being asked questions is a very positive sign.
The reasons why an employer would ask you questions include:
- The person has no openings but will remember you and probably offer you an interview if something opens up;
- the person will refer you to someone else if he learns of an opening:
- the person is thinking of creating a position in a few months and may move that date up if a really capable person comes along;
- the person thinks someone is about to quit
- the person is considering firing someone, but may do so only if the replacement is ready to be hired
- the person is always looking for people who can make money or solve problems for him.
Using Your Resume during Appointments
Take several copies of your resume with you to appointments. If the interviewer already has a copy, don't assume she has read it or re members any of its contents. Avoid such statements as, "Well, as you can see in my resume, I..." She'll start fumbling around with the resume looking for that point and will be distracted from what you're actually saying. Feel free to discuss points that are in the resume, but talk in the same way you would if the person had never seen your resume.
Since employers will often ask for your resume, have one handy. If your time has drawn to a close, and the person has not asked for your resume, hand it to the employer as you leave saying: "Thanks for taking the time to see me, Mrs. Castor, you've been very helpful. Let me give you a copy of my resume in case anything should develop." If nothing else, now the employer will know how to contact you. If you made a favorable impression, she will probably keep your resume in a special folder at her desk. If a position does open up, your resume will be reviewed before the hundreds of mediocre resumes she has seen. Your resume will bring to mind the favorable impression you created while meeting face-to-face. A top-quality resume continues to work for months after you've handed it to a potential employer. Some people prefer not to take a resume with them so they can send a customized resume the following day. They customize their resumes based on any knowledge picked up during the conversation. We must not necessarily recommend this approach, but it has worked well for those who have used it. If you intend to customize your resume, and the employer asks for a copy, simply indicate that you did not bring one with you, but that you would be glad to send one the following day.
Referrals
At the end of each appointment, you should seek referrals unless you were interviewing for a known position or you believe a position may come up shortly. If you impressed the employer, he will be more than ready to do you a small favor.
You might try asking for referrals in the following ways:
You: Mr. Sanders, I really appreciate your taking time to see me today. Perhaps you could do one more favor for me. I'd like to leave my resume with you, and if anything would develop within Xytex, or if you hear of anything in another organization, please let me know. Can you think of any other organization I should contact?
You: Mrs. Bell, I really enjoyed our chat today and I appreciate the time you've given me. In my research I've identified eight other organizations that I'd like to work for and I've gotten the names of the people I think I should be contacting. Do you know any of these people? (show your list)
Bell: I know Johnson and Coleman.
You: Could you give me just a quick sketch of both of them?
Taking Notes
Have a notepad handy when you have an appointment or interview. That way you'll be ready if the person you're meeting with refers you to someone or suggests an article to read. Although the generally recommendation is that people must not take notes during an appointment, you can do so if you maintain good eye contact with the person and write your notes as unobtrusively as possible.
As soon as you get back to your car you should jot down some notes while the interview is still fresh in your mind. Your notes might cover these points:
- The organization: needs, problems, size, plans, growth, etc.
- The hiring authority: age, biases, management style, overall personality
- Questions that were asked, including objections you may have to overcome
- Overall impression
- Specific points, such as the date you should call back
- Questions you would like to ask in the future
