The messages you send must be Clear because you're competing with 10 or more other applicants for the job. If your message is muddled or confused, you will get lost in the crowd and be dismissed. If your message is vague ("To be honest, I really don't know what I want to do"), you will be discarded for more focused interviewees. To even get a legitimate job interview you have to have been selected from 100 to 200 people. Therefore, it makes no sense whatever to tell a prospective employer you're unsure about reentering the workforce!
Clarity from the interviewer's viewpoint also means: Do you look and act the part? If the interviewer expects someone more professional, educated and/or experienced than you are, he or she will undoubtedly be disappointed. But how will you know? From the feedback you're getting. Be alert for this. If you sense the interviewer hoped you would be different, you might say: "I can tell I'm a little different from what you expected. Can you tell me why?" Most likely he or she will tell you. Great! Use that response to your advantage and explain how those differences make you the best candidate!
The messages you send must also be Credible. To be taken seriously, you must be believable. Your credibility will be determined by your self-knowledge, your understanding of the organization, and your technical knowledge and expertise. How you express your sincerity will either enhance or detract from your credibility. Practice talking about yourself in a calm and assured manner and never suggest you know more than you actually do. More often than not, blowing your knowledge out of proportion will backfire.
And lastly, your messages must be Consistent. That's so when you're called back for a second or third interview, your story and presentation will remain the same. You must look, act and have the same level of energy as in round one.
In my opinion the three C's explain why fast-food franchises are so successful. When you walk into one of these establishments you have certain expectations that have been raised by millions of dollars worth of advertising. McDonald's sends out clear messages that its food is hot, tasty, fast, fun and cheap. Its credibility comes from delivering the goods. It's consistent because every time you walk through the Golden Arches the French Fries, Big Macs and chocolate shakes taste the same. Every time. Every place. That's the secret of McDonald's success.
Now, do something brave: Ask someone whose opinion you respect how you come across professionally. This is putting the Johari Window into action; this is real risk-taking. But it's also feedback, which is invaluable as you prepare for the challenge of interviewing.
A word to the wise: If you want honest feedback, you must ask for it. That means never set the other person up. If you say, "I've had a tough time since I lost my job; I never thought it would be this bad; but now I think I've figured out how to use my engineering background in a new way; I want to kick the idea around with you"-your friend would have to be made of iron to tell you your idea is a bomb.
So you'll have to be tougher than that. Instead, say, "I've explored several career options, but I'm open to new ideas. You know me well. I value your opinion and really want to know what you think. What do you think makes sense for me right now?"
Here you have a chance for some honest feedback. In the first example you were clearly just looking for someone to validate your decision. That has its place, of course, but don't confuse it with a request for honest feedback.
Then, once the feedback is given-and this is the most difficult task of all-accept it. Do NOT attempt to defend your position. If it's an unflattering perception, try to understand why the person sees you that way and what you can do about it. If it's a flattering perception, dig further: What could you do to come across even better?
Then thank the person, regardless of the type of feedback, and go to work on your behavioral drawing board.
Behavioral messages are critical because they will determine whether or not you are hired. From the employer's perspective, hiring anyone is a risky business. Suppose you sound good but can't do the work? Suppose you can't get along with younger people? Suppose you quit after the employer invests several weeks of training in you? Employers often choose the safest candidates just to offset the risk factor. The safest candidates, therefore, are the ones who send clear, credible and consistent messages. Just like McDonald's
.Another thing to remember about the job-selection process: By its very nature it is intrinsically negative-the process is geared to screening people out, not in. The employer has 10 people to see who all basically have the right experience, the right skills. So how does he or she choose the right candidate? Often it's because the chemistry works. As a consequence, the best person for the job may not always get it. This happens all the time. If you were in a management position before, you probably did the same thing when selecting new workers. Now use this understanding to your advantage and plan how to present yourself as a safe, sure bet.
