Most people – even those who’ve been working for 10-15+ years – haven’t a clue on how to properly prepare for a job interview. Do you?
Does this sound your interview prep routine?
- Check the interviewing company’s website and gather some basic info
- Prep for key questions and formulate responses
- Prepare several questions of your own for your interviewers
- Bring extra resumes to the interview
If this is similar to your routine, it’s practically a certainty that you will NOT do better than your competitors. Other candidates are without a doubt leveraging several tools to more effectively prepare for their interviews. The good news? All of these weapons are free and are available to you…
As you prepare for your interview, your objectives are clear. As far as the interviewing company is concerned, you need to understand:
- the interview process
- who will be interviewing you
- the job
- and of course, the company and at least to some extent, its products
…but how to get a handle on these issues?
Understanding the interview process & company
If you haven’t created a profile on LinkedIn and are interested in seeking employment – or will be in the future – create one. Today! LinkedIn offers job seekers very powerful tools.
When you create your LinkedIn profile, you’ll be asked to summarize your employment history. LinkedIn also enables you to build a network – with former colleagues, coworkers, recruiters, customers, and vendors. So what’s the big deal? Two things:
- 43 million people have LinkedIn profiles; some of them may very well work at – or used to work at – the company you’re interviewing with
- As you build your network, you’ll develop – in “Six Degrees of Separation” fashion – connections with people who will be able to assist in your job search
A simple example: let’s say I have an interview for a sales position at Avery Dennison. I in fact don’t know a soul at that company. But when I go to the LinkedIn homepage and click on “Companies,” I can search for Avery Dennison. That search returns a list of current and former employees, and notes how any of these people connect to my network (I’ve purposely distorted the names):
What’s immediately clear is that among the former employees, one, a former Regional VP, and another, an HR Generalist, are connected to someone in my network (the “2nd” next to their names refers to the fact that they are 2 degrees or 2 levels from me): I connect to someone (in these cases, Gerald and Deborah), who directly connect to those individuals. This is how LinkedIn shows this relationship:
This is huge! All I need to do is call Deborah and Gerald and say something like, “I think you may know “Name” at Avery Dennison. Would you mind if I were to get in touch with them in order to network with them about the company? I’m interviewing there in a couple of weeks and would love to get some insights from someone who used to work there.” (And then ask for their contact info; LinkedIn discourages adding or trying to add people you don’t know to your network.)
Once you make contact with former employees, you can gain a tremendous amount of useful information: what was the hiring process like? What’s the company’s biggest issues? What can you tell me about the particular function I’d be joining? Who’s the VP and what’s she like? and so on… the chance to gain some genuine insight into the company and players is fantastic!!
Another neat feature is that Company Searches on LinkedIn also return lists of recent hires and promotions. This is a great prospecting tool – if you’re looking for a Director of Marketing position, you can search for newly hired Vice Presidents of Marketing – to get in touch with them OR their former employers:
Another idea: if someone’s been promoted in your area of expertise, make contact with them – they could turn out to be a terrific resource in the future. It’s much easier to do this if they connect with someone in your network; as mentioned above, LinkedIn in fact strongly discourages adding people to your network who you don’t know. But it certainly may be worth a cold call or email.
Finding out who you’ll interview with
This one is easy, but it’s astonishing how few people take a few minutes to do this. You found out you had the interview either from an HR manager or a recruiter. If the recruiter’s really doing her job, she’ll find out who you’re interviewing with – names and titles.
If you were contacted by someone from the company’s HR department, call him or her about a week before your interview and ask – in the context of preparing for the interview – who you’ll be meeting with. They should be willing to give you this information,- again, you want names and titles.
What to do with it? Check LinkedIn and Google. If any of your interviewers have given a speech, written an article for a trade journal, run a marathon, it will probably show up in a Google search. When you set up your profile in LinkedIn you can indicate what your hobbies are and I’ve found that most people do this. Anything which will give you insight into who you’ll be meeting with gives you an advantage.
And, of course, with their names in hand, you can ask your new networking contacts (from LinkedIn) about these individuals: what makes them tick, how they approach interviews, key accomplishments, and so forth. This information is indispensable to anyone about to interview with a firm.
Understanding the job itself
If you’re working with a recruiter, the first thing they did after getting in touch with you and confirming your interest was to send you the position description, so this doesn’t apply to you.
If working with an HR rep, when you first are contacted by them to set up the interview, ask them to email you the job description. You really need to do this – for two reasons: a) you need to thoroughly understand the responsibilities this job entails, and b) you need to determine if the company has its act together. If the hiring company can’t provide a PD, it should raise a red flag. In my mind this certainly isn’t a show stopper, but it’s worth noting. If other little oddities crop up during the process, you’ve been warned.
Conducting basic company and product research
Conducting research into a company is straightforward. I’ve mentioned before how poorly many interviewees prep for interviews; many just show up having spent 15 minutes on our website. In a competitive job market, that simply just won’t cut it. For pointers on where to gather information on companies, see this post: 21 Great Resources for Researching Companies & Competitors
Another way to get a leg up on your competitors and wow your interviewers is to do some basic product research. If the interviewing company’s product is sold at retail and you’ve never used it, go buy one. If its price is prohibitive, at least visit a couple of retailers: look at product displays, how the product is merchandised, and check out its pricing. Look at its key competitors and note the same things.
If sold through dealers, visit a dealer. See if you can chat up a salesperson at the dealership; ask about the company (tell him or her that you’re about to interview with the firm). Ask how they are to deal with; ask about how their products stack up against competitive products; how their products are positioned in the market, and so forth.
If the company sells through distributors, by all means visit a couple of local distributors. Ask the same types of questions as above. Anything you can gain will help you.
And when you interview, dropping the fact that you took the initiative to go out and do this sort of basic research will definitely impress those you interview with.
A final tip to help with your search
Back to LinkedIn for a moment. If you scroll up and look at the initial search results for Avery Dennison, you’ll note that the very first employee listed is a Human Resources Generalist. Also of note that this person also connects with my friend Deborah.
This represents a great way to connect with the HR managers or other key executives. All I need to do is call my contact (Deborah) and request an intro or perhaps just his contact information.
If you’ve developed a list of companies you want to target in your search, utilize Company Search on LinkedIn to see if your network connects you with anyone at the company.
Oh, did I mention? You can also search for jobs on LinkedIn. The search function works much as those with other job boards, but with LinkedIn you of course immediately see whether your network connects with anyone at the hiring company… very handy, very powerful!
Wrapping up…
Job searches – particularly during a nasty recession – rank right up there with root canals and IRS audits on the funometer. But it’s a jungle out there and you need to do everything you possibly can to distinguish yourself from other candidates.
The best way to do this is to go to the interview substantially better equipped than anyone else. Follow the strategies outlined here and you can do just that – you might even have a little fun doing it!
One last, redundant but important point: get on LinkedIn and build your network. It’s a great weapon when it comes to job searches. Do it today!
The Fine Print: I have no connection to LinkedIn, other than being an avid user.
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Whether you’re backpacking in the wild, dodging cabs downtown on a hot summer day or enduring a meeting with a boss whose nickname is “Chainsaw,” staying cool is a good thing.
Ex-Officio has been making quality adventure and travel clothing for men and women for over 20 years, with an emphasis on durability, high performance, UV protection – and in some cases – protection from insects and bugs.
Always on the lookout for travel gear that can also serve as business casual daily wear, I recently snagged an Ex-Officio Trip’r™ long sleeve shirt in a “Neo Tartan” pattern.
This is a marvelously light shirt: constructed of 80% nylon and 20% polyester, my medium Trip’r weighed a mere 6.8 oz. To put that in perspective, the Joseph A. Bank long sleeve “Traveler” shirts (in this case “traveler” refers to wrinkle-free) weigh 10.2 oz. Think 3.4 ounces aren’t a big deal? The difference is palpable: the Trip’r feels super light, and that light weight is more and more important as the temperature rises.
Lightweight, moisture wicking and quick drying, the Trip’r has several neat features. As is customary with shirts of this type, the sleeves are equipped with button tabs to ensure that they stay up – and out of your way. Many similar shirts have a button on the upper sleeve; Ex-Officio has opted for a discreet tab, with the button on the tab itself – neat!–
With a nod toward travelers, the Trip’r is equipped with two hidden “security” pockets. Both are zippered, the zippers hidden by a flap. A casual glance at the shirt would give an observer the impression that the shirt is without pockets:
Another essential feature of the Trip’r is its ventilation system. If you look closely, you’ll note that the yoke hides two ventilation ports; a mesh fabric inside completes the system.
Click for a close-up
I mentioned “quick drying” earlier. One of the wonderful things about this shirt is that it dries very quickly. Get it wet fishing, and it’ll dry in minutes. Traveling with the Trip’r? Wash it out in a sink, squeeze out the excess water, place it between a couple of clean towels, roll them up and stand on the roll, moving your feet from side to side. Hang it and it’ll be completely dry in 3-4 hours, less if a breeze can reach it.
Whether machine washed or as described above, the shirt dries remarkably wrinkle-free. Also of note: it has a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating of 30+, meaning it blocks 96% to ~97% of ultraviolet rays; your skin will thank you.
Finally, a basic but essential fact: this is a good looking shirt. It’s certainly nice enough to wear to work. No one has to know that it’s adventure gear designed to keep you cool in the heat. Not even Chainsaw!
Price: $76 at Ex-Officio.com; free shipping is offered on orders over $50. The Trip’r is available in 4 colors in the Neo Tartan pattern, and is also available in solid colors; there’s also a short sleeve Trip’r. You can see this shirt by clicking on this link: Ex-Officio Trip’r Shirt - Neo Tartan
The Fine Print: I have no connection to Ex-Officio
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Have a happy and safe 4th of July!!
The Fine Print: I have no connection to iGourmet.com
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If you’re visiting a new city or want to rediscover a place you’ve visited before, check out Google Labs’ new City Tours. Released in June, City Tours provides suggestions for sights to see in thousands of cities around the world.
The interface couldn’t be simpler; just input a city and country in the search box (click on any of these images for a close up)–
…and City Tours provides recommendations and a route for a two day walking tour. Walking times are provided (although on the map it’s drawn in straight-line fashion (??) and recommendations for how long each sight’s visit will require.
Individual sights can be removed, and you can add specific locations as you prefer (your hotel, etc.) As with all Google Maps, you can zoom in and out, and drag/reposition the map.
Oddly, you can’t save the results, nor can you send them to friends (unless you were to do a simple screen shot).
City Tours looks like a great start; let’s hope Google Labs continues its development! Visit it here: Google Labs – City Tours
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If you’re an avid traveler, you’ve likely heard about Air New Zealand’s “Bare Essentials” safety video – part of the airline’s “Nothing to Hide” campaign – in which all of the employees featured in the video (and accompanying tv ad) wear nothing but body paint.
Proving an airline can have a sense of humor during tough times, the video has proven popular on YouTube, having been viewed more than 500,000 times. If you haven’t seen it, check it out… you’ll likely pay a bit more attention to this than you did to the safety briefing the last time you flew:
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Fodor’s editor Doug Stallings covers 5 times you should always use flyer miles, and 4 situations that are more suited to purchasing tickets with cash: Frequent Flyer Miles: When Should You Use One or the Other?
In addition to some solid tips, Doug’s article also includes links to several sites useful to frequent air travelers.
One of those links is to Airfare Watchdog’s matrix of frequent flyer fees (updated 12/08) – it’s a great reference if you’re often using miles: Airline frequent flyer fee chart
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More bad news from the interwebs… those merry pranksters over at Mozilla Labs upgraded/updated Firefox – they released v 3.5 in the last couple of days. It’s wonderful, it’s marvelous, it’s faster, it hard boils eggs in a minute and a half, and I’m sorta pissed off.
Firefox 3.5 does seem to be a solid improvement. Pages load more quickly, there’s a new “Private Browsing Mode,” you can reopen recently closed windows, and it has remarkable video capabilities.
So what’s my problem? Several of the Add-Ons that I’ve been using for the last couple of years aren’t (yet) compatible with version 3.5, and I’m still searching for alternatives. Otherwise, v 3.5 seems great. If you are still using Internet Explorer (why God why?!), you owe it to yourself to check out Firefox.
Here’s a brief video from Mike Beltzner, the Director of Firefox Development at Mozilla, which provides a great yet short (less than 3 minutes) Firefox 3.5 overview:
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Like one of Pavlov’s dogs, the moment I enter an airport and hear those tinny sounding PA announcements, I robotically begin shedding items… my watch, keys and Blackberry go into a zippered compartment on my bag, and as I stroll toward the TSA checkpoint I take my belt off and stow it. It’s become second nature.
One way to leave your belt in place (and your pants up!) in airports is to find one that’s completely non-metallic. Here’s an option from Spec-Ops, a firm founded in 2000 by two former CamelBak employees: the “Better BDU Belt.” (BDU is an acronym for “Battle Dress Uniform”; Spec-Ops specializes in heavy duty gear targeted at servicemen, hunters and adventure enthusiasts.) Imagine a belt made by Red Oxx, and you’d be close.
The belt is made of heavy gauge nylon webbing, and features a nearly indestructible polymer buckle that’s a cinch (ha! pun intended) to tighten and release.
Once tightened, it absolutely will NOT slip. Although the Better BDU Belt favors the heavy duty, adventure gear side, I’ve worn it to work on casual Fridays and it looked great.
The belt is available in two widths – 1½” wide and 1¾” wide (shown above) and two lengths which will accommodate any waist size. The length can be (permanently) adjusted in a matter of seconds, as well, by trimming its length.
The Better BDU belt comes in six colors (right), sells for $19.95, and is available directly from Spec-Ops. And oh yeah… keep your pants on!
The Fine Print: I have no connection with Spec-Ops
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SmarterTravel published their “Carry-On Bags: The Ultimate Guide” a few days ago. Click on the link to view the original post; you can view and save the Free guide.
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Golf is hard enough without having to play in heavy, sweat-soaked clothing when the hot weather hits. Our high temperatures have been in the mid 80’s to low 90’s recently, and it’s been humid as well. Going out to play in a pair of heavy shorts and a 100% cotton shirt is deadly… as well as not helpful to your game.
With this in mind, I’ve recently been searching for the lightest weight, coolest-feeling golf clothes available. Thus far I’ve come up with a couple of winners…
Most of my golf shorts are fairly traditional – 100% cotton Adidas, Nike and Dockers shorts. They’re nice enough, but when the heat and the humidity are turned up, everything starts feeling heavy. Regular readers know that in the past I’ve looked to backpackers and hikers for lightweight packing strategies, and so I naturally turned to CAMPMOR, the camping and recreational equipment online/bricks and mortar retailer.
Scanning the men’s shorts section, I came across a pair of Royal Robbins “Backcountry” shorts. Available in a couple of colors including khaki, they’re made with Supplex® nylon that dries quickly, resists water, stains and wrinkles. Best of all? They weigh a mere 9.3 oz and feel as though they weigh half that. The inseam is 8″, so they’re a reasonable, just above the knee length as well.
For a comparison, I weighed a pair of 100% cotton Nike shorts and they weighed 11.4 oz. I should mention that the Royal Robbins shorts include a nylon web belt with a quick release buckle. The elastic in those shorts also add to their sense of comfort. Love ‘em! Price: $34.99
As far as shirts go, there are many options when it comes to lightweight, high-tech shirts. I have a number of 100% poly or poly blend golf shirts, and they are all considerably lighter than 100% cotton shirts. The absolute lightest shirt I’ve found thus far is from Eddie Bauer, of all places! Simply called the Short Sleeve Half-Zip Polo, it’s made with a blend of polyester and Cocona polyester; moisture wicking, fast drying, odor resistant and offering UV protection as well, this shirt weighs a mere 6.3 oz.
My only misgiving about this shirt is that it’s zippered, and the placket is a contrasting color to the shirt; in my view it’s got a bit of a metrosexual vibe to it. But I don’t feel strongly enough about it to not wear it!! (On the darker colors, the contrast between the shirt and placket colors is less pronounced.) This shirt is currently on sale for $19.99
Also worth mentioning are the Izod FX Series golf shirts; the one I have weighs 6.6 oz. and is a good looking, super lightweight shirt. It too is 100% polyester. There’s an Under Armour golf shirt in my closet as well, 100% poly, and it clocks in at 9.1 oz.
I’m open to other suggestions… please comment if you’ve discovered any terrific hot weather gear!
The Fine Print: I have no connection to any of the companies mentioned in this post.
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Google Squared is a new search tool from Google Labs that enables you to organize, adjust and customize your Google search results.
Simply search on a specific topic, and your search results are returned in a spreadsheet-like table.
For instance, search for U.S. Presidents and Google Squared produces this:
(Click on any of these images for a close-up view with greater detail.) Want to add additional facts – such as each President’s political party, date of death, etc.? Just fill in the line adjacent to the “Add” button and then click the button…
You can delete rows and columns as you prefer. All of your Squared tables can be saved for future reference; you can also send links to your Squared results to someone else.
Another neat use is the compile a Squared table with links to sites you visit periodically. For instance, once a month I compile a summary of a number of economic indicators. I already know the URLs of the sites I use; as opposed to using individual bookmarks (as I’ve done in the past), I simply created a Squared table with all the pertinent links. I added those links by inputting the URLs to the search field and using the “Add to this Square” button.
I imagine this would be extremely handy for anyone – students, writers, – virtually anyone – to quickly compile information on a topic in a highly organized, customizable fashion.
Here’s a very quick video from the Google Product Manager who developed Squared which provides a neat illustration of how Squared can be used:
You can visit Google Squared by clicking on this link: Google Squared
If you’ve used this new tool, please share your experiences.
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Click on the following link for a complete rundown of current airline fees (booking, ticket changes, baggage charges, buying miles, beverages, snacks, use of lavatory, (I made up that last one), etc. etc. etc.) which was compiled by USA Today’s Gary Stoller:
Charts: Airline Fees (USA Today)
NOTE: these fees are subject to change!
Related article at the MSN Money Blog. One factoid from the article: US Airways will generate $500M this year via these fees. The central question is: does this business model make sense? Or are the airlines just alienating their customers… er, further alienating their customers?
How do you feel about these fees??
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