The MicroTrain Blog

Hump Day Hunting Help: June 15, 2011

by Kassandra McGhee on June 15th, 2011

Tip of the Week: Learn How to Read Your Interviewer’s Mind

Interviews can be stressful.  So wouldn’t it be helpful if you could read the interviewer’s mind and know exactly what s/he was looking for? 

Well, the simple answer is this, the interviewer is thinking: “Is this candidate the right person for this job?”  Furthermore, “Will s/he excel in the position? Be reliable in the position? Get along with others in the company? Is this the best overall fit for the organization?”  Your job interview is just a strategic conversation to help a company answer these questions.  Yes, strategic because there is a process and purpose behind the questions being asked. 

So how do you read your interviewer’s mind?  It’s actually quite easy—it’s about knowing the “what” behind the “why.”  Specifically, “what” skill set, experience, or quality are they looking for in the “why” or the question being asked.  It’s also determining what else they are seeking: your professionalism, your positive attitude, your passion, your honesty, your integrity.  So in essence, the company wants to know who you are, what unique overall value you bring to the table and what really makes you desire to become a part of their team.

Sounds too easy? Well, it’s really that uncomplicated.  The company desires you to “fit” and will ask questions to identify if you do.  All you have to do is know the “what” behind the “why” and what makes you the ideal, valuable, problem-solving team member. 

So there is really no need to fear an interview ever again.  You can learn to read the interviewer’s mind and then acing the interview can be a cinch! 

Below are a few articles written for interviewers.  It’s a quick way to learn to read their minds and take a peek inside interviewers through their eyes.

Hump Day Hunting Help: June 8, 2011

by Kassandra McGhee on June 10th, 2011

Tip of the Week: Job Interviews = Invest Opportunities

An interview is an investment opportunity.  Simply said, it’s a business meeting where two entities discuss and possibly negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement.   And like any investment, it has to make sense for everyone.

Knowing how to navigate this type of meeting is simple.  Know your product and know your investor.  During the interview process, the company will make sure your “investment” aligns with their needs.  You must demonstrate how your “product” will help solve the company’s problems and thus, is worth their investment of resources. 

However, during the interview, you must also determine if you would like to invest in the company.  Identify who the company is, their products, values/missions, etc.   Then you can determine if their overall investment is a proper, equal fit for what you will be investing.

  • Your Investment = Your Talent (i.e., skills, experience, education, training, time, etc.)
  • The Company’s Investment = Knowledge/Product/Growth Opportunities, Compensation

Successfully mastering your interviews is essential to obtaining the right investor.  It’s a two-way conversation that allows both parties to make a choice to either work together or identify the right opportunity elsewhere.  Either way, the final investment choice is yours. You choose where you are willing to invest your talent.

Not an experienced negotiator or confident interviewer?  Well, here’s a quick way to learn some of the how-to’s.   

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I was laid off for many months and not really getting many callbacks for my resume and no job offers. After I put the letters PMP on it, not only did I see an increase in quantity, but also quality of interviews. I had been spinning my wheels for 5 months, and after the PMP went on, I had 2 job offers in 6 weeks. It really was the "golden ticket"

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I attended a resume writing seminar & conducted mock phone interviews with a Microtrain career counselor. These two activities gave me a leg up on distinguishing myself from all the other people looking for work. Since the career counselor's at Microtrain had a track record of getting people hired, their insight and positive past experiences helped me tremendously in getting hired with a Cisco Voice Systems Integrator in the Chicago area. I was hired as a Cisco Voice Tech Engineer with a starting salary of $65,000 / year with a Cisco voice systems reseller located in the Chicagoland area. Microtrain was very instramental in making this a reality. From expediting my WIA grant, to providing excellent hands-on training from knowledgable instructors I was able to achieve becoming certified with my CCNP. Microtrain's career services was the final catalyst in connecting me with this company by communicating with them on my behalf and with me in setting up the interview. One week later and I was hired. No joke. Thanks Microtrain!

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