Entries from October 2009 ↓

3. I believe that when a company says it has reached its limit, the company really means it has no more to offer. Do you believe it when a car dealer tells you he or she “just can’t possibly go any lower” on a $28,000 car, even if he or she says it two or three times? What about when an interviewer says he or she “just can’t go any higher” on your salary?
Unless you’re applying for a job within the government or academia, your employer most likely has 15 to 20 percent more for you in the budget than he or she will originally
offer. The trick is that you have to ask for it and prove (with your Q statements) that you merit the additional funds.

4. It embarrasses me that I might be seen as “greedy” if I ask for more money or try to bargain for better benefits. Some of us (most, I think) desire financial security and a measure of wealth so that we can live the life we choose. Wanting to improve your lifestyle and the lives of your family, friends, and even those less fortunate is not greed. A
desire for your parents to have security in their old age and your kids to get a good education is certainly not greed. It really is okay to make money, and a lot of it. It’s even okay to drive a fancy red sports car!

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Here’s an opportunity to examine your objections and overcome them. The effort is worthwhile. After all, the few minutes or hours you spend talking about and settling upon your compensation package not only will bring you immediate rewards but also will set you up for all of your future promotions and raises.

The five most common objections to negotiating that I’ve heard are the following:

1. I’m afraid if I ask for more, I’ll jeopardize the job offer. If the company really wants you for the job, you’ll get the job regardless of whether you do or do not try to negotiate,
so you might as well try.

2. Negotiating is only for aggressive “wheeler-dealer” types. Actually, negotiating involves very subtle communication. You don’t have to yell or scream or flex your muscles. Thousands of shy and soft-spoken people negotiate for higher pay every day. In fact, it may actually help to lower the volume of your voice during a salary negotiation.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

• First we will talk about common fears of negotiating and some responses to those concerns.
• Next, we’ll compare the stories of two negotiators, Thomas and Stephan, and exactly what choices enabled one of them to get $30,000 more in salary for the same job.
• Third, I’ll present what I call the four bargaining factors. These are four things you need to do and/or decide before stepping up to the bargaining table.
• Next, we’ll analyze the technique of open-door negotiating, the surest way to bargain for a higher salary and more comprehensive benefits.
• Finally, we’ll observe blow-by-blow salary discussions of successful negotiators so that you can see the four bargaining factors and open-door negotiating techniques in action.

Common Fears about Negotiating
You might be hesitant to negotiate because of any one or all of the reasons listed below. Take an honest look at yourself now, before you go into an interview, to see if you are holding any of these ideas about earning money or negotiating a salary. Most people try to avoid salary negotiating. In fact, it’s not at all unusual for people to dread this part of the interview.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find yourself some way that is going to be interesting. —Katherine Hepburn Copyright 2003

Congratulations! You’ve completed almost every piece of the puzzle. You have command of your job-specific skills, your general skills, your relevant personal traits, your competencies, and your gift, and you’re ready to use specific examples to demonstrate them at the drop of a hat!

Already, you are in the top 15 percent of all candidates looking for a new job!

In addition to that, you have realistic examples of your skills and competencies, and more than 20 Q statements to back you up. Not only do you know how to strategically answer the most common and some of the most difficult interview questions; you also know how to stay cool under even the most pressured of interview situations—the stress question.

Now that you’re a pro, this chapter will make you a master! You’re going to learn how all of your hard work in the last seven chapters will pay off. You’re going to grasp the techniques for bargaining for a salary of up to 20 percent higher than you would have expected. You’re going to master the techniques of opendoor negotiating.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

I’ve done some research on the company so I know which of my attributes to emphasize during the interview.
I can answer the question, “What do you know about our company?”

I know that the strategy for answering a question behind a question is to figure out the real fear or concern behind the question and then to answer it in a way that puts the fear or concern to rest.

I recognize stress questions, and I realize they’re intended to be stressful. I therefore remain calm and answer them to the best of my ability.
I know how to answer the question “What is your greatest
weakness?”

I am clear that I will never bring up anything negative about my former jobs or bosses, even if I am asked.

Just in case an illegal question is asked, I know how to handle it.

I’m aware that the way I sit in my chair can either make me look enthusiastic or disinterested. I adopt a posture that shows I’m fascinated and fascinating!

I have a good idea of some of the questions I would like to ask the interviewer about the company when he or she says, “Do you have any questions?”

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

You will feel most relaxed and comfortable if you just allow yourself to enjoy expressing yourself as you would in any situation.

Just one more hint: Mirror your interviewer’s rate and style of speech. If you match your rate of speech to the speed of the interviewer’s speech, your interviewer will unconsciously feel more of a rapport with you. Most of the time you will not need to do this, but if you get a real fast talker or a real slow drawler, that person will tend to feel more comfortable with you if you are closer to his or her rate of speech. Practice this with a friend or with someone you meet, and see how this matching technique will help you to feel more at ease.

Before we move on to salary negotiation, let’s make sure you’ve mastered the interviewing ingredients to get a top offer! Take a moment to test your readiness with this checklist. If you can check every box, you’re an interviewing pro!

I know that the best strategy for answering straightforward questions is to tell stories with specifics and to use Q statements to highlight my skills, personal traits, competencies, and accomplishments.
I’ve done some research on the company so I know which of my attributes to emphasize during the interview.
I can answer the question, “What do you know about our company?”

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Have you ever noticed that your friends are more likely to talk about the intimate details of their health or relationships than they are about how much money they make? Do you know how much money your cousin, your neighbor, or even your best friend makes? If so, you’re probably in the minority.

For some reason, people just don’t seem to feel comfortable talking about how much money they earn. If it’s “too much,” they’re afraid they might arouse jealousy. If it’s “too little,” they may be afraid others will look down on them. Most teenage children don’t even know how much money their parents make, much less how their parents may have negotiated to get that amount of money.

You’ll find that, in an interview situation, both you and the interviewer will have a tendency to get the salary discussion out of the way and clinch the deal as soon as possible. Unfortunately, nothing could be more detrimental to your ability to bargain with the employer for the salary you deserve. In this chapter we’re going to bring the issue of salary right out into the open. We’re going to talk about several things that are important to understand before you negotiate:

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Leaning slightly forward—even if you’re not that interested in the interview—sends a signal that you are energetic and enthusiastically involved in the discussion. Who would you prefer to talk with? Someone who exhibits little energy and interest, or someone who you believe is very interested and enthusiastic? Surely the person with energy and enthusiasm would win out. As discussed in a previous chapter, psychologists and linguists estimate that a full 93 to 97 percent of our communication is actually nonverbal, so before you say anything, pay attention to how you are saying it.

Some other body language tips to keep in mind during your interview are the following:

• Is your body open and free to move and gesture naturally? Or is it tight, with your shoulders hunched up and your arms folded in front of your chest? Of the two, an open posture is certainly preferable.
• Do you make good eye contact? Remember, good eye contact does not mean having a staring contest. It is fine to naturally look away from time to time.
• Are you sitting slightly forward in your chair, with an open posture and without any habitual movements (like twirling your hair around your finger or clenching your fists)? Once you get the posture right and eliminate any unnecessary habitual movements, you should feel free to gesture and move about as much or as little as is natural for you.
• Are you fidgeting or feeling unsure of where to place your hands while talking to an interviewer? Simply rest one hand on each of your legs, or fold them in your lap.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

1. When you enter the room, shake hands with each person in the group. It’s great if you can try beforehand to get everyone’s name, but that’s not always possible. You don’t have to address each person by name, nor do you have to introduce yourself by first and last names to all of them. A handshake, with direct eye contact, a smile, and a simple “Hello” or “Good morning” will do.

2. Make eye contact with everyone in the room. The interviewers are going to ask you questions one at a time. It’s good to make eye contact with the person who asked the question and the others who are listening. Be sure that you glance into the eyes of each interviewer at least for a second on every question, no matter which one of them asked a particular question.

3. Write thank-you notes to all of the interviewers. It’s worth your time! If you don’t know their names or titles, you can ask the main interviewer or his or her secretary.

Body Language
Now that you know more about how to answer interview questions, I’d like you to know a little secret about body language. The secret is this: If you are sitting back, comfortably resting on the back of your chair, your answers will not be nearly as believable as if you are sitting with your whole body tilted slightly forward in your chair. Sitting back in your chair sends a signal, unconsciously, to the interviewer that you are not that interested in what you’re saying and maybe that you’re even a laid back kind of person.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

7. Do not ever discuss salary on the phone. It’s quite likely that one of the first questions asked in a phone interview will be, “How much are you making now?” or “What are your salary expectations?” It’s way too soon for you to reveal that kind of information. In fact, it could cost you tens of thousands a year in lost earnings! In Chapter 8 you will see why bringing up salary at such an early stage is not advisable. That chapter will also thoroughly discuss the techniques for politely and tactfully postponing salary talk until you have a firmer idea of where you stand with the company. Note, however, that if you’re talking to a professional search firm, it is OK to discuss salary early on in the job search process. The recruiters at the search firm need to know your salary range in order to find an appropriate position for you.

Group Interviews
As if one interviewer isn’t enough, you may be asked to speak to three or four interviewers at a time. This is called a group, or panel interview. The content of the interview and your answers will not be any different than they would be with a single interviewer, but your greeting, eye contact, and follow-up will change a little. Remember these three tips:

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job