Please check back frequently as we post articles that will help you find that dream job, interview to win it, and negotiate the best salary among many other topics posted by certified life coach, Karen Battoe.
Interview Tip: How to explain why you were laid off:
Maybe you were laid off. So how do you go to another employer and say I’m good for you, well, they laid me off but…”
A client of mine, George, was laid off from his employer after 12 years with the company. He had been on four interviews and everyone asked, “Why did you leave you’re job?” or “Why are you looking? He said he could feel his face going flush, and he would break into a sweat.
That happens to a lot of people. And the main reason is that in their mind, they think that it was a performance issue.
They think it was something that they did. And it’s not. And what people have to realize is when somebody asks you, keep in mind two things. One is, if you were laid off or if you were down sized, that’s neutral. That has nothing to do with you. It was a decision that was made by senior management.
It doesn’t have anything to do with performance, most of the time. The second is that when you resign, it is considered a negative. The reason it’s considered a negative is because it’s dissatisfaction on your part. If you we’re satisfied, you wouldn’t be looking. If you were happy and satisfied you wouldn’t jump at a recruiter when they make that call or they tell you about a new position.
That’s a reason we look at it as a negative. Now it’s important though, when you – when you’re in the interview today that your answers are brief, to the point, concise, clear, and conveyed with confidence. If you tell me confidently why you left, I’m probably just going to accept it and move on to my next question. If you start over explaining and defending and repeating and opening all those doors, you’re going to eliminate yourself.
What happens is, sooner or later during the interview, you’re going to say something I don’t like, I don’t understand or I misunderstand. And that’s really what gets you eliminated. So don’t go into detail unless you’re asked. Give the answer and make it brief, concise, clear, to the point, conveyed with confidence, and then if you can jump in with the question.
It’s really easy to take or regain control of the conversation, and that’s just by saying “Was that the kind of example you were looking for? Was that the level of detail you were looking for?” If it wasn’t, I’m going to go back in and I’m going to say “Yes it was.” However, there are two things you brought up that I’d like further clarification on and then I’ll give you those two areas that I want clarified…
That way you don’t rehash the whole story, all over again.
The next is that no one is really interested in opinion or subjectivity. When you start about “Well, the job just changed overnight, it wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be. When I took the job it was going to be this, this, and this. And now, they have me managing another department or they have me maybe getting into sales and I really don’t want to do this.” I didn’t ask that question. Okay? So I don’t need all that information. And if you’re saying something about your boss, that’s opinion, that subjectivity. Nobody’s interested in hearsay, and that’s basically what it is.
What I want people to do is remember positive, negative, positive. The positive is why you joined the company. The negative is why you left the company, if you resigned or remember if you were downsized or laid off, it’s neutral. But I also want to know, what did you learn while you were there? And the biggest problem that people have today in answering any question is that they leave it on a negative instead of turning it around to a positive. You do that by saying, “This is the reason I left, but let me tell you what I learned while I was there, that has really added to my skills set and my knowledge.” And give them some examples. This way you turn it back into a positive.
Again, as the interviewer, if I want any more information I’ll go in and I’ll ask for it.
The other thing is that candidates, when they’re interviewing, you want to make sure that the person understands that you like learning. That’s a good way to turn it into a positive. You can say, “While I was there I learned how to do this.” Interviewers and employers like what we call life-long learners. You always want to say “I’m looking for an environment where I can stretch in my learning and stretch in my thinking.”
Karen Battoe, Certified Life Coach
Interview Tip: How to negotiate your salary over the phone
The most difficult question that prospective employees get in the telephone interview process is “What are your salary requirements?”
Karen Battoe: The reason it’s difficult is because if you give them the wrong number, it’s over and done with and you won’t get a call back. So the question that I get all the time is from my clients is, “What do I need to do to get them to give me the number first?”
And always remember that we have a rule when it comes to money and that he who speaks first loses. It happens all the time. If somebody would say to you what kind of money are you looking for, I’m going to give you two suggestions. The one is “I’m sure ABC Company pays what is competitive in the market place. So I don’t think salary is going to be an issue. By the way, what is your range for this position?” Now, they’re not going to look at you and say “Well, I asked you first”.
Karen Battoe: They’re probably going to give you a number. So it’s your responsibility to do your homework. Never walk into an interview without knowing what that position is worth in the market place, in that industry, in that geographic area.
Here’s another suggestion, even though salary is important, what is more important is the position. “I will be happy to discuss my compensation requirements, when we’ve decided that I’m the right person for the job.”
Karen Battoe, Certified Life Coach
Are You Prepared For Tricky Behavioral Interview Questions Like These?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- Have you ever been fired or forced to resign?
- Why have you had so many jobs in such a short period of time?
