This is a great book for any job seeker. It not only covers all aspects of interviewing – but covers how to prepare. The insight of how recruiters work in invaluable.
Tom Jackson, Dallas, TX (May 17, 2009)

If you only read one book on job hunting, this is it! I am a career coach who refers to the information in Byers’ book more than any other. Byers’ suggestions to help readers figure out what truly is most important to the employer and then to play to the true values of their interviewer are practical and effective. He explains how to package your background so as to be easily appreciated in light of the employer’s needs.

This is a “must read” for anyone who is job hunting!

Ann Parrett (May 13, 2009)

All attendees were bright and eager for opportunity to network and receive feedback on their 30-second introduction. Four or five students would sit at my table, do their introduction, absorb their critique and then move to the next table to repeat the exercise. At the end of the night, they had the opportunity to practice their presentation six times, hopefully refining their message based on the critiques.

It was clear the graduate students had more on the ball that the undergraduates, or at least a higher level of self-confidence. They had a clearer vision of their career path and answered questions with greater clarity.

Almost without exception, everyone used more than 30 seconds for their presentation, a minor misdemeanor. A more serious infraction was lack of focus and how they were going to move forward. And only one student had a specific company in mind. My suggestion was to research your industry, pick three companies and then introduce yourself and ask for help into networking your way into any of these three companies.

One or two students had an underlying attitude that they were expecting their future employer to make the first move – without any real thought as to how to connect to the marketplace. I challenged this line of reason, “Leaving your career to the care of others is not a good habit. You are fully responsible for your career. You may not know how to do all you need to do to move forward in your career, but if you will embrace this idea about responsibility, the details will work themselves out in ways you never expected.”

I was a little surprised that I had to ask so many people to “speak up.” While they were competing with a moderate level of noise in the room, I was just imaging what it is going to be like at a busy job fair – they will be completely drowned out. A few women were soft spoken and one young man had a beautifully rich deep voice, but he spoke in a near whisper. As I mentioned to several, “If people can’t hear you, they won’t know how to respond and they will not know how to help you. Right now, you need people to help you.”

I applaud each of the students for attending the networking session. Their attendance shows initiative and a willingness to put themselves into an uncomfortable situation with a room full of strangers. Hopefully, the critiques provided some insight into better crafting their message. They have taken an important step in their transition from student to professional, so they can begin to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Critical Start
Hiring decision are made much earlier than most people imagine. Neil Anderson (1992) states “interviewers are far more influenced by information emerging early in the interview than that emerging later.” An 80-year meta-review of hiring found “interviewers reach a final decision about applicants after only four minutes of a thirty-minute interview.”

Crossing the Threshold
How do you know when you have crossed the golden threshold and transitioned from a candidate to an employee?

1. Watch the hiring manager’s body language. They will be more relaxed. They might crack a smile. Their gestures will be more animated. The formality of the interview will melt into a more casual tone. In interviewing for a sales position, I had a hiring manager rattle off 15 rapid fire interview questions and then abruptly stand up in mid-sentence and start an impromptu tour of the facility. A good sign indeed.
2. They are off script. Many hiring managers follow a scripted interview. When they put the pen down or push the paper aside, they have made up their mind.
3. They will stop asking questions and start talking about the company. Think of it as their sales pitch to you. Sharing details about a specific client or an upcoming project highlights a growing trust. They would not be sharing their “secrets” if they were not interested.
4. They will mention names – future coworkers or other managers you will have to meet before they make the (official) hiring decision. They are already beginning to see you functioning in their organization and interfacing with the team.

Some managers are very good poker players and the interview game becomes much harder. Their actions will be more subtle. Look for a personalized touch. Instead of dropping you off in the lobby, they will walk you to the door and linger a moment with you.

The Close
Once you receive one or more buying signals you will want to communicate in kind. State your specific interest in the company followed by a trial close. “Tom, the job description provides a good outline of the position. You filled in a lot of the holes and I am getting a good picture of how I will be able to contribute. My interest in the position is extremely high. What other background information can I share with you?” Tom will either continue to ask interview questions, which indicates a need for additional information before making a decision. Otherwise expect a comment like, “It looks promising. Let’s set up a time for you to talk to Samantha next week.”

How do you know when you have crossed the magic threshold and transitioned from a candidate to an employee?
1)    Watch their body language. They will be more relaxed. They might crack a smile. Their gestures will be more animated. The formality of the interview will melt into a more casual tone. I once had a hiring manager stand up in mid-sentence and start an impromptu tour of the facility. A good sign indeed.
2)    They are off script. Many hiring managers follow a scripted interview. When they put the pen down or push the paper aside, they have made up their mind.
3)    They will stop asking questions and start talking about the company. Think of it as their sales pitch to you. Sharing details about a specific client or an upcoming project highlights a growing trust. They would not be sharing their “secrets” if they were not interested.
4)    They will mention names – future coworkers or other managers you will have to meet before they make the (official) hiring decision. They are already beginning to see you functioning in their organization and interfacing with the team.

Some managers are sly poker players and the interview game becomes much harder. Their actions will be more subtle. Look for a personalized touch. Instead of dropping you off in the lobby, they will walk you to the door and linger a moment before saying goodbye.

Once you receive one or more buying signals you will want to communicate in kind. State your specific interest in the company followed by a trial close. “Tom, the job description provides a good outline of the position. You filled in a lot of the holes and I am getting a good picture of how I will be able to contribute. My interest in the position is extremely high. What other background information can I share with you?” Tom may continue to ask interview questions, which indicates a need for additional information before making a decision. Otherwise expect a comment like, “It looks promising. Let’s set up a time for you to talk to Samantha next week.”

About 20 students attended yesterday’s talk at Remington College, most in their early 20s. Remington College prepares their students for specific jobs. In this case, the students were studying to become Medical Assistants. When polled, about half the students were wrapping up their current program and impressively, about 80% showed an interest in furthering their education to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse or Registered Nurse.

The 45-minute presentation covered a few of the Dozen Strategies to Conquer Sticky Interview Questions from an upcoming ebook. This was my first dry run of the material. The emphasis was to help the students understand why and how to create effective interview stories.

One of the ways hiring managers try to predict our future success in their organization is to judge us based on our past behavior. I shared a couple of different ways to construct stories to surface past behavior. Through simple career stories, behaviors can be framed it in a way that will help the hiring manager “see” you being successful in their department.

The strategies are pretty easy concept to understand. I got a lot of nods from the student. I then turned the tables and ask them what sort of stories they were going to tell to the hiring manager. Most heads shifted from looking at me to looking at their desk, but two students took a stab at sharing stories.

One started by mentioning how important compassion was in taking care of her patients. Initially, she talked about compassion and patient care in general terms. I ask her for a specific example – a person, which day, what happened, where did it happen? Enthusiastically, she shared a story about a lady she had taken care of and the trusting relationship she had built through the compassionate care she had provided. She told how her care had transcended the physical needs of her patient. Her story held the interest of the group and will certainly hold the interest of the hiring manager that hears it. It was her personalization and specificity that gave her story punch. Telling someone that you are a great caregiver is flat. Showing how you are a great caregiver has impact.

I don’t know how many others in the class were able to internalize the information like the two students who shared their stories, but I walked away knowing that at least a few will step into the interview prepared and excited to share their value in the marketplace.