High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Ruin Your Chance of Succeeding in Your Interview

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 22 Ways to Ruin Your Chance of Succeeding in Your Interview: "While it may sound like I am exaggerating with these gaffes to humor you and make a point, you would be surprised to know that these are all real-life instances that I’ve encountered as an executive recruiter and hiring manager ."

• 7 Ways to Get from Burnout to Balance: "Balance looks different for everyone. Balance isn’t even the same for one person over time. Right now, balance might mean putting 90 percent of your energy into your career. Ten years from now, that number might be 50 percent. It all depends upon what you value at any given time, what you want to achieve, and when you want to achieve it."

• Working Parents and Calendar Apps: "The best way to get a handle on this is to transform your calendar into your timekeeper. A calendar tool can be helpful, because it doesn’t just help you remember meetings or deadlines; it spotlights how you spend your time."

• Dealing with the Death of a Coworker: "Those emotions can be wildly varied and aren’t often ones someone wants to have in a work environment. Anger, guilt, and tears can bubble to the surface."
• One Simple Trick to Be Happier:"if you want to be happier, think of it like ordering tapas—go for small, satisfying bites rather than hinging everything on one main course."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing”—standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident—affects our body chemistry, influences how others see us, and might even have an impact on our chances for job interviewing success.

Learn more in the video below:

Why Should I Hire You? How to Answer One of the Most Important Interview Questions

This popular interview question is often one of the last questions asked by your interviewer. It is often your last chance to make your sales pitch and to the employer. It is you opportunity to demonstrate that you have done your research, you know the company's need and goals, and that you have a solid idea of how you can be of assistance to the organization.

There is really no one right way to answer this question. However, I would like to give you some do's and don'ts as you prepare yourself for what just may be one of the most important questions you will face.

• DON'T ever try to be flippant or funny with your answer. By saying something to the effect of "Because I am the best chocolate chip cookie baker you will meet, so potlucks will be amazing." is not how you will best take advantage of this opportunity to sell yourself.

• DO your research in advance. Find out what the company needs, what is going on in their "world," and discover the reasons or motivation behind why they are hiring for this position. Formulate your answer based on this research to give one final pitch that you are the solution to their problems.

• DON'T sound desperate. Probably the worst answer to this question is "Because I need a job!" The employer is not looking for the employee with the greatest need. Instead they are looking for the one who brings the most value.

• DO have a solid idea of what skills and abilities make you a cost-effective employee. Sell the benefits you can bring to the employer and offer a few solid examples in your answer.

• DON'T be vague or speak using platitudes or generalities. You will not stand out from the crowd by offering the employer the same generic answer as most people: "I am a hard worker and a team player." Set yourself apart from the crowd by stating your skills and clarifying how those skills will benefit your potential employer.

• DO tie together your entire interview with your response to this question. Refer back to previous answers where you offered examples and told stories that demonstrated how you have used these skills to benefit previous employers. Telling stores and offering evidence makes the statements much more believable. 

Tips for Success in the Meal Interview

Although a rare occurrence, the job interview - or even networking meeting - conducted over a meal can be a dangerous minefield to navigate. There are several reasons that companies conduct these types of interviews. Often, hiring managers feel that they get a chance to see the "real you" over a meal or in a social setting because people may be more relaxed. Also, upon your hire you may be required to take clients or vendors out for meals. Before making the hiring decisions, leaders want to assess your manners and demeanor in an informal setting.

The "meal" may just be coffee or drinks or could be a breakfast, lunch, or dinner occasion. Regardless of when, what, or where your meal interview takes place there are some guidelines that you should consider before you go.

• Think carefully about what you order. Don't order the most expensive item on the menu. Conversely, you also should order more than a side salad.

• Don't order baby back ribs or other messy foods that are hard to eat and stay clean at the same time.

• Never order alcohol, even if the interviewer is drinking. If the interviewer insists on ordering you an alcoholic beverage, just let the drink sit. Alcohol and interviews don't mix!

• Be mindful of the fact that even if you are in a casual setting and a relaxed environment, this is still a job interview. Your dining partner is observing your behavior and your manners and listening to the answers you provide - just like in a traditional interview.

• Pay attention to body language and non-verbal communication the same as you would in any other interview. Don't come across as too casual or comfortable in your posture, eye contact, and speech patterns.

Interestingly, there is a story that Henry Ford, of Ford Motor Company, often used meal interviews when hiring his management members. If you were out to eat with Mr. Ford and you salted your meal before tasting it, in his mind the interview was over. He believed that you would be closed minded and would make decisions without gathering the facts first - just from this small mealtime behavior.

Five Interview Myths to Steer Clear From

Your resume and cover letter were impeccable, and they helped land you an interview. Have you bought in to any of the following interview myths? Read on to learn how to make an impression that lasts.

No need to prepare for the interview: Some feel there's no point in preparing for an interview because either you know the answers to their questions or you do not. Going into an interview without any practice or reflection is a kiss of death. There are two distinct things you can proactively practice before an interview: fleshing out your stories and how you deliver them. Your stories are the content of your interview: the experiences that matter most to the interviewer that will demonstrate competency in the position. Your delivery is the way in which you verbally convey your experiences: with confidence, authenticity, and without interruption. Prepare for your interview by addressing these two areas, using the job description and what you know about the job to create your content and practice your delivery in front of a mirror or with a friend.

Dress doesn't matter: How you dress most certainly matters in an interview, whether you are interviewing for a janitor or CEO position. I recommend dressing for two positions above your own. That typically means a suit, whether you are a man or a woman. Unless you are told specifically how to dress before coming to an interview, dress more formally than informally to show you value professionalism and take the experience seriously.

Interview begins in the interview room: The interview doesn't begin when you get face to face with the interviewer(s): it begins the moment you are contacted for the interview. The way that you treat others - from the human resources representative to the administrative assistant - will reflect on you as a candidate. Convey your most professional self. 

Interview types are the same: When most people think of an interview, they think of themselves sitting one-on-one with an interviewer, being asked questions like "what are your weaknesses?" and "why do you want this job?" Interviews can take many forms, including panel interviews, where a group of people interview a candidate, all-day interviews, where a candidate will interview with one or two people for a period of time and then move on to another person or persons, and let's not forget behavioral interviews, where the questions focus on how your specific experiences and actions correspond to the position. Be prepared to handle any of these scenarios!

No need for questions at the end: If you don't have any questions for the interviewers at the end of the interview, you shouldn't ask any…right? Wrong: the questions that you ask at the end of an interview indicate the depth with which you have thought about the position and are a great time to learn more about aspects of the position on which you might not be clear, such as company culture and work environment. Have at least five questions ready for the end of the interview and be prepared to ask as many as you are able.

What are your interview myths? Leave them in the comments below!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Work-Life Balance, Interviewing, and Starting a Business

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 5 Tips for Managing a Healthy Work-Life Balance
"What can you do for yourself to manage a good work-life balance and not go crazy?"

2. 3 Tips for Job-Seeking Boomers Hoping to Combat Age Discrimination 
"As Boomers, you've developed a larger network over the years than any other generation. Use this to your advantage."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. Stand Out in Your Interview
"You can never invest enough in terms of preparation. You should find out as much as possible about the company."

4. How to Stay on the Hunt After Landing a Good Job
"Keep up with the trends and build your network at the same time by joining a professional association. Your new employer may even offer to pay for your membership, if they see the return on their investment."

5. 5 Tips for Starting Your Own Business 
"Whether your motivation is that you're miserable at work or if it's because you anticipate a layoff, you may be better off marketing yourself as a consultant or starting a business instead of looking for another traditional job."

Grabbing Control of the Outcome of Your Next Job Interview

One of the most common complaints about the job interview process is the feeling of a lack of control over the outcome. Most people do not enjoy the fact that their career "fate" is at the hands of a random group of questions. I would like to discuss the 4 factors that go into determining your success in an interview. I think you will be surprised to find out just how much control you actually have over your own success.

Factor #1 - Packaging
This factor contributes an estimated 40% in determining how successful you will be in an interview. Packaging is your image, your non-verbal communication, and how well you sell the fact that you are the right candidate for the job. Dress professionally, control your body language, and ensure you demonstrate how you will embrace the company's culture to gain control of this factor.

Factor #2 - Responsiveness
This factor also contributes an estimated 40% to your successful outcome. Responsiveness is all about how you answer the questions you are asked. Do you talk for 15 minutes without ever answering the question? Did you come unprepared with no research on the company or the job? These are examples of how you can lose control over an interview. However, if you prepare for the interview in advance as these articles suggest, how well you respond the questions is completely within your control.

Factor #3 - Qualifications
Believe it or not, once you get to the interview stage, qualifications only represent an estimated 10% of your success. Make no mistake, your qualifications are critical to being invited for an interview. However, the interview process is more about emotions - do you fit in with the team, do they like you, do they think they can work with you, etc. - than about qualifications. You can't control your qualifications today. However, you can make a conscious effort to improve your qualifications by the types of positions, training, or education your pursue in the future.

Factor #4 - "Other" items
This elusive "other" category is completely beyond the scope of our control. Take comfort in the fact that it only accounts for about 10% of your success. Items that may fit in this category: they hired their nephew instead of you, they did not mesh well with your personality, or you reminded them of their ex-girlfriend and the wound was too fresh to even consider hiring you.

Don't waste your time and energy focusing on those things outside of your control, instead focus on Packaging and Responsivness. These two factors - upon which you can have a direct impact - represent as much as 80% of your success in the interview.