Time for that hiring interview. Congratulations. Whether you are speaking with a Recruiter, an Human Resources pro tasked with hiring, or directly with the Manager that you could be working for, here are 10 Tips To Speak ‘Successful Interview. ‘
1) Be meticulously truthful and absolutely do not exaggerate; Putting in tool offsets is not “programming.”
2) Quantify whenever possible. Only in Washington D.C. do numbers not have any legitimate meaning. ‘Hold operations to 0.0005″ on machine ABC,’ at least lets them know you have some idea about tolerances and what you have achieved on one machine.
3) Give examples with specifics that clarify, not obfuscate. “Operated automatic multi spindle machine” is vague – it could be a state of the art Tornos Deco or Index Machine, or you could mean an older cam-type Acme or New Britain automatic. The recruiter may chomp at the bit to find a guy who he thinks knows cam machines, only to have employer annoyed that he found another CNC kind of guy. Be specific, not vague.
4) Tell your story. Why you like to make things. How you are proud to know that people are safer, more comfortable, or shooting tighter groups because you held the precision needed on some critical part.
5) Be prepared to honestly explain your expected career trajectory. The reality is, every body has to serve their “time” whether its called ‘apprenticeship’ or something else. Unless the hiring manager changed your diapers at an early age, its unlikely you’ll get to be a VP of Operations in two years. So figure this out before the decisionmaker discovers it when you spill it on yourself in their office.
6) Be candid, tell them what you haven’t done. Knowing that upfront allows the recruiter and the hiring manager to intelligently manage risk, not just do damage control.
7) Be yourself. Nobody can fake sincerity, although if you last name is Madoff, you might do better than most. Don’t tell them what you think they might want to hear, tell them what you think. It always comes out anyways. Why be fake?
8). Be positive. Noone is going to hire Eeyore.
9) Back to that career trajectory- have at least an outline of a plan. “Once I am fully capable on set up and programming, I think I’d like to take some courses on _____ ” is much better than a blank stare like a deer before the truck hits. You will be asked, so work on it now.
10) Under promise and over deliver. This is the sustainable way to make a life, not just a living.
Final thought, look at the risk in the hiring process. In the case of a bad hire:
- The candidate emerges from a bad placement with some pay and another employer of record on their resume and some learning at someone elses expense.
- The recruiter looks like he can’t figure out the difference between a frog and a prince, and might lose the account.
- The employer loses the most- Time spent to train and get new employee working, fees to agency, and any damages that may occurr if the person doesn’t work out- including lost business or quality reputation damaged at customer etc.
Given these realities, it is in everyone’s best interest if you provide truthful information that helps all of you intelligently manage the risk of this important decision.
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