Respect Authoritah & Other Words of Advice When Interviewing
Kathy Rapp9.28.2010
In the last couple of years, my streak of 18 years without a traffic ticket has abruptly come to an end. In fact, I had the joy of two tickets within the same year - and not even for fun stuff but rather going 42mph in a 35mph zone. Whatever.
I ran across an article that referenced Chris Rock's "educational" video on what to do when you get pulled over by a police officer. Note: You know right now whether Mr. Rock's humor is your kind of humor, so don't watch the video if you'll be offended.
"Obey the law" he says. "Stop immediately" and "stay in your car with your hands on the wheel." Finally, "if your woman is mad at you, leave her at home. There's nothing she'd like to see more than you getting your [you-know-what] kicked."
In the same article, real officers give their own advice and wouldn't you know it, I found there are parallels when it comes to interviewing for a job.
First, "OBEY THE LAW". Seems rather intuitive when it comes to driving, but what about interviewing? Yep, there are unwritten rules to interviewing which will keep you in the good graces of an interviewer. Things like:
•Show up on time and respect the time of the interviewer. Don't show up late without calling and then fail to apologize. I've had this happen and then the candidate asked me for a cappuccino like I was a Starbucks barista!
•Dress appropriately. I'm not talking about the obvious - wear a suit. What I do mean is dress like it is 2010 and for your audience. If you haven't bought a suit in 10 years, changed your frames since 1977 or pondered a new hair style after the 80's....you're not dressing appropriately.
•Be succinct with your answers, but answer the question. I can often gauge how an interview will go by how a candidate answers the question: "Give me the 5 minute overview of your resume, focusing on how you've progressed and why you've left each role." If 15 minutes later we're still on job #2 and I'm getting unnecessary details, we're probably done.
Next, "DON'T ARGUE". Seriously, how many tickets have you gotten out of by being argumentative? Same goes for the interview. If the interviewer seems like they don't understand your answers and asks for you to explain in a different way, don't get exasperated. I've had a candidate stop an interview with a client because he "felt like he was being interrogated" around his reasons for leaving jobs. Newsflash... EVERYONE is going to ask you that question so you'd better have solid answers the average 4th grader can comprehend. Even if you are really ticked off by the interviewer's style or line of questioning, keep your cool and blow off steam post-interview when it can't hurt your chances of getting to the next round.
Lastly, "BE HONEST". I know we've all been tempted to make up glorious stories to get out of a ticket, but think about the number of tales cops hear on a daily basis. Same goes for those who interview you. While creativity is a sought after skill in some jobs, interviewers want you to be honest with them. At the basic level, it means don't falsify your application - the fastest way to get fired in my book. It also means be truthful with your recruiter as to why you didn't finish the degree, why you left jobs abruptly, where you are with other companies in their interview process, and most importantly - do you really think this role is the right next move for you, or are you just blowing smoke up my @$$ because you think you need a backup plan?!!
Whether it's a cop or an interviewer - perhaps we should take what Cartman says to heart and "Respect my authoritah!"
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