May, 2008
by Denise P. Kalm, DPK Coaching and CA, Inc.
Denise Kalm has 30 years experience in IT including application programming, enterprise systems management and performance management/capacity planning at Pacific Telephone and Bank of America. She moved to vendor land in 2000, spending 5 ½ years with BMC on the EPA product line, then recently became the senior product marketing manager for enterprise job scheduling products at CA, Inc., formerly Cybermation. She is a regional officer of CMG, has held many volunteer positions within that organization and is a frequent contributing author. Prior to entering the IT profession, she was a biochemical geneticist. Her hobbies include flying, Jazzercise, writing and scuba diving. Her book, Lifestorm, on the Oakland Hills fire, is available on Amazon. She is an executive and personal coach as well, offering phone and in-person coaching.
About the Author
Denise P. Kalm, CA, Inc. formerly Cybermation
In part 1, we covered how to prepare for the tough interview questions you may be asked. In this article, we will discuss the elevator pitch and crafting questions to ask your interviewer. Preparation is essential when the market is competitive, so the effort will pay off. This is another way to separate yourself from the "pack." While skills matter, how you present yourself actually matters more.
The one question not fully covered last month was the first one you are likely to encounter - "tell me about yourself." Surprisingly, many people are stumped by this question, but they should not be. Because it is very broad, it can be intimidating (where do you start?) unless you have crafted and prepared your answer in advance. In sales, this is called the "elevator pitch" - a 2-3 sentence summary of your value to the company, hitting highlights of your accomplishments. It is called an "elevator speech" because you need to keep it short enough to deliver in an elevator ride (and not one that goes to the top of the Sears Tower). The question is not an invitation to begin a monologue. Shorter is harder, so planning this in advance helps you move smoothly though the first awkward moments of an interview and sets a confident tone.
If you can find a friend to critique your pitch, it will help. Often, when we prepare something, we make assumptions or forget to set context. An independent review will help you make it clear and understandable. A friend may also have ideas to make it stronger.
Preparing for hard questions (part 1) and the elevator pitch can be done at any time, even before you start to look. The final preparation must happen after you select jobs to pursue - crafting questions for the interviewer based on your knowledge of the company and the job.
Most people view interviews as an interrogation - question after question until the interviewer offers you an opportunity to ask a few questions. Not only does this make rapport-building difficult, it also makes it hard to get all your questions answered, without appearing to interrogate your future boss. Another consequence to this lack of a plan is the tendency to ask questions that are premature, such as about salary or vacation.
Planning your questions and how to ask them is as important as any other part of the interview preparation. The process is straightforward.
This last element is key - it translates an interrogation into a conversation. People prefer dialogue - most people would rather converse than cross-examine.
Research is self-explanatory - plumb your network to get as much information as you need. The goal is to clarify how you can add value to the company and to decide if you even want to work there. The important challenge is asking questions skillfully. You don't want to wait until the end and fire off your laundry list, nor can you take over the interview. The trick is to answer a question, then lead into one of your own.
Among the things you may want to determine:
An example of a good segue follows:
Interviewer: What is your best skill? You: I really value my technical skills (short summary) and I also value my ability to communicate with anyone. (segue) How would you see my abilities contributing to the organization?
Interviewer: What was the biggest problem you had with a boss? You: I always manage to find a way to work with almost anyone, once I understand what they are looking for, so this hasn't been an issue. (segue) I admit to preferring a reasonable amount of autonomy. What is your approach to managing your team?
As you can see, your questions will be your own, based on what you need and want to know. The more you understand clearly what you need in a job, the better you can craft questions to get the information you need. These questions are also an opportunity to display your knowledge of the job and the company, which is always a nice approach.
Remember - you are not an applicant just hoping for a job. This is a contract negotiation between two equal partners. Keeping your value and your needs in mind helps you remember that you are on par with the interviewer. This can be the edge you need to shine over others who sound a bit more desperate. Even if you feel you really NEED the job, keep in mind that they really NEED you too.
This probably sounds like a lot of preparation, and it is. But if you have ever lost a job you really wanted, or taken a job that was a disaster, you will see the value of investing the time and energy here.
Stay tuned next month for another edition of "Your Career Coach". If you would like additional information or personal coaching for your life and your career, contact me at or see my web site: www.DPKCoaching.com.