Looking for Practice Interview Questions & Suggested Answers?

I was asked to day for some web site suggestions for practice interview questions and answers. My recommendations were as follows:

Quint Careers' Web Site - 109 Sample Questions & Answers

About.com - Sample Questions and Advice on Answers - supposedly for tech interviews but many questions that are more general

Interview Questions on Interviewcoach.com - You pick from multiple choice and then you're given the suggested answer to compare

Matching "Rainmakers" with "Idea People"

I was recently asked by a "rainmaker" (apparently known for achieving excellent results in small businesses) how he could find people with ideas and resources to fund them who were looking for someone like him to get the business started.

Following are a few ideas that came to mind:

1. Talk to VC's. They're always on the lookout for talent with a solid track record for the companies in which they invest.
2. Talk to angel investors - they might be good sources of connections for even earlier stage companies. Check out the web site of the Angel Capital Association and particularly the directory page, which includes a listing of national organizations that have directories of investors and that provide matching services for entrepreneurs and angels.
3. Become active in your local chamber of commerce and/or other local business networking organizations; ask around.
4. Identify local business incubators. Contact them and find out if any of the companies their "incubating" are looking for somebody with your skills and/or track record.
5. Build relationships with lawyers and accountants who do a lot of business with new entrepreneurs. Patent attorneys might be a good group on which to focus.
6. Keep on eye on press for entrepreneurs, such as Business 2.0.
   
7. Check out trade publications for inventors, such as Inventor's Digest.
   
8. Identify a particular area of focus (industry, technology, etc.) and do a press search looking for newly launched companies in that space.

Help Other People Help You!

I receive quite a few e-mails - sometimes from complete strangers through listserves - that run something like this: "I'm looking for a job in product marketing. My background is in educational software; I've spent the last 5 years at Acme Educational Ware. If you hear of any product marketing opportunities, please let me know."

There are a few ways the requestor could make it easier for me and the other readers to respond to his request:

1. Create a resume blog or a detailed profile on linked-in and give us a URL to allow us to see more details about your background.
2. Tell me a little more about your background. What was your most recent title? What were you job responsibilities? On an overall level, what did you tangibly accomplish in the job? Or - what was your most recent major accomplishment?
3. Tell me what kind of job you are looking for and in what industry(ies). Be specific. Give me a title, a quick outline of responsibilities, and a few bullets on results you're looking to produce for an employer.
4. Make a very specific request of me. Possibilities include:
   

• please forward me job descriptions that fit my profile; let me know the names of companies you know are recruiting in my target industry(ies) and field(s); please send me URL's of web sites that might help me with my search.
  
• If you know the people you've been writing well, you might also ask that they respond with the names of people they know that you could talk to in any of a specific list of companies. However, this kind of request is usally best made on an individual basis.

If you are finding that written/e-mailed requests for help are not bearing the fruit you'd expected, take a look at whether or not you are being clear enough in your requests to help other people help you!

Stressed Out at Work?

Do you ever find times in the day where you feel totally stressed out - so much so that you have difficulty getting anything done (which in turn makes you feel even more stressed)?

I've come across two approaches guaranteed to help you rediscover your center and re-start fresh. And the beauty of these techniques is that you can do them at your desk without anybody necessarily noticing (or if you're worried about that - they can be done quickly in a coffee room, conference room, etc.). So, what are they?

1. Breathing "Meditation" - Close your eyes. Breathe in for 5 seconds - SLOWLY. Hold for 3 seconds then breathe out for 5 seconds - SLOWLY. Focus on the breathing and the counting. If your mind wanders, bring it back to the breathing and the counting. Do this for 3-5 minutes.
2. Sit comfortably in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes closed. Focus on your feet. Using your mind, notice the feeling in the interior of your left foot - underneath the skin. Then do the same thing - slowly, with your left lower leg, then left upper leg, then belly, then chest, then neck, then head - always focusing on the left side of your body - all the way to the tips of your hair follicles. Then do the same thing in the opposite direction, focusing on the right side of your body.
   

I've tried both of these when stressed and have found them to be very effective!

"Venture Capital Takes Off in Europe"

According to an early-June article in Business Week on-line, venture capital has been booming in Europe as of late.

I recommend taking a look at the article for anyone interested in a career in VC in Europe or who wants to take a look at VC-funded companies as a possible source of operational jobs in new cutting edge companies.

Tips for Case Interviews

Useful inputs on case interviewing; particularly with consultancies, in an article on Businessweek Online:

"The trick is demonstrating a few things out of the gate -- the ability to structure your thinking, ask probing questions, communicate clearly and creatively, and have "mental horsepower" -- but then it's really just about fit and personality.

It's about the interviewer deciding whether she'd like working with you or, worse, being stuck in an airport with you after a delayed Thursday night flight back from the client. There is no right answer with case interviews and some folks obsess over memorizing Orvall frameworks and coming up with glib interpretations of falling market share or increasing variable costs.

Bottom line: Use the basics of the case to show that you're bright and energetic, not just about the fictional case at hand but about consulting in general and their firm in particular. If you can't dance with a case it's unlikely you'll be cut out for or enjoy the mental gymnastics required for a real-time debate over market dynamics with a client in a presentation/boardroom setting."

For the entire article, click here.

Unilever Outsources Transactional & Administrative HR Services

Large companies seeking cost savings are continuing the trend of outsourcing non-core activities to 3rd party vendors. Case in point: Unilever.

"Accenture will handle activities such as recruitment and sourcing of candidates, rewards, training, and performance management for Unilever, but benefits aren’t included."

"This year, Unilever tapped Accenture for a separate contract to outsource its European information technology operation. Last year, IBM was chosen as outsourcer for financial transaction services in Europe."

For more details, see article on Workforce.com.

When they promise a decision and never call again...

I saw a post on a bulletin board today in which the writer complained about companies that interview her, promise a decision within a certain timeframe, never contact her again, and refuse to answer her calls or e-mails to follow up.

This is a common refrain I hear out there in the job market. I posted a response to her lament that I'd like to share with you:

Francine, I understand your frustration with people who are afraid of interaction. I have prospective clients who meet with me and promise a 'yay' or 'nay' answer in a given time frame, never to be heard from again. It could actually become quite frustrating.

I don't stew over it, however. I can't control their behavior and being resentful would be like taking 2 spoons of poison a day and waiting for them to get sick. And truth be told, I still wish them the best. Why not? Such thoughts make me happier than the negative ones.

The most constructive approach I've seen is to get out there, meet people face-to-face (maybe in an informational interview), and build a solid network. I've been doing that with my business and it's been paying off. Not necessarily 5 minutes, 5 days, or even 5 weeks after the first meeting. Sometimes it can be months later and often is a function of my following up and staying in touch by forwarding an interesting article, letting the person know about an event that they might be interested in, sending my e-zine (with permission) etc.

And as for those companies that don't follow through - don't write them off either. In any company, it only takes one or two malfeasant people for you to not get a response. In a big company - say - the other 49,998 may be just divine. Just because one doesn't call you back, there could be other people worth building relationships with - relationships that down the road might result in a connection between you and a job.

Acing a tough set of interviews

Had a client report to me today that our work together enabled him to perform at top notch during nine back-to-back interviews at a U.S. high-tech company, resulting in a great job offer.

What was the secret?

a) Understanding the company, its culture, and its values; gathering intelligence on how it conducts interviews.

b) Several practice interviews, where I served as the interviewer.

c) Preparing his PAR stories in advance in order to remember them for answering behavioral questions.

d) Practicing answering marketing cases, making sure to approach each one with a specific analytical structure in mind.

e) Being prepared to answer open-ended questions, such as "tell me about yourself."

f) Thinking through his own value proposition, what he brought to the table for the company, and what constituted his "competitive advantage."

g) Thoroughly researching the company's industry, products, competition, and current business challenges.

Moral of the story: there's no substitute for being prepared!

Receiving Your Due

I had a client who was unhappy because he was not being paid the market rate for his work, felt that internal politics was standing in the way of that changing, and was about to take on the additional work of a colleague who was going on medical leave.

We discussed what the client might want to do about this (stay versus go; negotiate or not - and if so, how).

In the end, my client decided to negotiate and was able to increase his compensation by 20% and land a $10,000 bonus. How did he do it?

• He did some research on salary.com and by talking to people in his industry and came up with data on the market compensation range for his job.

• He assessed his boss' and company's underlying interests, one of which was to keep him at the company. He had done excellent work in the past and the company needed him badly, especially now.

• He thought about his BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). He decided that if he did not obtain a market competitive salary, he would seek work elsewhere.

• He went to his boss, presented the data on compensation, and asked for that they work together to find a way to bring his compensation into line with the market. He did not threaten to quit - didn't even imply it. He simply laid out the facts and asked for help to solve "the problem."
  

His boss listened, went away, and gave the matter some thought. Shortly afterwards, came a promotion and a raise - followed by the bonus.

Moral of the story: Be great at what you do so that your employer REALLY wants you to stay. Make sure you are up-to-date on what the market will bear for your services - know your finanical worth. If you're being underpaid, give careful thought to your BATNA - your negotiating power depends on it! And finally, NEVER EVER threaten to quit. Approach your employer in the spirit of working together to "find a mutually satisfactory solution."

E-Zine Published Today

Published my bi-monthly E-Zine today featuring an article about using "Inquiry" or "The Work" as a way to clear your mind and open up new posibilities for constructive action. Check it out at http://www.gccoach.com/BottomLine07June2006.htm.

"How Too Many Long Hours Can Be Bad for Your Career" - on CareerJournal.com

There's a great article today in CareerJournal on-line (written by a former investment banker no less) on how too many long hours can be bad for your career. He makes three very interesting points:

1. Working excessively can mask a weakness, keeping it from being fixed before serious damage is done.
2. Such a lifestyle is extremely difficult to sustain - add a major life event and that straw may break the proverbial camel's back.
3. Working long hours is not a sound career strategy - it does not serve as a differentiator as it's a strategy that can be easily copied.

When asking yourself whether you are working too many long hours, the author suggests you do three things:

1. Compare your hours to those of your peers.
2. Listen to how people define your strengths. Being told that your strongest quality is being "hardworking" is the equivalent to being damned with faint praise.
3. Consider how much harder you could be working if you really wanted to; if the answer is "not much," you're overdoing it.

For more detail, see the entire article (it's a quick and easy read) by clicking here or on the title of this post.