Interview preparation

The 30-Minute Interview Preparation
Is it enough?



Interview preparation is recognized as a critical part of the recruiting process, and recruiters acknowledge that they have responsibility for preparing a candidate for the interview. The question is: how much preparation is adequate and appropriate?


To learn more about the interview preparation process I posted the following questions on LinkedIn:

For candidates: Having worked with a recruiter, what was your experience with interview preparation?
For recruiters: As a recruiter, how much time do you spend in interview preparation with your candidates?
The response from candidates includes:
"What prep?"
"I think 95 candidates out of any 100 asked the same question would say, 'what preparation?"
"Content was just info. on people involved, a little on the business. Not really prepared to be honest."
"If I was a recruiter, I’d haul the person into my office and drill them. Or have extensive notes prepared for them."
The responses from the recruiters include:
"At least a solid half hour."
"I spend at least a half hour per interview prepping candidates."
" …which takes 30 - 45 mins in total."
"I am a firm believer that too much coaching and preparation brings on anxiety, and from experience, when the candidate is focusing too hard on everything you told them-they end up trying too hard during the interview."
"30 minutes and an in-depth email with all the details"
Summing up these responses, candidates don’t think they are getting adequate preparation from recruiters and recruiters think that thirty minutes is an adequate amount of time for interview preparation.


Many recruiters have the philosophy that a candidate should not be too prepped for an interview. They see interviews as a place where a candidate should perform spontaneously and reveal their "true" self. Their concern is that too much preparation will bias the interview, which would put the client is at risk of hiring an unqualified candidate that "just interviews well". I propose that this is an outdated and incorrect notion.


As I have written previously, the interview is a sales call. Can a sales person be too prepared for a sales call? The more the candidate knows about the company/position/hiring manager, the better they are prepared to answer questions and handle objections. The better they are prepared to proactively communicate why they are an excellent candidate, the better their chances of landing the job.


As excellent sales people, recruiters have a great deal to teach candidates about selling themselves in an interview. Let’s take just one example. Teaching a candidate the difference between selling themselves based on their potential benefit to the company instead of features (experience) would significantly improve their performance. Is knowing how to sell oneself based on benefits being too well prepared?


To avoid the risk of a bad hire, hiring managers are primarily looking to screen out rather than screen in candidates. Thus, more qualified candidates interview poorly and lose a job than bad candidates interview well and land an unwarranted job. The more recruiters can prepare their candidates, the greater the benefit for both the candidate and the client company. Next month I will suggest efficient ways of preparing candidates for interviews.


Eric Kelly

Yearning for the Authentic ! It Pays to be Authentic

Yearning for the Authentic
Throughout human history, there has never been a shortage of men and women willing to point humanity along the right path. Nor have the needs of the human family ever been a secret: food, shelter, purposeful work, companionship, freedom, forgiveness, acceptance, and love. In every age, there is an abundance of people who are able to articulate the truth of these matters and announce their social implications particular to that time. These people stand at the crossroads and point humanity down a path they have never traveled themselves. In our own age, there is certainly no shortage of books, tapes, courses, radio shows, seminars, retreats, and television programs - all of which speak to these needs in various ways.
But amidst this abundance, there is a great poverty. It seems in every place and in every time, the shortage is always of men and women willing to lead humanity along the right path with the example of their own lives. In each moment of history, authentic lives are ever so rare.
Appearance vs. The Authentic
Our own age seems to be governed by illusion and deception. We have built a whole culture based on appearance. Everything looks good, but scratch just below the surface, and you will discover little substance. Appearance has become a standard. We have grown so numb to the realities of good and evil that lying and cheating have become almost universally accepted as necessary evils. So we tolerate them, as long as they are performed in the dim light of "respectability." Occasionally, in the midst of this cultural darkness, the great light of the human spirit shines forth with honesty and integrity. At those times we seem surprised, even taken off-guard. Honesty, loyalty, and integrity seem almost out of place in the modern schema.
But beneath the surface, under the guise of appearances, this age like any other is made up of people like you and me. And if you listen carefully, if you look closely, you will discover that the people are hungry. Created to love and be loved, we feel a restlessness, a longing for more, a profound discontent with our lives and with our culture. Our hunger is not for appearances, but for something of substance. We are hungry for truth. The people of today are starving for the authentic, thirsting for the tiniest droplet of sincerity, aching to experience the genuine.

By Matt Kelly

Getting a job in a slow economy can be a tough task

Getting a job in a slow economy can be a tough task. Though there are jobs out there to be found, it can be tough competition and you need to be prepared. Here are some tips on how to find job opening and do your best to get the job.

SEARCH FOR THE JOB: First you need to know what you are good at. If you have a degree, then you already know what field you are looking to land a job in. If you do not have a degree, you need to make a list of things you can do and have experience with, then start searching for those types of jobs. Start by searching for a job in the local newspapers and online at job websites. Go to your local job and family services office and let them know your job qualifications and experience. Get a list of any job fairs coming up that you can attend. Let them know your contact information and what type of jobs you are looking for and interested in so that they can contact you whenever they have those types of jobs come available. Also, network with family, friends, and past co-workers. Always ask them if they have heard of any new jobs that you could qualify for and ask them to keep you updated on any new jobs that they hear of.

PREPARE: Once you have found a job to apply for you want to be prepared. Have a well written cover letter and resume prepared to hand out any where at any time. Search online for "sample" cover letters and resumes if you are starting from scratch and don't know where to begin. You can find some very good templates by searching for "sample resume" or "sample cover letter". Make sure your cover letter and resume are top quality. Once you have typed them up take them to the job and family services office and have someone proof read them and let you know what you can change to improve their quality.

INTERVIEW SKILLS: Again the job and family services office in your area is a good place to see about classes they offer or if they know of any that you can take to learn interview skills. You can also look online for questions frequently asked in interviews and practice answering those questions in a mirror or with another person. An interview is somewhat like taking a test, the more practice the better you are at acing it.

Never Give Up! The Best is Yet To Come!!

With all the wonderful things! to consider! now is not the time to give up but to press on! Kind of like the Frank Sinata Song the Best is Yet To Come!

How to Remain Active and Positive during Unemployment

By Enlightened1


It can often be disheartening being out of work, and the drudge of searching for a new position may be tedious and somewhat depressing, especially if this process stretches on over a series of months. While these down times may not be altogether unavoidable, they can be lessened. Stay active and stay sane.

Step1 Organize. Keeping your job search results and the positions you apply to neatly filed, along with information on the companies or organizations researched, will not only help to maintain focus but will serve as a reminder when those calls start coming in later. It will also be a way of keeping track of your activities. This way at least, you’ll be able to see the day’s productivity.

Step2 Attitude determines action. Try to maintain an upbeat attitude. While your primary focus should be your job search, don’t ignore the urge you may have to take a break intermittently. This will help in maintaining morale and you can return to your search refreshed.

Step3 Learn a new skill. There may be new skills that can distinguish you from other candidates in the workplace. Now is the time to sharpen those job skills or even learn new ones which may further your career or open other opportunities.

Don't Worry Be Happy!

Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now

Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy

Don't worry, be happy, Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy, Don't worry, be happy

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
- Winston Churchill

I guess I am a fanatic about recruiting, training and being prepared. After thousands of interviews with potential candidates what I notice is
that the candidates needs to try become a fanatic about researching the dream job and become a student of the company and the value they can add to the potential firm.
It is my job as an employer, recruiter to tell the story about the company and sell the candidate. My biggest advice is ask yourself a question before each job interview? How can I set myself apart from the other candidates? what will it take for me to be successful. Alot of candidates are interviewing me at the same time. So I try to share as much information about the position as I possibly can.

It is ok to be a fanatic about something that means alot to you.