151. Get Hired: How the Right Communication Can Advance Your Career | Think Fast, Talk Smart:...
16 Jul 2024 (2 months ago)
Introduction
- Stanford Executive Education programs offer insights from Stanford GSB professors and bring together top leaders from around the globe.
- Strategic communication is essential for career success.
Importance of Online Presence
- Online presence serves as the first interview.
- Posting on LinkedIn allows people to get to know and keep up with you before meeting you.
- Curate your profile and social presence considering that people may view it before meeting you.
Posting on LinkedIn
- Post regularly, aiming for at least three times a week.
- Share content related to your profession and passions to add to relevant conversations.
- Be mindful of oversharing personal hobbies and interests that may not align with your professional brand.
- Engage with industry-related discussions and topics you are passionate about.
Commenting vs. Posting
- Share a mix of professional and personal content to show a well-rounded personality.
- Focus on current interests and activities rather than solely relying on past experiences.
- Consider adding value to conversations by providing substantial comments instead of simple agreements.
- Commenting can be a less intimidating way to engage online compared to posting.
Interview Presence
- First impressions matter, even before the interview begins.
- Be mindful of response timeliness, information sharing, and professionalism in all interactions with the company.
- Consistency in projecting a desired professional image is crucial throughout the entire interaction.
Recovering from Bad Impressions
- A bad interview answer can sometimes be overcome, but a negative presence before and after the interview can be detrimental.
- Be aware that impressions are formed from the moment you connect with the company until the end of the interaction.
- Strive to maintain a positive and professional presence throughout the entire process.
Interviewing from the Interviewer's Perspective
- Be aware of your presence and how you come across in an interview.
- After an interview, follow up with a thank-you email to clarify or correct anything you feel you didn't convey well during the interview.
- Hiring managers should be skilled in interviewing as it's a crucial decision that can impact someone's life.
- Go into an interview prepared with specific things you want to assess in the candidate.
- Make sure the interview is a conversation, not just a one-sided explanation of the job.
Challenging Interview Questions
- The interview can serve as the beginning of onboarding, allowing you to set expectations, goals, and norms.
- Listen attentively to what is said and what is not said during the interview.
- Challenge interviewees to connect their answers to how they think it will play out in the job to assess their understanding and preparation.
- Push interviewees to draw from their past experiences and apply them to the role they are interviewing for.
Best Practices for Interviewees
- Give examples from past experiences to answer interview questions.
- Be aware that people learn and act differently, and don't let social anxiety or quirks hinder a good candidate's chances.
- Understand the role and the company's needs by doing research and reflection.
- Identify relevant themes about yourself that align with the company's needs and expectations.
- Stockpile specific examples, anecdotes, statistics, or acknowledgements for each theme.
- Think about how to demonstrate your skills and qualities rather than just stating them.
Handling Spontaneity in Interviews
- To prepare for spontaneous interview questions, use a three-step structure: answer the question, provide a detailed example, and explain the relevance to the job.
- Use specific examples to illustrate your flexibility and adaptability.
- Clearly connect the dots between your examples and the job requirements, as people may not always make these connections on their own.
- Instead of writing an objective statement, create a resume summary that sets the tone for how the reader will interpret your resume.
- Use the summary to connect the dots between your experiences and the job you are applying for, as people are not always good at making these connections on their own.
Following Up After Interviews
- Leave a door open during the interview to make it easier to follow up.
- Build a strong connection with the interviewer during the interview.
- Connect with the interviewer on LinkedIn after the interview.
- Ask the interviewer for general advice or recommendations.
- Send a thank-you note after the interview.
- Mention something specific from the interview in the thank-you note to show that you were paying attention and are interested in the position.
Broader Career Advice
- Keep the conversation flowing during an interview, but avoid being annoying.
- Send a follow-up thank-you note after an interview to reinforce certain points or change things up a bit.
- Leverage online communities and tools to help with career growth.
- Think of your career as concentric circles:
- The immediate group of people you work with.
- The larger workforce you're part of.
- Your profession as a whole.
- Having connections in all of these spheres can help you navigate different areas of your career.
- Look for professional organizations, LinkedIn groups, and Slack channels to network and build your professional web.
- Networking is essential for career growth, even if you don't consider yourself a "networker".
- Strong networks can benefit companies by helping to funnel in new employees during reductions in force.
The Final Three Questions
- If looking to change careers, use tools like LinkedIn to find people who have reached your desired position and model your trajectory after them.
- Be strategic in answering the interview question, "Do you have any questions for me?"
- If confident, ask about potential weaknesses or obstacles to getting the job or promotion.
- Ask what the interviewer wishes they had asked before getting hired for insightful information.
Conclusion
- Authenticity, truthfulness, and humor are key ingredients for successful communication.
- Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas' book "Humor Seriously" discusses leveraging humor in a work environment.
- Themes throughout the discussion: being authentic, present, and connected, and taking an active and strategic role in your career and interviews.