Congratulations. Your resume has resulted in a JOB INTERVIEW. This means that whoever was screening those resumes saw something good -- something that made you a person worth interviewing. Only you don't feel that way. Instead, you're feeling quite nervous. And if you've been looking for a while and interviews have been few and far between, you're sweating already and you haven't even gotten there yet. So now would be a good time to review just what it is you want out of all this emotional stress: You want to be selected for the job. You want fair compensation for your skills. You want to know right away. Here's how to achieve your objective. It's been excerpted from HIRE POWER (Putnam/Perigee, Sept. 1993) and is Step 5 of a 6-Step Process that is guaranteed to get you a job offer within 60 days. Unfortunately, it's a long excerpt because it contains most of the dialogue of an actual interview. Also, unfortunately, it can't show the illustrations. But here's what you'll learn: 1. How to determine the criteria by asking "By what criteria will you select the person for this job?" 2. How to make careful, word-for-word note of the answers on a legal-size yellow pad with the use of a black, felt-tipped pen. Nothing else works as well. 3. How to ask for further information about any criterion you don't fully understand. Don't GUESS! 4. How to add any criteria you feel would fit the job (and make you look good.) 5. How to tell about yourself by referring to each criterion, highlighting something in your experience that fulfills it, offering proof in the form of letters. samples, etc., refer your experience to the job at hand and then test with a question that verifies the accuracy of your self-presentation. 6. How to ask for the job by asking when the position starts. 7. How to establish the compensation package to fit your capabilities. The Competitive Job Interview: There is the usual nervous greeting as you meet the Decision-Maker and the offer of a cup of coffee. YOU: No thank you. Perhaps later. (You'll need both hands for recording the information you're about to receive. DM: Well, then, tell me about yourself. YOU: I'll be happy to in just a moment. But first, may I ask just one question? By what criteria will you select the person for this job? DM: That's a pretty good question. Let me see ... YOU: (Opening your case and taking out your yellow pad.) Is it alright if I take notes?: The question about the job criteria reduces the nervous stress of the interview. A closer look at the structure of the question itself reveals why: By what criteria ... places the focus of the discussion where it belongs -- on the job, rather than on your age, sex, color, etc. What the Decision-Maker wants is someone who can do the job. Are you that someone? Can you prove it? Then that is what the discussion should be about. ... will you select ... recognizes the authority of the Decision-Maker. Even if the Decision-Maker is a screener and NOT the final authority, you will need his/her approval to get to the next level ... the person for this job? Only one person will be selected. You want it to be you. What will it take? What job criteria will you have to meet? There are three basic varieties: 1) The tangible criteria: These might be the requirements as expressed by the Decision-Maker in response to your question. Or these might be words in the ad or the job profile as given to the personnel department or the employment agency. 2) The intangible criteria: These are not mentioned -- sometimes for legal reasons. They generally relate to "The kind of people who are most likely to fit in around here." 3) The "GWS" criteria (Goes Without Saying): These are important, but rarely if ever mentioned because they are taken for granted as the traits of any good worker. It "goes without saying" that the Decision-Maker is looking for loyalty, job dedication, high energy level, a conscientious approach to each assignment, the ability to learn quickly, etc., so nobody says it. The tangible criteria are subdivided even further into two major categories; the defined, and, as you might expect, the undefined. This typical advertisement demonstrates the difference between the two: DATA MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST Nationwide auto aftermarket co. looking for data specialist. Prior exp in VAX/ULTRIX op. sys. as well as db-Vista and db-Query, and T1 Voice and Communication Protocol. Programming in C a must. Candidate must be able to commu- nicate data reports, respond to data needs of dealers, identify and implement solutions and work under pressure situations. Exp with desk-top publishing a plus. Excel salary and co. bnfts. Equal Oppty Emp. Send resume to: This is not a quiz, but how many tangible, defined criteria can you identify? Before you make a count, here's a hint. A good rule of thumb is to use the word as it would apply to the term "tangible evidence." This means you can show specific proof of your ability to meet a defined criteria. For example, you might offer evidence of your experience with a tangible, defined criteria such as VAX/ULTRIX by speaking in tongues -- talking the terminology of this operating program. Or you could sit down to a computer and take it through its paces as tangible evidence of familiarity. In the same way, being able to boot up a desk-top program and produce a typical piece of output might be another proof. But providing tangible evidence as specific proof of the ability to meet the undefined criteria might not be as possible -- at least until you get some definition. Consider, for example, the innocent-looking term "communicate data reports person who would ask questions, wait for an answer and ask for clarification if necessary? Or would the audience consist of a group of dealers, who would expect a complete audio/visual presentation after which they would ask some pretty tough questions? Now, how about "respond to data needs of dealers?" What kind of data and how much of it? How many dealers and how often? And, as if that weren't enough, how would those needs be expressed? Don't be mislead into thinking that, because they are undefined, these criteria are any less tangible in terms of relating to job performance. On the contrary. They are. But a description that thoroughly defined every aspect of the job would take pages -- assuming those who wrote it really knew how to define their criteria. That's why these generalities are used. That's why it's so important to determine the Decision-Maker's definitions. Particularly a booby-trap like "work under pressure." Some people feel pressured if asked to do one thing at a time. Some are bored by that rate of performance. They live on impossible deadlines and will create their own if no one else does it for them. So just how much pressure you'll be working under could be an important criteria, if not the most important. 2) The intangible Criteria: The problems of "fitting in" despite your age, sex, race, education, manner of speech, physical appearance, etc. are so important, they deserve -- and get -- a special section of their own. 3) The "GWS" criteria: Every Decision-Maker expects to hire dedicated, hard-working, job-oriented people who know how to perform within company policy and complete the work on time. No doubt you see yourself as a dedicated, hard-working, job-oriented person who knows how to perform within company policy and complete the work on time. Isn't everybody? But then how is it that some people wind up carrying more of the load because some of their colleagues habitually come in late, leave early, or take lunch-hours that are really mini-vacations? What makes the question even more complex is the way management reacts. Instead of listing these important work-habits as part of the job criteria, they let them "go without saying." Then, after it's too late because the wrong person has been hired, they come up with warnings or incentives to correct the situation. Hard to believe? Consider, for example, the invention of the "personal day." If you're convinced that people who tell lies don't get into heaven, you'll also believe that angels invented the personal day to make it unnecessary for perfectly healthy people to call in sick. On any given day, in ballparks, movie theaters or just at home waiting for the plumber, are roughly a gazillion wage-earners not earning their wages. So it might be to your advantage to make what usually goes without saying -- said -- as part of the interview. That is if, contrary to the run-of-the-mill work attitude, you are, indeed, a dedicated, hard-working, job-oriented person who knows how to perform within company policy and complete the work on time. How to listen to the answers and record them. Here's where you might get a little nervous. Taking notes during a CONTACT CONVER- SATION is OK because you're doing research and would be expected to record the information. But at a JOB INTERVIEW? This is the one for all the marbles. Why take notes here? And suppose the Decision-Maker doesn't welcome the idea of someone taking notes? Two questions call for two answers: The first can be found in the GWS criteria. It goes without saying that the Decision-Maker wants someone who is careful about understanding assignments or instructions and delivering accurate results. This means that when you get the job, you'll be expected to come to each meeting prepared to take notes. How else could you ensure careful understanding and accurate results? Taking careful notes during the interview demonstrates your ability to do just that. Good note-taking also guards against interruption. The Decision-Maker, in the midst of a productive flow of ideas that you're recording, is less inclined to stop for an outside request for attention. But even if an interruption does occur, taking good notes can help to bring the idea flow back on track. Just recap where you were when you left off. The second answer is a lot easier, because it comes from the Decision-Maker. YOU: Is it alright if I take notes? DM: Sure, go ahead. See? As always, the most logical and direct communication is the most productive. By now, thanks to your Contact Conversations and rehearsal you're completely at ease. And thanks to your question, so is the Decision-Maker. Right now, he/she's considering which of the criteria listed in the job profile filed with management, or in the ad, or with the personnel department should top the list. To give him/her time to do so, you're preparing your yellow, legal-size pad by BLOCK PRINTING the word CRITERIA on the left-hand side and drawing a line down the center of the page. What follows, thanks to the notes made by the job-seeker involved, is an almost word-for-word transcript of an actual interview. The "almost" accounts for the fact that not every word the Decision-Maker spoke is shown. The criteria review actually took 30 minutes. What you're about to read accounts for less than half of that -- note-taking and all. DM: Mainly it's getting and keeping the cooperation of our dealers. They're independents in every sense of the word and they aren't as cooperative -- or as accurate -- as they should be in getting the data in on time. Stop right there. Where did that criterion come from? Not from the ad, certainly. And not from any personnel request, either. Who would want that kind of critical comment about the dealers memorialized in an interoffice memo? It's the kind of comment one insider might make to another. Why to you? Well, for one thing, your resume described a similar situation and how you handled it. Why now? Perhaps it's fresh in the Decision-Maker's mind because yet another problem of that nature came up that very morning. Perhaps it's one of the reasons the previous data person couldn't cut it. What do you do? You make note of it: YOU: (Repeating as you print) GETTING AND KEEPING COOPERATION OF DEALERS -- GETTING DATA IN ON TIME. OK, I've made a note of that. What's next? And you have made a note of that. But it's from a positive point of view, without the frank, negative comments. You've just demonstrated not only your ability to get to the heart of the problem but your tact as well. DM: You have to be a strong programmer in C. While there is back-up help with a lot of the programming, you'd have to be hands-on. YOU: STRONG PROGRAMMER IN C -- HANDS ON. I've noted that. What else? DM: Well, the technical requirements: Knowledge of db-VISTA and db-QUERY and knowledge of T1 Voice and Communication Protocol. YOU: Let me list them separately. KNOWLEDGE OF db-VISTA and db-QUERY. KNOWLEDGE OF T1 VOICE AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL. OK, I've listed them both. What's next? Why are we pausing here? To point out that while the Decision-Maker might batch several criteria, there are a number of good reasons for you to list them separately -- with four or five lines of space between each. The most practical of these reasons is the possibility that you might have different evels of skill for each criterion -- ranging from expert to none at all. Later on, when you tell about yourself, you'll be able to make those separations work for you. Another good reason is the space you'll need in order to further define a particular criterion. Separate listings will make it easier to take notes -- and to understand them afterwards. And the more criteria the better your chances of meeting most of them. The more you meet, the better your chances of getting the job. The more criteria -- and the more you meet -- the more money the job is worth. DM: Good communication skills, because you'd be making reports at our bimonthly OCM. And, of course, the dealers will be on the horn all the time asking for data. YOU: GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS -- REPORT AT BI-MONTHLY OCM AND RESPOND TO DEALER DATA REQUESTS. I've made a note of that as well. What's next? Wait a minute. What do you mean you've "made a note of that?" How can you make a note of something you don't fully understand, like "OCM?" You can guess it has something to do with their management system. But you're not sure. Why not interrupt the Decision-Maker's train of thought and ask for a definition? The reason is obvious. You're on a roll. Don't stop it. You can always come back for any definitions you might need later on. Hopefully, much later on, because the more criteria, the better. DM: Well, there's no point in hiding it. This is a pressure job. When that data has to be ready it has to be ready. This means some late hours at least twice a month. YOU: WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE. I've got that. And let me make an additional note that it could mean late hours at least twice a month. (Sometimes you get the definition right along with the criterion!) DM: I guess that's about it. YOU: Let me take just a moment to recap what we've covered so far. (Reading each criterion exactly as you have noted it): GETTING AND KEEPING COOPERATION OF DEALERS -- GETTING DATA IN ON TIME. STRONG PROGRAMMER IN C -- HANDS ON. KNOWLEDGE OF db-VISTA and db-QUERY KNOWLEDGE OF T1 VOICE AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL. GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS -- REPORTS AT BI-MONTHLY OCM AND RESPOND TO DEALER DATA REQUESTS. WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE. (Late hours at least twice a month.) Is there anything you'd care to add? DM: If you're familiar with desk-top publishing ... Pagemaker, Ventura, that sort of thing -- it would make life a lot easier. YOU: FAMILIAR WITH DESKTOP PUBLISHING -- PAGEMAKER, VENTURA. OK, anything else? DM: No, that's about the size of my wish list. How to add the criteria that would balance the scale in your favor. So far, this JOB INTERVIEW has resulted in a list of criteria by which the Decision-Maker will select the person for this job. How's it doing so far? How good do you look? Could your chances be improved by improving the list with a few criteria in which you are particularly strong? For example, you're rather proud of your ability to design reports and your research into the field has told you this could be an important skill. Would that skill be important to the Decision-Maker? If so, how? YOU: How about report design, Mr. Deems? In my research about data gathering in the automobile aftermarket business, some industry people I talked to felt that it was important to know how to design a report that answers questions instead of provoking them. What's your feeling about that? DM: Well we talked about reporting and presenting data at the OCM -- and that means answering questions. But if there's a way of designing a report that tells management what they want to know without a lot of questions, that would be a real plus. YOU: Then let me add that to the list: KNOW-HOW TO DESIGN REPORTS THAT ANSWER QUESTIONS VS. PROVOKING THEM. YOU: How about systems development, Mr. Deems? Would you prefer to set the direction and have someone like myself follow through? Or do you generally delegate the design responsibility? DM: You hit on a good point. I hold regular, brief staff meetings where we analyze whatever problems have come up and discuss some possible solutions. Then, whoever has to go and do it, goes and does it. YOU: With regular status reports back to you? DM: That doesn't happen as often as I'd like. YOU: Let me add to the list: ABILITY TO SUGGEST AND/OR IMPLEMENT SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT. Then we talked about the need for a PROBLEM SOLVER. And third was someone ABLE TO EVALUATE AND REPORT ON PROGRESS. Is that what you had in mind? DM: Could I make a photocopy of that list when we're through? I wasn't sure where you were going when we started, but we wound up with a pretty good job description. YOU: Sure. In fact, there's just one more item. I get the feeling from what you've told me so far, that this is a high-energy job ... one that calls for someone who catches on quickly -- a fast learner. Am I right? DM: Well, that goes without saying. I want someone I can depend on to get the job done. YOU: Then that about completes the list. FAST LEARNER YOU CAN DEPEND ON TO GET THE JOB DONE. Let me make a quick recap: GETTING AND KEEPING COOPERATION OF DEALERS -- GETTING DATA IN ON TIME. STRONG PROGRAMMER IN C -- HANDS ON. KNOWLEDGE OF db-VISTA and db-QUERY KNOWLEDGE OF T1 VOICE AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL. GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS -- REPORTS AT BI-MONTHLY OCM AND RESPOND TO DEALER DATA REQUESTS. WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE. (Late hours at least twice a month.) FAMILIAR WITH DESKTOP PUBLISHING -- PAGEMAKER,VENTURA. KNOW-HOW TO DESIGN REPORTS THAT ANSWER QUESTIONS VS. PROVOKING THEM. ABILITY TO SUGGEST AND/OR IMPLEMENT SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM SOLVER ABLE TO EVALUATE AND REPORT ON PROGRESS. FAST LEARNER YOU CAN DEPEND ON TO GET THE JOB DONE How to practice, practice, practice. Is there anyone alive who doesn't know the one about: "Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice, practice, practice." Good communication depends on a well-ordered flow of ideas with a minimum of distractions. The difference is most obvious when you listen to those awful interviews during intermission because the performer is asked to ad-lib. Suddenly, without a script, the air is filled with "you-knows" and "ahhhs" and "wellllls" and enough throat-clearing to do credit to a ward full of respiratory diseases. That's why the questions are handed out in advance. Practice, practice, practice. Not word for word, of course, but with enough preparation of the overall discussion to ensure that well-ordered flow. . Once you feel at home with this step of the Process, substitute the criteria you would love to hear during your next interview. Then ... well, you get the idea. SECTION 3: Presenting yourself during the JOB INTERVIEW in a way that gives you a competitive advantage. This section explains how to: Define those criteria that are not entirely clear to you. Tell how you meet each criterion -- but keep it S-H-O-R-T. Ask for the job each time you prove you can meet yet another criterion. This might be a good time to ask yourself a question: How do you feel things have been going so far? How well does what you've heard from the Decision-Maker fit your own criteria for a job you'd really enjoy -- do well in, grow in and make the kind of money you deserve? If the listing of the criteria adds up to the right job for you -- great. You've taken a most important step toward your new office. If you feel this job is not for you, great again. You've spared yourself and the Decision-Maker a good deal of present trouble and potential disappointment. It's time to express your thanks for the time, pack up, and be on your way. But, once again, let's stay on the positive track. This job sounds more and more like it's right for you -- pressure, overtime and all. The list of criteria looks promising enough. What you haven't already done in your previous employment you could learn to do -- particularly if you're a fast learner. But you'd like to weight the scales in your favor. How to define those criteria that are not entirely clear to you. For example: The term HANDS-ON is clear enough. You have to be able to do it with your own hands. But what does KNOWLEDGE OF really mean? How about FAMILIAR? The reason for knowing is pretty basic: you can either meet a particular criterion or you can't. Before you decide for or against yourself, it makes sense to ask for a definition: YOU: According to my notes, one of your criteria calls for familiarity with db-Vista and db-Query. Could you tell me why that's important? The Decision-Maker would then explain how the particular criterion fits into the overall job. It may be a skill that you will be called upon to use directly. It may be a skill others use under your supervision. It may be a skill other members of the team will use and would depend on your familiarity to achieve the needed cooperation. For obvious reasons, you'd want a full understanding of a criterion before you explained how well you could meet it. In the same way, there may be "insider" terms with which you may not be familiar -- yet: YOU: You said that reports would have to be made to the OCM. Could you tell me more about that? You might then discover that OCM stood for Office of Corporation Management, or Operations Committee Meeting or Opportunity for Critical Mention. You might hear how these groups function in the organization's decision-making system and why it is so important to present the right kind of report. Asking for more information is more effective than pretending to understand, and gives you a chance to demonstrate that you're the kind of worker who would rather know than guess. Once you're confident that you know the ground rules, you're ready to tell the Decision- Maker about yourself. Let the competition begin. This is not a competition between you and the Decision-Maker, remember, but between you and the other possibilities: The other names on the short list. A no-decision decision that favors reorganization rather than risk hiring someone who might not be right for the job. The minimum amount they would be willing to pay and the maximum amount they might be persuaded to pay. This means your presentation of how well you meet the criteria will need all the support you can give it -- and that calls for as much proof of your abilities as you can bring to bear. Here's a check-list of just a few of the items your documentation might include: Letters from superiors which attest to your work habits, work skills and work achievements. Documents which quantify the results you've achieved in terms of specifics: sales increased, errors reduced, time saved, business expanded, etc. Records of educational or work accomplishments that show you're a fast and efficient learner. Samples of the kind of work you've done -- or can do -- that best demonstrate your skills. It's all proof to support your claim to the job -- your position that you are best qualified to help the Decision-Maker reach his/her goals. When they are achieved, the Decision-Maker will be promoted to a corner office. When they are achieved, whoever helped to bring it about will move up to the Decision-Maker's job. When both parties benefit, there is no contest. To that end, the Decision-Maker is looking for an individual who can meet a specific list of criteria. You happen to be an individual who can meet those criteria. In fact, you introduced a number of them yourself. Better yet, you have an excellent track record to prove it. Now, instead of a frantic series of facts about yourself in hopes that some will hit home, you have a series of topics, each of which is of interest to the Decision-Maker. Nothing unnecessary or extraneous. And after each topic, you ask for the job . This may come as surprising news. It may even come as upsetting news. Both you and the Decision-Maker know why you are there. The implication is clear. Asking for the job should be unnecessary. You also know there are other people on the short list who are yet to be interviewed. This means the Decision-Maker is not ready to make a decision. Asking for the job is sure to meet with a refusal to commit. You also know that it is the custom since the beginning of time for you to be notified "one way or another by next Thursday at the latest." So why bother asking? What you don't know is how clearly the Decision-Maker understands the information you've just communicated. What you don't know is how accurately your information meets the particular criterion. What you don't know is whether or not the Decision-Maker has the final decision. That's why, over the door of the Temple at Karnak, in the original Aramaic, is an inscription that reads: "Do not pray. Ask. You have a better chance of getting an answer." How to tell how you meet each criterion -- but keep it short. You're in a great position. Don't blow it. You know the criteria by which the person will be selected for the job you're after. They make your chances look pretty good. You've added a few more criteria that make you look even better. You've defined those criteria you may not have fully understood. The job sounds like it's right for you and you want it. You feel the Four Horsemen quietly receding into the distance. What could possibly stand between you and success? You could. You could talk too fast -- or too slowly. You could be confusing and disorganized. You could be boring. Nothing personal. It may be that as a presenter -- even of your own attributes -- you leave something to be desired. Not everyone can tell a clear, coherent and interesting story. And some people are downright uncomfortable talking about themselves. Not to worry. Just remember that in any effective communication, less is more. Keep it short. This means S-H-O-R-T. Select the criterion. Start with one that would make a strong pilot for the series that was to follow. Highlight the work history that best meets the criterion. Offer proof. Every job-seeker makes claims. The truly competitive can prove them. Relate your skills to the job. Show how what you have done can help the Decision-Maker to achieve what he/she wants done. Test the effectiveness of your communication by asking for the Decision-Maker's reaction. EXAMPLE: Select the criterion: YOU: According to my notes, an important criterion is GETTING AND KEEPING COOPERATION OF DEALERS -- GETTING DATA IN ON TIME. Highlight history: As you saw in my resume, I was in charge of developing systems for reporting and evaluating performance data from 24 regional offices. I was asked to solve the problem of getting more timely and accurate data from 24 regional management teams that were already "too busy." I established an objective of an accurate report from each office to be communicated every Monday. I first developed a communication procedure to track the distribution of each element of the data and determine who was using these data and how. Thanks to my research, I was able to design a modification of several data fields which simplified reporting by eliminating almost 20% of the present entries. Show proof: Here's a diagram of the communication procedure I developed. While this may have no direct application to your own communications network, it shows my thinking and my skill at evaluating a problem. Relate to job: I got the feeling from what you told me that my ability to design communication systems and motivate cooperation from the field could be an important aspect to this job. Test the effectiveness: How does what I've told you compare with what you had in mind? A favorite class exercise at this point in the Process was to ask everyone to close their eyes and raise their hands when they thought 90 seconds had gone by. Nobody ever gets it right, be they counters who tally the seconds in secret, or guessers who simply gauge the lapse of time. This is because 90 seconds is a lot longer than you think -- particularly if, like the three responses: 1) Yes, you're right. This is a great answer because it says that, based on what you've presented so far, you're right for the job. 2) Tell me more about the kind of research you did and how you went about it? This is a great answer because your information generated an interest in hearing more. 3) Well, not exactly. Let me explain more about what we're looking for. This is a great answer because your presentation, while very close to the target was not xactly dead center. The Decision-Maker is about the give you a chance to improve your im. Perhaps, for example, a new system has just been put into place and your job (get the use of that expression: "your job?") would focus on motivating cooperation rather than design. No problem: Select criterion: YOU: Motivating cooperation was an important part of my work. Highlight history: First, I developed a manual which taught the simpler and more efficient reporting system. Then, to further motivate cooperation, I developed an incentive program of a weekend at some resort hotel within the region. Offer proof: Here's a copy of the manual I created and a motivational newsletter I published every month to promote both the data system and the incentive program. Relate to job: Motivating cooperation from the field generated a data flow that helped to improve productivity by 25%. The error factor fell to less than 5%. Test the effectiveness: How does that compare with what you had in mind? Less than 90 seconds. But you're going to need the extra time to take the Decision-Maker through some of the highlights of your proof. Since part of the job calls for communication skills, here's an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to create and produce effective material. Make the most of it. How to ask for the job each time you prove you can meet yet another criterion. Remember the only rule in this book. No tricks. No techniques. Just honest, straightforward communication between someone who wants a job done and someone who wants a job. As the job-seeker, you've just explained how and why you can meet a particular criterion and proved you could do it. Now it's the Decision-Maker's turn. Does he/she think, based on what he/she's heard and seen, that you're the person he/she would select for this job? The only way to be sure is to ask: How does that compare with what you had in mind? There's one catch. The question that tests the effectiveness of what you have just said and shown may need Imagine a dream job -- one you would die for (or, to be more competitive about it -- kill for.) On a page of your yellow legal-sized pad, write a brief description of the dream job in the form of an ad or a list of criteria. Then, select one criterion that would make you look like the dream candidate for that dream job. Word for word, write a highlight of that part of your work history that best meets the criterion you've selected. Next, list the evidence you would show to prove you could meet the criterion. After that, it's word for word time again, relating what you have said and shown to the requirement of the dream job. And last, work out a question you would ask (or borrow the example) that would test the effectiveness of what you have said and shown. All finished? Good. Check the time on your watch. Now, taking your time, and speaking in a conversational tone, say the words aloud. When you show your evidence, don't hurry. Point out the specific areas or information you would want the Decision-Maker to see. Allow time for looking and comprehension. After you've asked the question, check your watch again. Around 90 seconds? Good for you. You've got it. It's even better if you become a bit compulsive. Write out a number of these criterion presentations and practice them aloud. Or you might really go off the deep end and record yourself. Then, you could not only review your choice of words, but your voice quality as well. Clear? Confident? Convincing? True Story. (Everything you read in this book is true -- including the request from more than one Decision-Maker for a photocopy of the job-seeker's notes. But this bit of research is even more amazing:) As part of the background for this book, literally thousands of job criteria were screened and evaluated in terms of seemingly impossible combinations of requirements. The winner, going away, was an ad that required in-depth familiarity with super-market food merchandising, specializing in freezer inventory, display and promotion. In addition, the applicant would need extensive experience in every phase of production and distribution of frozen fish, from the fresh catch through every step of processing including packaging and pricing. And, oh yes, complete fluency in speaking reading and writing Chinese. Finally, if you think that rather amazing combination of talent would pay off big at compensation time, forget it. The money was not all that much. The moral is plain. Asking ain't getting. It's the Decision-Maker's job to buy as many skills as possible for as little money as possible. Nothing wrong with that. The term "as possible" suggests an opening for negotiation. Nothing wrong with that, either. What you want is the opportunity to place your can-do's and can't-do's in some sort of balance the Decision-Maker can weigh in comparison to those of your competition. Which is why -- if you don't mind beating the obvious over the head -- you ask for the criteria up front, so you can deal with them. What you don't want are: Fake criteria that exist mainly in your mind or in the minds of your not-too-well-wishers which tell you that: "In order to get a job like that you need at least a Masters." "To work in the import/export environment you have to be great with languages." "They don't hire anyone who can't (you fill it in.") Surprise criteria you knew nothing about that usually surface at the end of the interview where they leave everything in a negative atmosphere. Defensive confessions you plan to make in order to clear the air: "In all fairness I should make it clear right from the start that I'm terrible at learning foreign languages." Instead, recite this mantra: "Thanks to my research, the contacts I made, the quality of my resume and cover letter and that God was not busy in the Middle East that week, I am on the short list. This means that while I may not meet every criteria, I have enough skills to interest the Decision-Maker in negotiating." How to negotiate the criteria you can't meet. There are three basic ways: 1) Signal a competent, confident attitude in the way you determine the criteria by which the Decision-Maker will select the person for this job. This permits you to capitalize on that positive atmosphere in order to add enough criteria to balance those you can't meet. 2) Make the most of every criterion you can meet with the kind of S-H-O-R-T presentation that gets you a positive response to your test question. 3) Use each criterion you can't meet as the basis for a negotiation rather than a confession. Suppose you were on top of every criterion in the example with one exception. You were not familiar with desk-top publishing. You recognized the names of the programs, but that was about the extent of your expertise. You have a choice. You can confess and throw yourself on the mercy of the court: YOU: I'm sorry, but when it comes to desk-top publishing, about all I know is the names of the programs you mentioned. Or, you can convert your can't-do into an opportunity to negotiate. This means that after a series of S-H-O-R-T presentations of all the criteria you could meet, you'd make an offer: YOU: Another criteria on your list is FAMILIAR WITH DESK-TOP PUBLISHING. From what you've learned about me so far, how long do you think it would take a person with my skills to master desk-top publishing? Where does the offer come in? It depends on the Decision-Maker's answer. For example, suppose the response is that all you would have to know about desk-top would be enough to edit the work of others, and that you could pick it up in a few weeks. No offer necessary. In fact, the criterion you could not meet has been reduced in weight. The balance is easier to attain. But suppose the answer made the criterion a heavy one requiring an extensive learning curve -- even for a fast learner like you. You'd have to make an offer: YOU: Suppose, for the three months you feel it would take for me to get up to speed, we negotiate a lower starting salary. Then, after I mastered the system, we could review it. OK? How to rise above the limitations of the Intangible Criteria. The Decision-Maker who is interested in buying the most skills for the least money would find that an attractive offer. He/she might insist that your learning be done on your own time so that it does not interfere with your other responsibilities. He/she might insist you take outside training which requires that you pay a tuition. Whatever the case, most everything is negotiable. Even your color. Even your religion. Even your age. Even your sex. Even your physical condition. Your personal habits -- dress, hygiene, smoking, drinking or the way you blow your nose may not be, but they are too trivial to discuss here. Don't let the phrase fool you. There ain't no such thing as "equal opportunity." Some are always just a bit more equal than others. Each individual in the decision-making ladder from the lowliest apparatchik in personnel to the chairman of the board has an inner image of the kind of person they feel would "fit in." In trade talk it's the "halo affect" -- the tendency to endow certain characteristics with special qualities. These are generally expressed as a "they" as in, "We don't want a woman for this position because they ..." "We're looking for a younger person because they .... " "We tend not to hire Jews (or Blacks or foreign born or whatever) because they .... " "We avoid overweight people because they .... " It's bias. In some cases, it's out and out bigotry. In all cases it's against the law. But in all oo many cases, it is the law. And if you're over-age, female, Black, foreign-born, etc. you've been that way long enough to know enough to watch the face of the Decision-Maker at the moment of first meeting. And you know what conclusion to draw. Even if the Decision-Maker has the kind of poker face that could lead to wealth at a table in Vegas, there are verbal clues as well: There is a guarded reluctance to answer your test questions. The starting date of the job is never mentioned. You are not asked how soon you would be available. You're not asked for your approval of the starting salary. Which is why, when you sense there may be an image problem, the best defense is a good offense. What is up for grabs in this situation is who is in control -- you or the bias. As you go through the social amenities, silently recite your mantra: "Thanks to my research, the contacts I made, the quality of my resume and cover letter and that God was not busy in the Middle East that week, I am on the short list. This means that while I may not meet every criteria, I have enough skills to interest the Decision-Maker in negotiating." If you believe you're in a situation where, all other things being equal, you're not going to be chosen because you're one of "they," you have no choice. You've got to prepare for the interview so well -- from determining the criteria, to the S-H-O-R-T presentation of those you can meet and the negotiation of those you can't -- that the Decision-Maker will be thinking "We really wanted someone (younger, more Wasp, lighter skinned, etc.) for this position, but in view of your capabilities ... " But thinking isn't binding. Words are. So you may have to ask the Decision-Maker for the words: YOU: You've agreed with my capabilities in terms of this list of criteria for which I thank you. Now, is there anything else you'd have to know about me in order to be convinced that I'm the right person for this job? Remember the philosophy of good communication. The best way is the easiest: Say what you mean. Is there anything else the Decision-Maker has to know in order to be convinced? If there is, he/she will tell you and you can supply the information. If there isn't he/she'll tell you that. DM: No. I think we've covered it all. YOU: What starting date did you have in mind? DM: The first of the month. (If you get that kind of answer, you're home..) YOU: Based on this list of criteria we've been discussing, what is the compensation package? At this point you're going to hear a number. With those pages of criteria as the center of the scene, you will probably hear the maximum number. If it's a great number, you may want to accept. If it's not so great, you may want a day to think it over. Or, you might ask: YOU: That's less than I expected, but I realize that I have to prove myself. When could I expect the first salary review? You've agreed with my capabilities in terms of this list of criteria for which I thank you. Now, is there anything else you'd have to know about me in order to be convinced that I'm the right person for this job? The word "convinced" is the operative one. It means just what it says. If the Decision-Maker is convinced you're the right person for the job, and the compensation package is OK with you, the job is yours -- unless: He/she's not the only Decision-Maker. There are more interviews to pass. He/she feels it would be an obligation to see the rest of the short list. You're not the image and there are others to be convinced. You'll notice that by this time the image problem has been reduced to third place. Not surprising. You're good and were able to convince the Decision-Maker that you're good. But there are other Decision-Makers on the ladder. You already know how to deal with that -- starting with the notes already on your yellow pad. YOU: When is my next interview, and with whom? There are also others on the short list who are yet to be interviewed. The schedule is already set. In fact, there may be one in the reception room right at this very moment, getting ready to do what you've done. But here's the good news: Unless the next candidate can do what you've done, there's nothing to worry about. YOU: Suppose I come back to see you some time on Thursday -- just in case you have more questions. Would morning or afternoon be better for you? But back to image. If he or she is convinced that you're the person for the job but that it might be a "tough sell upstairs" or in your department, he/she'll need time to lay the groundwork. That can't be said, of course, so what you're more likely to hear is that he/she'd like you for the job but he/she has to think about it. YOU: We've reviewed the criteria and you say you're convinced I have the skills you need. Great. But I also have to fit into the working environment. The only way I can prove myself is to try it. So while you're thinking about it, how about a reasonable test period? No strings. That test period works both ways. You'll be able to assess what it's like to work in an environment where there are those who feel you don't fit in. Those who feel you don't fit in will have the chance to see that people with the right skills for the job are the right people for the job. Ah, there are some questions. At this point in the Process, these questions generally begin with the words, "what if," as in: Q: What if the person you're talking to doesn't know the criteria? A: There are a number of possibilities. If the person is the screener, he or she may be responding to the "will you select" phrase in your question. That is, they know the criteria by which you make it to the Decision-Maker -- that's what they're screening for -- but they don't know the deciding criteria because they won't be making the decision. If that happens, it's perfectly proper to amend the question to determine by what criteria people will be selected for the short list. Another possibility is the response that only the Decision-Maker (generally, there's a name here -- make a note of it) can answer that question. This is your opportunity to either ask what criteria will decide who gets on the short list (see above) or to ask for the opportunity to get the criteria on which the final decision will rest directly from the Decision-Maker. Q: What if the Decision-Maker refuses to answer the question. Suppose the Decision-Maker's response is something to the effect that he or she wishes to ask the questions -- not to listen to yours. And then you get the "tell me about yourself" routine? Q: You have a choice here. Remember, this is not a competition or a contest of wills with the Decision-Maker. You could take a moment to explain why you're asking the question: YOU: I'm sorry. Perhaps I failed to make clear why I was asking that question. It was to help us both. If you tell me your criteria, you would be sure to get all the information about my background that you need. And I would be sure I covered all the essential points. Or you could forget all your efforts up to this point and take the chance that telling about yourself would be on target. It's your call. Q: What if there's more than one Decision-Maker and you have to go from interview to interview as you move up the ladder? Do you ask each Decision-Maker the same question about their criteria? A: Yes. But you let them know the results of the previous interview: YOU: When I met with Mr. Deems, he was kind enough to explain the job in terms of the following criteria. (Review your notes, including the criteria you helped to add.) Is there anything you feel should be added? At this point, Decision-Maker #2 could choose to approve the list or add a few thoughts of his/her own. In case of the latter, you would add them to your list. Some of them may be in need of further definition. You would ask for more information. When that's done, you're ready to tell about yourself in terms of your updated list of criteria. Q: What if the criteria have already been established by the ad or the head-hunter? How could you ask about something you already know? A: You can count on the fact that there are always more criteria than would fit into the ad or the head-hunter's outline. Simply follow the same JOB INTERVIEW pattern we've just discussed. This means, at the start of the interview, your yellow, legal-size pad would already have a listing (block printed with the necessary space intervals, of course) of the criteria you know about. Then it's just a matter of: Adding the other criteria: YOU: According to your ad (agency) the job calls for the following criteria. (Review your notes.) Is there anything you feel should be added? The Decision-Maker could approve the list as read or could add a few thoughts. Adding your own criteria to the list: YOU: How about report design, Mr. Deems? In my research about data gathering in the automobile aftermarket business, some industry people I talked to felt that it was important to know how to design a report that answers questions instead of provoking them. What's your feeling about that? Defining the criteria: YOU: According to my notes, one of your criteria calls for familiarity with db-VISTA and db-QUERY. Could you tell me why that's important? Then, when your list is ready, so are you. Any questions. Feel free to contact Irv Zuckerman 102137,151 Author, HIRE POWE