Jan 2010:
The candidate for the offshore Finance Director role didn't know what had hit him.
Walking out of the interview, he could tell from the interviewer's parting response that he'd blown it. But why? He'd been ever so careful, he said in talking the disaster over with his recruitment consultant.
The interviewee was right about the session's results. He had indeed ruined his chance of being called back for a second interview — by presenting himself in the first session as too much of a team player!
Many things can sink an interview. Sometimes it's simply making a bad first impression; a tendency to ramble, instead of being direct in answering questions, perhaps; or poor back grounding on the company you seek to join.
But often the problem is more complex. Some candidates don't think far enough ahead, giving the interviewer a sense of little potential growth to be tapped. Others talk grandiosely of the future while short-changing their immediate skills. And then there's the trap that ensnared our Finance Director candidate.
This offshore finance executive had worked for a FTSE 100 company known for its deep culture of teamwork, with executives encouraged to tap cross-departmental expertise to solve problems and advance corporate goals. Whenever possible in the interview, the candidate described "the team's successes" and "our projects," never explaining what he himself contributed to the group efforts. Suddenly the interview was over, and so were his prospects of winning the Finance Director job.
Bringing that focus to a job interview — with an offshore bank that had a more entrepreneurial corporate culture — turned out to be a mistake.
“He should have been prepared to describe the teamwork in terms of his leadership and specific contributions," reasons the recruitment consultant. The candidate wasn't "mentally prepared for selling himself, and fell back on the nomenclature of his company."
Here are some of the biggest “pitfalls” to avoid when interviewing for that dream offshore financial job:
1. Your Mother Was Right
First impressions do count. And as obvious as it may sound, candidates still strike out when it comes to grooming and dressing for an interview. Ill-fitting, stained, or shabby clothing can ruin an interviewer's first impression, and so can something as minor as unpolished shoes.
Candidates should always err on the side of a suit and tie, even if they've been told that the hiring company has a casual dress policy. It’s always better for a man to be able to loosen his tie, if the interviewer gives him that option, than to be caught without one. And no excuses about dressing down for an interview — like saying a tie will make a current boss or co-workers suspect you're going on an interview. Figure a way around such a situation: change in the bathroom or your car, but make sure to show up dressed well.
Just as important: No limp or cold-fish handshakes. Look the interviewer in the eye and give a firm handshake; that's part of first impressions. It’s OK to lose eye contact if you're composing a thoughtful answer to a question, but be sure to re-establish eye contact when you deliver your answer.
The cold-fish warning extends to demeanour. Great credentials can be discounted quickly if candidates fail to show energy and passion when meeting with an executive from the hiring company.
How you treat the office receptionist, and the assistant offering you coffee is all part of the interview. Often the hiring company will have executives who ask the opinion of the receptionist and other non-management employees to find out what impression potential candidates made.
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