Podcast
Manager Tools Interview Series
Hosted by Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman · EN
The Manager Tools series on how to interview for a job.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
17 - How to Answer the Leadership Style Question (Bonus #2)
Apr 24, 2008Tap to summarizeFrom our weekly shows, this cast describes how to answer the interviewing question, "Describe Your Leadership Style." This is perhaps the third most important interviewing question, after, "Tell me about yourself," and behavioral questions. It can be a tough one if you haven't done some thinking about how you lead and motivate others, and why others perform well when you are leading them. In this cast, we walk through how to prepare to answer, and how to deliver an impressive answer. Finally, at the end of the show, we share a crucial test that your answer must pass. While you already know the answer to the test, it still catches most people off guard.
Transcribe →16 - How to Handle the Interview Weakness Question (Bonus #1)
Feb 28, 2008Tap to summarizeAn additional Interviewing show, originally covered on our weekly podcast ... Mark recently blogged about the crazy advice being given - by the Wall Street Journal! - about how to handle the perennial interviewing question, "Tell me about a weakness." He was stunned by how wrong some of the suggestions were, as well as the implication that a clever interviewee could trick the interviewing manager into accepting a non-responsive answer. We think it's funny how many folks think that "they" can fool "their" interviewer, but of course, if "they" were the one "interviewing", why, "that would be different". Yeah right. In this cast, we share one of the best interviewing answer templates you'll ever hear. It's simple, elegant, easy to deliver, and surprise, surprise: it directly answers the question.
Transcribe →15 - Phone Interviews
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeThese days, many employers use phone calls to pre-screen candidates before offering in-person interviews. If you are looking for a job, it is likely that at some point, you will be asked to "chat for a few minutes on the phone". Many recruiters are straight-forward enough to call it a "phone interview". Regardless of how they pitch it, don't make the error of mistaking it for anything than what it really is ... an INTERVIEW. And it CAN affect your potential career with an employer. So treat it with all the respect due a full interview. Phone interviews are often used to screen candidates in order to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited for in-person interviews. In reality, there is only one purpose of the phone interview, to ELIMINATE candidates from further consideration as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Given that the purpose is to eliminate you, doesn't it make sense to be prepared as possible so YOU are one of those invited to the next step ... a face-to-face interview? Well, it's not hard. In many ways, the way you prepare for a phone interview isn't all that different from the way you'd get ready for a in-person interview -- but there are some differences and ADDITIONAL steps you need to take. In this show, we'll walk you through those additional steps.
Transcribe →14 - How to Handle Offers
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeOffers are what we set out to get when we interview. Most people would tell you that when you interview you're looking for a job, but that's wrong. Wanting a "job" out of the interviewing process is a subtly bad goal to have. It mixes together the two parts of the search, getting offers and taking offers into one long process, and there are such different rules in play for both parts that applying rules from the second into the first is VERY dangerous. During today's show, we discuss offers, and how to handle them.
Transcribe →13a - How to Follow-up with Multiples (Updated)
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeThis guidance helps you know what to do in two common follow up situations: when there are multiple interviews or multiple interviewers.
Transcribe →13 - How to Follow-up
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeFollow up is one of the most misunderstood parts of the interviewing PROCESS. Remember Horstman's first law of interviewing, "Until You Got Something, You Got Nothing". Most interviewees make a mistake by believing that the Interview Process is done when the interview is done -- that the contest is over and you're just waiting for the score to be announced. This is a fundamental mistake ... the interview process continues WELL beyond the conclusion of the interview. During this show, we talk about the Follow-up stage of the interview process and how to make it work for you.
Transcribe →12 - Salary Questions
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeDuring this show, we discuss one of the most emotional aspects of the interviewing process -- Salary. We cover this topic because we get so many questions about it. What do I do when salary comes up? How do I handle when they ask for MY salary? What do I say when they ask me what I'm looking for? How do I negotiate? In today's show, we'll cover those questions and more ...
Transcribe →11 - How to Close an Interview
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeClosing is the single most powerful technique we know of in interviewing. Mark considers it the HOLY GRAIL of interviewing: those who close, all other things being equal, are significantly more likely to be successful. It is essentially the ONLY SURE WAY to OWN the end of the interview.
Transcribe →10 - How to Ask Questions
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeIn this part of the interview, after you've finished the "Answers" portion, it's your turn to ask questions of the interviewer. It's an often overlooked opportunity to do well in interviews, because so many people don't prepare for it. They treat it like the introductions section, and instead focus all their prep on the company (rather than on themselves.) Companies usually see your questions as an opportunity to assess your intellect and insight. They want to see how your mind works - what you found interesting about the job, what excites you enough to ask questions about. And, to assess YOUR ability to carry the conversation a bit. How do YOU do when YOU have to ask the questions and then follow up when appropriate? Is it all you can do to answer straightforward questions, or can you LEAD the discussion? Can your questions MAKE the interview? No. Can they break it? ABSOLUTELY. So, you must prepare.
Transcribe →9 - Examples of Significant Accomplishments
May 9, 2007Tap to summarizeThis show covers EXAMPLES of the most important question you'll ever get in an interview: "Give me an example of a significant accomplishment". In the previous show, we walked through the structure or design of the answer, and here we'll review the guidance, and then give two examples, using different verbiage.
Transcribe →