THE RULES OF THE GAME in .NET

Decode ANSI/AIM Code 39 in .NET THE RULES OF THE GAME

Depending on how the interview goes, you may have time to ask only one question If that s the case, make it a killer question Everyone has a different killer question Ask yourself, if you could present just one question, what would it be Think about the brand you want to present You are that brand Take some time to think of the question that allows you to differentiate yourself from the crowd In many cases, the killer question has three elements: A statement that you appreciate the company s challenges or problem An assertion that you can solve the problem A request that you be given the opportunity to do so The thoroughness with which you prepare for this question goes a long way in deciding whether you will be successful in getting a job offer Formulating open-ended, penetrating questions gives you a leg up on the competition The right questions give the hiring manager a better picture of your value proposition to the company, the only basis on which you will be offered a position The 15 rules that follow provide guidance to help you strategize about the questions you will take into your job interviews Now is the time to be intentional about the interview, to take control, and to put your best foot forward

The art of asking questions is considering what responses you prefer and framing the questions to maximize your chances of getting the answers you want Here are 15 rules for asking better questions

Closed-ended questions can be answered yes or no, and begin with words such as did, has, does, would, and is Open-ended ques10

tions which usually begin with how, when, and who create opportunities for a conversation and a much richer exchange of information This is a closed-ended question: C ANDIDATE : Does the company have a child-care center on-site I NTERVIEWER : Yes Here is an open-ended question: C ANDIDATE : How does the company support working parents I NTERVIEWER : Let me show you a brochure about our award-winning day-care center located right here in the building Working Woman recently rated it one of the top ten corporate day-care centers in the United States Why questions also start open-ended questions, but they often come off as too challenging in a job interview See rule 8, below

Nothing is as disconcerting as a candidate spewing out a long, complicated question only to have the interviewer look confused and say, I m sorry I don t understand your question Restrict every question to one point Resist mouthfuls like this: I know that international sales are important, so how much of the company s revenues are derived from overseas, is that percentage growing, declining, or stable, do international tariffs present difficulties, and how will currency fluctuations impact the mix No interviewer should be expected to take on such a complicated question If you really think a conversation about these points is in your interest, indicate your interest in the issue and then break the question into separate queries

Wait for the interviewer to finish the question In other words, listen Many candidates get anxious or impatient and jump in before the inter11

viewer is finished asking the question Sometimes they want to show off and demonstrate that they get it Don t do it The risks of flubbing outweigh any points you may get for appearing swift To combat the tendency to interrupt, make sure the interviewer is really finished with each question It s a good idea to pause three seconds before answering If you can, use the time to think about what you want to say In your mind s eye, repeat the question to yourself Consider repeating it to the interviewer See if you really have it If not, ask the interviewer to repeat the question Even if you can t make productive use of the three seconds, the pause will make you look thoughtful The pause will also protect you from answering an incomplete question For example, one candidate reported the following exchange: H IRING M ANAGER : I see by your r sum that you ve had six systems analyst jobs in six years C ANDIDATE [interrupting]: And you want me to explain the job hopping, right H IRING M ANAGER : Actually, I was going to ask what s one new skill you took away from each job But since you mentioned job hopping, I am concerned about your ability to stick with one employer for more than year Oops Better to wait for the full question How much better it would have been for the above candidate if the exchange had gone this way: H IRING M ANAGER : I see by your r sum that you ve had six systems analyst jobs in six years Can you mention one specific skill you took away from each experience C ANDIDATE : You re asking what s one important skill I added to my portfolio from each of the jobs I ve held, is that right H IRING M ANAGER : Exactly C ANDIDATE : Fair question Let s take my jobs in order At Netcom, I learned how to implement an enterprise network management strategy Then at 4Com, I worked with client-side Java programming I