How to Rock the New ‘Norm’ – the Phone Interview

A man in suit and tie talking on the phone.

 

The dreaded phone interview, welcome to the new “norm”.

Why do we even have to go through these? What can a hiring team honestly figure out from a 10-minute phone conversation?

A lot. You would be surprised.

And think about it from their point of view: interviews take a long time and cost a significant amount of money in soft and hard dollar costs. If they can weed out the competition through a couple quick questions on the phone, wouldn’t they be fools not to?

Here are 8 easy and extremely effective tips for preparing for the phone interview in a previous blog.

 

#1 – Be professional when answering the phone.

SouSounds simple enough, but so many people miss this step.  When you answer the phone, the first impression is so important!

Pick up the phone, and professionally say, “Hello, this is                        .”

Think of it this way: the way you answer the phone for your interview should be the EXACT same way you would answer the phone if you were at work.

Any other way, and it truly sounds like you totally forgot about your interview.  Simply, “Hello?” makes it sound like maybe you were expecting it to be someone else.

You also want to be in a quiet place where you do not have background noise or distractions. Don’t answer the phone with your dog barking at the front door, while you’re driving in a rainstorm, or while you’re out running errands. Yes, these are all real examples.

 

#2 – SMILE

It’s so important to smile when you answer the phone because it can make a huge difference in your energy and how you sound on the phone.

A smile costs nothing and can make a world of difference.

 

#3 – Remember names

Keep a notebook in front of you, and when the panel or interviewer introduces themselves, write down their names so that you can thank them individually at the end of the interview.

If they don’t introduce themselves, and you have a natural break, you could ask, “And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with today?”

If you are invited to in-person interviews, you will most likely meet all or some of the people you speak to on the phone anyways.  Attention to detail goes a long way!

 

#4 – Don’t mumble or rush.

Try your best to take a breath, slow down, and speak clearly into the phone.

Your adrenaline will be pumping, so you will be likely to react accordingly, whether that’s rushing through your speech or speaking more quietly that normal.

Don’t use speakerphone, It can create a weird echo or generally make it harder for the panel to hear you. It can also expose your conversation to unexpected external noises in the background of your environment.

Also, don’t be playing with anything while you talk – particularly something that makes noise.  The panel will be left wondering what on earth you were doing while talking to them on the phone. Awkward.

 

#5 – If you need a minute, let your interviewer know 

It’s okay if a question takes you by surprise and the best answer doesn’t come right to your mind, but you need to ask your interviewer for a moment to think.

Remember, you can’t be seen, so if you simply sit pondering in silence, the panel may think they’ve lost the connection or that you’re just a fan of awkward silence.

Simply say something like, “Great question! Give me a quick moment to think about it.”  Then, go ahead when you’re ready.

 

#6 – Listen and don’t ramble 

You usually have about 10 minutes to really wow the interview panel. And you need to remember that a phone interview is still a conversation—not a one-sided presentation.

Listen intently to the questions asked, be human (conversational), and focus your answers on the most important, relevant information as it relates to the questions you are asked.

Do not try to exhale your entire resume in one breath!

The interview panel may not be able to pick out the key details in your exhaustive list of jobs, hobbies and accomplishments.  More than likely, they are interviewing several qualified candidates in one long, tiring session, so you need to make your responses concise and to-the-point to keep their interest.

Once again, having your prepared notes in front of you will help you focus on a few key things you want to share.

 

#7 – Keep it professional. 

This applies both to phone and in person interviews.  You want to stand out with experience and knowledge that relate professionally to the job you are applying for.

If the panel asks you why you want the job (a very common phone question), stick to the professional reasons you applied.

DO NOT waste your time by talking about how the reason you want to work for their organization is because of a personal reason, a friend works there or the office is close to your home. Research the company, know what they do in and out then apply it to how you can be an asset then nail this question!

You got this!

If you are a licensed PE & need assistance with your resume, interview tips or want to apply to one of our positions please go to www.enhancerecruiting.com

-The Enhance Recruiting Team

 

How to NAIL the Dreaded Question

A group of people sitting around a table shaking hands.


How to NAIL the Dreaded Question in an Interview

A picture of the words so tell me about yourself

UGH, WHAT!? This interview question is the broadest, and yet most predictable question asked at nearly EVERY interview you will ever have. We are professional recruiters here at Enhance Recruiting and find this question comes up more often than not. We want to give you the best tips on nailing your answer to this question!

Here are a variety of ways it can be asked:

  • Tell us about your experience, training, and education as it relates to this position.
  • What makes you the best candidate for this position?
  • What have you done to prepare for this position?

As you can see the questions can look very different so you MUST pay attention and respond to the subtle differences in each question.

But what are ALL of these interview questions concerning?  YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST!

What is it about your past that has gotten you in the chair, Zoom, or Teams interview?  Think long and hard about this question and NAIL it because this is exactly what this interview is about. They want to know your capacity to ROCK this position!

Be confident, not cocky.  Be honest, clear, and sell yourself.  Don’t undersell, don’t oversell.  And stick to the point!

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF TIPS – WRITE THIS DOWN

  1. Practice and time your answer. It should never be more than 5 minutes long.
  2. There is a fine balance between “listing off your resume†and telling your “storyâ€.  At least 90% of what you say should be pointed directly at your RELATED experience for the job you’ve applied for.
  3. 10% of your answer can be a fun fact or two about yourself, but don’t get too personal. A little something is thrown into the interview (as it relates) makes you relatable & human! You would be very surprised at the tiny little details that will stick to an interviewer’s mind and make them feel like they know you.

DON’T ASSUME THE INTERVIEWER KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU

Even if you included it in your resume or in your application. We see this mistake all the time, particularly with very experienced candidates. We say, “Please give us a brief overview of your related experience.â€Â  And the candidate says, “Well you’ve seen my resume….. I handle a lot of projects, and I’m excited about this opportunity.â€

Keep in mind, the interviewer most likely has looked at 50 more resumes and doesn’t memorize each and every one of them. Plus, we want to hear your story with conviction and passion about what you do & can bring to the table. Don’t hold back and answer the question, even if you think you’re repeating yourself a little.

MORE INTERVIEW TIPS

KNOW THE JOB DESCRIPTION WELL

Know the job description and the details of what the employer is looking for then talk about your experience and education that fits directly into that job.

It sounds straightforward, but MANY people do not do this. It seems like they sit down for their interview and honestly have no idea what the job entails. Some people spend half their time wandering all over the place and only once in a while hitting on information the hiring team really wants to hear.

DO YOU WANT TO BE IRRESISTIBLE? Be the person that has come to solve their problems!

  1. If you read in the job description that the employer is looking for someone with skills in specific software or function, please provide the details. Don’t just say, “I’ve worked with that software.â€Â  How? For how long? How well do you know it? Do you have a brief example of a project you did with it?
  2. “I am a supervisor.â€Â  Of whom or what positions? For how long? How many people? What kind of work do you direct? What challenges did you face? Give a full and clear picture of your past experience.
  3. If you have a job or two in your past that you really can’t find relevant experience in, please mention them, but don’t go into the minute details.  It’s not related.  In fact, sharing too much-unrelated information in an interview typically accomplishes the opposite of what you want

 

STICK TO A REASONABLE TIMELINE IN YOUR RESPONSE

  1. If you’ve been a professional for 20 years, don’t go back to high school and your time as the captain of the football team.  Don’t cut your professional time short either.
  2. Summarize the most relevant period of time with the most relevant work experience and education for the job.

 

BRING PASSION AND ENERGY TO YOUR RESPONSE

Let the passion for what you do shine through your answer as you reflect on your many life experiences.  That passion is contagious, and the interview panel will feel it.

Being overly nervous, reserved, or relaxed can look like you’re uninterested or unengaged. I know interviews are nerve-wracking but try your very best to keep your head high, shoulders back, and eyes on whom you are speaking with. 

 

PRACTICE TO KEEP YOUR ANSWER RELEVANT

 Unless you are specifically instructed otherwise, keep your answers short and sweet. Limit each response to 5 minutes or less. This should also be generally proportional to your related experience. 5 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but in an interview, it is. In order to fit your answer into 5 minutes or less, and sound good doing it, PRACTICE!  It will calm your nerves and will ensure you include all relevant information.

  1. This is the one answer that you should have ready to go because you can be 99% sure you will get to use it.
  2. Write down the key points you want to share with the interviewer and practice making it flow with confidence and clarity.

Now you got it, now go ROCK that interview and in the meantime…..tell me about yourself?!

We are YOUR Engineering Search Partner

To learn more about or apply go to www.enhancerecruiting.com

 

The Truth About Finding Your First Engineering Position

Two men shaking hands in front of a window.

Don’t panic if your inbox isn’t full of $200k job offers.

Even for senior engineers, job searches can be confusing, frustrating affairs. When you’re a junior engineer looking for your first job, it can feel like you’re flying blind.

You may be armed with general notions about the engineering job market. Engineers are in demand, salaries are relatively high, unemployment is low, and more. What you might not have is context on what finding your first job will actually look like. How many companies should you be applying to? What kind of starting salary is normal? What roles should you even be applying for?

1. How many jobs should I apply to?

Short answer: As many as it takes.

This is a broad question that depends on your criteria for jobs. For example, if you’re only interested in hardware engineering jobs in Reno, you’re dealing with a very limited talent pool and job market. That being said, if we zoom out to the national level, the average U.S.-based software engineer with zero years of experience applies to 23 jobs before getting hired.

Of course, there are a number of factors that will influence this number:

  • The types of companies you are interested in
  • The array of roles you are open to
  • Any VISA sponsorships or other special considerations you might need

If you have applied to 23 jobs without getting hired, that does not mean your job search has been a failure—23 is just the average—and if you’ve yet to apply to 23 jobs, it’s way too early to begin feeling worried.

Also, this isn’t a directive to apply to 23 jobs today. This should simply serve to set some expectations for your job hunt.

2. What kind of companies do I have the best odds with?

Note: Do not confuse this question with “What kind of company do I most want to work at?”

Based on our hiring data, early-stage companies are more open to hiring engineers with zero years of experience. The actual breakdown of companies, segmented by size, posting engineering jobs that are open to candidates with zero years of experience looks like this:

At the same time, while you may have more job options among companies with 1 – 10 employees, their youth should compel you to ask a few questions before deciding to join, namely:
  • Does the company have senior talent to mentor you?
  • Is this company in a financial position to offer you a livable salary?
  • Do you want to work in a typically less structured, but freer early-stage environment?

Early-stage companies are a high-risk, high-reward proposition. The vetting process is even more crucial when you’re considering joining a company at this stage.

3. Do I apply to roles I’m not qualified for?

There’s a difference between not matching all the criteria in a job listing, and not being qualified for the job.

When companies list a minimum years of experience for a job, they aren’t literally saying you couldn’t do this job without having worked that many years previously. They’re saying that the role requires you to produce at the level they’d expect someone with that much experience to produce at.

One caveat here is that we’re talking specifically about years of experience, not domain knowledge or particular skills. If a job listing requires you to be knowledgable in machine learning, while you’ve never studied the topic, that’s an example of a job you are unqualified for.

In general, as long the role is interesting to you and seems realistically within your capabilities, you are qualified enough to apply.

4. Which roles are the most open to junior-level candidates?

Maybe you aren’t picky about role specialization or which part of the stack you spend your time working on. In that case, the natural question becomes: What kind of role is most open to hiring inexperienced engineers?

There are two big takeaways here.

First, full-stack roles are the second most common role in junior-friendly role, coming only after general engineering roles. Full-stack roles at early-stage startups, and U.S.-based early-stage startups are more likely to hire junior engineers.

Second, roles that are more concerned with infrastructure are the least likely to hire someone with no experience.

5. Am I a failure if I don’t make $200,000?

Many junior engineers, after spending too much time reading threads on Blind, get the sense that everyone makes $200,000 at their first job.

They don’t.

There is not an entry-level engineering role that, when averaged across the U.S., lists an average salary of $100,000 or above.

For job listings in San Francisco, the averages all rise. But even then, only DevOps and systems engineering roles—the roles least likely to hire entry-level candidates—average over $100,000, meaning it is still only a small percentage of junior engineers making six figures.

While tech giants may offer gargantuan salaries with large signing bonuses to new engineers, those roles are in the extreme minority. Most engineers do not begin their careers there, and you shouldn’t feel like your career is underwhelming simply because you didn’t start it at Google.

What do you want?

While all of these statistics may be helpful context, they won’t answer the core question that will define your job search: What do you want out of your job?

If you want the fastest possible growth trajectory, early-to-mid-stage startups are your best bet.

If you want to maximize your salary right out of the gate, you should be looking at bigger, more mature companies. They typically have the funding and revenue to pay their entry-level hires more.

If you want exposure to founder-level responsibilities, you should join a seed-stage company. These are tough companies to vet—you almost have to think like an investor.

Ultimately, the ideal first job for you is going to come down to what you’re looking for in a role. Enhance Recruiting can assist you every step of the way. We have solid relationships with the top engineering firms in the U.S. Plus, we will supply you with company data and give you options. With our assistance, you should be able to navigate it accordingly and have a pleasant job search experience. For more information go to www.enhancerecruiting.com or call 512.656.1774.

Job Hunting Etiquette

A woman shaking hands with another person.

Job-Hunting Etiquette

The working world seems much more casual these days, with executives wearing jeans to meetings and employees wrapping up early & meeting in the break room on Friday afternoons. But that casual atmosphere doesn’t necessarily translate to the job search process, and taking a too-casual approach can make you seem rude, unprofessional – and not worth hiring.

So, whether it’s learning how to shake hands properly or cleaning up your social media profile, it’s time to learn the correct job-seeking tips and techniques. Here are some of the things you need to think about:

1. Clean up your social media profiles

Before you even begin your job search, you need to take a long, hard look at what you’ve posted online, and what others have posted about you. Since one in three employers have rejected candidates because of something they have read about them online, you must make sure your various profiles are scrubbed clean of anything that could be deemed controversial. Change all of your social media settings to private and use sites like LinkedIn or Twitter for posts that show you are up on industry trends – not ranting about politics.

2. Be polite

When considering job-seeking tips and techniques, it’s not about whether you consider something rude or not – it’s about what others consider rude. It’s a good bet, then, that checking your Instagram feed during an interview, swearing when you become impatient at a job fair, or slurping your coffee during a networking event isn’t going to be seen as polite behavior. Look to properly shake hands (dry, firm, one-handed shake), and address each person by his or her title (Dr., Ms., Mr.) and last name (unless the event is extremely informal — then you can use first names).

3. Dress for the occasion

For job-search events or an interview, formal or business casual is typically the expected attire. If you’re not sure what to wear, it’s always best to overdress than to show up looking too casual.

“Your shoes should be shined and your clothes should be pressed and spotless. No hanging threads, tears, or missing buttons. Hair should be freshly combed and nails clean and trimmed,” advises the Emily Post Institute when providing job-seeking tips and techniques. “Use an extra swipe of antiperspirant, but lay off the cologne.”

4. Be punctual

One of the biggest etiquette no-nos is arriving late. Whether you’re going across town or the country, always be familiar with your route and practice it if possible. Also, build in extra time for if you get lost, run into street closures, or have parking problems.

5. Use good telephone manners

When thinking about job-seeking tips and techniques, also consider that a phone interview is often the first contact you have with an employer. For that reason, don’t try to do a telephone interview while you’re driving, eating, or waiting in line at the bank. Find a quiet room (no noisy kids or barking dogs) and have a copy of your resume and talking points nearby. Also, remember to smile and stand up while talking (if possible). Doing both injects your voice with more energy and strength.

5. Be knowledgeable

Study information about the company and its leaders before going on a job interview. Read mission statements, check out recent press, and do some LinkedIn investigating of employees in the department you might end working in.

Being ignorant of what a company does is insulting to the employer (not to mention the interviewers you’re meeting with), and you should go in prepared with questions about the company or the industry, or preferably both.

Failing to be inquisitive is considered rude and lazy – it shows you don’t care enough about the company or industry to even ask more about it.

6. Don’t whine

Don’t complain about a former boss, criticize past or present colleagues, or appear downtrodden because your car needs a new radiator and you had to take the bus. Dumping a bad attitude or personal problems on a potential employer in an interview or during a networking event is impolite (to say the least). It makes you seem incapable of handling life’s curve-balls, and no employer wants to feel they’re hiring a toddler who still has tantrums.

7. Give your full attention

Give a hiring manager your full attention or you could wind up blowing your job chances. “For example, it is typical for a hiring manager to describe the job or how the company goes about things at the beginning of an interview. It is the kiss of death when, later in the same conversation, you ask for information you’ve already been given,” Lennie founder and CEO of Jobhuntercoach.

8. Avoid interruptions

Don’t clutch your cellphone in your hand like it’s a binky. Put it away, and put it on Mute, so you’re not distracted by its pings or beeps. Make sure you visit the restroom before the interview and avoid glancing around the room during the interview. The person sitting across from you should have your undivided attention.

9. Eat and drink smartly

Some hiring managers schedule a lunch interview just so they can observe your manners – and decide if you could be around important clients or bosses without causing great embarrassment. Avoid alcohol and messy foods (think pizza), and take small bites so that you can always chew quickly and answer questions without your mouth full. Also, do not change your order or send food back, and always be polite to servers.

10. Always show appreciation

Employers often complain about job candidates who don’t show appreciation for the time and effort of those they meet in an interview or a job fair. Distinguish yourself from the rude masses by writing a brief thank-you note to each person you met regarding a job. To do this, be sure to collect the business cards (or at least jot down the email addresses) of everyone you interview with or meet at a job fair. Taking this extra step allows you a chance to stand out; it can also be your ticket to a job interview or even a job offer.

Final Thoughts

Finally, remember that when considering job-seeking tips and techniques, well-mannered job-seekers gain an edge — especially compared with job-seekers who are either rude or are simply clueless. By following these job seeking tips and techniques, you will be on your way to giving yourself that extra boost that may help you land the job of your dreams.