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Pay special attention to the last question of the interview: "what question do you have?"
It's not only a chance for you to know something you care about, but more importantly, it's the last question the interviewer asks you. By your questions, the interviewer can figour out what the most important things to you are. If you are the interviewer, you can tell what the candidate care mostly about by the different questions like:
1. What's the company culture?
2. How do your project the growth of the company's business in the next 2 years?
3. How will this position fit into the company's organization?
4. What have you done to support your employees achieving their career goals?
5. How do you value direct industry experience vs extensive skills?
Assuming you are the interviewer, could you tell what the candidate care most about and the style the candidate approaching things? I can.
Be careful of the last question! Don't let it pass.
If Jack is talking about Jay with you, you know a lot more about Jack than you know about Jay. This is a golden rule, and it applies to interview as well.
Often the time, the interviewer doesn't care much of what your answer is (except very technical questions), but how you answer and how you handle the situation, attitude, approach, how to handle objections and challenges, etc. You need to identify the purpose of each question very quickly before you answer.
One good way to do this is to put yourself into the interviewer's shoes, based on his position, his relationship with the position being interviewed, and his relationship with the hiring manager. Of course you have to do some study finding out those things before the interview. Then put yourself into the position of this interview and think about what you care most at his/her position. This will help you find out how to satisfy him/her.
To many of the Chinese friends who are doing technical jobs here, they really need to enhance their interpersonal skills. It's not related to culture or language, it's the nature of the humanbeings. And, based on your IQ (being able to handle more complicated logical problems), you should have no problem dealing with people, but be careful, different approach. Dealing with code or machines allows you to make mistake, becaure the objects you are working with are not corespondent. But dealing with people allows you no mistake, otherwise you loss the opportunity.
Spend some time to study people, not necessarily Americans, just study your Chinese friends arround you. You will find a lot of fun and gain a lot. Those learnings will benefit not only your interview skills, but your interpersonal skills in general.
Why should you believe me? I am the top sales manager in my company which is a Fortune 20 company. Playing people game is my job, daily life.
One cultural difference between Chinese and American is, we Chinese people tend to be moderate and soft, while Americans are more aggressive and controlling. But as we are here in the US, and not many hiring managers know the Chinese culture, they feel more comfortable dealing with candidate whose style is like theirs.
Don't be shy. Speak loudly throughout the meeting. Present your expectation of the meeting and propose agenda, but don't forget to ask how they feel about your proposal. This will give your the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership of the meeting. Don't worry, this usually won't make them feel negatively. They will see that you care about the interview and your controling personality. This kind of attitude will also enable your contineous success if you are hired into this organization.
How do you interpret communication? Do you feel confident about your communications skills? Do you feel comfortable communicating in your second language with people in another culture?
You should be confident, because to my knowledge, we Chinese people have the capability to be a good communicator.
Don't blur the line between "communication skills" and "language skills". Our language skill generally is not as good as their school kids. However, communication involves far more than language. It involves logic thinking, listening capability, people reading capability, and knowledge. Language is important, but no more important than above.
In a business environment, to whom (boss, peers, employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, or news medias) to communicate what at which time by which way (meeting, conference, e.mail, phone call, etc) is far more important than how to choose the words.
In an interview, use your advantages (logic, knowledge) to compensate your disadvantages (language and culture). You have no reason not to be confident.
How many times you found American sales guy says a lot to the customer but doesn't win the deal. Why? Because they don't know what the customer wants. They just abuse their language skill and keeps talking, but all nonsense to the customer. Can you learn some lesson from this?
Never show your expectation first in such a slow job market. Whenever you are asked about compensation, just turn it back to the hiring manager by saying:
1. I like the job, and value growth opportunity much more than anything else.
2. I trust the company will give me fair compensation based on my experience and capability, and the job scope.
3. At last, if they insist asking you, you may share your compensation history. But remember, never expose your expectation first, unless you really draw a hardline beyond which you will ever consider the job.
After they tell you the pay range, or the target pay for you, you may consider to nego. If you cannot squeese anything for cash compensation, try to get more from relo benefit, stock options, vacations, education assistance, etc. If you have been a manager, you might know that the cost structure is difference if you pay someone salary vs if you pay someone one time deal like relocation.
Always close your conversation by statement or asking a closing question (there is only one examption which will be discussed later).
After you demonstrated your skills and capabilities, you need to bring your audience back to the point that you care about most, that is, you are capable to do the job. So don't forget to summarize your key strengths and how those strengths will benefit the position you are applying for. This summary should be very brief. After that, always end the conversation with some action for next step, specifically with clear agreement on who will contact for what to do next at what time. For example: the hiring manager will contact you on Friday advising you the second interview.
You can also close the conversation by asking closing questions:
1. Through the conversation we just had, do you think you have got a clear idea about my experience and capability?
2. If no, follow a question: how I can help you better understand my experience?
3. If yes, the next question is: do you think I am capable to be success at this position?
4. If no, ask: what concerns about my capability do you have, and maybe I can explain to you better to avoid any misunderstanding?
5. If yes, ask: are you willing to make a positive recommendation to the hiring manager to choose me for this job (or for next interview)?
One extreme case is: you are 90% sure that the interviewer doesn't like you, don't allow him/her opportunity to spell it out. In that case, though the odd is small, but you still have chance to turn it over.
Your may be asked all kinds of questions, depending on the company, the position, and the interviewer's interest. But fundamentally, they like to find out the following facts:
1. If you are capable to do this job.
2. If you are willing to do this job.
3. If you can fit into the company/organization.
4. What are your advantages over other candidates and what those advantages mean to the company/organization.
So whenever you answer their questions, and not matter what questions you are answering, always remember those four foundamental questions behind the question they ask. And by answering the asked questions, always link it to the four fundamental questions. This will increase your odd being success.
Pay special attention to the last question of the interview: "what question do you have?"
It's not only a chance for you to know something you care about, but more importantly, it's the last question the interviewer asks you. By your questions, the interviewer can figour out what the most important things to you are. If you are the interviewer, you can tell what the candidate care mostly about by the different questions like:
1. What's the company culture?
2. How do your project the growth of the company's business in the next 2 years?
3. How will this position fit into the company's organization?
4. What have you done to support your employees achieving their career goals?
5. How do you value direct industry experience vs extensive skills?
Assuming you are the interviewer, could you tell what the candidate care most about and the style the candidate approaching things? I can.
Be careful of the last question! Don't let it pass.
If Jack is talking about Jay with you, you know a lot more about Jack than you know about Jay. This is a golden rule, and it applies to interview as well.
Often the time, the interviewer doesn't care much of what your answer is (except very technical questions), but how you answer and how you handle the situation, attitude, approach, how to handle objections and challenges, etc. You need to identify the purpose of each question very quickly before you answer.
One good way to do this is to put yourself into the interviewer's shoes, based on his position, his relationship with the position being interviewed, and his relationship with the hiring manager. Of course you have to do some study finding out those things before the interview. Then put yourself into the position of this interview and think about what you care most at his/her position. This will help you find out how to satisfy him/her.
To many of the Chinese friends who are doing technical jobs here, they really need to enhance their interpersonal skills. It's not related to culture or language, it's the nature of the humanbeings. And, based on your IQ (being able to handle more complicated logical problems), you should have no problem dealing with people, but be careful, different approach. Dealing with code or machines allows you to make mistake, becaure the objects you are working with are not corespondent. But dealing with people allows you no mistake, otherwise you loss the opportunity.
Spend some time to study people, not necessarily Americans, just study your Chinese friends arround you. You will find a lot of fun and gain a lot. Those learnings will benefit not only your interview skills, but your interpersonal skills in general.
Why should you believe me? I am the top sales manager in my company which is a Fortune 20 company. Playing people game is my job, daily life.
One cultural difference between Chinese and American is, we Chinese people tend to be moderate and soft, while Americans are more aggressive and controlling. But as we are here in the US, and not many hiring managers know the Chinese culture, they feel more comfortable dealing with candidate whose style is like theirs.
Don't be shy. Speak loudly throughout the meeting. Present your expectation of the meeting and propose agenda, but don't forget to ask how they feel about your proposal. This will give your the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership of the meeting. Don't worry, this usually won't make them feel negatively. They will see that you care about the interview and your controling personality. This kind of attitude will also enable your contineous success if you are hired into this organization.
How do you interpret communication? Do you feel confident about your communications skills? Do you feel comfortable communicating in your second language with people in another culture?
You should be confident, because to my knowledge, we Chinese people have the capability to be a good communicator.
Don't blur the line between "communication skills" and "language skills". Our language skill generally is not as good as their school kids. However, communication involves far more than language. It involves logic thinking, listening capability, people reading capability, and knowledge. Language is important, but no more important than above.
In a business environment, to whom (boss, peers, employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, or news medias) to communicate what at which time by which way (meeting, conference, e.mail, phone call, etc) is far more important than how to choose the words.
In an interview, use your advantages (logic, knowledge) to compensate your disadvantages (language and culture). You have no reason not to be confident.
How many times you found American sales guy says a lot to the customer but doesn't win the deal. Why? Because they don't know what the customer wants. They just abuse their language skill and keeps talking, but all nonsense to the customer. Can you learn some lesson from this?
Never show your expectation first in such a slow job market. Whenever you are asked about compensation, just turn it back to the hiring manager by saying:
1. I like the job, and value growth opportunity much more than anything else.
2. I trust the company will give me fair compensation based on my experience and capability, and the job scope.
3. At last, if they insist asking you, you may share your compensation history. But remember, never expose your expectation first, unless you really draw a hardline beyond which you will ever consider the job.
After they tell you the pay range, or the target pay for you, you may consider to nego. If you cannot squeese anything for cash compensation, try to get more from relo benefit, stock options, vacations, education assistance, etc. If you have been a manager, you might know that the cost structure is difference if you pay someone salary vs if you pay someone one time deal like relocation.
Always close your conversation by statement or asking a closing question (there is only one examption which will be discussed later).
After you demonstrated your skills and capabilities, you need to bring your audience back to the point that you care about most, that is, you are capable to do the job. So don't forget to summarize your key strengths and how those strengths will benefit the position you are applying for. This summary should be very brief. After that, always end the conversation with some action for next step, specifically with clear agreement on who will contact for what to do next at what time. For example: the hiring manager will contact you on Friday advising you the second interview.
You can also close the conversation by asking closing questions:
1. Through the conversation we just had, do you think you have got a clear idea about my experience and capability?
2. If no, follow a question: how I can help you better understand my experience?
3. If yes, the next question is: do you think I am capable to be success at this position?
4. If no, ask: what concerns about my capability do you have, and maybe I can explain to you better to avoid any misunderstanding?
5. If yes, ask: are you willing to make a positive recommendation to the hiring manager to choose me for this job (or for next interview)?
One extreme case is: you are 90% sure that the interviewer doesn't like you, don't allow him/her opportunity to spell it out. In that case, though the odd is small, but you still have chance to turn it over.
Your may be asked all kinds of questions, depending on the company, the position, and the interviewer's interest. But fundamentally, they like to find out the following facts:
1. If you are capable to do this job.
2. If you are willing to do this job.
3. If you can fit into the company/organization.
4. What are your advantages over other candidates and what those advantages mean to the company/organization.
So whenever you answer their questions, and not matter what questions you are answering, always remember those four foundamental questions behind the question they ask. And by answering the asked questions, always link it to the four fundamental questions. This will increase your odd being success.
