Kingdom
Business Leaders
Welcome to Tonight’s
Business Builder Seminar
How to Land a Great Job in a Bad
(or Good) Economy – Part II
Jeff Sokolowski, Robert Half International
Paul Morris, AlixPartners LLP
Review:
To land a great job in a bad
(or good) economy…
become an expert at the
job search process.
The Job Search Process
Contact
Referrals
Your Network
Recruiters
Proprietary
Websites
Inside
Contacts
Qualified
Leads
Screening
Interview
Newsletters
Application
Job Boards
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
Background /
Reference
Check
JOB
OFFER!
The Job Search Process
Contact
Referrals
Your Network
Recruiters
Proprietary
Websites
Inside
Contacts
Qualified
Leads
Screening
Interview
Newsletters
Application
Job Boards
Your
Network
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
Background /
Reference
Check
JOB
OFFER!
Interviews
Mock interview:
• Unscripted “interview”
• “Play-by-play” analysis
from our guest speakers
Job Description
1
2
service company with over $1 Billion sales
yearly
budget, forecast, and long range plan process
3
guiding the business to hitting cost and
earnings targets
4
presentations for Board meetings
5
evaluating key metrics and ensuring leadership
has a clear understanding of the significant
financial issues
6
Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting
7
minimum of 10 years of related finance
experience
8
MBA and/or CPA are preferred
9
complex financial models
10
experience with large merger and acquisition
transactions
Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis
Job Type: Full-time
Company: Confidential
Job Description:
1
The company is a leading service company with over $1 Billion in
sales yearly. The company continues to grow and expand at a rapid
pace but without sacrificing our commitment to quality. Most of all, we
pride ourselves in hiring great people with the talent it takes to keep
up with our growth.
The Vice President of FP&A is responsible for providing financial
2
leadership through the budget, forecast, and long range plan process
and for guiding the business to hitting cost and earnings targets. This
4person will also create and oversee the preparation of financial 3
presentations for Board meetings, evaluating key metrics and
ensuring senior management has a clear understanding of the
significant financial issues that impact
5 profitability and provide
recommendations to negate identified financial issues.
Job Requirements:
6 Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting is required
7 coupled with a
minimum of 10 years of related finance experience. An MBA and /or
CPA are preferred, along with the ability to design and maintain 8
complex financial models and
9 to create high quality financial
presentations. The ideal candidate will have experience with large
merger and acquisition transactions, including valuation
10and due
diligence processes.
Screening Interview
Screening
Interview
• Usually via phone, short (30 minutes or so) BUT be prepared!
• Usually with an HR or Recruiting person, could be with a
Search Consultant / Recruiter – they do have influence!
• Usually not a high level person if internal to the organization,
but do NOT take this person lightly
• Answer the questions concisely and correctly, keeping in mind
what the Job Description says they are looking for:
o Have the Job Description in front of you
o Have the customized Resume and Cover Letter you sent
in front of you
o Ask very politely when you will likely hear back and what
the next steps are in the process and when
• Ask them what the most important qualifications are and if you
haven’t discussed one or more, go back and address them.
• Be polite, thank them for their time. Send a SHORT thank
you email if you have their email address.
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• Usually in person
• Could involve more than just an actual interview – testing, etc.
• Look, dress and act appropriately professional (shave,
shower, dress appropriately)
• BE ON TIME, be yourself, be friendly (smile), shake hands, do
NOT look at your watch
• Be prepared – do your homework ahead of time
o Research the entity
o Research the industry
o Research the interviewer(s)
o Research the job
• Be enthusiastic, energetic, polite.
• Make a long list of questions you might get asked (especially
about their desired qualifications) and prepare answers to
them.
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• Send a thank you email that same day if you have their email
address:
o Thank them for their time
o Tell them you are excited about the opportunity (and
why), BRIEFLY
o Remind them about why you are highly qualified
o Tell them you look forward to next steps
o Thank them again
• The interview starts when you leave your home and ends
when you arrive at home
o Receptionists and administrative assistants are part of
the interview
o They may watch you walking up/in
• Try not to be too nervous
• Do NOT bring up compensation – let them ask you
• Be ready for multiple and different types of interviews
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• General / generic interviews:
o Basic questions about your qualifications
o Questions about your goals
o Strengths/weaknesses
o Your interests
o What books have you read lately / why?
o What is your leadership/working style?
o How do you perform under pressure?
• Behavioral questions - “Describe a time/example when
you…”:
o …had to deal with a difficult person/situation
o …made a mistake / had an unhappy customer/coworker
o …had to fire someone
o …had to deal with conflicting priorities
 Give them a brief background to the situation and what
the challenge was
 Describe what you did to address the problem
 Describe how YOU turned a problem into a success!
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• Case interviews:
o You are given a real (or potentially real) situation or set of
information
o You are given time to work with it
o You then discuss your approach to the situation /
information and your “solution” with the interviewer
o It’s not about getting the “right” answer – it’s about how
you address the problem / question
o Use an organized framework and be able to describe
your approach logically
o Come to a conclusion and be able to show how/why it
makes sense
o More info: Wet Feet Press guide to case interviews
• “Stress” or “pressure” interviews – just stay calm, cool, polite
• Aptitude testing
• Personality profiling / industrial psychology
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• Be someone they want to have around (reliable, capable,
friendly, hard-working), but do NOT get too chummy with them.
• Your interviewer has an agenda, let them follow through with it,
BUT…
“Hijack” the interview (partially)
• Review the job description and your notes from the screening
interview:
o Make notes about 3-5 things you want to be sure to
emphasize from your background
o These are based on key requirements from the Job
Description AND Screening Interview OR unique
qualifications that only you have
o Take your resume and highlight 3-5 accomplishments
where you want to be sure to tell them the story at some
point
• Without being overly aggressive, make a strong close –
summarize and restate your key qualifications and why you are
interested in the job/entity
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• Have good questions for them, examples include:
o Anything you are not clear about from the Job Description
or about the organization
o Something that relates to their strategy or the industry:
 Something from their recent Annual Report
 Or a recent news release
 This shows you have done your homework
o “How would you describe your managerial/leadership
style?”
• Be strategic to get them thinking (visualizing) you in the job:
o “What do you view as the key challenges I will face in this
position?”
o “What are the most important things you will want me to
accomplish in the first year?”
o MAYBE: “How do you view me fitting into this organization
and this role?” (OR about career track)
o MAYBE: “Based on our discussion today, are there any
gaps in my qualifications that you see that I might be able
to address for you?”
o Next steps in their process? Don’t be presumptuous.
Follow-Up Interview(s)
Follow-Up
Interview(s)
• Illegal interviewer questions:
o Some things ARE bona fide job requirements, but other
things are not legitimate
o Remain calm, remain polite
o “I don’t know how is relevant to the position, but I do think
that my expertise/ability with _______ is because…”
o IF you get a second inappropriate question, remain calm,
but be more assertive: “Well _____, as I told you, I don’t
see that this is relevant to the position, but again my
qualifications/expertise with _____ would be because…”
o If you DO get a second inappropriate question, remain
polite but realize you probably don’t want to work there
anyhow.
• “Off the wall” Questions – legal and legitimate and show you
can be creative or come up with logical solutions:
o If you could be any kind of animal what would it be?
o How many golf balls could fit in a 747 airliner?
o How do you define leadership? Who is your favorite
leader?
o Have a list of examples and prepare answers.
Background / Reference Check
Background /
Reference
Check
• Maintain contact with your references as a key part of your
network!!!
• A good reference:
o Is very happy to serve as a reference – no reluctance.
o Is very well spoken and can talk about your qualities.
o Not necessarily the top person (CEO/whatever) at your
old job, but is probably your boss/supervisor.
o Might be a colleague - or a subordinate.
o Is coached and prepared on the opportunity, what is
being sought, and ready to talk about your qualifications.
• Do NOT give your reference contact info until they are ready
to make an offer:
o “I am happy to provide reference information and they are
all would be pleased to serve as of my references, but I
can only ask them to take so many phone calls on my
behalf. So, I prefer to give you that information if we get
to the point that you are considering making me an offer.”
• Background checks might include criminal background
checks, credit score checks, etc.
Job Offers
JOB
OFFER!
• Be enthusiastic, appreciative, but don’t accept it on the spot.
Thank them for the offer and the confidence they are showing
in you.
• MUST be in writing (after verbal), unless it is part time / entry
level, etc.
• Tell them you are excited about the opportunity and will “sleep
on it” and get back to them by ____ (date/time) if that is OK.
• Call them back when you said you would.
• Review the offer with a dispassionate 3rd party you can trust
(friend / family member). Recruiters are NOT in this category.
• Make a prioritized list of anything you want to ask them for.
• Use the Recruiter (if applicable) to feel them out in advance
on things you want.
Job Offers
JOB
OFFER!
• Do not be afraid to ask if they are able to give you something
if appropriate for the job:
o Do they have any flexibility on starting salary/wage?
o What is the target bonus, if any?
o What is the benefits package, if any?
o Stock options? Phantom shares?
o Retirement savings plan?
o Other short-term or long-term incentives?
o Car allowance? Cell phone?
o Be careful: How much vacation time? Do they have
flexibility (if it’s not enough)?
o Be careful: How many paid holidays?
• If you are going to ask them to be flexible on something
(especially compensation), then you need to be as well.
• ALWAYS ask for clarification on things you aren’t sure of.
• Restate how excited you are about the opportunity. Thank
them again for the opportunity and tell them you are looking
forward to working with them.
Job Offers
JOB
OFFER!
• Call to accept the offer, then follow up and accept in writing
immediately.
• Restate your enthusiasm for the opportunity and why.
• Restate why you think you will do a great job and are highly
qualified.
• Tell them you are looking forward to working with them (even
if it is “just” an HR person you talk with).
• Tell them you will be very committed to accomplishing the
things they told you (in the interviews) would be important or
that they wanted you to do.
• If you currently are somewhere else, give them whatever
length of notice they are due for you to leave:
o Be courteous, thank them for having been there.
o Be careful what you say about why you are leaving.
o Do this in person first, THEN in writing.
o Even if they are lying cheats who have stolen from you!
Kingdom
Business Leaders