If I were a fruit what would I be? I am still trying to think of an answer that I would give if asked this question in an interview. If you were a fruit, what would you be? I would love to hear some answers to this question. If a hiring manager asks this question in an interview, you do need to come up with an answer. It may seem like a dumb question, and even a waste of time, however people who ask the question are really looking for an answer, so be prepared to field a silly question.

Here’s a couple of thoughts on answering this question:

Whichever fruit you select, make sure you can connect the characteristics of the fruit to something that is true about you. For example:

“I would be an apple.” - The reason I selected an apple is because I have thick skin, but I am sweet on the inside. I also get love to invest in others, which is represented by the seeds you find in the core of the fruit.

“I would be an orange.” - The reason I selected an orange is because I have a zest for life! Some times you have to get past my natural defenses, past the skin to get to the tangy, sweet flavor you find in an orange.

“I would be a banana.” - The reason I selected a banana is because it is very easy to get to know me. Like a banana, it takes very little effort to peel back the skin to get to the good stuff on the inside.

“I would be a pomegranate” - The reason I selected a pomegranate is like the sweet seeded fruit with I have lots of ideas. I love to share my ideas and many times, once you start brainstorming with me, I can come up with endless creative ideas that work.

I just came up with these responses off the top of my head. If one of them works for you, retool it and use it in your interview if it ever comes up as a question. It may seem like a silly question, but, if you can come with an answer that connects you to the fruit, and they like it, you may move yourself one step closer to a yes. Keep in mind, just like a good answer can be helpful, a bad answer can be detrimental to you in an interview. Don’t blow off this question. If it comes up, for whatever reason, unknown to you, it is an important question to the person asking the question in the interview. How you answer can make you appear like a fruit cake or a stellar performer in an interview!

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Sometimes organizations take a long time to make a decision. Really I should say people, hiring managers sometime take a long time before making a decision. So what’s a reasonable wait time? That depends. It depends on the organization and it depends on what is going in the organization that you may not know about while you are in the midst of their hiring process. Here is a question that I received and my response regarding the wait…

I’m in the middle of that painful waiting time. For me it has lasted more than 30 days. The interview seemed to go well and I heard from others after the interview that everyone I interviewed with really liked me. When I heard nothing after a week, I politely emailed and asked for an up-date. I was informed that the law firm was to interview a few more candidates prior to making their decision. Additionally, I was given a time-frame for those interviews, approximately 2 weeks. I have kept in polite email contact with the HR rep and have learned that the hiring partner has not made a decision as of Tuesday. I know that he is incredibly busy (which is why he is attempting to hire someone) but should the fact that it is THIS hard for him to decide if he wants to hire me be a concern for me, i.e. does it basically mean a NO. I have tried my hardest to keep myself busy, but I feel as though I am losing my sanity. The HR rep has been fabulous throughout the entire process, but I feel as though even she is getting frustrated. So my questions are: Am I even in the running? Should I ask the HR rep if I am?

I have another interview in a few days for another law firm. However, the one I am waiting for is my first choice. Trying to stay sane!

Here is my recommendation for you:
1. Go to the next interview and give it your best. Until you have the #1 choice in the form of an offer letter, you have to remain focused and continue to pursue other job opportunities.

2. Continue to look for other potential opportunities that interest you. The best way to leverage an offer from a company you really want to work for is to have another offer in hand.

3. Evaluate why you want the job you want. What is it about the organization that you really like that is drawing you to them? Is it about the culture, the job itself, the potential salary, etc.? What is it that makes you want the job? Look for those qualities in other potential opportunities.

4. Invest time looking for other jobs for the next two weeks. If at the end of the two weeks they have not contacted you, I would contact them one more time. If you can get to the hiring manager, that would be ideal. If you can get to the hiring manager, express your interest in their organization. Ask, “when do you anticipate making a decision on this position?” If you can share something with the hiring manager that will help them make a decision about your candidacy.

5. Choose SANITY!! None of these companies are worth you going insane!!! You CHOOSE!!

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Recently I met with a new client that has been in the market for a job for more than a year. He was home responding to job ads from job boards. His phone was not ringing. No one was calling him back and he was more than frustrated.

At the end of our first meeting the homework I assignment I gave him was to develop a cover letter. I gave him a sample letter that included a strong opening, highlights of his accomplishments using bullet points, and highlights of his qualifications that fit the job ad he was responding to. I met with him briefly this weekend, two weeks since our first meeting. He has received phone call after phone call by adding a strong cover letter to his resume. This gentleman went from no calls, to interviews.

I am a firm believer that like a resume opens the door for an interview, a cover letter opens the door for the organization to want to read your resume. Resumes have a 4 second shelf life. You will move either from being an interested candidate to a potential candidate. But you have four seconds at best to communicate your value through a resume. A cover letter is a little different. If you have a strong cover letter, you will create interest in your resume. The 4 second rule will no longer be in effect because you successfully created interest for you as a potential candidate.

Tips for Developing Your Cover Letter

1. Do not use a template. Write a letter, a cover letter that communicates who you are and give the reader a reason to read your resume.

2. Make sure your cover letter includes key qualifications the job description highlights.

3. Use strong action words that describe you, your skills and abilities.

Cover letters are the appetizer in the full course from interview to job offer. Cover letters help to develop the first impression that organizations will have about your candidacy. So many job seekers skip investing time in developing their cover letter. You need a cover letter if you want to differentiate yourself from other candidates. So take your time and carve out a strong cover letter. If you would like a sample cover letter to get you started, leave me a comment and an email address and I will send it.

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Did you know that you can use Twitter to interview business or industry experts? You definitely can and the interview can be used to drive traffic to your website. The interviews is also a way for the experts to “pay it forward” to business owners as they help them by sharing their knowledge via the interview.

Recently, I launched a new website where I implemented TwitInterviews.com which is an integration of Twitter and WordPress. I use this website to interview business and industry experts who share their knowledge so that business owners can learn from them.

What I’ve learned is that many business and industry experts have unique tips and tools that can help a business owner develop or enhance their online presence. Many of the experts also share information that can help you streamline your processes or grow your business.

To help you get an idea of how TwitInterviews.com works, I’ve included links to different interviews with business experts:

• Cross-marketing interview: Jerrilynn Thomas
• Virtual Assistant interview: Dawn Martinello
• Mentor for Young Entrepreneur: Shonika Proctor
• iPhone Developer: Casey Ayers

To help you learn about additional advance things that you can do with Twitter, I have included a video below. The title of the video is “Advanced Twitter for Business Preview”.

Below is a webcast that was conduct by O’Rielly regarding Twitter for Business:

101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions by Ron Fry is the best book on the market in my opinion. This book will change the way you interview for jobs. It will teach you how to effectively interview for jobs if you do what Ron Fry recommends. There are no silver bullets for anything in life, but there are proven principles that will work uniformly across the board if you apply them. I have 2 books to give-a-way at the end of this week!! Read on!

101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions got me my first management job years ago.

101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions helped a generation X’er get his first promotion in a traditional corporate organization, eye brow piercing and everything.

101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions was the spark that helped me write my workshop, Tough Questions? Great Answers! back in 1999. And the workshop has help countless people interview for great jobs and get the jobs they want.

This book is not a respecter of people. It will help anyone, at any level interview better. It is a book chock-full of recommendations, questions and answers that will make a difference in how you walk into an interview if you apply the principles.

I have never met Ron Fry. I don’t even think he knows I exist, but I have been reading his book, using his book, recommending his book since 1991. I believe I read the first edition way back then.

So, if you are job seeker in the market for a job right now and you one to be one of the lucky winners from my book give-a-way, scroll down to the comments and leave one.

Here are the Rules of Engagement:

1. You must leave at least your first name

2. Must include a good email address

3. Tell what type of job you are in the market for

4. Tell us how long you have been searching for a job

5. What is the greatest struggle you are facing in your job search besides not being able to get a job in this economy. What else seems to be in the way?

Note: Your entry must be posted no later than Saturday, April 25, 2009 at midnight EST.

Generic comments will not get your name in the random drawing for the book. You are welcome to leave additional comments, however, you must meet the five on my list above. If you need assistance with your job search, please leave a question. I will respond to your question within 24-48 hours.

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So many people have lost their job for poor judgment on their part. Many times we don’t think about the consequences for our actions. As a result, when attempting to find employment in an employers market, involuntary termination can be a difficult thing to respond to in an interview. Most people who have been fired, dread the question, “Have you ever been discharged or asked to resign from a job? Yes__ No__ If yes, explain.”

Here is a question I received recently. I have changed a few details to ensure I maintain the identity of my reader.

“A few years ago, I was in the parking lot of my job ready to start my shift. I was approached by a co-worker and was offered a beer. Normally, I would have declined, seeing as I was underage anyway at the time, but I caved under the pressure since my Department Manager was WITH the co-worker, and they were both consuming beers before their shift as well. Stupid peer pressure.

Now I know honesty is the best policy, but I really don’t want to get into specifics with the company I’m about to interview for. How would I handle this on my application and in my interview? Could I cite “Terminated for breaking Company Code of Conduct?” and leave it at that, and during the interview say “Yes, I was fired for breaking Employee Code of Conduct, but I have since grown up, learned a tremendous amount from my mistake, and will never make that mistake again?”

Luckily, I have successfully worked 3 jobs since the job from which I was terminated, and those 3 are the only ones that fit onto the employment history part of the application. Since the incident, I’ve got a spotless job record with those 3 companies/organizations, I’ve graduated from college with an associates AND a bachelor’s degree, and was accepted into a Masters of Business Administration Graduate program, where I’m about halfway through completion. Track record since then = spotless. Furthermore, this company is having me sign a Disclosure Regarding Procurement of a Consumer Report, and a Release Authorization for the possibility of “a consumer report or an investigative consumer report, including information as to my character, work habits, performance, and experience, along with reasons for termination of past employment.”

So while it seems like my best course of action is indeed to be truthful with them, I just don’t want to get into embarrassing details. I’m afraid I’m not even going to be considered anyway because of my answer to that one question on their application. Any input or feedback on this will be very much appreciated.”

My response to this reader:

I definitely am a firm believer of telling the truth. If the organization is large and they tell you they are doing background checks you don’t want them to find something out that you didn’t share.

As far as the beer and whether you should give the details. I would play that by ear. Why? First, most organizations are more interested in knowing that you are honest enough to say you got fired, but more importantly they want to know that you learned something and that you are not going to do it again. In your case you have worked 3 jobs since the incident. So even if they want the details about the beer drinking, to your point, you have grown up. It was a mistake, and one you learned from. You can say that. The fact that your record is clean since then is the best testimony you have to support the lesson.

Make sure that you highlight your strengths, your successes from the previous jobs and don’t spend a lot of time talking about the incident unless they are digging for details. I like the statement, “I was terminated because I didn’t honor their code of conduct.” They may want to know how you violated the code of conduct. If they ask, tell them, “I drank a beer in the parking lot prior to my shift.” Don’t say anything about the other people. Own what you did. “I was terminated the next day.” Then say, “What I learned was…. and I have not made that mistake again. I understand why they terminated me. I was young, and exercised poor judgment. That is no longer a problem for me. You don’t have to worry about me doing that again. Since then I have gone back to school and focused on being an excellent employee for the organizations I have worked for since that happened.”

Take some time and think about what you want to say if they dig beyond the “code of conduct” statement. What I have given can be used as a guideline for developing a statement that will work for you. What ever you do, don’t be embarrassed or meek about what happened, Be candid, transparent, open, and give them peace of mind that, that young man is not who they will hiring and you should be able to move smoothly past this question in the interview.

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If you walk into an interview and things don’t feel so good, that may be a clue that you may want to ask more questions about the culture of the organization. If you are sitting in the interview and the people around the table don’t seem to like each other, that would be another clue that the organization has some issues. If you have a friend that works in the organization and they tell you that there are issues with the hiring manager, it may be another obvious indicator that accepting an offer may mean problems for you down the road.

When you accept a job offer, it should feel right to you. If you are not into feelings, than use “valid data” to determine if the organization is the right place for you. Don’t accept a job offer with blinders on. If you see something that makes you say hmmm, ask questions. See if you can get clarity about what you saw or what you are feeling. You may not get an answer, but asking questions may give you clarity.

An example, when I was interviewing years ago for a training manager position at a very high profile organization. I asked the hiring manager (Director of Training Development), to describe his management style. The interview was scheduled from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. They flew me in for the interview, they put me in a very nice hotel and had a limo outside waiting for me in the morning. Very nice! Back to my story - so at about 8:30 am, I am meeting with the hiring manager, and I ask my question, “describe your management style.” The first thing out of his mouth was, “I am a micro-manager.” I knew at 8:30 am in the morning, that no matter how good the interview went, or how good the offer may be, I was not going to work for that organization. It would have been a great opportunity. The salary would have been AWESOME. But the Director of Training admitted he was a micro-manager and I knew that wouldn’t work for me.

Do you know what works for you? And what doesn’t? If you don’t, you need to find out. You should decline a job offer when the organizational culture doesn’t fit you - your style. If the culture is very directive, and you operate from fear, or you get nervous when people yell a lot, that is the wrong place for you. If you are an individual contributor and you prefer to work alone, but the job offer requires 95% team work, it is the wrong place for you. If you don’t feel comfortable with the person you may work for, don’t take the job. These are a few examples of how you can effectively assess when to decline a job offer you have to ask the right questions in the interview. You also need to do your homework before saying yes. Find out what you need to know before you say yes. Even in this economy, don’t just say “yes” because you need a job. Say “yes” when it makes sense for you and the organization. When it’s a good fit, for both you and the organization, say “YES”!

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Late for dinner, may be acceptable to your mom or your spouse. But late for an interview in this market is absolutely ludicrous. It is an interview blunder that you must take note of and adjust if timeliness is an issue for you. Being tardy is one of the character flaws that will get you fired and put you back in the unemployment line. As a job seeker, being late for your interview is a great way to ensure you are not hired.

I have heard people say that you can call the organization and notify them that you will be late. Maybe something unforeseen came up at the last minute. But I want to encourage you to disregard that advice. If you can’t be at the interview early, reschedule. Late is the wrong impression you want to leave with a hiring manager. It matters!

Time Management is an important skill to master. If you can’t get yourself to an interview on time, you probably struggle with getting to work on time and meeting deadlines. That may seem like a huge leap, but when you are in the hiring process, you don’t have the luxury of convincing a hiring manager that your tardiness to their interview with you was a blip on the screen and that you don’t have issues with time.

One recommendation I have for you if timeliness is an issue for you - make your self arrive 30 - 60 minutes prior to the interview time. I know that it might sound nuts, but if timeliness is an issue getting your self started earlier is the only hope you have of being on time. Practice this with other things. Don’t wait until you have an interview. Late people know they are late people. If you want to compete for jobs than you have to work on strengthening this area so that it doesn’t get in your way. If you walk into an interview late and the hiring manager says, “better late than never,” and they take the time to interview you, I promise you that they are extending grace to you. You can be sure they will not be extending you an offer.

My last recommendation for those of you who are habitually late. Make sure you know where you are going. Don’t rely on Mapquest or even your GPS. Take a trip to the interview site and be sure you know where you are going ahead of time so that you are set the day of the interview.

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Are you the solution that an organization is looking for? You better be if you want to compete for the jobs that are available in the market. Yes, there are jobs. It is harder to get one these days, but they are available If you are the solution to a problem that an organization is experiencing. As challenging as it is to find a job, you are much more likely to get one of those jobs as a problem solver than just a job seeker.

The problem for most job seekers is that they walk into an interview, hoping they are going to get a job. Hoping that someone will like them enough to hire them. But it is not about that. It s not about whether they like you. Are you the solution they need for the problem they face? If the answer is “no”, than you already have the answer to whether you will actually see a job offer come from the organization.

If you want to become a solution to problems organizations face, do your homework. Research organizations you are interested in. Study them, and locate places within the organization that you would fit, where you would add value and where you can solve problems for them. Invest your time in learning about organizations. When the opportunities present them self and you have an opportunity to discuss your qualifications with a hiring manager, talk to them about how you will add value. Help them understand what you know about their organization and how you can solve problems for them.

Keep in mind that you never have to frame your discussion using statements like, “I know what problems you are facing.” What you will do is learn to take the questions they ask and your skill set and align them by sharing similar problems you have solved in other organizations. Be prepared to share success stories. Be prepared to discuss your ability to assess problems. Be prepared to share how you are a problem solver.

The entire climate of the interview will change. What will happen is that the conversation will change from a q & a discussion to a dialog about their concerns, and your ability to share diagnostically how you can solve them. Prepare good questions, so that if you don’t have the opportunity to share everything you want to share, your questions can open up discussion points. The hiring manager begins to trust you as you speak intelligently about their organization and about your skill set. They will open up and you then get the opportunity to speak as a consultant in the midst of the interview. What ever information you give them becomes seed for their decision making process. As they contemplate who will be the best candidate for the job, you become a contender. You become one that the hiring manager will consider when determining who to hire. You are the solution to someone’s problem. Make sure you are the solution to an organization that you want to work and you will see opportunities open up to you.

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There are a lot of people looking for work right now. And there are jobs available. But there are more people than jobs. Obviously, that leads to frustration among job seekers. I talk to people daily who are in the midst of a job search. Given the frustrations that many job seekers are experiencing in a depressed job market, getting a call back or a letter from a potential employer is not really asking too much, is it? I thought I would share a note I got this morning from a job seeker:

“I think that the most frustrating thing about this job search is that people will call and then just ignore you. A simple ‘I am not interested or someone else has been hired’ goes a long way towards making you feel good about a company, recruiter, person, etc.”

This job seeker is referring to organizations who call, set up an interview, take the time to interview a candidate and then the candidate sits by the phone waiting to hear back from the organization. Think about it, hiring manager, when you were waiting for the job you currently have. You waited for that phone to ring with the job offer. That is what people are doing right now. If they are “lucky” enough to get an interview, candidates feel elated. Someone is considering them for a job opportunity. If you as a manager took the time to bring someone in for an interview, please take the time to contact them and give them a status and/or outcome of the interview. Even if the answer is “no”. Note to self - contact the candidates and tell them your decision! That is better than keeping people hanging, hoping, waiting for the phone to ring…

Here are some common courtesies that hiring managers expect of job seekers:

1. Be on time

2. Be courtesous to the organization’s staff

3. Be honest

4. Don’t waste my time

For you as a manager, job seekers have some common courtesies:

1. Be on time

2. Don’t waste my time

3. Be polite

4. Notify me when you have made a hiring decision

These are not necessarily in the right order, I am attempted to make a point to the hiring managers. When you know that you are not going to extend an offer to a candidate, notify them and tell them. If you are uncomfortable making the call, ask HR to make the call. Somebody call and let the person off the hook!

Image Credit: sxc.hu