Saturday, May 5, 2007
Found this interesting:
Download Article in PDF Here
Full Businessweek article is Here
Caitlin McLaughlin, global head of campus recruiting for Citigroup Markets and Banking, will sometimes surprise MBA students by starting off an interview with a question that has little to do with their experience in the business world or as a student at their particular school.
She'll glance at the interests and activities section of their résumés and ask questions on subjects students expect recruiters to gloss over.
"I'll say, 'I noticed on your résumé that you are a Jimmy Buffet fanatic,' and it will be clear that the person forgot it was on there," she said. "You can see the look of panic spread across their face because they forgot."
Little Mistakes, Big Impact
Little slipups like this are the types of things that recruiters say can make the difference between making the right impression or the wrong one during a job interview.
One thing most recruiters agree on is that MBA students are coming to job interviews more prepared and polished than candidates in years past. They are coached by their career services offices, have studied meticulously the employers, and have boiled their work and academic career experiences down to a carefully crafted script.
Even with all this preparation, there are a number of missteps students can make that can quickly shift the tone of the interview in the wrong direction, recruiters from top companies say.
We asked recruiters for specific advice about navigating interviews and sidestepping common mistakes. Here's what they told us:
- Follow Interview Etiquette
- Keep Your Answers Short and to the Point
- It's Okay to Be Clueless
- Avoid Clichés.
- Keep Negativity Out of the Conversation
- Always Have Questions Prepared
- Keep Your Ego in Check
- Don't Walk in Unprepared
- Don't Talk in Absolutes
- Never Bring Up Salary
A recruiter can be drained at the end of a long day interviewing MBA students on campus. In most cases, they have been meeting with people from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seeing 13 or more candidates over a nine-hour period.
Citigroup's McLaughlin says that performing at the top of your game is essential in such an intense interviewing environment.
"There is guaranteed to be somebody else, maybe several people, who did more than you did to get ready and shine during the interview," she says.
With those odds stacked against you, you'll want to do everything you can to come out on top. Avoiding these mistakes will help you keep in the running.
