Salary negotiations can be the most stressful part of the entire interview process.

The video below is designed to help you navigate your way through.

One of the biggest questions all jobseekers have is: How do you answer questions in the interviewing process that have to do with your financial situation?

The answer is:  You don’t.

The first person who mentions a specific number in the negotiation process is usually considered a loser. Because, if you’re the candidate and you name a figure that’s too low and later realize you could have gone higher, you can’t go back. But, it’s a delicate process. The company has its own agenda and doesn’t want to make a mistake, either. If your interviewer asks you directly how much money you currently make, you can antagonize him or her by refusing to answer, so you have to say something.

One option: answer honestly, but qualify it by saying, “I am not sure that it is relevant because this position requires…x, y and z…”

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Everybody knows that you’ve got to send a thank you note after your interview, and yet I continue to be surprised by how many people don’t.  They really do make you stand out from the crowd, and they give you another opportunity to point out a key item or two in your favor…it should always be substantial.  But do them quickly.

E-mail thank you notes are entirely appropriate.  Handwritten thank yous are of the past.  They work only if you can get them out on the exact same day, because speed is a strength here.  Still, you should send an e-mail one because there are hiring decisions that happen while the post office still has your letter.

(Didn’t get the address?  Google the interviewer:  *@thecompanyname.com.  For instance, *@phcconsulting.com would get you my address and the address of everyone who works here.)

Sometimes companies hire outside recruiters as consultants assigned to conduct candidate interviews. Understandably, these interview situations make candidates a little more nervous….but I have a job interview strategy for you to handle this situation. To successfully navigate a 3rd party interview, you need to uncover the goals of the interviewer. Watch the video for my advice on what questions to ask the interviewer so you can meet those goals, have a fantastic interview, and present yourself as a candidate who’s confident, strategic, and capable.

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Thanks to the Wireless Executive Recruiter for this video.

Competition for sales jobs can be fierce, and sales interviews are difficult.  That means that you’re going to have to work a little harder to set yourself apart from the competition and win the job.  If your background and experience are up to snuff, all that’s left is the interview.  Savvy hiring managers know that all sales reps can talk a good game, and they are looking for the sales rep who can also back it up.  Here are six things you can do that absolutely will work to make the most of the time you have in your interview to impress the hiring manager and boost your chances of landing the job:

1.  Research the company. In other words, do your homework.  There’s no excuse for not knowing what the company does, what its current issues are, what its goals are, where its products fit in the marketplace, and who the competition is.  Your job is to take in this information and use it to figure out how you can help them reach their goals….and then frame your answers to interview questions accordingly.

2.  Know what kinds of questions to expect from a sales interview, like “Can you travel?”  or, “How will you build your market?”   Have answers prepared for tough (but popular) interview questions such as, “What’s your greatest weakness?” (definitely use a real weakness that helps you be a great sales rep–but not perfectionism) or “Why should we hire you?“  Especially be ready for behavioral interview questions focused on tough situations you’ve had to deal with, or goals you’ve achieved and how you did it.  Quantify your answers whenever possible.  Hiring managers want sales reps who know their job is to ring the cash register.

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I have a guest author for you today:  Rich DeMatteo, from Corn on the Job.  This excellent article ties in nicely with what I’ve said before about asking questions in the job interview.  Rich adds some valuable advice for you:

Questions YOU should ask at an interview

Smart applicants spend a great deal of time preparing and practicing for an upcoming interview, hoping to successfully predict the questions that will be asked.  However, many times candidates pass on preparing their own questions for the interviewer, which leaves them looking like a deer in headlights when the recruiter or hiring manager asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”  In my experiences, even the poorly trained interviewers know they should allow the applicant time to fire off their own questions.  Recruiters and hiring managers expect it from the applicant, so why not use this to your advantage and make it as another segment of your interview?  Sure, many candidates will breeze through an interview never asking a question and will still get the job, but in today’s painful market, applicants need to fire with everything they have.  First off, why is it important to ask questions?

• Asking questions shows you’ve been active in your thinking about the position.  The interviewer might think you’ve lost interest in the opening if your not coming back at him/her with questions.
• Asking intelligent questions can go a long way.  Maybe in your head you responded to a previous question unfavorably in both you and the interviewer’s heads.  Use a few intelligent questions to possibly redeem yourself.  Asking well thought out questions will impress any interviewer.
• Interviewers should always do their best to present enough information about the company, culture, and position, but you can use your questions to probe deeper into the company.  Don’t forget, you are interviewing the company as well and need to make sure it’s a place that you can see yourself working.

So, which questions do you ask?  The list of questions below will not only bring you critical information to your job search, but also help to show your intelligence and interest in the position:

 

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“What’s your greatest weakness?” is one of those typical but tough job interview questions.  We all hate it, but you know you’re going to get asked, so be prepared.  It’s trickier than it seems on the surface, and there’s an art to answering it well.  Do you give your real weakness and how you’ve overcome it?  Or do you pinpoint a quality that contributes to your success?  See what the sales recruiter has to say about how to answer that question truthfully, while still promoting yourself as the best candidate for the job.

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What will the best-prepared candidate bring to the interview?

You bring what it takes to show the hiring manager who you are, what you’ve done, and what you can do for him.

For sales jobs especially, you should bring your resume, your brag book, and your 30/60/90-day plan. In this video, I’ll tell you why those things speak to your job skills and qualifications, and I’ll give you tips and ideas for interview preparation and attitude so that you can show the hiring manager why he should hire you.

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What does it take to set yourself apart from the competition in the job search?  Is it a killer resume, a brag book, a 30/60/90-day plan, a great LinkedIn profile, smooth interview skills, or how well you prepare for the interview?  Yes, it’s all those things.  AND, it’s more. It’s how you position yourself in relation to your competition.  Who is the hiring manager comparing you with?  How do you stack up?  What do you have to offer?  In this video, I’ll give you a breakdown of the thought process you need to be able to stand out in a job interview in medical sales, medical device sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics, imaging sales, healthcare IT, or pharmaceutical sales.

• How to analyze your competition
• How to use your recruiter or the hiring manager as a resource
• How to use this information to position yourself as a stand-out candidate

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Sales books aren’t just for sales reps.  A good sales book will help you with your job if you’re a sales rep, but it will also help you navigate job interviews.  What is an interview if it’s not about selling yourself as the best asset they could acquire for this job?  Learning how to discover what the customer (or hiring manager) wants, reading body language, and closing the deal are classic sales training, and directly applicable to your job interview success.  Plus, they’re often motivational, which will definitely boost your morale in the job hunt.  Here’s the list:

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