© K.E. Homa 2000 THE INTERVIEW PROCESS One Person’s View Ken Homa CAUTION : This presentation is incomplete without extensive oral elaboration

© K.E. Homa 2000 Caveats & Disclaimers Mature, uncensored subject matter … viewer discretion advised ! Not necessarily the views of any organization, formal or ad hoc No warranty, expressed or implied

© K.E. Homa 2000 General Principles Be true to yourself …Goals …Interests …Strengths / weaknesses Present the “real” you … in the most favorable light Recognize that the process isn’t perfect... mistakes happen.

© K.E. Homa 2000 First Interview Goal : Get a second interview ! Differentiate from the masses Neutralize issues … without raising new ones Give the interviewer the motivation & ammunition to represent you

© K.E. Homa 2000 The Interviewer Believes his company / job is the best May not know exact hiring criteria Probably suffering from “candidate blur” Doesn’t want to “labor” thru the interview Is on a clear mission : select in or out Often risk adverse : also being tested

© K.E. Homa 2000 Facts You’re graduating from business school, looking for a job in business. Business & companies are what they are, and aren’t about to change The burden is on you to prove that you “fit” the desired mold.

© K.E. Homa 2000 Opinion Except for specifics re: background, form dominates substance in round 1 New MBA grads have little direct experience that is really leveragable Recruiters are looking for good raw material that fits their mold

© K.E. Homa 2000 “Undesirables” Meek geeks Slicksters Femme nazi’s Counter-culturists Colorful “characters” “Loose cannons” Mono-syllabics

© K.E. Homa st Interview Criteria “Presence” Intellect Character Background Bright, engaging, articulate Structured, curious, practical Focused, motivated, low maint. Skills & interests, successes

© K.E. Homa 2000 Ken’s Favorite Questions Why do you want this job at this particular company ? How does your background “fit” ? What are the success factors in the businesses where you’ve worked ? What do you think about this week’s announcement that …. ? How should I “sell you” to my boss?

© K.E. Homa 2000 Things to Avoid Giving evasive, meandering answers Using the time to “make a statement” Coming across as a “canned” product “Picking lint off the interviewer’s coat” Saying anything negative … about anybody or anything

© K.E. Homa 2000 Keys to Success Know the message & image you want to present in the interview beforehand Convey positive energy and adaptability Establish “in context” relevance of credentials Take some risk to differentiate yourself … give them a “reason to believe” Be true to yourself : Better to find out that you don’t fit early in the process

© K.E. Homa 2000 Follow-up Interviews Substance overtakes form Tough to cram or remake yourself Eventually, realities are revealed ! “Fit” becomes increasingly important Become critical after you have an offer

© K.E. Homa 2000 CASE QUESTIONS

© K.E. Homa 2000 Case Questions Looking for structured thought process and core issue identification Any answer will be interrogated from a devil’s advocate P.O.V. Better to take a strong, clear position and be wrong than waver in the middle Unlikely to out-think the interviewer...

© K.E. Homa 2000 Case Questions What’s the business ? How do you make money ? Why do winners win ? Losers lose ? What are pressures & changes ? What are “degrees of freedom” ? How to conform ? Differentiate ? Generic Attack

© K.E. Homa 2000 Case Questions Patterns & discontinuities …“What’s wrong with the picture ?” Analogies & best practices …“Follow the leaders” 180 degree shift … Do something radical Thought Provokers When in doubt, follow the $$$

© K.E. Homa 2000 Case Questions Core issues, not “distractors” Manager’s perspective Conclusive and prescriptive … not equivocal or descriptive Decisions & actions, not process Logically structured : “Pyramids of 3” Impact Answers “Go for the jugular, not the capillaries”

© K.E. Homa 2000 Parting Shots

© K.E. Homa 2000 Parting Shots Use your contacts Stay focused & open-minded Money isn’t everything ! It’s a long game …