How to Snag a Job

Communication Skills: Job Applicants Claim Them, But Managers Often Blame Them   by Dianna Booher

What’s the ONE phrase common to almost every résumé or transmittal? “Excellent communication skills.” Of course, you’ll read variations from time to time: “excellent verbal skills,” “exceptional writing and presentation skills,” “excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills.” But you get the idea.

Yet when you ask managers why they didn’t hire or promote a specific job applicant, often they comment on these very same skills–as missing. Many applicants fail to link the interview to specific habits and skills, failing to realize that communication starts long before they open their mouth.

Here are a few communication guidelines to keep in mind when interviewing to land a job or win a promotion:

 
 
Dress the Part

Some people seem surprised to discover how much clothing counts toward the assessment of their personal competence. But think of your reaction to service repair people–those who come to your door in uniform versus those who show up in their scruffies to work on your plumbing.

Consider con artists’ games. Most involve dress, a uniform of some sort that conveys authority. A police uniform. A security guard uniform. A military uniform. A business suit and all the accessories of a globe-trotting mogul. These con artists prey on the elderly, the young, and the innocent, using dress to convey credibility as they pose as some authority. The uniform often does the trick.

You can argue that Gucci or the Gap, make-up or no make-up, hair styled or haywire, wrinkled or pressed, shined or scuffed, jeans or suits shouldn’t matter. But they do. If you’re billionaire Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, you can wear what you darn well please. But until you have their stature in the business world, start the game by playing by the rules.
 
 

Act the Part

The best predictor of future performance is past behavior. Translate that to the job interview: Did you arrive on time? Early? Did you arrive prepared with references, portfolios, calendar to schedule a follow-up interview? Did you ask perceptive questions? Did you research the company? Did you remain poised during challenging questions? Were you able to small talk with others the interviewer may have introduced you to? Did you send a follow-up thank-you note after the interview? Did you follow-up by phone to see if the position had been filled? All of these actions–or inactions–communicate how you will perform on the job.
 
 

Prepare Talking Points

Have in mind 3 key skills or areas of expertise you want to emphasize during the interview. If you’re familiar with needs of the organization, prepare your talking points around problems you can solve and contributions you can make. Find several times during the interview that you can work these into the conversation.

 

Learn to Bridge

So what if the interviewer doesn’t give you opportunity to make your key points? Create your own opportunity. Bridge to the point. For example, the interviewer asks, “So what brings you to this part of the country if you’re originally from Ohio?” You: “My wife got a great offer from a law firm here–one that she couldn’t turn down. And we have family here as well. Plus, as I mentioned, with Austin the new Silicon Valley and with my track record in project management, I felt this was the ideal place to find an consultancy supporting clients like yours.”

 

Anticipate and Prepare for Tough Questions

You’ve heard it said, “Hope is not a plan.” Never is that truer than in a job interview. Yes, they’ll ask why you left that last job after only three months. Yes, they’ll ask why you’ve been out of the workforce for 7 years. Yes, they’ll ask why you’ve had 14 jobs in 10 years. Yes, they’ll ask why, if you’re such a great salesperson, you couldn’t keep the doors open on your small business. Prepare and practice the answers. Never under-rate honesty for building trust.

 

Learn to Reframe

The interviewer asks, “Could you be available for overseas travel on short notice?” You reframe the issue: “Depends on what you mean by short notice. But I think the more critical issue is, could I get the right information to our overseas staff when they need it and lead them to solve the client problem without giving away our margins? And the answer is that I absolutely could. Here’s how I’d do thatâ