How to Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager

Over a few decades I’ve interviewed well over 1000 job candidates at all levels and hired hundreds. Want to impress me in an interview? Then do these things:

- Show me that you understand that my business focus is to satisfy customers. Internal customers and external customers. Primary customers and secondary customers.
- Ask questions so you can learn what my business goals are. Show me that you have ideas how to achieve them.
- Show me “fire in the belly”. I want to hire people who will make a difference to the effectiveness of my business. I want to hear about your vision for melding your abilities with my needs. I won’t hire people who don’t want to make a difference.
- Show me that you understand the need to deliver results, and then show me how you deliver results day in and day out.
- Show me how you work as a team member, knowing when to lead and when to follow.
- I know you are intelligent. You already have a college degree or high school diploma. Show me that you have common sense and are wise. These traits are often more useful than intelligence.
- My reputation is to get a lot done probably faster than you’ve ever seen before at a very high quality standard. Show me how you are comfortable with that expectation.
- Show me how your education helps you deliver results. Then show me how you are continuing your education and what your future plans are to gain more knowledge.
- Tell me what really interests you professionally and personally. I can often tailor the job description to include aspects of candidates’ interests.
- Tell me how you handled problems and corrected your own mistakes. We all experience these situations, and I want to hire people who manage and recover from them well.
- If we are taking a tour through the facility, please realize that I am still interviewing you. Ask questions and show me how your experience will make a difference.
- Ask me how I train and develop people. That’s a reasonable demand to make of a hiring manager.
- Ask me about the company culture and my working culture. How you will fit into this working environment is extremely important. I won’t change the working environment to fit you.

Candidates at different levels will have different levels of ability and experience. I don’t have the same lofty standard for all candidates.

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