How to Handle an Unexpected Panel Interview

On Tuesday, I gave a presentation at Georgian Court University. One of the attendees asked how does one handle a Panel Interview. She was caught off guard and froze when she expected to meet with one person and six showed up.

Remember that you are the President and CEO of ME, Inc. A powerful "Sole Proprietorship" representing great services and provides value to each client. With that in mind stay in control and stick to the fundamental objective stated by the client’s job description. If they asked questions that were not part of the job description you are at liberty to say so gently and ask for further information and clarity so you can answer the question/s appropriately. They will appreciate your business acumen and possibly rein them in a bit if they are not familiar with the position (this happens quite often).

Here are a few other tips:

In a panel interview, you speak with more than one person at one time. Key on the person questioning you at the time, but don't disregard the others. Being comfortable with a self-assured attitude are important. Remember you are in control as the President of your firm - don't be rattled!

Prior to the panel interview, acquire and remember the names of every participant of the panel. Then in the interview, sketch a diagram of the interviewers as they are seated and label the seats with their names. At the end of the interview, express thanks by name and shake hands with each interviewer as you depart. This is a nice touch. Feel free to exchange business cards with each panelist and follow-up.

Best wishes and own your career,

Rod Colon

Network Your Way into an Unadvertised Opportunity

You’ve built a network of trusted relationships. But why bother to network if you never plan to leverage it? It’s now time to do some asking because you’ve earned the right to do so. You’ve followed the rules and observed the connection protocols. It’s time to tap your network’s connection horsepower to help you find a position.

THE UNDERLYING STRATEGY

In order to set you up with the proper mind-set for exploring the Hidden Job Market, you need to keep the following principle in mind:

While investigating the Hidden Job Market, your primary function will be networking, not selling, and your aim is to gather intelligence from those individuals in your core skills “space”. Your job is to connect with individuals who can truly help you because they’re in the same industry, not going on some fishing expedition inside industries that have no relevance to yours.

To put it in slightly different terms, it’s not going to do you any good to tap into a pipeline of business intelligence for the pharmaceutical industry if you’re seeking a position in the financial services industry. You need to refine the “filtering” of your contacts to make sure you’re picking up intelligence for the industry — and, if possible, even the precise niche — in which you want to work.

Your ultimate goal is to answer two very specific questions:

1. Who does what you do?

2. Who hires people who do what you do?

Once you’ve mastered this “precision targeting” technique, the flow of your conversation will be along these lines:

“Where do you see the industry heading? What’s going on? What’s hot? What’s not? What groups should I belong to? This is what I’m hearing; what are you hearing?”

YOU’VE EARNED THE RIGHT TO ASK

Finally, when you judge it to be the correct time to do some asking, you must do it as an assertive CEO, not a timid wallflower. It must be a direct request for a specific action to achieve a targeted goal. Remember that you’ve earned the right to ask because of your excellent reciprocity track record. Not only that, most business owners appreciate direct, straightforward requests.

Best wishes and own your career,

Rod Colon