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Labour Pains

by Susie Li

There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “Know yourself and your opponent well to enable you to win your battle every time”. It’s quite apt when it comes to getting the job you want. It’s an injunction to do homework on the company you want to join and also for you to know your capabilities in order to find a job and company that are a good fit for you.

Max, an accomplished director of business development approached me for coaching in resumé writing and in interview practice. He had been having difficulty getting a response from companies after sending out his curriculum vitae.

After reviewing Max’s CV, I asked him about his career goals and his professional experiences and achievements. I discovered he had great capabilities and passion in his chosen profession and industry. I also noticed the strengths and special personal qualities he had to offer a potential employer. He’s entrepreneurial, he has great leadership skills and a win-win mindset, and he’s creative in problem solving. But like many people, Max hadn’t been trained to articulate what he has to offer an employer, and to ask questions to find out whether a job and a company are right for him.

After being coached in resumé writing, Max was able to make his career goals explicit and to articulate
his achievements and his personal qualities relevant to business development. He is pleased with his new resumé because his best qualities are revealed before him, and the process has prepared him for interview practice.

In interview practice, Max was smartly dressed, and gave me a firm handshake and a smile. I invited him to sit down. As he was slightly late, I gently reminded him to be punctual for interviews.

I had prepared some difficult questions for him. When I said, “Tell me about yourself,” his face turned
blank as he wondered where to begin. He started to tell me how he got into his profession and his
career history. It was lengthy and unfocused. Another way of asking the same question was: “What
experience, skills and traits do you have that are relevant to the job you are being interviewed for?” Having understood this, Max summarised his professional experience, elaborated on a few key skills and personal qualities relevant to business development, and illustrating these with an achievement story. The answer was great but not concise enough. I asked him to speak no longer than two minutes in order to keep a balance of conversation between him and an interviewer.

The next question I asked him was “What are your weaknesses.” He told me that he sometimes upsets people because of his high standards. I then asked him how could he turn it around into an advantage. He said that thanks to his high standards, he received recognition for his quality work. My next question was “Why do you want to work for us?” As it was a practice interview and he didn’t have any upcoming interviews, he could not answer the question. I encouraged him to do some research on companies he interviews with in order to ensure that he likes the organisations he sends his resume to. In general, it is good to check that a company’s culture and industry resonate with your values.

I then asked him “What salary are you looking for?” Again, he had not prepared for the answer. So I offered him some salary review information, adding that it is only a guideline. I said that it is wise to wait until the interviewer offers the position to discuss this topic, so that he has more bargaining power. Before then, he could delay answering the question by saying that he is interested in learning more about the job responsibilities to determine whether he is the right person for the job. Nevertheless, he should determine (in his mind) what salary range he is prepared to accept.

At the end of the interview practice, when asked whether he had any questions, he said no. I then asked him what would he ask to find out whether the job responsibilities or the company was right for him? He then started to ask questions regarding the company’s future development, and the company’s culture. I also encouraged him to state his interest in the job, and to ask about the next stage in the hiring process, so that he may follow up at the appropriate time if needed. Max felt more confident in getting the job he wants.

Susie Li is principal of Coach House International, and a member of the Hong Kong International Coaching Community (info@coachinghk.org)