You're about 25 minutes into your interview. You and your potential manager are having a very good conversation. Everything feels good about what is going on.
Suddenly, a tinny version of La Cuccharacha starts to pervade the room. You reach into your pocket or bag and take out your cell phone. A recruiter is calling. You answer the telephone and have a one minute conversation and then end it and return to the interview.
Was it really necessary?
Couldn't you have turned your phone off so as not to interrupt the interview?
What's the message you send to the interviewer through your actions?
This week, events like this happened twice. In both cases, the interview seemed as though it was still going along well when resumed but the feedback said something else. "I started to time how long the candidate was on the phone." REJECTED!
There was one set of circumstances where I found it OK to keep the phone on and it was handled well.
A person had to postpone an interview for three days because his son was hospitalized. When he arrived at the interview, he set his cell to vibrate and before the interview started as he and the interviewer sat down to speak, he said somethingt o the effect of, "Thank you for your flexibility with my need to re-schedule our meeting. On Monday, my son was hospitalized suddenly with _____. He is out of the hospital now and my wife is with him. However, I would like to keep my phone on in case of emergency; I don't expect one but, just in case, it is set to vibrate and I will not answer it unless there is my wife calling."
Good manners are so important on interviews.
And bad manners are the kiss of death.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
To subscribe to Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
