Dear SafetyXChange Members:

I can't tell you how many times I hear absolute horror stories from our members who have just run into the "interviewer from hell". Often these stories come from job interviews (who among us hasn't had one go terribly wrong?). Other times it happens during a sales presentation, corporate meeting or other high-stress moment when our communications skills fail us.

A picture may be worth a thousand words?but war stories have a real place in helping us prepare us for the next high stress meeting. This week and next, I want to share with you some excerpts from a new report by ExecuNet senior editor Robyn Greenspan that highlights the problems and possible solutions when bad interviews happen to good candidates.

Off the Charts

"In one interview for a President position, I was asked to draw the organizational chart of the company I had been leading for 10 years and how it looks today," says an ExecuNet member.

"I was caught off-guard, since this was the first question of the interview; and I wasn't prepared to do this. Of course, the organization had gone through numerous changes during the years. I ended in a massive chain of explanations with several changes of the chart that were irrelevant. It didn't look good on the board."

Recovering from a 'Flub'

"Of course, preparing before an interview is the best strategy!" responds Louise Kursmark, president, Best Impression Career Services, Inc. "But sometimes, even if you are prepared, a question can catch you off-guard. Or, the pressure of being interviewed can cause you to 'flub' a question that you would normally answer perfectly well in less stressful circumstances."

"You can't erase your mistake," notes Kursmark, "but you can try to make amends afterwards. What you do depends to some extent on how the rest of the interview goes."

"If the vast majority of your answers were cogent and on point, then it might be best just to forget about the flub. Keep in mind that most of the mistakes we make loom larger in our own minds than in others. Or you could bring it up in a somewhat humorous way in your next interview -- 'Well, I'm not going to volunteer to draw you an organization chart, because I seem to be a bit challenged in that area, but I'd like to tell you how we restructured the organization to improve accountability.' Above all, don't dwell on your mistake, and keep in mind that no one aces every interview question."

What Day Is Today?

Busy schedules can confuse even the most organized professional. Kursmark says that this situation actually happened to one of her clients:

"I was excited to be asked to interview for a position in another city with my #1 target company. They arranged my travel and scheduled lunch and a full afternoon of meetings with top executives. The day before my interview, I was double-checking my flight time for the next morning when I realized, to my horror, that I had mistaken the day and was supposed to be sitting down that minute to lunch with the president of the company!"

Kursmark says the client handled the situation like a pro. "He was horrified but quickly collected his thoughts and calmly called the hiring manager. He apologized, humbly and sincerely." The client let the company know he was very interested in the position, asked that the interview be rescheduled and offered to make the trip at his own expense.

"The hiring manager was extremely gracious and actually set up the same series of meetings the following week. (And paid the tab, too.) When my client arrived, he apologized -- just once -- for his mistake and then focused on learning about the challenges of the position. He earned a second interview and eventually a job offer."

"The keys to his success: Respond immediately. Be sincere and take responsibility. Be apologetic, but don't grovel. Focus on the value you offer, not on your mistake," advises Kursmark.

Next week: The Inquisition & the Bloody Shirt

Wishing you career success!

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet
www.execunet.com.

TALES FROM THE INTERVIEW CRYPT

So you wanna' be a lawyer?

The Lawyer Experience

You safety directors out there think you got it bad? Consider this. Law school costs 80 grand and three years of your life. At those rates, you'd think they'd cut you some slack in the job interview. Think again. The interview process for lawyers isn't just gruelling; it's prolonged.

According to a recent survey of 200 lawyers at leading law firms in the U.S. and Canada, law firms want to interview a candidate at least four times before hiring. Here's what the respondents listed as the most common mistakes candidates make during job interviews:

• Lack of knowledge about the firm: 37%
• Unprepared to discuss career plans and goals: 24%
• Lack of enthusiasm: 16%
• Lack of eye contact: 5%
• Showing up late: 4%

Source: Survey by the legal staffing firm, Robert Half Legal, www.roberthalflegal.com.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SAFETY

By Jim Spasoff

My passion for safety. Simply put - "I want you to walk out the way you walked in!"

When I have issues with personnel in regards to PPE or Lockouts for example - I just tell them - "If you can't think for yourself, I'll do the thinking for you!" The response is usually dumbfounded. I have to deal with 400+ employees just in one area of our company, no matter what the personality may be. Everyone has to be treated the same for the most part. You show them you care and that you're sincere. By that they usually give you respect and trust which usually gives them a positive safety attitude.

Communication is another vital point that goes a long way whether it's addressing issues to following up on unsafe conditions or giving them the proper training they need as well as a daily contact to full blown safety meetings. You don't have all the answers so you get outside help with someone more knowledgeable in that field/area or have a vendor come in, etc. Management union have no boundaries - if a supervisor is not following safety rules, he's not leading by example. He gets hammered for his accountability too!

I didn't think I was going to go on for this long but I probably could write another 200 - 300 words easy on all that's involved. You have to be committed to what you do - not because you have to do it, but because you want to. It comes from the heart to be passionate and caring toward others. But you have to be stern as well, including in how you talk to people through proper channels and levels of need. We focus more on re-training and guidance than on punishment.

Jim Spasoff
Mittal Steel Company N.V.

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