Surviving The Technical Job Interview

Surviving The Technical Job Interview

by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Ah, the technical interview. Nothing like it. Not only does it cause anxiety, but it causes anxiety for several different reasons.

How many people will be asking questions? From experience I can tell you there’s nothing like walking into a room and seeing nine people on the other side of the table.

Second, what will you be asked? You’ll sometimes hear people say the questions they were asked in a technical interview were ขeasyข, which translated means ขthey asked me stuff I happened to knowข. Sometimes you’ll hear people say the questions were ขhardข, which translated means ขthey asked me stuff I didn’t knowข, or ขthey asked me about stuff I’ve never even heard ofข.

Having been on both sides of the technical interview table, I’d like to share some tips for those being interviewed. In doing so, I’ll share some of the more memorable interviews I’ve been involved in.

No good interviewer expects you to know everything. The problem is, you’re not always going to be interviewed by someone who’s good at it.

Sometimes, the person who’s giving you a technical interview was asked to do it about ten minutes before you showed up. Maybe they’ve never interviewed anyone before, or maybe they’re just in a bad mood. I’ve heard of technical interviewers where the interviewer derided an answer, and that’s totally unprofessional. I’ve had many a job candidate give a bad answer to a question, and my only response was silence followed by moving on to the next question. If your interviewer mocks any of your answers, you didn’t want to work there anyway.

None of us know everything. If you’re asked a question you just don’t know the answer to, don’t try to BS your way past it. This is a good opportunity to tell the interviewer how you would research that particular question. It’s not about knowing everything, it’s about being able to find out anything.

If your interviewer acts like he/she already dislikes you, that’s because they do. I once worked with a technician who felt threatened by anyone who applied for a job there, but especially if the applicant had a professional certification and then had the nerve to know what they were doing.

This technician participated in a group technical interview where the applicant was an incredibly bright guy, and had a particular skill that the department really needed. Problem was, the technician considered himself ขthe manข when it came to that skill. Recipe for disaster, right?

The applicant fielded four questions from the rest of us flawlessly, then faced this particular tech for a question. The threatened tech had a list of questions for the interview, but decided to ad lib. Big mistake. He asked a convoluted question that Rube Goldberg would have been proud of. When he was done, the applicant answered:

ขYou can’t do what you just described.ข

The tech started defending his question, and it became obvious that he hadn’t been able to follow his own question! The interview went into a bit of a meltdown from there.

Realize right now that there are some unprofessional people out there giving technical interviews. Be prepared for it, but remain professional yourself.

Be prepared for a practical technical interview. The best technical interviewers find a way to get you in front of the technology you’ll be working with. A great way to quickly find out whether you know what you’re talking about is to ask you to actually perform common and perhaps some notsocommon tasks. We can talk about technology and take all the computerbased exams we want, but it all comes down to performance. Be prepared to prove you belong on your interview day.

Be professional. This covers a lot of ground, so let me make a quick list for you.

Show up 15 minutes early. Nothing makes a technical interviewer more surly than waiting for the applicant.

Dress for success. The way you look when you walk into a room leads to your interviewer’s first impression of you.

Don’t chew gum during the interview.

Don’t be arrogant. Look, there’s nothing wrong with having an ego and acting confident. I do, and you should. But don’t come into the interview room acting like you’re too good to be there.

Finally, relax. Easy to say, hard to do? Not really. Realize that the majority of interviewers you’ll ever meet are going to be professional about the entire thing. The world’s not going to end if you miss a question. If you were not qualified on paper for the job, you wouldn’t be in there.

Do not look upon the interview as something negative. Rather, look at it as an opportunity to prove you know what you’re talking about. With the proper mental attitude, your technical interview will be a springboard to the next step in your career!

Chris Bryant

CCIE ™ #12933

About The Author

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage. The Bryant Advantageกs website offers FREE ebooks and tutorials for the CCNA and CCNP exams, FREE subscriptions to กCisco Certification Centralก, and sells the best CCNA and CCNP prep courses and books on the market today. Visit his site at www.thebryantadvantage.com today!

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 13

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

When Do You Ask For A Refund?

When Do You Ask For A Refund?

by: Kim Regan

Have you ever asked to have your money refunded after buying something online? Do you do this often? What are the reasons youกve asked for refunds? Savvy marketers will try to find out why without making you feel you should not have asked. This would be valuable information to them. Anyone selling on the internet should be willing to have a fair and prompt refund policy. To back up their products and claims without hesitation. It is especially important to do with online sales since the transaction is done without being able to ‘readก the salesperson and operation face to face.

Fairness and ethical behavior goes both ways. Due to the fact that online info products and downloadable software are easy to copy and keep while also obtaining a refund, the buyer kind of has a special กburden of honorก too. I have asked for refunds when a product was totally misrepresented and poorly done. In one instance the video and audio courses were sold as being กconvenient and viewable anytime and anyplace. Turns out it was a convenience for the marketer since you had to view them from his site, and you guessed it, the site was very, very SLOW. If I buy something costly and you sell me like that, I want to download and OWN it.

Another time I went through an ebook that had not been cheap to buy and it just didn’t contain too much I didn’t already know. I was just about to ask for a refund (and no, I don’t do that often, only a few times EVER) when I decided to look again at the ads that made me bite on the offer. The seller had not misrepresented anything. And his offer and presentation were not กjunkyก. I simply had learned more about the subject than I thought and hadn’t realized it. Good for me! The additional value for me then became studying what was very good ad copy. I didn’t ask for that refund.

A common situation you may find yourself in is not being ready for the level of material you are reading. A little more study at the basic level and perhaps simply putting the material away until you are ready may be the answer. Some advanced topics will not make sense without base knowledge. Due to the vast scope of some subjects it might be hard to cover it in one product or course series.

Don’t hesitate to ask for a refund if you truly feel the product was misrepresented. Educate that marketer about what you feel was wrong. If they don’t improve, they deserve to give all their money back. Just don’t be one of those awful people who buys an expensive product KNOWING they are going to ask for a refund. Thatกs the same as stealing and is unethical. If we want the convenience and gratification of being able to immediately download what we have purchased to continue, we can’t bleed the online merchants dry.

Copyright 2004 Kim D Regan All Rights Reserved

This article may be distibuted freely, as long as this entire article, including links and resource box are unchanged.

About The Author

Kim Regan is a web entrepreneur with experience in the small business, online marketing and technology fields.

FortuneExpo http://www.fortuneexpo.com

This article was posted on August 28, 2004

by Kim Regan

How to Generate More Business by Telling People Wh

How to Generate More Business by Telling People What You Do

by: Jeremy Cohen

What do you tell people when asked what you do? Many small business owners and independent professionals repeatedly miss great opportunities to generate new business or develop leads by answering the ขwhat do you do?ข question with a poorly crafted or completely unplanned answer. If your answer does not regularly start a conversation about your business you need to change your answer.

What response do you get when you tell people what you do?

If your answer draws blank stares and looks of confusion or causes the topic of conversation to change you are likely making one of the common mistakes people make when telling others what they do. Here are some tips to help you transform a question into a an opportunity.

Do Not Describe What You Do with a Label

Describing yourself with a label makes you vulnerable to people’s preconceived notions of what your label means. By using a label to describe yourself you effectively set yourself up to be stereotyped. For instance, imagine a lawyer who tells people ขI’m a lawyerข when asked what he does. By doing so he risks being associated with the less than glamorous ขlawyers are sharksข stereotype. We’ve all heard comedians make fun of lawyers. But if a lawyer helps fledgling entrepreneurs set up their companies and remain in compliance with regulatory statutes he’s certainly no shark. By simply telling people he’s a lawyer he risks constructing a wall between himself and a potential lead or client.

Labels also often lack specificity. If I simply tell someone ขI’m a consultantข I reveal no detail about who I help or the benefit I provide my customers. Instead, I tell people, ขI help small business owners and professional services providers attract more clients and grow their businessข. It amazing how often I am asked, ขReally? How do you do that?ข When I get such a response I know right away I’m one step closer to making a sale.

If you use a label to describe yourself you can improve your marketing right now by deciding to never use it or any other label again.

Do Not Give a Vague Answer

People often give answers to ขwhat do you do?ข that are too vague and don’t effectively communicate who they help and the benefit they provide. I once asked a new acquaintance, Bob, what he did. He told me he owned a software company so I asked him what type of software his company develops. He said, ขfinancial softwareข. Still not yet knowing quite what Bob’s company was really all about I asked, ขWho uses your software?ข. To which he replied, ขHedge fund managers.ข Now we were getting somewhere. I eventually was able to tease out of him what his software does but I shouldn’t have had to do so. If I wasn’t as curious and persistent as I am I would have never known what Bob’s software really does and why people use it. Bob, on the other hand, would have missed a terrific marketing opportunity as I was able make an introduction that led to a business relationship.

Another reason not to reply to ขwhat do you do?ข with a vague answer is that vague answers can be perceived as disinterest in what you do. When Bob first told me he owned a software company it almost seemed as if he couldn’t care less about owning the company. After I nudged him to talk more specifically about who his software helps he became very animated in describing that his software helps hedge fund managers save money by reducing transaction costs and the risk of making poor investments.

Avoid vague replies and you will develop more business because more people will perceive you as being enthusiastic about what you do.

Do Not Describe a process

When trying to generate interest in what you do (which IS the purpose of telling someone what you do) avoid describing any process or system you may employ. People become interested in your product or service because they perceive it as something that will help them solve a problem or fill a need. By describing a system or process you detail mechanics, not benefits.

Describe the results you provide and who you help and you will find yourself having more high energy conversations about what you do.

Move Your Marketing Forward

Are you guilty of answering the ขwhat do you doข question with one or more of the ขdon’t do itข responses listed above? If you are guilty you can dramatically improve your chances of generating new business by replacing your current answer with a compelling marketing message.

A great marketing message speaks directly to your target market, clearly states the benefit of your product or service and most importantly, generates interest in what you do. Even if you are not speaking with an ideal client answering the ขwhat do you doข question with a compelling marketing message is a smart and savvy tactic you can use to generate new business. There is always a chance that the person with whom you are speaking knows someone who can benefit from your product or service. By clearly stating the benefit you provide and who you help you create the opportunity for people to associate you as a solution to a problem. Take the time to develop a great marketing message and you will improve your ability to transform a common question into a valuable marketing opportunity.

One of the first steps to creating a great marketing message is to focus closely on why your clients use your product or service. One of the best ways to get this information is to simply ask them. You may ask them on the phone, in person or with a survey available at your web site. The answers they provide will have the information you need to craft a message that speaks directly to the value they seek.

Being asked what you do happens frequently. Don’t squander these marketing opportunities by answering with a label, a vague answer or a description of your process. Instead use your marketing message to generate interest in what you do.

About The Author

2004 © Optimize Promote Web Sites, LLC. All rights reserved.

The author, Jeremy Cohen, helps small business owners and professional service providers attract more clients and grow their businesses with his marketing services and Free Marketing Guide, กJumpstart Marketing: More Prospects, Clients and Success.ก Get the guide and learn about his marketing services at:

www.bettermarketingresults.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 03, 2004

by Jeremy Cohen

What I Learned From a Womanกs Magazine

What I Learned From a Womanกs Magazine

by: David Leonhardt

Itกs amazing what you can learn about marketing if you can just find the time to spend in a dentistกs waiting room. I was reading a certain womanกs magazine, which will remain nameless because of my allergy to lawsuits. The magazine obviously has figured out what sells well, given that it operates on a consistent formula.

For instance, one cover proclaims: ก3 sizes slimmer by Memorial Dayก. Then, in one corner is a picture of กCookies กn Cream Cakeก, while in another corner is a picture of กกLollipupsก to brighten someoneกs dayก.

On another cover, the main headline is: กLose that BELLY FAT!ก, while a secondary headline asks, กCan’t stop binging?ก Just to make sure that readers can answer, กYesก, there is a nice picture in the corner of a กBanana Split Cookie Cakeก labeled กYum!ก, and the promise of กFamilypleasing Pasta dinnersก inside.

See a pattern? Letกs try one more. The big headline reads: กLose 28 lbs by Thanksgivingก. How? Perhaps the big picture of a กOreo Cookie Cheesecakeก labeled กYum!ก will give us a hint. Or the promise of กBestever Potluck recipesก.

OK. By now I am sure you see the pattern. Thatกs right – poor grammar, punctuation and capitalization.

The other pattern is, of course, the secret success formula:

Offer you a way to lose weight

Tempt you to put the weight right back on

Offer you another way to lose weight

I pointed this out to my dentist, hoping he might decide to increase the quality of reading material in his waiting room.

The next week, I returned to find that my observation had obviously made an impression on him. There was all new reading material: Yummy Deserts Magazine, Best Cakes Review, and The Sugar Mountain Weekly.

I noticed the décor had changed, too. Gone were the bare beige walls. Up were largerthanlife posters of cookies, cakes and ice cream. And strategically placed around the room were candy dishes.

กWhatกs with all the changes?ก I asked.

กItกs all your idea,ก he said. กYou are a marketing genius. If I can get people to start working on their next cavities as they are walking out from my office, I can increase my business by up to 17%.ก

As he began to work in my mouth, I noticed a TV screen above. กDatz nuu,ก I said.

กOh yes,ก he answered, flicking a button. กSee? I have it set at the AllSugar Channel.ก

The dentist finished excavating and reassembled what was left of my mouth.

กHere you go,ก He said proudly, handing me a lollipop.

กDidn’t you used to hand out toothbrushes?ก I asked.

กShh. Don’t remind anybody of that. Toothbrushes are bad for business,ก he explained.

I just could not believe what I had seen. I headed over to the body shop to see how my car was doing. A few repairs were needed, thanks to some bozo on a cell phone who thought that a red light means กstop when you hit another carก.

กHowกs my car doing, Jack?ก I asked.

กItกs OK. You didn’t get hit too hard,ก he replied.

กGood thing he was only talking on a cell phone and not watching a game show on TV when he hit me,ก I remarked. กHey did you see whatกs going on at the dentist?ก

กYeah, whatกs he doing with all those cookie posters in his waiting room?ก Jack asked.

I explained how the womanกs magazine was building its customer base by tempting dieters with cakes labeled กyum!ก

กItกs the dentistกs new business development program,ก I said.

I was about to pay for the repair work when Jack held out a cell phone and a miniTV set. กIf you take the cell phone, I give you a five percent discount. Take the TV set and you get a ten percent discount.ก

กWhat are you, doing?ก I demanded.

กHey,ก replied Jack. กItกs my new business development program.ก

About The Author

David Leonhardt is author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?ISBN=059517826X

Read more humor articles:

http://www.thehappyguy.com/humor articles.html

Visit his liquid vitamins store:

http://www.vitaminsupplementsstore.net

Or his happiness website:

http://www.thehappyguy.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 30

by David Leonhardt

What Is The Secret To Motivating Your Downline?

What Is The Secret To Motivating Your Downline?

by: David B. Ledoux

I just snapped.
I couldn’t take it any more.
I starting sobbing, and I gripped the steering wheel with both hands in a choke hold. My vision blurred from the tears as I drove the 2 hours back…another freaking noshow. I was in my $800 rusty van with no heat and a hole in the roof.
It was March 1995. I had been married less than 30 days. Nearly my entire downline of 86 had quit, leaving me with just 5 people. If I didn’t recruit someone within 48 hours, I wouldn’t qualify for a check. And if I didn’t qualify for a check, I wouldn’t have money for gas, phone or food…
It was a low point in my career as a professinal network marketer…one of the hundreds of low points in 16 years.
Have you been there?
If not, why not?
Think about that for a second. Has your MLM business brought you to the point of tears, ever? If not, why not?
I recently asked networkers to email me their biggest problem. If you didn’t get that offer, you can check it out at http://www.ilovemlm.com/problem Do you know what one of the most talked about problems was?
How do I motivate my downline?
If you ever want to cause a brawl, ask that question at a mastermind of top leaders and your company president at a big function sometime. There are as many theories on motivation as there are morons in politics.
Hereกs my three cents on the issue.
I believe motivation is caused by a mental question. The question might be, กWhy should I pick up the phone and call prospects today?ก
The question is repeated in the subconscious. Our inner dialogue triggers a routine in our mental programming. The subconscious MUST TRY to answer every question it is asked. For example, when are you going to invest in your business and finally buy MLM Bluprint?
So, our brain tries to figure out WHY it should make calls. It goes into memory banks, comparing the question to previous life experiences, both REAL and IMAGINED. Remember when you asked that person to the school dance in grade 9 and they said No? What if you call a prospect and they say NO? Remember how embarassing that was?
The brain moves through the memory banks at warp speed, comparing both positive and negative experiences with the current problem. An inner dialogue supports the comparision. The brain is calculating the potential PAIN of making calls versus the potential PLEASURE of making calls.
Think of it like a scale. If you have more (or stronger) painful memories, then the brain will tip away from the calls and get you to go make a chocolate sandwich and watch Survivor or Idol or something.
The opposite is true if the brain finds recent positive experiences. In baseball itกs called a hitting streak. In poker, its called a rush. In mlm, its called กBaby, Iกm hot stuff!ก Once you get on a roll, itกs like everything you touch turns to gold. The brain believes you’re hot, and you start dialing like a madman. Boom! Another hot one. Boom! Another hot one. You’re unstoppable.
Motivation is a spiral vortex, like in the toilet or when you pull the plug in the bathtub. It can spiral in a negative fashion, pulling you further down, or it can spiral in a positive fashion, making you hot stuff baby!
The key lies in the mental pictures that we compare to the question. When your brain asksก Why should I call prospects?ก it can’t tell the difference between REAL and IMAGINED pictures. If you can focus on the mental picture of being a sixfigure earner (think about the toys, the security, the freedom, the fun!) then the brain will tilt in the direction of those mental images, taking ACTION to make them REAL.
In MLM Blueprint, we talk about Treasure Maps and Fridge Photos as a source of both motivation and as a RETENTION tool. If your downline isn’t motivated itกs because their brain lacks MENTAL PICTURES to compare the questions to. THATกS why large events, team parties, trips and cruises, etc are so valuable. They create mental movies of whatกs possible. If you aren’t using TREASURE MAPS and FRIDGE PHOTOS as a stepbystep duplicatable system in your organization, then you aren’t tapping your full potential.
When I walked on stage in front of 7000 people in June of 2000 to get my Million Dollar Earnerกs Pin, I thought back to that day in March of 1995 when I wanted to rip the steering wheel off. In five years I managed to figure out how to tilt the scales of motivation in my direction. I had lived that moment hundreds of thousands of times in my mind….I knew exactly what I would be wearing, how it would sound and feel to be a millionaire.
When my brain asked, กWhy should I call prospects today?ก I KNEW WHY.
I appreciate you. Keep your WHY in your mindกs eye at all times!
David Ledoux

Creator The Ultimate MLM Blueprint For Massive Success.

http://www.ilovmlm.com
p.s. send me your biggest problem in network marketing and Iกll send you a free gift worth $35. http://www.ilovemlm.com/problem

About The Author

David Ledoux is the #1 Generic MLM Trainer in the world. Over 100,000 people read his monthly newsletter at http://www.ilovemlm.com

This article was posted on July 23, 2004

by David B. Ledoux