Business News: LinkedIn Launches University Rankings

I always love seeing positive news about my alma mater!! Today, Oct 1, 2014, LinkedIn launched University Rankings, and Georgetown University made the list for four of the 8 careers ranked, with two of those in the top 3 schools: Investment Bankers (1st) and Financial Professionals (3rd)!! Rounding out the list were Marketing (6th) and Media (15th), which is all great news for the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown.

Per LinkedIn's website, this ranking is based on career outcomes. They state: "From university to career, see which schools are launching graduates into desirable jobs." For more information, you can check out the method for rankings here.

Job Search: 8 Questions to Ask an Interviewer

Have you ever been stumped on what to ask an interviewer at the end of your interview? You know that awkward time when they ask if you have any questions and you say something to the effect of, "Actually, I think you answered all my questions."

That's not going to cut it if you're interviewing with an experienced interviewer (or if they read my post about Listening as an Interviewer). I touched on this topic before in How to Prep for a Virtual Interview, but thought I should expand on the topic.

I'm guessing you read the title and thought, "Great! She's going to give me a list of questions I should ask when I go for my next job interview!" Well, you're half right. I will, but I also wanted to get you thinking about what those questions mean, and what you can get out of that time with an interviewer.

  What to Think About  


Your questions of the interviewer shouldn't be "when to I start" or "how much does the job pay" or other information gathering questions. Those are fine to ask at some point, but use your time wisely to use the question portion of your interview to continue to sell yourself!

Your questions should be make the interviewer think, demonstrate understanding of the industry/market or your functional expertise, or uncover more about the job for which you're interviewing.

  7 Examples  

Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for questions to ask interviewers. You'll see that I tagged their companies below.

1. If your interviewer will be your manager: 

Question: Describe a past manager/employee relationship that worked successfully for you.

What it Does: This question gets the interviewer to truly disclose the type of manager they are! No manager in their right mind would ever say "I micromanage my staff" but many do just that. By asking the question in this way, you get a peek into the way the prefer to operate.

2.  If the organization seems to need a change, is going through a change, or seems just hectic overall:

Question: If you could stop doing your job for 60 days and focus on one effort, what would it be and why?

What it Does: This questions serves two purposes. First, it gets the interviewer to share what they want to change or improve which shows you a window into what the team/organization is really like. Second, it gets the interviewer to think and gives them an outlet, which are both good for the impression you'll leave on them! 

3. If there is something going on in the news right now that is relevant to the industry or the functional area of the job:

Question: I've been reading about [describe the topic] in the news recently and was thinking [state your opinion]. I was hoping to get your perspective on what's going on. (or, what effect is that having on your company?)

What it Does: Three things: (a) it shows you're up on the news that's relevant to the organization, (b) it demonstrates your knowledge about that news, and (c) it gets a perspective from someone who lives and breaths that news every day (i.e., it flatters them, and shows you what they think about the situation).

4. To see what the future holds:

Question: What are you most excited about over the next 6-12 months? (submitted by Jen Dalton of Brand Mirror)

What it Does: This question will first demonstrate the interviewers passion and engagement in their job. Then it will demonstrate what is on the horizon for the organization or industry that you may not have known to ask about. As a side note, this is also a great question to ask colleagues if you feel you're getting in a rut at work. 

5. To see what challenges the company will face:

Question: What is the next big challenge you will face over the next 3-6 months? (submitted by Gail Legaspi-Gaull of Hat Trick 3C)

What it Does: It allows the interviewer to go a multitude of directions! If there is something big happening in the industry, they'll launch into something more in depth than you would have known to ask about. If something is about to occur in the company, they may share more information than if you asked a company-specific question. And finally, you may learn something more personal about the interviewer, as they may interpret the question about their career or professional growth. Essentially, the interviewer will hear that question with whatever filter is on their mind.

6. To learn what will be expected of you:

Question: If I get this job, what 3 things would you want me to have accomplished by this time next year? (submitted by Jennifer Olsen Mathissen of Catapult Marketing)

What it Does: This question is one that the interviewer has likely thought about (at least somewhat). The answer should allow you to clarify your expectations about the role.

7. If you want uncover something about the company that you wouldn't know to ask:

Question: What is the biggest difference between what you now know about your firm today, and how you perceived this firm when you were sitting in my seat interviewing for a position? (submitted by John Forsythe from Deloitte)

What it Does: This question gets the interviewer to reflect on their own past and also puts the interviewer back in the interviewee's shoes which could work in your favor (empathy). Lastly, it helps you get a glimpse into the company "behind the scenes." Hopefully, the interviewer will share something that will shed light in a way you wouldn't know otherwise.

8. To get the interviewer to level with you:

Question: What is one limiting factor in my candidacy for this position? 

What it Does: This question gives the interviewer free reign to actually mention something like "we really need someone with xx experience" or "you don't have the certification required". They may not say anything specific, but if they do, you'll walk away knowing that if you don't get the job, it may just not be the right fit for you, rather than wondering what you did wrong.

I Want to Hear From You  

What questions has someone asked you? Or what question did you get a good response from when you interviewed?

Leadership Development: What Makes a Good Leader

First, there's a debate over what distinguishes the competencies of management vs. leadership. I view management as tactical (e.g., managing staff hours, administrative activities, etc.) where as leadership is more strategic or visionary (e.g., inspiring people to perform to their potential, growing a team, etc.).

I also believe managers are position-based where as anyone can exhibit the qualities of a leader. That said, as you move up in an organization, you need to learn what activities or competencies you need to gain and which ones you need to get your staff to start taking over.

My favorite book on this topic is by Scott Eblin, entitled The Next Level. He also has a 360 Leadership Assessment (in which I'm certified), that aligns to the book. Essentially, his premise is that there are qualities you much "let go" and others you must "pick up" as you move into a managerial / leadership position.

While my list is influenced by Scott Eblin, it's my own version of what I've observed and learned throughout my career to date. Here are my top three:

1. When you're a leader, you need to influence behaviors and have a sense of political savvy. Some would say that you have to know how to "play the game" but I think it's more than that. It's not just about playing the game, because then it seems disingenuous. As a leader, you need to think about how to motivate others to agreement and/or action by understanding how THEY want to be communicated with, not how you want to communicate to them. Just because you have a message to get across, doesn't mean it's phrased in a way that the other folks want to hear. Find out what appeals to them, what's important to them, and work from there.
2. Delegation is key, but not the way you think. As you move up in an organization, you can no longer be the "do-er," but rather you need to learn to manage what needs to be done so that the mission is achieved. As a manager you serve as a task master, but as a leader, you serve the role of guiding the team around you and mentoring them as needed. Teach the team to fish rather than giving them the fish. And don't send them out to learn to fish on their own if you can help lead them down the right path.
3. Start to use powerful questions. Before I get to the "why", first I want to answer "what is a powerful question?" Powerful questions get people to think deeper and expand your final end game for the whole team. They are open ended, and come from a place of curiosity rather than information gathering. Often times managers ask, "When will this be done?" or, "Where are we on this?" A powerful question would be, "What are we not thinking about?" or, "How can we make this product better?" The powerful question takes you out of that task master, manager role, and into a leadership, guiding others role. The basic rule for powerful questions is to avoid a question that has a single, short answer. Also avoid "why" so that you don't subconsiously appear to assign blame for something ("Why did it go wrong?" turns into, "How could we do this better?" or, "What did we miss?").

What are some powerful questions that you think you should be asking?

Recruiting: Why You Don't Get The Job

In a time when there are a lot of folks searching for jobs, and having difficulty landing the offer, I want to take a closer look at why you may not be getting the jobs you are going after. I got the idea based on a Business Insider article on why vets may not get the jobs they go after, and it got me thinking that this was often the reality check I would give MBA students when I worked at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business.

1. You Don't Accept that You're Starting Over. This one is really only relevant to those who are starting over, but it's an important point because some people may be starting over when they don't want to admit it. Let's say you used to be a VP of Marketing at a record label in NYC. You go to B-School with the intention of getting into finance, or more specifically Investment Banking. Guess what...you don't know the industry or the job, so you will be the low man on the totem pole and when you interview, you need to keep that in mind. Moreover, your resume should read like someone who wants an IB job, not like someone who had a Marketing job, otherwise recruiters will be confused as to why you applied.

2. You Believe You're Unique But Don't Communicate Why. Everyone is unique, but your unique value isn't one or two qualities. Rather, your uniqueness is your mix of capabilities and experience that MATCH to what your employer is looking for.

3. Your Resume is Too Long or Too Short. Ideally your resume should be about 1 page for every 10 years. Yes, you heard that right. If you have 10 years of experience and you have more pages than 1 (MAYBE 2), you are not communicating the right information. Your first step, before writing a resume, should be to review job descriptions for the type of job for which you're applying. For example, you want to be an investment banker; read the job descriptions for investment bankers. It sounds logical, but most people write their resume based on what they did, in the past. Instead, you need to write a resume indicating you can do what you want to do, in the future! Instead of saying things in marketing terms, for example, you need to translate what you did into the language that investment bankers use. Doing so will allow you to target specifically what they're looking for and cut out anything that's irrelevant to the recruiter. The added bonus is that large scale recruiting starts with a computer program that screens your resume for specific words. Even smaller scale recruiting may be using resume screeners that don't know what Investment Bankers really do, but they're given a list of words or phrases to look for. If you don't speak their language, you won't get the interview.

4. You Didn't Proofread Your Resume. I've had a lot of MBA's in the past who can't understand why their amazing resume would be trashed if it has a typo. If you have a typo in a resume, at the point when you are trying your absolute hardest to impress the employer, what are you going to do once hired? If your resume isn't air tight, the employer will assume that once on the job, your work will be equally flawed. Ask friends and family to read it. Take their edits with a grain of salt because every person will give you different advice.

5. You Don't Include a Cover Letter (or you include a bad one). For undergrads and MBA students in particular, a cover letter is a must. I've had a few recruiters state outright that they don't read them, but if one is not included, they don't consider the candidate. It sounds harsh, and I may not agree with that practice, but if that's what some recruiters do, you need to know that. Additionally, a cover letter should not restate your resume. It should add additional value above and beyond your resume. One trick I use is to pick 3-4 qualities the company is looking for (maybe a global mindset, or leadership ability, etc.) and make those your bullet points within the cover letter. Each quality should have a couple examples of how you demonstrate them. It helps the recruiter pull out the themes YOU want them to see across your experience.

6. You Don't Have a LinkedIn Profile. Employers are looking on LinkedIn. On the one hand, they may look at your LinkedIn profile after you applied, so you want it to match your resume, and allow greater insight to who you are. On the other hand, employers are proactively searching LinkedIn, and if your profile is not up to date and doesn't catch a recruiter's eye, you're missing out on an opportunity for a conversation about a future job.

7. You Aren't Conscious of What You Put Online. Assume potential employers are checking you out online. If you post daily, mundane updates, or those who post politically charged or angry posts on Facebook, Twitter, etc., be ready to miss out on interviews or offers if a recruiter is turned off by that. You should lock down your privacy settings, and every time you post, make sure you limit who can see the posts. That said, keep in mind that the world is a small place. I've heard of situations where a recruiter is connected to Person A, and their friend - Person B - applies for a job.  The recruiter is now a friend-of-a-friend (Facebook), or a 2nd degree connection (LinkedIn), and suddenly the recruiter can see what you're posting. If you put something online anywhere, make sure you'd be okay with a recruiter seeing it.

8. You Didn't Prepare for the Interview. Read their website; know their stock price; know their leadership; understand their culture; and most importantly, articulate your value that aligns with what they need. If you go into the interview knowing just a bit more about the company than the next candidate, you have a better shot at moving forward in the process.

9. Your Thank You Note was Generic. Thank you notes are a must, but don't be generic. Instead of just "thank you for the opportunity," try adding something extra. If there's a great article that relates to something you spoke about, include a link. Instead of "I look forward to hearing from you," mention you will touch base with them in a week, or two weeks, depending on what you learned in the interview. Be specific. Be enthusiastic. Be memorable. But be professional.