Page 158 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

‘We’ve just interviewed this guy. I think he’s quite interesting, so
I’ve invited him along and I want to see what you think.’
The minute any boss says, ‘I want to know what you think,’
that is a very big clue – interview John. The next day, they know
I’m going to ask them all what they think of John; it’s pretty

obvious.
Most people forget all the basics. Ninety per cent of people
lose it at that point. And all because they have been taken out

of the interview environment. They lose concentration, become
too casual, too friendly, too familiar. They might drink more than
they should, say more than they should, and not ask enough
questions.
What you should be doing is the opposite. Still be friendly,

be chatty, but remember why you are there. If the invitation
had been worded di≠erently – ‘What I’d like you to do is come
over on Thursday for a panel interview with the team that

you’re going to be working with’ – your approach would be very
di≠erent. But that’s exactly what I mean. So you need to be very
aware of how you should perform.
You have to interact with each of them. ‘So, Brian, tell me
what you do. What’s your role in the company? Anne, how long

have you been with the company, and what are your thoughts
on where the company is headed?’
Just as in a formal job interview, you should aim to ask as

many questions as they ask you. Even if they tell you nothing,
but you’ve interviewed each of them, you have scored all the
points. The feedback the sta≠ are going to give their boss is,
‘I thought the guy was very good.’ They have to say that, because

146 get the job you really want