The Candy Dish
In my office, I have a candy dish. Presently, it is filled with a blend of red-colored Cinnamon Disks (Fat Free 0g Trans Fat) - Refreshing Flavor and yellow-colored Butterscotch Disks (Fat Free 0g Trans Fat) - Long-Lasting Flavor. Clients help themselves to the sweets.
The other day, as per usual when a new client arrives for a session, the customary chitty-chat occurs and then we get to business. Well, it didn't work that way, that day, as the first thing the client asked was "are you a Hawk?" and I, not being in high gear (or any gear at that moment), quizzically responded "A Hawk?" "Or, are you a Clone?" Then I got it! Duh! And I said "neither, I am a Bulldog -- as in Drake Bulldogs." A conversation went on for 15 or so more minutes about the Hawks, the Clones, this year's rivalry and it had absolutely nothing to do with our work at hand.
So what exactly, then, did the candy dish have to do with the Hawks and the Clones? At the end of our session, I found out by asking: "You know when you first came in today for our meeting and the first thing you asked was 'are you a Hawk' -- how is it you happened to ask that question?" And he replied "the candy dish -- the colors in your candy dish -- red and yellow -- you need to take out the red and add some black for Hawk colors."
By now, surely you must think this post is a waste of your time? Sort of like the time wasted while my client and I talked about the Hawks and the Clones. Or the time you may waste in a very important interview. Suppose you've been told that you have one hour for your interview and you spend the first 10 or 15 minutes talking about something irrelevant, only to be interrupted by a knock on the hiring manager's door announcing "something's come up" and your interview abruptly ends.
Protect your precious interview time and make sure you don't tarry too much on irrelevant topics...not that the Hawks and the Clones are irrelevant. Icebreakers are good, but try to keep your responses short, sweet, and to the point. Stick to the subject. Stay on task. You are there to speak about your credentials, your value, and your brand. Gently steer the conversation back on track. Do not veer off the path. Focus on your agenda. And do not get derailed by the candy dish.
By Billie Sucher and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.
Leave a comment