Interview Savvy: Non-Traditional Employers
Isn't it great that you've mastered all of the preceding topics. Now you're ready to actually go to the interview. You start the telephone screening or interview and learn that this employer is a solo practitioner. They work from home or they're in town for a short time. An interview needs to be scheduled. Well, here are some more things to think about.
The Solo Practitioner: Out-of-Towner, Work from Home
So you finally got in touch with the person who ran the ad. You've been playing telephone tag. You've been leaving polite voice messages saying you're going to be in class from [time start] to [time end], or you have appointments and won't be reachable until after [time designated]. For some strange reason, the advertiser / employer keeps calling during the hours that you are not available. But today you actually connected during the right hours. Major red flag!
Think about this as a dating situation. (Actually, employment interviewing is pretty much the same except there's no romance involved in employment. We'll talk about that another time.) If this employer can't call during the hours that you've said are workable, they're calling because they don't want to connect or they're trying to hide their activities. A sensible business person is not going to waste their business time by making deadend calls. If you insist on plowing through this disaster in the making, actually connect with them, and decide to schedule an interview, there are some things you must do in order to prove that you are a strong candidate who is not to be triffled with. (Actually, do you really need to prove that to this type of person? Never mind.)
Take Charge
This is a solo practitioner. They work from home. They are of the opposite sex. Do I need to go any farther with this line of logic?
You do not say to them, "Where shall we meet for the interview?" This is the time when you take charge of the situation. Remember that dating analogy I made earlier? Well, just as with a blind date, you call the shots. On this one, in a very cordial and appealing voice tell them you'll get back to them with a location if you don't already have one in mind. Research. Make certain the meeting place is a public business location during working hours. Call back and firm up the details.
Evening meetings are out of the question. Places that are dimly lit are not appropriate for discussing documents. So don't even consider the Dusky Eyes Bistro, no matter how good the food may be.
What to Take
On a first meeting, what you need to take with you are your resume, a list of interview questions about the company and the work, your research notes about the company and similar positions. Since this is a red-flag interview, taking a few work samples is sort of okay. But hold them in reserve, along with your list of rererences. This person needs to prove theirself to you before you fork over these pieces of your life.
Conversation Before and During
During the screening interview, keep the conversation to the business side of who you are. Your interests that drive the type of work performance you provide. The motivational factors that spur you to learn more. Achievements that are work or goal related.
This is not the time to talk about your birthday. But if there was a celebration in which you played a pivotal role in planning, executing, or saving from disaster, and it was an exceptional success, it is definitely fodder for any business interview or conversation. Your dating life, child rearing schedule, dental appointment, are not subjects for the interview nor chatter as you try to determine what date will work best. In the work situation, the employer will not want their schedule to be divulged to outside callers. If you're willing to spill your own personal details over the phone, or in person, to a total stranger, there's an underlying statement that you'll do likewise with the employer's business details. There is also an underlying statement that your sophistication still needs a lot of development.
Where's the Office?
In this situation, one of the "must ask" questions is where will the work be done. At home? Is there an office in the home? The latter may be acceptable if you learned about this situation from a very good friend who has a working relationship with the employer. At an business office suite? Sounds much better. Be careful about where the work is going to be done. As I said as we began this series, safety is the watch word.
A Little More to Consider
And then there's still the matter of what to wear to this interview, how to handle yourself, and style of speech. Come back in a little while. We need a coffee break for now.
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