When can you start? – Book Review

Every now an again there is an author who approached a common activity in a new way. For me Paul Freiberger has done this with a book about interviews skills and approaches.

When can you start? by Paul. Freiberger

Who is “When can you Start?” for?

This is book for people looking to change jobs or approaching interviews for the first time. But I would also suggest that anyone that has not had an interview for a while consider Paul’s wise words.

Written in a warm conversational tone the author addresses the challenge of the interview from the following perspectives

• Preparation
• Design of your research material
• The informational interview
• New rules for telephone interviews
• The only question you must be able to answer
• Don’t tell me about your weaknesses
• How to succeed in a panel interview
• Where does the law draw the line
• Trick questions
• Say thank you and me an it
• The new interview, courtesy of Google
• Turn the tables
• Guide to salary negotiation
• More linchpins for success
• The ideal interview.

In the opening chapters of the book we quickly discover that the author has come common messages-

• Practice
• Practice and yes… more…
• Practice

And

• Prepare for the interview
• Prepare for questions
• Prepare for telling the interviewer who you are and what you bring

And not necessarily in that order.

The beginning

At first look, it seems like the author is telling us things we already know, but it is more than that. It is looking at the interview and selection process from a new perspective, and the author is trying to get us to see things differently.

The approach throughout follows Einstein’s approach, as simple as possible but no simpler.

Many interview books focus on the broad range of questions many interviewers seem to dream up, but not the author. He looks at this from a more practical and yet strategic point of view. In chapter five he give us the one question that he then explains how to answer, no matter how the interviewer positions it.

‘Tell me about yourself’ in the context of the employing company and job description. This may appear to be stating the obvious…. But I believe the way the author has approached this is both unique and insightful. He says it’s not about answering hundreds of lookalike questions, but knowing how to answer this one.

The Middle – Tell a story

Talk your CV or resume. Have a beginning, middle and end for each role you have completed. Build in your skills and strengths into the story.

Two supplementary questions

As well as the main question, Frieiberger highlights two further questions interviewers want the answer to

• Your strengths
• Your weaknesses

But yet he tells us that the interviewer is asking about our weaknesses, but does not really want to hear them. For no-one wants to hire a “faulty” employee, and yet the recruiter also knows that YOU Are not perfect – they are not looking to recruit a robot either! – well most aren’t!

The End is not the end

To be remembered, always follow up with a thank you… And mean it. Few people send a thank you follow up. This has the impact of reminding the interviewer about you. Be authentic.

Summary

Overall a useful and practical book for job hunters. It certainly looks at this from a perspective I have not seen before. One I will pass on to young people I know in or about to enter the world of “finding a career”

Looking for the kindle version…