A Storyteller: A short-short story

Hiring Wisely in the Time of COVID

 Employers, follow the approach I outline in Psychology Today to hiring and you're far more likely to be satisfied.

Interviewing in the Media: Landing an interview and doing well.

Being interviewed is among the easier ways to share your expertise with many others while benefiting yourself: It casts you as an expert and sharpens your expertise—Knowing you’ll be interviewed motivates you to think hard about what ideas are most worth promulgating.

Having been interviewed everywhere from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show to The Daily Show, I’ve learned a few things about getting interviewed.  In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer ideas adapted from my just-published book, Careers for Dummies.

A Workover: She Has Lost Her Motivation to Look for a Job

On my NPR-San Francisco radio program,  I do Workovers: Callers call in with a career problem.

I've been posting edited transcripts of Workovers that might interest Psychology Today readers. 

Today's is my exchange with a woman who has lost her motivation to look for a job.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INTERVIEWING: An interview with Michael Krasny

We’re all interviewers: whether asking your housemate about his or her day, querying a first date to see if there should be a second, vetting a prospective employer, or trying to understand a customer’s needs or ideological adversary’s position. 

To unearth some of the keys to interviewing, for my PsychologyToday.com article today, I interviewed a top interviewer, Michael Krasny. HERE is the link. 

The Case for Job Seekers Practicing Radical Honesty

There's understandable temptation for job seekers to stretch the truth in their resume and interviews. But in my PsychologyToday.com article, I argue that not only is that unethical, it's likely to backfire. HERE is the link.

Asking the Right Questions: A potent tool for enhancing your professional and personal life.

Ask a question and you not only obtain desired information but show you’re interested in what the person has to say. The right question can be particularly potent in abetting you, professionally and personally.

My PsychologyToday.com article today offers useful questions to ask your boss, someone you're interviewing--from a shrink to a college admission officer, to a salesperson, to a romantic partner.

HERE is the link.

Detecting Deception, Resisting Giving Too Much Information

No, there's no way to become a human lie detector but there are ways to increase your chances of assessing if someone is lying.  And being aware of those techniques can keep you from revealing what you don't want to. 

I interviewed three leading FBI/CIA interrogators to obtain those techniques and I present them in my PsychologyToday.com article today. HERE is the link.

Days of Our Work Lives: An unvarnished look at work today: Part II: Susan's Saga. Episode 10: The Dinner

Days of Our Work Lives

Part II: Susan's Saga  

Episode 10

The Dinner

In the previous episode, Ben gave Susan quite the lesson on how to reduce her procrastination. But more potent than his tips was his suggesting they postpone their first date--his coming over for dinner--until she felt she made progress on her job search.

Well, the next week, Susan job-searched-up a storm: She wrote custom-applications for the ten best-fit jobs she could find on the superjob sites: Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com. She looked at local colleges' websites--She pictured herself happiest working on a campus, especially as an academic adviser. Alas, she found nothing on-target so she defied herself and phoned the director of academic advising at each college. And lo and behold, at Central Washington State University (where she had taken that impenetrable Excel course,) the director said, "We'll be posting a position for an academic adviser. It will only be part-time/temp, but if you like, I'd be pleased to have you come in for a cup of coffee."

As soon as Susan got off the phone, she called Ben: "Dinner is served."

Of course, the dinner's first minutes were awkward. They'd have to be, even  if she wasn't a new widow and he hadn't just broken up with his girlfriend. It is rather unusual for a woman to--for their first date--invite a guy to dinner. 

But they relaxed more quickly than either of them predicted. Part of it was that he had been tutoring her, part was that they had an obvious topic of conversation: her upcoming job interview, but the biggest part was that they somehow felt magically compatible. They couldn't explain it but they both felt it. But they both knew that the place to start was to talk about the job interview.

Ben began, "You sound really excited about the job."

"I am but I'm terrified about the interview."

"Remember, I'm always having to work on contract. That means, every few months, I have to go on another string of interviews. So I've read a zillion articles on interviewing, even Marty Nemko's.  ;-)  And I joined Toastmasters, which made me much more comfortable talking in front of people, and actually, I met someone there who got me a job. But there's no time for that now."

Susan asked, "So what are the most important things you've learned about interviewing?"

"It basically comes down to three things: First and maybe most important, create chemistry."

"How do you do that?"

"It's hard to say but the obvious really helps: have good eye contact, smile when it feels natural to do so, err on the side of being positive, and be enthusiastic. For example, ask a question or two that shows you read the job description carefully."

"What else?"

"Have ready a few one-minute PAR stories that would impress that employer: some problem you faced, the impressive way you approached it, and the positive result."

"But I don't think I've done anything that would impress him."

"Everyone has. Think."

"Well, how about this? I had a singing student who was thinking of dropping out of college. We talked a lot and I was very patient. Finally he told me it was because his girlfriend broke up with him and he couldn't bear to run into her on campus."

"That's a perfect story!"

"And the third thing I need to remember about interviewing?"

"You can't anticipate all the questions but be prepared for two. The first is the question you're most afraid he'll ask."

"I'm afraid he'll ask why I left my previous job. I can't tell him I was accused of creating a hostile environment for gays."

"You were acquitted."

"Acquitted or not, he won't take the risk of hiring me."

"If you tell him the whole story, all that detail will make clear that you did nothing wrong. And unless he's a silly guy, he'll really appreciate that you answered honestly rather than making up some stock BS answer. Honesty may be the most important ingredient missing in job interviews."

"And in society. Deep down, all of us crave integrity."

"Susan, if he sees integrity in you, he'll see your telling him as a net plus."

"What's the other question I should be prepared for?"

"Some version of "Tell me about yourself." 

"Do I start with where I was born?"

"No. Take one minute to tell the pieces of your life's chronology that would convey that this job is a logical next step for you. Wanna try one?"

"How's something like this: I always liked college and really appreciated my academic adviser. He was very helpful in steering me to the right courses and majors. Then more recently, I worked with at-risk kids and spent quite a bit of time advising them and I loved it. So I was really excited when you invited me to come talk with you about a possible academic adviser job here."

"Susan, you're amazing!" He looked into her eyes the way Rory had. But this didn't feel like a technique. This felt real. 

He leaned over toward her but she got scared. "Ben, I think it's time to call it a night."

"I understand. Will you see me again?"

"If next time, you'll let me come see your place."

With thoughts of Ben and the interview tomorrow, she couldn't sleep.

The next episode is HERE.

Job Hunters: Job simulations are replacing standard interview questions

I've long advocated that employers use job simulations as a key tool for deciding whom to hire. The practice is taking off, including firms that corporations hire to create such simulations. One, HireArt, was touted recently in Thomas Friedman's New York Times column. Another, HireVue, was profiled in this month's Forbes.

Adam Grant, a currently hot employment guru wrote this, providing the intellectual underpinnings for replacing interviews with assessments. He particularly touts instruments that assess drive. 

The message to jobseekers: Especially if you're applying to large companies, be sure you're applying for jobs where you can demonstrate the skills to do the job  and not just try to get by with slick resume and cover letter language, and canned answers to standard interview questions like, "Tell me a problem you solved."

My Approach to Being a Talk Show Host and Producer

Today, I entered my 24th year as producer and host of Work with Marty Nemko. So I figure it's not a bad time to tell you a bit about how I do it.

These ideas might be instructive not just for talk show producers and hosts but more broadly.

I choose guests with little regard to how much media experience they have. I care mainly that their mind is fertile, their content fresh and important, and they can think on their feet--I pre-interview most guests.

To help compensate for their lacking media experience, I embed these tips in the email I send them confirming their appearance:

Guests often ask me, "What makes a successful interview on your show?" Of course, it varies with the topic, but generally speaking, a good guest offers non-obvious but important information, entertainingly dispensed, for example, with a good anecdote.

My guests have also found the following tip helpful. Follow "The Traffic Light" rule of thumb: During the first 30 seconds of an utterance, your imaginary "light" is green: your audience is paying attention. During the next 30 seconds, your light is yellow: Some people are starting to space out and/or think you're long-winded. After the 60-second mark, your light is red. Yes, there are occasional times you want to run a red light, for example, when you're telling a clearly interesting story or when an answer requires a bit more than 60 seconds, but generally you should stop. If more info is warranted, I'll ask a follow-up question. Using the traffic-light rule of thumb ensures the change of voices that makes an interview more of a vibrant exchange than a series of lecturettes. 

I strive to be authentic. For example, some talk show hosts use a "radio talk show voice." I speak naturally, conversationally. My career counseling clients that have heard me on the radio say I sound exactly the same. My favorite radio host, This American Life's Ira Glass has made the same choice. His voice could win an award for least likely to be a radio host yet his show is one of the most celebrated in radio history.

I sometimes script my introductions, other times not. There's an authenticity that comes from a non-scripted introduction but I've learned how to read a script so it doesn't sound scripted: I paraphrase and/or add a bit to the script, ad-lib.

For my typical half-hour interview, I usually prepare six to eight questions. I put them in a planned order but after asking the first question, I listen carefully to the answer so I can decide whether to comment, ask an unplanned follow-up question, or go to one of my planned questions. Listening well is very important and very underrated.

I send my planned questions to my guest in advance. My goal is not to stump him or her; it's to elicit the most thoughtful, rich answers s/he can generate.

Some listeners decide whether to keep listening based on the guest's answer to my first question so that question is usually the one I think will most interest my listeners and that my guest is likely to answer wonderfully. 

If there's a really tough question I want to ask, for example, one that invites a candid admission, I ask it right after s/he's given a great answer and is feeling relaxed. An example of when that worked particularly well  was when I interviewed Los Angeles Dodger great, Maury Wills. At the right moment, I asked, "Hall-of-Famer Don Sutton was always suspected of doctoring the baseball so it would do weird curves when pitched. How'd he do it?" Wills responded, "Oh, I kept a bit of emery cloth in my glove and when the ball was thrown around the infield after an out, I'd rub the ball against the emery and throw it back to the pitcher." For those of you who aren't baseball cognoscenti, he admitted committing an offense serious enough to warrant a suspension from baseball and maybe even get Sutton's Hall of Fame status asterisked. 

While I try to be kind to my guests, my main obligation is to my listeners. So when necessary, I will probe and be tough on guests if it will better serve my listeners. Similarly, during the show's call-in segment, while I try as hard as I can to help each caller, if I feel the air-time will be better spent if I interrupt, I do so even though it may seem rude.

While I try to err on the side of being encouraging to callers, I'm not afraid to be discouraging. For example, today, a caller asked what I thought of her business idea of having play-centric workshops for dog owners: creating Halloween costumes for dogs, how your doggie can help you deal with winter's cabin fever, etc. My response was that I don't believe people would pay enough money to make that more than a hobby. I suggested instead that she, who has lots of experience with dogs, dog owners, and their psychology, offer petology counseling: pet bereavement counseling or how to deal with being told, for example, that their pet has cancer requiring expensive treatment, which the owner can't afford. The caller was disappointed I didn't like her idea but I believe that she and the listeners were better served by my straight shooting. 

I must admit to occasionally and reluctantly pulling punches in areas of political correctness. Dare an idea of mine veer right of center even occasionally, I engender such anger from the supposedly tolerant liberal NPR audience that they often contact the station demanding I be taken off the air. It's hard to make myself continue to endure such opprobrium. So, increasingly, I've found myself skirting such issues. 

Often now, when I want to tackle a controversial topic I do it by moderating a debate between two equally-skilled protagonists. Or I might debate myself: I first do the best I can advocating for one side then the best I can in taking the other side and finally inviting callers to weigh in. Perhaps most fun, my wife and occasional co-conspirator on the show, Barbara Nemko, and I are the debaters and, in the middle, we switch sides. That way, the listeners can choose the side they find most persuasive, unaffected by which debater is better.

Producing and hosting Work with Marty Nemko has been one of my life's most rewarding activities. If you have a fertile mind and can think on your feet, you might want to try it but don't expect it to be remunerative. Even if it's not, it's still worth doing. And if you do it without expecting pay, it's relatively easy to broadcast your show, for example, by podcasting, or on a public-access television station or campus radio station.

Hiring Wisely

I've been career coach to many job seekers. Ironically, that has made me a bit sympathetic to the employer, who has the difficult task of trying to differentiate the best candidate from the most primped one.

And the two may be inversely correlated: To land a job, weak candidates may feel they have to gorgeously gift-wrap their package. In contrast, strong candidates may feel that they can land a good job just with a good resume, cover letter, and interview.

Especially in this job market, many job seekers are pulling out all the stops: They submit White Papers, proposals, sales prospect lists, etc. They hire interview coaches who literally put words into their mouths--for example, a wordsmithed explanation of  their "lay off" or employment gap. And interview coaching often includes video: microanalyzing everything from the person's posture to tone of voice to how well he hides his terror when asked a probing question.

And those are the relatively honest job seekers. Studies find that almost half of resumes contain "creative writing," often crafted by a resume writer who not just embellishes credentials but makes the candidate look like she writes, thinks, and organizes better than she really does, attributes that are important on so many jobs.

So what's an employer to do? Hiring is among the most important decisions: It affects the quality of products and services as well as the coworkers' lives. And God forbid things if don't work out: It's often harder to get rid of an employee without incurring an expensive, stressful legal claim than to rid a fleabag hotel of fleas.

So as a token of penance for all the job seekers I've helped to seem better than a more worthy applicant, HERE is how I recommend employers select their employees.

Interview Someone: A Great Way to Create a Connection

You can quickly convert a stranger into a solid connection by interviewing them for publication.

One way to do that is to ask the editor of a trade publication if they'd publish an article based on your interviews with a few industry heavy hitters on a topic du jour that's of interest to you. One editor will likely agree.

Even bigwigs like to be interviewed for a publication, so you'll likely get one-on-one time with a handful of high-level people you'd otherwise have a hard time accessing. And at the end of the interview, you can ask for some career advice or even if there might be a job opportunity working for him. At minimum, the interview will give you valuable information you can use to enhance your career, for example, in job application cover letters and interviews.

I just learned of another way to get to interview bigshots, indeed anyone, without needing to convince an editor of a publication to publish it. It's an internet radio show.

According to Michael Surkan, it's easy to set it up. Lest I be accused of not practicing what I'm preaching, I haven't done it because I have terrestrial radio shows on KGO-AM (ABC-San Francisco) and KALW-FM (NPR-San Francisco.)

Here's how Surkan recommends you do it:

1. Pick someone you want to interview. Maybe it's a target employer you found on LinkedIn. Or someone you met at a party: "Hey, would you like me to interview you for my Internet radio show? I'll email you the link, afterwards." And it probably couldn't hurt to ask your boss if s/he'd like to be interviewed.

2. Download the free Skype software. Then click Tools, then Extras, then Pamela to download the free plug-in that enables you to record your interviews. You'll need a USB headset microphone. Here are reviews of them.

3. Use freeware such as RecordForAll or the more sophisticated Audacity to delete any flubs or weak parts and/or add a music bed: that's music that plays underneath your intro and outro.

4. Post the interview on your website or blog. You can easily set up a blog for free in just a few minutes on Blogger (this blog's platform) or on the more sophisticated WordPress.

5. Email your interviewee the link to the interview. You might ask if s/he'd like you to write a recommendation on their LinkedIn profile.

Whether it's a print or radio interview, it's a potent and fun way to create a relationship.

For more on how to create an Internet interview , here's an interview with Michael Surkan. Ironically or perhaps as indicator that podcasting isn't quite that easy, it's in text, not audio!