In today’s competitive environment, there will be several perfectly qualified candidates vying for the
same position. Therefore, in the first few rounds of the interviewing process, interviewers are
generally looking to eliminate candidates, rather than hire them. What is the single biggest reason that
candidates don’t get called back? Let’s call it “lack of preparation.” Candidates who reveal that they
haven’t done their homework are quickly bypassed for those who have.
If you have studied the firm, you will certainly ace the questions that follow. If you haven’t, you
will be politely ushered to the door with a vague promise that “we’ll get back to you.” Brush up on
the company, and you won’t have to hold your breath, waiting endlessly by a phone that refuses to
ring.
How to De-Stress for Success?
Stressing how well you handle stress is an effective job-hunting ploy, especially if you are going
for a job in a high-stress field. If you’ve been in the field for a while, you already know if it’s
considered stressful. If you haven’t been, here are some adverse factors that usually lead to a
great deal of on-the-job stress:
1. A workaholic corporate culture, resulting in a consistent pattern of workdays lasting ten hours
or longer.
2. Interoffice competition on assignments, particularly if bosses directly compete against those
whom they are supervising.
3. Ambient loud noise at the workplace, due to uncarpeted floors, lack of privacy, tolerance for
blasting music, or acoustical imperfections in the walls and ceilings.
4 . A perception, either real or imagined, that the business is “glamorous.” This leads to
unbridled competition and a cutthroat atmosphere (which is so unglamorous).
5. Loss of current clients for whatever reason, creating severe internal pressure to win them
back, or to attract new ones.
6. Growing pain caused by winning new business, and having too few people on staff to handle
it.
7. Unforeseen changes at the workplace, such as pending layoffs, or new bosses, partners, and
teammates coming on board.
8. A revolving door atmosphere, based on everything listed in point #7 occurring more than once
every two years.
Most of this information is easily accessible if you keep up with the trades. So, if you know for a
fact that the corporate culture of a company is stressful, and stress doesn’t happen to stress you
out, it’s a good idea to bring it up on your interviews.
19. Where do you predict that this industry is going in the next three years?
A. I think that we’re going to see the cell phone business rapidly take off. In my view, the cell
phone is quickly evolving into the perfect 24/7 business and entertainment center. On the business
front, it’s already a necessity, connecting people to their colleagues and clients ‘round the clock. Why
send an email, when you can use your cell to page people, text message them, or leave a message in
real time?
But recently, the cell phone has also started to become a portable entertainment center. You can
now use it to take great photographs, giving you another superb excuse to pull yours out and play with it during the day. And in Europe right now, people play video games on their cell phones.
It wouldn’t surprise me if you could play tunes on your cell in just a couple of years. At that point,
you’ll be able to connect to any business-person in the world, day or night, and keep yourself
entertained while you’re waiting for him to call you back. How is your company taking advantage of
this trend?
20. What do you like about advertising?
A. I like the fact that one simple idea, generated by an art director in a tiny cubicle, can reach out
and influence millions of people. The biggest thrill of my life has been “catching” a stranger on a
subway or bus reading an ad that I wrote that appeared in a magazine. The power of a simple,
compelling idea is unmatched. When you tell the truth about a product or a service in an interesting
way, it really touches people.
What if the future of a business looks bleak? Acknowledge it, but temper your pessimism
by telling your interviewer two things that you would do to forestall the inevitable. If the
business looks bright, tell your interviewer why that turns you on. From Wall Street to
Main Street, optimism makes interviewers bullish about hiring candidates.
21. You majored in philosophy. How did that prepare you for this career?
A. I think that philosophy is probably the world’s least practical discipline! So the short answer is,
philosophy didn’t prepare me for a career in architecture at all. But it did force me to become
philosophical about my prospects, and I basically decided that, unless I wanted to become a teacher
or a writer, I desperately needed to get a second degree that was more practical. After two years of
trying to figure out what to do with my life, I visited Chicago one weekend, and was absolutely spell
bound by the gorgeous architecture all around me.
same position. Therefore, in the first few rounds of the interviewing process, interviewers are
generally looking to eliminate candidates, rather than hire them. What is the single biggest reason that
candidates don’t get called back? Let’s call it “lack of preparation.” Candidates who reveal that they
haven’t done their homework are quickly bypassed for those who have.
If you have studied the firm, you will certainly ace the questions that follow. If you haven’t, you
will be politely ushered to the door with a vague promise that “we’ll get back to you.” Brush up on
the company, and you won’t have to hold your breath, waiting endlessly by a phone that refuses to
ring.
How to De-Stress for Success?
Stressing how well you handle stress is an effective job-hunting ploy, especially if you are going
for a job in a high-stress field. If you’ve been in the field for a while, you already know if it’s
considered stressful. If you haven’t been, here are some adverse factors that usually lead to a
great deal of on-the-job stress:
1. A workaholic corporate culture, resulting in a consistent pattern of workdays lasting ten hours
or longer.
2. Interoffice competition on assignments, particularly if bosses directly compete against those
whom they are supervising.
3. Ambient loud noise at the workplace, due to uncarpeted floors, lack of privacy, tolerance for
blasting music, or acoustical imperfections in the walls and ceilings.
4 . A perception, either real or imagined, that the business is “glamorous.” This leads to
unbridled competition and a cutthroat atmosphere (which is so unglamorous).
5. Loss of current clients for whatever reason, creating severe internal pressure to win them
back, or to attract new ones.
6. Growing pain caused by winning new business, and having too few people on staff to handle
it.
7. Unforeseen changes at the workplace, such as pending layoffs, or new bosses, partners, and
teammates coming on board.
8. A revolving door atmosphere, based on everything listed in point #7 occurring more than once
every two years.
Most of this information is easily accessible if you keep up with the trades. So, if you know for a
fact that the corporate culture of a company is stressful, and stress doesn’t happen to stress you
out, it’s a good idea to bring it up on your interviews.
19. Where do you predict that this industry is going in the next three years?
A. I think that we’re going to see the cell phone business rapidly take off. In my view, the cell
phone is quickly evolving into the perfect 24/7 business and entertainment center. On the business
front, it’s already a necessity, connecting people to their colleagues and clients ‘round the clock. Why
send an email, when you can use your cell to page people, text message them, or leave a message in
real time?
But recently, the cell phone has also started to become a portable entertainment center. You can
now use it to take great photographs, giving you another superb excuse to pull yours out and play with it during the day. And in Europe right now, people play video games on their cell phones.
It wouldn’t surprise me if you could play tunes on your cell in just a couple of years. At that point,
you’ll be able to connect to any business-person in the world, day or night, and keep yourself
entertained while you’re waiting for him to call you back. How is your company taking advantage of
this trend?
20. What do you like about advertising?
A. I like the fact that one simple idea, generated by an art director in a tiny cubicle, can reach out
and influence millions of people. The biggest thrill of my life has been “catching” a stranger on a
subway or bus reading an ad that I wrote that appeared in a magazine. The power of a simple,
compelling idea is unmatched. When you tell the truth about a product or a service in an interesting
way, it really touches people.
What if the future of a business looks bleak? Acknowledge it, but temper your pessimism
by telling your interviewer two things that you would do to forestall the inevitable. If the
business looks bright, tell your interviewer why that turns you on. From Wall Street to
Main Street, optimism makes interviewers bullish about hiring candidates.
21. You majored in philosophy. How did that prepare you for this career?
A. I think that philosophy is probably the world’s least practical discipline! So the short answer is,
philosophy didn’t prepare me for a career in architecture at all. But it did force me to become
philosophical about my prospects, and I basically decided that, unless I wanted to become a teacher
or a writer, I desperately needed to get a second degree that was more practical. After two years of
trying to figure out what to do with my life, I visited Chicago one weekend, and was absolutely spell
bound by the gorgeous architecture all around me.
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