Recruiting Daily welcomes once again our good friend and guest blogger this week – Ken Sundheim

I can never truly understand as to why some people make the excuse that there is not enough time in the day to read. Reading and learning is such a fundamental and necessary exercise to keep one’s brain intact as well as continually improve one’s skill set.

To make myself better and better at what I do, I make it a point to read for about 30 – 60 minutes daily and, just as crucial as the act of reading, I formulate reference outlines as I know I am going to forget most of the information that was just processed in about an hour. To me, the resulting frustration from forgetting knowledge that was once fresh, can be taxing, but there’s no other way.

Therefore, after reading about 15 books in the past few months, I began to see a keen similarity in a few of the more interesting, worthwhile and in-depth books. That similarity was that the messages within them could not only help the direct reader i.e. Welch for managers, but would significantly improve your interview skills.

Winning by Jack Welch 
Jack Welch’s management theories don’t just ring true to the manager; they ring quite as loud to the job seeker. Throughout the book, Welch indirectly tells you what to look for in a potential employer and how you should act both in an interview and, following the acceptance of an offer, the subsequent work environment.

Key Takeaways For Interviews:

– Welch preaches candor. This is quite a spot-on point when interviewing as, if you are direct and to the point, you are much more likely to get your message across, thus get an offer as opposed to being your typical wishy-washy and indirect candidate. Being candid gets people to listen – try it sometime.

– Another huge takeaway from Welch that can easily be transitioned into the interview tip arena is for you to actively avoid companies that seem to be a bureaucracy where management may be complacent and not love their job.

– Welch goes on to make the point that everybody, regardless of who they are, should have an opinion within a company and they should be allowed to voice their opinion. Do you feel that the potential employer on the other end of the table practices this? If not, you may be quite unhappy at this position.

The One Thing You Need To Know by Marcus Buckingham 
It is a strong recommendation that if you have not read this book, employed or unemployed, pick up a copy and begin reading. Within the 4.5 star Amazon rated book, Buckingham goes in-depth and analyzes 3 life and career oriented points such as leadership skills, sustained success and superior managing skills.

Key Takeaways For Interviews:

– According to Buckingham, find employers and subsequent jobs that actively want to utilize your strengths rather than focus on your weaknesses or focus on improving those weaknesses. This will only make the job difficult to handle and, more likely than not depressing.

– Buckingham strongly points out that 80% of employees feel that they are not being used to their full advantage. Before accepting a job offer, ensure that you are going to part of the lucky, prestigious group as to whom Buckingham refers to as the “Twenty Percenters.” Again, just like Welch, this translates into helping the job seeker pick out effective, intelligent management that is going to give you the employment freedom you deserve and require to be as successful as possible.

The Psychology Of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D. 
I must admit that, at times, Cialdini’s book does get a little drawn out with too many examples for each thesis, however upon uncovering each thesis, you will discover that the book was well worth wading through the seemingly never ending, examples. Take that patience and work your way through it, as your interviewing skills will heighten dramatically.

Key Takeaways For Interviews:

– One of the biggest persuasion factors along with looks, smoking habits and political views, is the way people dress. Therefore, prior to going into an interview, do your best to find out what the office attire is and match it! If they’re not wearing a suit, forego your suit for business casual. Also, if they are not wearing glasses, take yours off.

– People like to do things when they feel others are. Sounds about right? We all want what others have. Therefore, if the timing in the conversation presents itself, according to Cialdini’s principals, you may want to lightly discuss (touch upon is a better phrase perhaps) a situation where someone made you a job offer or wants something from you. If implemented properly, this should perk the interviewer’s ears and get their thought process going.

About the Author: Ken Sundheim runs KAS Executive Recruiters a New York executive sales and marketing recruiting firm. KAS helps both U.S. and International mid to large size firms form sales teams from hiring the executive level sales manager to helping recent college graduates transition to a business development role. On his free time, Ken is a public speaker and likes to read non-fiction.

[Image Source: Paul]