When you anticipate things happening in your job search, you are much more able to manage them successfully, so here is my top 10 list of surprises to avoid, or expect in your job search. Each surprise comes from our client experiences in the past year:

1. Answering the question: How would you feel reporting to a person who is younger? This is as close to an illegal question as you can legally get, but given the “Wild West” mentality out there be prepared to answer this. My client’s response was perfect: “I learn from everyone, people older and people younger than I am, so I would welcome it.”

2. Answering a question that identifies any gap in employment – this is a softball question because we can prepare in advance, and come up with exceptional responses that you are comfortable giving. It just takes time to prepare. My client mentioned the entire department was downsized, but then talked about the great work he did & he quantified his accomplishments, immediately bringing the conversation positive. I once was laid off at my job at Citi, along with every direct report my manager had (so I mentioned that) and I mentioned that they offered me 2 other positions, which I declined because I was more interested in the opportunity I was currently talking about. That completely turned a negative into a huge positive.

3. Answering the question about why you left your previous employer – whether it’s a downsizing or whether you chose to leave (even if you didn’t have anything else at the time) this question must be answered with tact. Always speak positively about the company, the role, your manager. Anything less will be a clear red flag to the interviewer. One client talked about the fact that she was working 15 hours a day and could not look for a job with the pressures of the job she had. She drew a line in the sand and it showed how serious she was as it’s always a risky move to leave a job without another waiting for you. You must look them in the eye with confidence, and let them know the choice you made. That could take practice sometimes!

4. Having extra interviewers: You expect to meet with one person and they ask you to meet with 2 or 3 others. This is a very good sign but could wreak havoc with your day especially if you are employed and told your employer you’d be away for just one hour. If you use the example of a doctor’s appointment to get away from work, having a long wait is a good excuse, so ensure you build up some flexibility in your excuse to be away.

5. Answering the question: Why do you want to work here? Last week, I coached someone in preparation of an interview with a sustainable packaging company called Distant Village Packaging. She couldn’t answer the question of “why she would want to work there” and make no mistake about it – you have to be very clear on that answer. We spent 15 minutes looking at the product, reading blogs written by the CEO, and reviewing competitors and gathered a ton of great information and certainly the answer to that question!

6. Researching your interviewer: I had a client research her 5 interviewers and she recognized one in the elevator and they established rapport on the way to the interview. She absolutely got that job! Spend time researching everything you can about your interviewer or about hiring managers. It can truly pay off.

7. Answering the question: Are you open to relocating? During the job search – you should be open to anything the employer asks because if you are not, you can be knocked out of the running immediately and & why not have the option for saying “no” later on. Let them fall in love with you and then deal with the issue. You can always say that you decided not to relocate. But seriously, if they offered you a 50 or 75% salary increase, would you think about it? And if they fell in love with you, and you said no, wouldn’t you be in a fantastic position to negotiate? The answer is clearly yes. FYI – I recently had a client receive a 42% increase in salary because she wasn’t crazy about the job (when the original offer had a 12% salary increase). Negotiating is much easier when you don’t have to take the job. For those of you who are unemployed, that is why you must have multiple searches at once!

8. Answering the compensation question sooner than you thought you would have to – Employers usually don’t bring up compensation until the 2nd or 3rd or even the offer stage. However, you never truly know when they will bring it up. Be prepared & do your research. Use glassdoor.com, getraised.com and use your network to find out what the actual salary range should truly be and do not undersell yourself. One client got laid off from a job that paid $75,000 and is now close to getting a job that pays $50,000 (but with a commute that is 5 minutes versus 1 ½ hours). She had to deal with that question in the first 3 minutes of the phone interview.

9. Adjusting to a different work environment: I had a client accept a job for $300K at a major financial services company. She ended up getting paid $350K – what a nice surprise! The bad surprise, after she accepted, was that she wouldn’t have an office. Instead, she was in an open workspace – on a trading desk-type arrangement. She hated it! Had she known that, she probably would have accepted another offer. What a mistake that would have been – because she ended up making her $350K. Instead, she dealt with it and in six months’ time was in a beautiful office, along with all of her direct reports. Don’t let this surprise take your eye off the prize … and the prize is the right job at the right comp level.

10. Strong interest & then nothing! So many people experience this and get very angry about it. A client interviewed at Habitat for Humanity, and they all but offered her the job. They had asked for references and they called the references. Then, nothing! Not a word. Not a reply to her emails. That is a horrible experience, but the second one I’ve heard of in one year. This is a tough one to take, so treat yourself to something you love – you deserve it, and then get back to work. Get more momentum in your job search so you can look back at this without an ounce of regret.

I hope this list makes you feel like you are in good company. There are so many out there fighting the good fight to find the job they truly want. Keep going & as Caroline & I always say ….
Stay frosty!