How will the CIO be?

[Aparna Sharma]

Hi,
I went through 6 months of unemployment. During that time, I made it through a phone interview and a first level of interview at a company. I have 2yrs of Java/J2EE experience. Now the company has scheduled a second interview for me with it's CIO.
First interview was with 5 experienced guys in the company. They were the section heads of different departments. The interview went fine. I also came to know that they checked on my references.
I read somewhere that there is a 50% chance of a job offer, when one gets a second interview offer.
Does anyone has any tips on what to expect in an interview with the CIO?
These points come to my mind..
1. research the company thorougly . products , history , services, industry etc.
2. research the CIO
3. be thorough about the job you are pursuing, what you will be doing,may be even an idea of technologies involved.
the salary question has been tackled earlier and I agreed to the salary they told me. So I dont expect that to come up.
Is there anything else that I should look into?
Thanks and wishing everyone a fabulous NewYear!

Aparna

[Bela Bardak]

Originally posted by Aparna Sharma:
Hi,
I went through 6 months of unemployment. During that time, I made it through a phone interview and a first level of interview at a company. I have 2yrs of Java/J2EE experience. Now the company has scheduled a second interview for me with it's CIO.
First interview was with 5 experienced guys in the company. They were the section heads of different departments. The interview went fine. I also came to know that they checked on my references.
I read somewhere that there is a 50% chance of a job offer, when one gets a second interview offer.
Does anyone has any tips on what to expect in an interview with the CIO?
These points come to my mind..
1. research the company thorougly . products , history , services, industry etc.
2. research the CIO
3. be thorough about the job you are pursuing, what you will be doing,may be even an idea of technologies involved.
the salary question has been tackled earlier and I agreed to the salary they told me. So I dont expect that to come up.
Is there anything else that I should look into?
Thanks and wishing everyone a fabulous NewYear!

Aparna

Good luck. What I'd think about before talking with the CIO:
Think about where you want to go with your career. He might ask. Polish up your soft skills (communication skills). Dress nicely, get your hair cut, polish shoes, etc. Concentrate on looking like a nice guy. Maybe think about where technology is going to, full life cycle skills, etc.

[Michael Ernest]

If the CIO is involved in a hiring decision, it's most likely to determine if you are a good fit in the company. Executive-level officers rarely concern themselves with knowing all the facts of the business, although this is certainly nice to have. You want to show who you are: that you eventually want to learn this business, become part of it, grow in responsibilities and achieve your own career goals as well -- these are the things a good CIO wants to know about his people. Think long-term goals and how you and this company together would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.

[Aparna Sharma]

Thanks Bela and Michael for their valuable advice.

[Mark Herschberg]

Originally posted by Aparna Sharma:

I read somewhere that there is a 50% chance of a job offer, when one gets a second interview offer.

Where did you read this? It seems very unlikely.
--Mark

[Bela Bardak]

Originally posted by Mark Herschberg:

(second Interview 50% chance of a job offer)
Where did you read this? It seems very unlikely.
--Mark

Certainly not in the current job market. In 1999 possibly. Or even in a decent market with skills which are a good fit for the position. I've had telephone interviews with odds of 50%, much less second interviews.
Then again, those telephone interviews tend to be for consulting gigs, not permanent positions. And you are answering a much different question in going for a consulting gig: Does this fellow sound like a human being and can he do the job?. Answer that affirmatively in their mind and the decision can be very swift.

[Aparna Sharma]

http://www.career.fsu.edu/ccis/guides/second_inter.html
this is where I got the idea of 50% probablity.
I wanted to know what the scope of the interview will be.
Almost all the articles describe the 2nd interview as "the plant visit". that in my case, will be false. Anyways any kind of relevant info helps.

[Bela Bardak]

It will almost surely be very little like anything in that link. Much shorter for onr thing. There may well be a question like 'Why should I hire you?'. Answer because I can do the job, fit in and be nice, and grow with changing circumstances.

[Mark Herschberg]

Originally posted by Aparna Sharma:
http://www.career.fsu.edu/ccis/guides/second_inter.html
this is where I got the idea of 50% probablity.

I emailed them and asked what evidence they have to support this claim. My only guess is that in this market, for on-campus interviews hiring college seniors, perhaps in some industries there's a 50% offer rate for second round candidates. But my advice is that if you believe this is true by and large, you're in for some disappointment.
--Mark

[Aparna Sharma]

Thanks for your inputs Mark and Bela.
Yes,the situation in that article is very general and in this case, wrong.
Another interview I went to was like this:
There was first a phone-interview with a manager.
-> I did fine.
Then I was invited for an interview with that manager+ 3 more
-> I did so-so. I really couldnt gauge their feelings. They didnt ask me any technical questions. All about what I had done in my earler job.
then there was a series of logical test and behavioral questions.
-> I dont know how I did. they didnt tell me also. I did as much as I could in the short time.
then there was a technical interview with a developer
-> i did fine? . i dont know. all he asked that whether I did that or had done this. it was like yes/no questions with small stories thrown in.he was like u say, cool.
1 week later, I get a rejection email , telling that I dont have enough experience.(they were asking for people with 2-5yrs of experience in the ad.) I with only 2yrs, comes way down in the pecking order.

[Matt Cao]

Originally posted by Bela Bardak:

Certainly not in the current job market. In 1999 possibly. Or even in a decent market with skills which are a good fit for the position. I've had telephone interviews with odds of 50%, much less second interviews.
Then again, those telephone interviews tend to be for consulting gigs, not permanent positions. And you are answering a much different question in going for a consulting gig: Does this fellow sound like a human being and can he do the job?. Answer that affirmatively in their mind and the decision can be very swift.

Hi,
Where is your based? In US, Taiwan, and Holland the purpose of telephone interview is convenient, communication effectiveness, local accent and trade-off.
There is no such thing as telephone interviews are for consulting gigs only.
Regards,
MCao
[ January 05, 2004: Message edited by: Matt Cao ]
[ January 06, 2004: Message edited by: Matt Cao ]

[Bela Bardak]

Originally posted by Matt Cao:

Where is your based? In US, Taiwan, and Holland the purpose of telephone interview is convenient, communication effectiveness, local accent and trade-off.
There is no such thing as telephone interviews are for consulting gigs.

My experience is mostly in the US, Matt, though I landed one contract in Holland on the phone. I call it consulting, you call it contracting. I say tomato, you say tomatoe.....
It happens all the time over the phone, at least in the US it does. Not in the UK however. Here it's face to face.
[ January 06, 2004: Message edited by: Bela Bardak ]

[Mark Herschberg]

Originally posted by Aparna Sharma:

I read somewhere that there is a 50% chance of a job offer, when one gets a second interview offer.

Myrna Hoover of FSU Career Services, by way of Janet Lenz, kindly replied to me and wrote:

Source of stats:
...Hot Tips, Sneaky Tricks & Last-Ditch... Author: Jeff Speck Pg. 154
In 1998 FSU/CPS looked at call backs/offers Accounting & Engineering callbacks received offers of over 50% on callbacks
Retail/Sales less than 50% - depends on industry.

So the source of the statistics is for one college in 1998. I'd say that is not a representative sample for the majority of people today.
--Mark

[Matt Cao]

Originally posted by Aparna Sharma:
Hi,
I went through 6 months of unemployment. During that time, I made it through a phone interview and a first level of interview at a company. I have 2yrs of Java/J2EE experience. Now the company has scheduled a second interview for me with it's CIO.
First interview was with 5 experienced guys in the company. They were the section heads of different departments. The interview went fine. I also came to know that they checked on my references.
Does anyone has any tips on what to expect in an interview with the CIO?
These points come to my mind..
1. research the company thorougly . products , history , services, industry etc.
2. research the CIO
3. be thorough about the job you are pursuing, what you will be doing,may be even an idea of technologies involved.
Is there anything else that I should look into?
Thanks and wishing everyone a fabulous NewYear!

Aparna

Hi,
It is depended on your years of experiences both technology and business processes. Put your best foot forward. That I meant, if you are strong in technology stear the interview into it or vice versa. The majority of the time, the CIO has a certain idea about integrating a new technology to improve the company operation effectiveness. He/she wants to brainstorm it with you in the form of an interview. Visualize yourself as a team member and approach the problem in that angle. If it helps, do not think in term of problem but in term of opportunity and be ready to brain picked by him/her.
Good Lucks,
MCao

[Bela Bardak]

Originally posted by Matt Cao:

It is depended on your years of experiences both technology and business processes. Put your best foot forward. That I meant, if you are strong in technology stear the interview into it or vice versa. The majority of the time, the CIO has a certain idea about integrating a new technology to improve the company operation effectiveness. He/she wants to brainstorm it with you in the form of an interview. Visualize yourself as a team member and approach the problem in that angle. If it helps, do not think in term of problem but in term of opportunity and be ready to brain picked by him/her.

Sometimes if the situation feels right I've been known to speak as if I've already been hired and am part of the team. Right down to phrasing things as 'We could try ....'. I don't do it all the time, it all depends on the feel of the situation.