Fisher Investments Careers Bulletin Board

Fisher Investments Careers Bulletin Board

Fisher Investments on using canned expressions like "I want to work with people" in job interviews:

Many candidates fall into a common interview pitfall by using stock phrases interviewers hear over and over again. "Canned responses are akin to professional suicide," says Karen Kahn in her book Flight Guide to Success. Fisher Investments recommends trying to answer interview questions with a personal style giving the interviewer a clear understanding of you and your abilities while demonstrating your personality, character and people skills.

Fisher Investments on unprofessional behavior:

Whether you like it or not, the professional working world is, well, professional. The last thing you want is a potential employer perceiving you as unprofessional in the way you act, talk, or look. Fisher Investments recommends not acting too casual or overly chummy with your interviewer. Avoid filler words like “Um” and “Like” and remember to pause after communicating a thought. And pay close attention to your appearance—it is important to look the part.

Fisher Investments on including irrelevant information on your resume:

You won a ribbon in a bowling competition in high school? Great! Your team placed third in a summer kickball tournament? Wow! Those are great things, but they don’t belong on your resume. Bottom line: Potential employers don’t give much credence to irrelevant filler on a resume—they could even be a detractor by distracting the reader. Fisher Investments recommends sticking to academic, leadership, and other unique accomplishments that even a perfect stranger would find professionally impressive.

Fisher Investments on focusing on duties instead of accomplishments:

Showing a potential employer your laundry list of job responsibilities is not necessarily impressive, and may negatively affect both resumes and interviews. Why? Because anyone can work a 9-5 job and fulfill tasks—the smart job seeker will work hard to frame job duties as accomplishments. Fisher Investments believes an ideal candidate brings more to the table in the form of innovation and accomplishments. Share your accomplishments!

Fisher Investments on ineffective networking:

The key is to network with tenacity. Truly effective networking is challenging, because it requires a systematic approach to identifying, organizing, and following up with your contacts. Your rolodex of business cards is essentially useless without a well thought-out plan. Fisher Investments recommends routinely connecting with your most important contacts and staying current with what they're up to; otherwise, it may seem artificial or awkward if you approach them only when you need help with job hunting. Also, many folks don’t take full advantage of their existing networks such as family, friends, and college alumni. Social networking websites like LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, are also great spots to make contacts. Networking success requires diligent, proactive communication — don't let procrastination get in the way!

Fisher Investments on badmouthing former employers:

Squawking negative comments about a past employer during an interview will cast a negative tone on what should be a positive discourse. Fisher Investments recommends not doing it. It shows contempt and could potentially prompt your interviewer to ask themselves, "If this person came to work for us, would they badmouth us too?"

Fisher Investments on bad follow-through:

A reasonable amount of proactive follow-up is not perceived by employers as a nuisance, but rather as a sign of initiative and desire. Fisher Investments recommends confirming all interviews in advance and making sure to send a thank-you letter or email after your meeting.

Fisher Investments on not doing enough research on the firm:

A cursory glance of the firm's website doesn’t cut it. Fisher Investments believes an ideal candidate should understand the firm's philosophy and core business. Having a strong understanding of the company will allow you to ask better questions during the interview and demonstrates preparation and a credible interest in the company.

Comments

Fisher Investments - Resumes

Submitted by Staff on Fri, 04-25-2008 08:30.

I’ve found interviewers place a lot of emphasis on resumes. The resumes are often examined before the hiring candidate is met, so there’s already some form of judgment. If the resume looks sloppy (typos, grammar problems, bad formatting) or sparse (usage of “fillers”) or doesn’t show any individuality, that’s going to be factored into how the candidate is perceived. Plus, it’s a lasting reminder of the candidate even after the interview is over.

Fisher Investments – Follow up is key!

Submitted by Staff on Fri, 04-25-2008 08:37.

As an interviewer, I really enjoy follow-up emails from candidates I interviewed earlier. Sometimes, I have to interview multiple candidates in one day, and a follow-up email can help refresh my memory of someone. Follow-up emails should be cordial and most importantly sincere. Fake flattery is easily detected. Also, the follow-up email should be concise — don’t rattle off what you said in the interview or what is already listed on your resume. Tailor the emails to the interview if possible.

Fisher Investments – Right on!

Submitted by Staff on Fri, 04-25-2008 08:10.

I’ve conducted interviews at Fisher Investments and other firms, and I’ve seen most of these eight mistakes. I can attest to these 8 mistakes as being deal breakers. Sometimes an interview will be going along great, then you hear an unprofessional comment or disparaging remark about a previous employer—and that interview is as good as over. You can demonstrate a lot of personality without dipping into the negatives or the unprofessional.

Fisher Investments – Lip Service

Submitted by Staff on Fri, 04-25-2008 08:15.

I think one of the biggest mistakes a job candidate can make is to provide “canned” answers—trying to say the things they think the interviewer wants to hear. It’s doing the candidate, the interviewer, and the hiring firm a disservice and will most likely be detected by the interviewer (especially at Fisher Investments!). Showing your personality (without going too far, remember this is a job interview) can help you and the interviewer decide whether you

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