Genius Required

Interviewing with Lab49 is only the start of your interviewing career with our company! Some of our clients like to interview our staff prior to us starting a project. Every member of staff at Lab49 is aware of what makes a good interview as being able to interview well is the very lifeblood of our company – we HAVE to impress our clients in order to get work.

The staff here at Lab49 are smart – both from an interpersonal and technical perspective and they know that to give a good interview they must:

1) Smile! The client wants to know that you want to be there and that you are keen to be part of that project. Be enthusiastic – if you’re not, you’re interviewing with/are a part of the wrong company for you and that’s no good for anyone

2) Good handshake. A lot of information is given in that handshake (see How to lose a job in 10 minutes) – firm but not bone-crunching. Sure, everyone gets a little nervous and therefore sweaty palmed – try to discreetly dry your palm before shaking the interviewers hand.

3) Listen!! Like I say, our staff are really smart and part of what makes them smart is that they LISTEN to other people – they are not arrogant people who think that no one can teach them anything. In a client interview, a problem and solution will often be discussed and to fully understand the project at hand, you need to hear it from the ‘horses’s mouth’ as it were.

4) Stick to the subject. Don’t go off on a tangent. If you are asked a question – answer it but ensure that you are giving relevant information. For example:

Interviewer: Are you an experienced .NET Technologist?
Candidate: Yes, I have been using .NET professionally for 5 years on a variety of projects. I also ensure that I keep up to date with the latest happenings in the .NET world to maintain my edge

So, the question is answered but the candidate has also demonstrated enthusiasm for their craft. Here’s a less successful example:

Interviewer: Are you an experienced .NET Technologist?
Candidate: Oh yes, I’ve been using it since 2001 when is was just okay and I know that the latest garbage collection generation is 2 and when I did X, we found that Y and then Bob and I disagreed about the way to go forward and we both ended up speaking with our line manager about it. He thought that Bob’s idea had merit which ticked me off because Bob didn’t really know what he was talking about.

Wow – that’s alot of information – lots of information that the interviewer didn’t ask for. The basic fact in your answer is that you have 5 years experience of it but the significance of that is lost amidst a whole load of rambling. What a shame.

5) Not see the interview as a time for technical experimentation.
So you have a few “out there” ideas about how to use technology huh? That’s really cool but there is a time and place for such discussion (back at the Lab for example). A client will typically be leading a multi-million dollar project which tight timescales and high visibility within the business. Now is not the time for your thoughts on technical experimentation! The client wants the best solution in the shortest amount of time to benefit the business as a whole. The client does NOT want a missed deadline and an inappropriate solution that focuses upon satisfiying your technological desires than the users needs. The KISS approach is just what is needed:

Keep
It
Simple
Stupid!

6) Demonstrate that they played an active part in previous projects/roles.
Candidate: So we did X and then we did Y
Interviewer: That’s great but what did YOU do? What was your part in this?

You’ve no doubt done some great work in your previous roles, why not shout about it (not literally thank you!)? Take ownership of your achievements! I did this, I did that and I’m proud of it! Sure, no one likes a bragger but you can have individual achievements and work within a team environment. Be balanced in giving credit where due and you will be fine.

7) Know about the role that they are interviewing for.
Do some research! Read newsgroups, technical forums etc to keep yourself technically and commercially sharp. The more you know about what you are interviewing for, the more relaxed you will be and demonstrating knowledge garnered via research will impress a client too.

8 ) Show positive body language.
Sure, interviews can be a little nerve wracking but as consultants, our staff know that crossing your arms and retreating into your chair when asked a tricky question, really speaks volumes. Body language should be open, relaxed and directed toward your interviewer. Good eye contact reinforces whatever point you are trying to make – don’t stare though! As mentioned in an earlier post, body language accounts for about three quarters of our communication so make yours count.

9) Accept a drink if offered!
Not only does it help to avoid a dry throat and coughing, it can provide valuable thinking time. Say you are asked a tricky question, taking a sip of your drink whilst thinking can enable you the time you need to think without any awkward pauses. The fact that your hand might shake a little when lifting the glass really is not taken into consideration.

If you have the technical skills to do the job, by following the above guidelines, there is nothing about your interview performance that will stop you getting the job.

Good luck and have a very merry Christmas and joyful New Year.

The 2006 Salary & Benefits Survey by Computer Weekly was announced in the latest edition of Computer Weekly magazine. Apparently 91% of IT staff said that challenging work was an extremely or very important factor in a job, while 74% said the same for salary and job security.

Apparently more than 60% of IT permies are keeping an eye on the job market with 14% actively looking and 17% expecting to change jobs within one to two years. 50% said that they main reason that they left their last job was because of poor career prospects with only 30% citing salary as a reason for quitting.

Well, the 14% that are looking, you have found the right place. To the 60%, read through the rest of the blog and our website and to the 17% – why wait? Lab49 is actively recruiting for the New Year with a real recruiting drive on the go in London, New York and Bangalore. I will guarantee you, right here and now, that Lab49 can counter all of the reasons for leaving jobs as listed above. Let me elaborate:

Salary – we pay you a damn good salary, because, well, you are worth it!
Challenge – ummm, we do nothing but! I’ve been challenged here too and whilst it can often be a little uncomfortable initially, the high that you get coming through the otherside is incomparable.
Job Security – we’ve been going since 2002 and have never lost a client. Our parent company is doing exceptionally well too. We don’t recruit based on project or client demand – once you’re through the door, you’re ours (cue evil plan laugh)

The survey also said that people want the freedom to make decisions, responsibility and recognition. We enable all of that!! Why would we pay you well and then treat you like a kid? You are an adult with the capacity for rational thought (well, some of us didn’t after our Christmas party last week but what happened at the Christmas Party, stays at the Christmas Party) and so we trust you to act accordingly.

Really, what are you waiting for?

This was sent to me yesterday – it was featured on Popbitch and is a real scream. Take a look at the comments below the actual story – there are some very vivid imaginations at work!

Lab49 has landed! We will be moving to our shiny new offices at the end of January and we area really excited! It’s been a complex and challenging project trying to get everything arranged but we are now good to go.

We will be moving to Cannongate House, 62-64 Cannon Street, EC4 and are so looking forward to it. We’ve spent a good deal of time with our contractors discussing a fit out that will truly represent Lab49’s culture and business and we feel that we’ve really hit the nail on the head – modern, relaxed, open-plan, spacious etc. There’s plenty of seating for our in-house projects too.

The location was really important to us – our clients are in the City and Canary Wharf so being located so close to Bank, our staff can get to the office really easily. We don’t see the office as merely being a place of work, it’s a place for our staff who are on client sites, to drop by, grab a coffee with a colleague etc.

We’re so looking forward to moving in and we’ll have some news shortly about a moving-in event.

We’ve enjoyed a pretty busy time, socially speaking, at Lab49 this week. We had our Christmas party on Tuesday and then a client event last night. As a result, many of us are feeling pretty knackered and looking forward to the weekend for sure! The great thing about our company is that all of our clients are in the City or Canary Wharf so our staff don’t have to travel to goodness knows where to get to their client site. I think that commuting can be exhausting enough but when you have to commute to outside of London, it can be a real drag.

Most of our staff have a commute of about an hour or so to get to work which isn’t too bad and that decent commute contributes to a good work/life balance, something that we are really keen on promoting here at the Lab. Having a good work/life balance is good for business and can even be directly measured financially. If you are flinging your staff off to client sites in the middle of nowhere is going to tick off your staff (regardless of whether the project is an interesting one or not) as they are going to see less of their friends and families.

The benefits to the business according to this site are:

- Increased productivity
- Improved recruitment and retention
- Lower rates of absenteeism (Camden council experienced a 2.5% reduction in the cost of sickness absence in the first year that it introduced a work/life balance strategy)
- Reduced overheads
- A more motivated, satisfied and equitable workforce

Let me say it again – WE DON’T SEND YOU OFF TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND FORGET ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU WORK FOR LAB49.

My next blog posting has some exciting news about Lab49 so keep reading!

One thing that I have noticed from some recent new team members, is how when people settle into their team dynamics, how productive, innovative and smart they can be. Both Dave E and Dave B joined us over the last month or so having worked together previously. They work seemlessly and instinctively together which is producing great results.

Part of the reason for not wanting to expand beyond about 50 or so in each office is because we want our staff to get that seemless and instinctive thing going on. It makes tasks so much easier when people understand how to get the best out of others and with great team relationships, come happy and relaxed environments.

I’m figuring that the Qantas crew referred to below have worked together for a while….

After every flight, Qantas Australia pilots fill out a form, called a “gripesheet,” which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft.

The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that the ground crews lack a sense of humour.

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas’ pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That’s what friction locks are for.

P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you’re right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.