Business Development Manager Job - Advice Appreciated!

Loanranger

Don't leave anything blank on the form.
Don't give them an opportunity to discard your application.

How about: £35,000 +car+BUPA+bonus or whatever it is you have.

DKLS

Might be worth doing some research into if the role has any links with Health Informatics, I know of 10 unis who are actively involved in that area, there is some big money in that sector and it can be very rewarding and fascinating work. If it has

If you land an interview, prepare yourself for one of the interview panel to play "bad cop" it happens pretty often at UNI interviews.

Loanranger

DKLS wrote: »

Might be worth doing some research into if the role has any links with Health Informatics, I know of 10 unis who are actively involved in that area, there is some big money in that sector and it can be very rewarding and fascinating work. If it has

If you land an interview, prepare yourself for one of the interview panel to play "bad cop" it happens pretty often at UNI interviews.

I've worked in several universities, six in all, and I have never had this experience from either side of the interview table.

The job is in an electrical engineering and IT department, I think, not health informatics.

startingtosave

Thanks again guys, I have to admit I got a little nervous when I read the good cop, bad cop comment, I've heard of this happening but to be honest I can't see what it achieves. Surely one of the main purposes behind an intervew is for both sides to get a sense of each others attitudes and personalities? I would expect to be probed but I wouldn't appreciate those kind of tactics! I'm pretty much a 'what you see is what you get' kind of person and I tend to employ that theory both ways; if I get an interview I reckon I'll be pretty nervous anyway, so hopefully there'll be no games going on to make things worse!

Application in tomorrow, fingers crossed!

Loanranger

startingtosave wrote: »

Thanks again guys, I have to admit I got a little nervous when I read the good cop, bad cop comment, I've heard of this happening but to be honest I can't see what it achieves. Surely one of the main purposes behind an intervew is for both sides to get a sense of each others attitudes and personalities? I would expect to be probed but I wouldn't appreciate those kind of tactics! I'm pretty much a 'what you see is what you get' kind of person and I tend to employ that theory both ways; if I get an interview I reckon I'll be pretty nervous anyway, so hopefully there'll be no games going on to make things worse!

Application in tomorrow, fingers crossed!

Good cop bad cop is very much an urban myth and you are correct. This is in my long experience in universities. If it's so elsewhere, and I have worked elsewhere too, again I have not encountered it. The panel want to bring out the best in candidates and there is no mileage in confrontational tactics nor in making anyone more nervous than they already are.

I think DKLS should name and shame so that you can be confident that you won't be interviewed by one of the universities he alleges do this.

Over to you, DKLS ...

Sambucus_Nigra

Loanranger wrote: »

Good cop bad cop is very much an urban myth and you are correct. This is in my long experience in universities. If it's so elsewhere, and I have worked elsewhere too, again I have not encountered it. The panel want to bring out the best in candidates and there is no mileage in confrontational tactics nor in making anyone more nervous than they already are.

I think DKLS should name and shame so that you can be confident that you won't be interviewed by one of the universities he alleges do this.

Over to you, DKLS ...

I've had good cop bad cop interviews - why should DKLS name and shame? What's to be ashamed of?

startingtosave

I'm sure it does happen, I just don't really undertsand it - perhaps as a section of the interview as part of a clear role play it could be used to guage how an applicant would deal with a difficult cutomer etc. but as far as the whole interview goes it's certainly not something I'd appreciate!!

Hopefully I won't find out!!

Sambucas Nigra, how did you deal with the good cop bad cop situation, were you expecting it?

Sambucus_Nigra

startingtosave wrote: »

I'm sure it does happen, I just don't really undertsand it - perhaps as a section of the interview as part of a clear role play it could be used to guage how an applicant would deal with a difficult cutomer etc. but as far as the whole interview goes it's certainly not something I'd appreciate!!

Hopefully I won't find out!!

Sambucas Nigra, how did you deal with the good cop bad cop situation, were you expecting it?

Absolutely - well, with one got the job and 2 years later I got the 'good cop's' job and went to the 'bad cop's' funeral a couple of years ago.

I wasn't expecting it - but as a female in construction I had been on the ar.$e end of belligerent male customers for many years....so I guess I've handled the bad cop routine a few times....I picked up on what he was saying and just kept turning round what he was saying into a positive and realised quite quickly that they were obviously close and it was more about them than me.

Turns out they were secretly at it....and he would always go against her decision on staff and quite happily tell them 'I didn't want to hire you but she did' which used to make all new staff feel really small and humble.

I've had good cop bad cop meetings with customers; good cop bad cop meetings with internal teams - people like to play off against each other all the time.

All the bad cop wants is to know that you don't get stressed about dealing with annoying people. Usually, they are the annoying person anyway so the cap fits.

Know your stuff, know the who is interviewing you and find out as much about the organisation as possible, even down to the latest news story or award they have got; they want you to have taken an interest in them before they start taking an interest in you.

Don't ever make assumptions, and spell it out to them [don't assume that they will assume what you want them to assume.....be blatant!].

startingtosave

Didn't get an interview...

Thanks for all the help anyway guys!

FBaby

Are you sure the interviews have taken place? When I applied, I did hear from them for many weeks, thought I hadn't been selected, then got a letter on a Wed inviting me for interview on the Friday...

I am surprised you wouldn't have been asked to attend an interview with your experience/qualifications, but maybe it is the very sad reflection of the current economic state...

I'm applying for a job I think I have the right experience/qualifications to do, but I know they will receive 100s of applications (very few requirements, good salary, good location....), so not holding my breath, but if you don't try, you can't get...