The Interview
First off:
Smile! A smile lets others know that you are approachable and friendly. A gentle smile not only makes you more relaxed but also the other person as well.
Step 2
Enthusiasm. Be a little excited and interested in the job. Take advise from an interviewer it is very likely that if a person does not show a little enthusiasm will be passed over regardless of an impressive resume.
Step 3
Be inquisitive about the job. Ask questions about the position, company or even about the person interviewing you. For example, ask the interviewer what they like best about the company? What is their background? Which direction do they see the company going? When you are interested in a person or company most of the time you will find they will be interested in you and remember you.
Step 4
Appearance. Always be neat in appearance and posture. Regardless of the position a suit or well pressed business casual can carry you a long way in getting you noticed. Especially, if everyone else shows up in blue jeans. Be aware of your posture. People who stand or sit upright with shoulders back are perceived as being confident. Refrain from wearing heavy perfumes as some people may be allergic or not like the same sents as you. Be careful of jewelry. Today’s fashions encourage bigger bling and over excessorizing but in an interview go small. You want the interviewer focused on you, not your jewelry. There are still company’s out there that have dress codes. Lady’s if you wear a skirt, pantyhose are a must, along with closed toes shoes, heels 3 inch max, no backless shoes. To look professional the edicate on skirts is knee length or no more than 1 inch above the knee anything less can leave a negative impression. Guys, polish those dress shoes. I once heard a story where an executive could tell a lot about a person by the condition of his shoes. Take no chances. Lastly, please do not chew gum or chew mints while interviewing it is distracting. If you are worried about fresh breath use a spray or chew a mint before you enter the interviewers office.
Step 5
Write legibly. If you are asked to fill out paperwork please write where people can read what you wrote. Print if you have to. If a company gets information that they cannot read they may be inclined to dismiss it and go on to the next candidate.
Step 6
Manners. Please and thank you go a long way any where you go. Showing manners indicates you are a polite person and would be a polite person to work with. Be polite to everyone you greet in the company even if it is the man opening a door for you. Especially, be polite to administrative staff they are key to getting you reconnected to your interviewer if necessary. Remember to thank the interviewer for their time. As well as, remember the person’s name and include it. “Thank you, Mr. Smith for taking the time to see me today, I greatly appreciate it.”
Secrets to Developing Amazing Job Interview Strengths
Of all the attributes that get you hired for a job, your job interview strengths are some of the few that you can directly improve in a short time frame. Your experience, your training, your qualifications, your characteristics are all pretty much set by the time that you go to your interview. However, the way that you effectively and convincingly package all these things together for the interviewer is something that you can get a lot better at in a hurry. Doing so, however, requires that you do quite a bit of work. The process requires that you do a minimum of four steps; research the position, predict the questions, develop the answers, practice the answers. Of these four, the research is the most important. Your ability to perform well in the interview depends largely on the information you put together up front.
Your job
interview strengths are going to come from your detailed knowledge of what the company is looking for in the job interview. That knowledge, in turn, is going to come from your research of the target job and company. Some of that research will be of published material, other information will come from people in your network. All of it will be focused on what the job does, what results the job is expected to produce, what environment the employee produces these results in, and what characteristics the target organization prizes most in employees. Putting all this information together gives you a clear picture of the ideal employee. Once you have that picture, you are able to create both a list of predicted questions and a target for what impression your answers should create.
More Job Interview Strengths Strategy
Your job interview strengths will come from your ability to turn your existing experience, qualifications and attributes into proof that you match the ideal profile of the job. This won’t be achievable simply by stating that you possess the necessary experience and attributes though. Rather, you should prove your fitness by a series of stories, narratives, anecdotes and examples of how you have exhibited those characteristics and achieved the desired results in your job and personal history. For this reason, a great deal of the preparation that you will undertake will be creating a stash of stories and anecdotes which convincingly answer the potential questions which you have predicted based on your research.
The last step of developing your job interview strengths is to practice these answers until they seem natural. Get together with a friend or job search partner and work on these questions during a mock interview. If possible, videotape or tape-record this interview session and evaluate your responses later. The ability to take questions and turn them into chances to showcase your fitness for the position is the job interview strength that this process will make unbeatable.
Like every other human endeavor, the act of interviewing for a job has job interview guidelines that will result in a more successful job interview
process than just trying to “play it by ear.” These guidelines have been developed over the decades that candidates have gone into interviewer’s offices and attempted to sell themselves for specific jobs. As a general rule, the guideline to all guidelines is that the candidate should be what the interviewer is looking for. Though that may seem self-explanatory, you would be surprised how many interview candidates either do not know this guideline, do not accept it or do not do all the things that it suggests are necessary follow it.
For instance if the job interview guideline is to be what the candidate is looking for, then the first step of every job interview preparation should be to learn what the interviewer is looking for. How many job searchers truly follow this guideline? Sure, some may look over the job description, may research the company and my talk about the position with people who they believe have some good inside information, but how many truly make it their business to learn what the target job does on a daily basis, what results the target job should produce for the company, and what characteristics the interviewer is looking for? Very few. The second piece of the guideline is equally ignored by many job seekers.
More Amazing Job Interview Guidelines
If the number one job interview guideline is to portray yourself as what the interviewer is looking for and the first step is to find out what that is, then the second step is to formulate a way to portray yourself as that. What that requires is a conscious and strategic method for taking the preferences of the job and matching them with a convincing argument that you meet those preferences. An effective way to do this is to compile some stories, examples and narratives that support your candidacy and to have them prepared and in your mind ready to tell when the element or attribute comes up in the job interview.
The last piece of the job interview guideline is to become extremely practiced and proficient in telling your story to the interviewer. When the question is asked in the interview, you can’t spend time and energy putting your answer together in your head right then. That shows the interviewer that you are actively trying to portray yourself as something, and that you possibly are not that something at all. All your developed and effective answers need to come naturally and organically from you in the interview itself. The only way to make that happen is to become completely comfortable and at ease through practice and review. Get together with a friend or job search partner and conduct a mock interview or two until answering questions with strategically developed stories comes naturally to you. If you have access to a video camera, record it for evaluation afterwards.
The best job-hunters understand the power of marketing in the job-search, and comparing the job interview to a sales call is vital to achieving greater success — in obtaining the job offers you seek. But the burden is not all on the job-seeker, because the employer also sees the job interview as a sales call — and just as much as you are selling yourself as the product to be purchased by the employer, the hiring manager is also selling the employer’s value to you.
And anyone who knows even just a little about sales knows that the key to success is in overcoming objections and then closing the sale. This article shows you how you can do the same in the job interview — and how using this technique will take you one step closer to the job offer.
Overcoming Objections
In sales, it’s a proven theory that if you can overcome all your prospect’s objections, s/he will have no choice but to agree to your offer. And while you are not doing the exact same thing for the same reasons, the logic holds that if you can overcome all the objections of the hiring manager, then you’ll be more likely to move on to the next step in the process.
Overcoming objectives can be done in a number of different ways, but the keys are to acknowledge the interviewer’s objection, understand the true cause of the objection, and respond with enough information to defuse the objection. It’s best to anticipate these potential objections before the job interview so that you’ll be able to practice your responses.
What do you do if no objections are raised? It might not mean that there are none, so it’s best to probe to uncover any — again, because it’s much better to get them out in the open and address them than to let them sit, clouding your future. As the interview winds down, if no objections have been raised, you should consider asking a question such as, “Do you see any concerns that stand in the way of my succeeding in this position?”
Some Common Objections from Employers
Here’s a collection of some of the more common objections raised in job interviews.
“I’m concerned you have too much experience for this position.”
This comment is the most loaded of objections because it can mean one of several things — and it is your job to discover which one it is. The good news is that if you are in the interview, there is something about your qualifications that make you an attractive candidate. Most often, this comment is concealing a concern about your age, attitude, or motivation. Obviously, the interviewer cannot ask your age, but someone with a lot of experience is often older, and the employer may have some concerns about fit, especially if the rest of the department is younger. Older workers also sometimes put out a vibe that because of their vast experience they know it all — and are seen as having an attitude problem. Finally, if you have years in the same type of position, some interviewers will question your drive and motivation to move ahead (incorrectly assuming that everyone wants to do so). [Read more in this article: Fighting the Overqualified Label: 10 Tactics for a Successful Job-Search.]
“I’m not sure we can pay you the salary you are seeking.”
Related to the over-experience comment is the salary one. Employers are always concerned about salary — and hiring employees
that best fit their budgets — so there may be interest in you, but the nagging question is whether they can afford you. In this case, it’s important to defuse the objection without giving away too much information so that you still have leverage if you do get the job offer. [Learn more in our Salary Negotiation Tutorial.]
“I’m just not sure you have the experience for this position.”
On the other side of the spectrum is a job-seeker who shows potential — and thus gets the interview — but with whom the employer has some lingering doubts. Perhaps it is not quite enough years of experience, or perhaps the experience is in a different field. The job-seeker’s goal is to show exactly how — regardless of the time spent or where it was spent — that you have the skills to get the job done. One great tool for this objection is a career portfolio, in which you not only can tell the story of how you are qualified — but show it as well through examples in your portfolio. [Read more tips in this article: Underqualified? Ten Tips to Inspire Employers to Take a Leap of Faith.]
“I’m not sure you would fit into the team.”
So many jobs require workers to participate in one or more teams that it seems inconceivable that a job-seeker would not have experience working in teams, but if for some reason you do not have much experience in teamwork, you must demonstrate that you understand the importance of teams in the workplace and how you can be a team player. Demonstrating your knowledge of the organizational culture will also be a plus in this situation.
“I’m concerned about the number of jobs you’ve held in such a short period of time.”
If you have had an unusual number of jobs in the last few years, some interviewers will raise the job-hopper question, so you need to be able to explain the logic of your job history. It’s important to note that even though employers are not as loyal to their employees as in the past, they still expect employees to be loyal to them.
“We really like you but are just not sure where you fit.”
The good news about this objection is that you have won half the battle because the employer likes you and wants to hire you, but is simply unsure of how to best utilize your skills. The key to your response has to be having the confidence in yourself and the knowledge about the employer to explain clearly why you are a fit for the position you are interviewing for.
“Were you fired from your last job?”
Unless the employer has inside information about you — or you are currently unemployed while job-hunting — this should not be a common objection. However, if you have been downsized or fired from your last job, you should at least anticipate this objection. It’s pretty common to be defensive about the subject since no one likes being fired — even if you were let go simply because your job was eliminated — so you need to put that behind you when responding to this objection. [Learn more in this article: Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth.]
Closing the Sale
Once you have made your salient points about how you are the perfect candidate for the position and overcome any objections from the interviewer, your final step is closing the sale. How aggressive you are in this step is sometimes the difference between an offer and nothing, but it is up to you to decide how strongly you want to close the interview. At a minimum, you should ask about the next step in the process, how many other candidates there are, and an estimate of the timetable for completing the process — what some marketers might call the trial close, where you are feeling out the interviewer. However, if you truly feel the interview was a good one, that you are a great fit for the position, and that you have overcome all the interviewer’s objections, you should ask for the job. Best case, you’ll get the offer; worst case, you’ll be told you need to wait. [Find more tips for closing the sale in this article: Closing the Interview.]
Final Thoughts
In attempting to overcome these objections remember to not dwell on the objection, but instead, once you are sure you understand it, turn it around to overcome it. If you do have a weakness that the interviewer has uncovered, find a way to turn it into a strength. For example, if you have been fired from your last job, find a way to showcase how the experience has given you new insight into making sure your boss knows the contributions you are making.
And for those of you who do not have experience in sales, one piece of warning. While it is helpful to think of the interview as a sales call, do be careful not to overdo it — to not oversell yourself to the point where you actually turn the interviewer off about your candidacy. You need to walk the line between being too modest about your accomplishments and fit with the organization and talking too much about yourself.
Finally, always remember that the interview really is a conversation between two parties who are both trying to showcase their best points. Your goal is to leave the interview knowing you did your best to sell your unique mix of skills and accomplishments while overcoming any objections raised by the interviewer.
It’s gratifying to be called for a second or subsequent interview because you are another step closer to the job. Don’t blow it now! Read our second-interview do’s and don’ts.
* Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview — or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it takes to get there.
* Do pat yourself on the back for being called for a second interview. While some career experts say your chances are 1 in 4 to get the job at this point, others say you have as much as a 50 percent chance. Even with the field narrowing, it’s important to distinguish yourself and ensure that you stand out above your competition.
* Do remember these three words: More, More, More. Compared to the first interview, a second interview will likely involve more preparation, more people, more questions, more intensity, and more pressure — in addition to more likelihood that you will land the job.
* Don’t neglect to review your performance from your first interview. Note any questions or situations that caused you difficulty and plan how you will handle those aspects better in the second interview. Derive confidence from knowing that if you hadn’t performed well in the first interview, you wouldn’t have landed the second. Think about what made you shine in the first interview, and plan to do more of the same. Further, brainstorm new information you can bring into the second interview — new accomplishments, new examples, new evidence of how much you know about the employer.
* Do prepare — even more than you did for the first interview. Presumably you researched the company before the first interview. Now it’s time to delve even deeper into that research using our Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries. Some experts suggest that talking with company insiders is one of the most productive ways to prepare for a second interview. Before your second interview, consider conducting informational interviews with company folks who aren’t the ones who’ll be interviewing you. Consult our Informational Interviewing Tutorial to learn more. If you are a college student, particularly seek out alumni from your school or sorority/fraternity who work for the employer. Also be sure you’re up to date on developments in your field or industry by reviewing trade publications.
* Don’t be surprised if the second interview is actually a series of interviews — in both individual and group/panel formats — making for a long day. You may interview with managers, senior executives, department heads, and prospective team members. You may also get a tour of the workplace and be taken out to eat. For college students, this second-interview day may represent the first time the student has been interviewed in the employer’s workplace. Plan to bring ample copies of your resume for all the people you may be meeting with. Read more in our article, Mastering the On-Site Interview: A Guide to Company Visits.
* Do try to find out in advance exactly what the agenda will be and whom you can expect to interview with. If you aren’t given this information when the interview is set up, contact the assistant of the main person with whom you’ll be meeting to see what you can find out. If you see that a workplace tour is not included on the agenda, ask if someone can show you around as time permits.
* Don’t forget the cardinal rule of panel interviews: As you respond to a question, maintain eye contact with everyone on the panel — not just the panelist who asked the question.
* Do be up on business dining etiquette if you are asked to dine with representatives of the prospective employer. Check out our Job-Hunting & Business Etiquette Resources.
* Do get a good night’s sleep the night before this potentially grueling day. Also look for opportunities to refresh yourself during the interview day. If there’s a break in the action, splash some water on your face or take a brisk walk to rejuvenate. You might want to take along a pocket- or purse-sized snack in case there is no lunch break. Breath spray or a mini-bottle of mouthwash is also not a bad idea. Be careful not to run out of steam toward the end of the day. Maintain your energy, confidence, and enthusiasm.
* Do be aware that you might be asked to complete psychometric tests dealing with such things as skills, intelligence, and personality. There’s not a lot you can do to prepare for them — but that good night’s sleep will help.
* Don’t slack off with your interview attire. A second interview generally doesn’t denote a more casual interview. The former Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) had a protocol for the three on-campus interviews it conducted with college students that called for skirted suits for women for the first two interviews. Female candidates were permitted to wear pantsuits to the third interview. Check with company insiders to see what attire is expected for each interview.
* Do remember these three more words: Fit, Fit, and Fit. A major reason for the second interview is so the employer can see how well you fit in with the company culture. Put yourself inside the employer’s head and realize that the interviewers at your second interview want to learn how well you will get along with other team members with whom you’ll be interacting with every day. Deploy your very best interpersonal communication skills. Keep in mind the idea of showing your fit — but remember that it’s OK not to fit. If you aren’t a good fit with the employer, you probably wouldn’t be happy working there anyway. And remember, that this interview is also your opportunity
to determine whether the company is a good fit for you. Think about whether you would accept if the employer extended an offer. Read more about fit with company culture in our article, Uncovering a Company’s Corporate Culture is a Critical Task for Job-Seekers.
* Don’t neglect to talk to other people beyond those you are interviewing with. Chatting up — not too excessively — the receptionist and prospective co-workers serves the dual purpose of giving you a better feel for how much you’d like to be part of this workplace culture, as well as making a positive impression on as many people as possible.
* Do expect to be asked some of the same questions you were asked in the first interview, but some new ones as well. Second-interview questions may delve more into your personality, or they may be more targeted toward specific technical skills — or both. Plan to keep your responses fresh yet consistent for each person you meet with during the second-interview, and don’t worry about repeating yourself since you will likely have a different audience every time you give roughly the same response. If you’ve followed the advice above to obtain the full list of interviewers, a good way to keep your answers fresh is to try to find out something about each interviewer and tailor your response specifically to that person. You can also vary your delivery to freshen your responses. Interviewing expert Carole Martin suggests that a good way for the interviewer to get to know about your personality is through the quotes of others; for example, tell the interviewer what your boss would say about you if asked.
* Do expect behavioral questions, which are commonly asked in second interviews, even if they haven’t been in asked in the first interview. See our article, Behavioral Interviewing Strategies. Watch out also for off-the-wall questions. Prepare for those with our article, Don’t Get Stumped by Off-the-Wall Job Interview Questions. The second interview is also a likely venue for case questions, especially in consulting firms. See our article, Mastering the Case Interview for how to handle this genre.
* Do listen for clues that get at the heart of what the employer seeks in the person hired for this position and key into the needs, concerns, issues, and problems that you would be expected to handle.
* Do prepare for as many kinds of questions as possible. You’ve already interviewed with this employer, but it wouldn’t hurt to do a mock interview with a friend, family member, or career counselor/coach to prepare for the second interview. You may also want to prep with our Practice Interviews.
* Don’t be shocked if some of the people you meet with aren’t very competent interviewers. While managers trained in interviewing often conduct first interviewers, the array of people who might talk with you during the second-interview experience may include people lacking skills and training in how to conduct an interview.
* Do be prepared with lots of questions to ask. You will likely have more opportunity to ask questions in the second interview and will be expected to make more sophisticated inquiries than you did in the first interview. Although these questions are designed for informational interviews, many of them also work in a second-interview situation in which you are attempting to make a personal connection.
* Do get a feel for what second interviews are like. The University of Kent in the UK offers write-ups that describe second and subsequent interviews at numerous major, international companies.
* Don’t be caught off guard if an interviewer raises the subject of salary and benefits. Be prepared to negotiate. Arm yourself by visiting our Salary Negotiation and Job Offer Tools and Resources, especially our Salary Negotiation and Job Offer Tutorial. You may also be asked about your willingness to travel and relocate, so be ready with your responses.
* Don’t necessarily give an answer immediately if the employer makes an offer. Ask for a few days to think about it.
* Do ask about the next step in the process if you don’t receive an offer. How soon will a decision be made, and how will they let you know?
* Do try to collect the business card of everyone you meet with. Keep a small notepad handy to write down names in case there’s someone from whom you can’t get a card.
* Don’t forget the send a thank-you note or e-mail to everyone you meet with. That’s right — every single person. Aren’t you glad you collected those business cards? You can write the same basic message to all, but vary it a bit in case they compare notes.
* Do realize that you have some degree of control if the interview process drags on. A job-seeker who had gone on six interviews with one employer and still had not heard a decision recently sought advice from Ask the Headhunter columnist Nick Corcodilos. Corcodilos’s first-choice response was to simply ignore the indecisive company and pursue other opportunities. But he also noted that the job-seeker could offer a polite ultimatum: “I appreciate that you have internal reasons for this taking so long. However, I need to make decisions about some other commitments I’m facing. I’d like to set a deadline for us both, say, two weeks? If your team can’t make a decision by that point, I need to withdraw my candidacy for the job and move on. I want you to know how much I’ve looked forward to working with you. I know I can do this job profitably for you, and I want to join your team.”
The interviewer asks you, “Do you have any questions for me?”
You say … “Yes!”
This is the easiest interview question out there. Always say yes.
Asking questions shows that you’re interested in the job. It also gives you a chance to show how knowledgeable you are about the position and the industry. Most important, it lets you highlight why you’re the perfect candidate.
You have to choose your questions carefully, though, depending on who’s doing the interviewing. An excellent question for a recruiter might be inappropriate for an executive. And you don’t want to ask your potential boss something that’s best suited for a future coworker.
Also, there are certain questions you should never ask early in the interview process — no matter whom you’re meeting. Don’t ask about salary, vacation, 401(k) or anything else that might make you seem more interested in the compensation than the company.
This article shares questions appropriate for every type of interviewer.
The Recruiter: The ‘Big Picture’ Person
It’s the recruiter’s job to identify strong candidates and guide them through the hiring process. Think of the recruiter as the “big picture” person. They can give you an overview of the company and the department as a whole. (Save very specific questions about the job for the hiring manager.) The recruiter is also the best person to answer questions about the hiring process.
Some questions to ask the recruiter:
* How would you describe the company culture?
* What type of employees tend to excel at this company?
* Can you tell me more about the interview process?
The Hiring Manager: Your Future Boss
The hiring manager will likely supervise you if you get the job. They’re the most knowledgeable people about the position and its requirements. You should direct specific questions about the job, its responsibilities and its challenges to them. You may also want to ask what kind of candidate they’re seeking.
Some questions to ask the hiring manager:
* What are the most important skills for the job?
* How would you describe your ideal candidate?
* What’s a common career path at the company for someone in this role?
The Executive: The Industry Expert
Senior managers and executives are likely to be most knowledgeable about the latest happenings in their industry. If you’ll be working closely with an executive, you can ask them some specifics about the job. But you should focus most of your questions on the future of the company and the industry. This is your chance to show off your industry knowledge!
Some questions to ask a senior manager or executive:
* How do you think this industry will change in the next five years?
* What do you think gives this company an edge over its competitors?
* What’s the company’s biggest challenge? How is it planning to meet that challenge?
The Coworker: The Straight-Talker
Some interviews will also include a meeting with a potential coworker — the interviewer most likely to “tell it how it is.” A potential colleague may be most candid about the job, its challenges and the work environment. However, don’t expect inside information — and certainly don’t ask for it.
Some questions to ask a potential coworker:
* What’s a typical day like in the department?
* How would you describe the work environment at the company?
* What’s the most enjoyable part of your job? What’s the most challenging part?
The job interview is your proving ground, the place where you must demonstrate why you are the best person for the job. Making that powerful statement that you’re the best of all the candidates requires the three Ps: Preparation, Presentation and Perception.
PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE
When you walk into an interview, the more prepared you are, the better the chances are that you’ll succeed. Memorize everything you put on your resume and cover letter and be prepared to explain each item. But you should also be ready to talk about more than just yourself. Get to know your future employer.
Warren Davis, the Director of Recruiting and Employment for RadioShack, emphasizes this point. “Your resume and application are fair game. Candidates should study themselves and the company with whom they’re interviewing.”
Read industry trade magazines, visit the company web site, and do a company search on Yahoo! Finance to find current news about your prospective employer. Be prepared to demonstrate what you know about the company and the industry.
Michele Stagg, the Director of Human Resources at Banana Republic, says she is consistently impressed when candidates work their skills into the context of company news. “The more an informed candidate can tie past experience to the requirements of the job they are interviewing for, particularly in terms of what the company is doing, the better.”
Another important part of preparation is making sure you look the part. Choosing what you wear is so important that it deserves its own article – Interview in Style.
PRESENTATION IS PARAMOUNT
Keep in mind that you are marketing yourself to everyone you meet. The more people you leave with a good impression, the better your chances are of being remembered. Project yourself as someone who is thoughtful, helpful, and prepared.
Effective presentation includes being in the right place, at the right time. If you’re late for the interview, you could inadvertently tell your interviewer that you’re not right for the job.
With 35 years of experience in HR, Peter Ackerson, Specialist Leader at Deloitte Consulting, has been directly involved in hiring hundreds of candidates. When it comes to job interviews, he’s seen it all. “There’s nothing worse than getting a call from someone who is hung up in traffic or went to the wrong office,” he explains.
Once you arrive, introduce yourself to the receptionist and turn off that cell phone. “Having a phone go off during an interview is a real turn off,” says Ackerson.
According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, more than half of our communication is nonverbal or body language. Stagg agrees. “Body language is exceptionally important. Positive, upright and open body language shows self confidence and interest.” During introductions give a firm handshake and then take a seat facing the interviewer.
When you go over your resume focus on your accomplishments instead of reiterating job descriptions. Presenting yourself as an active problem solver will show an employer that you can contribute and succeed in the role. Stagg agrees that this technique can make a fantastic impact. “Give very specific examples of your qualifications. If you have qualifications in financial analysis, give examples of projects you worked on where your analysis was necessary. Describe your experiences that tie in to your skills or qualifications. Even better, tell me how those will help you meet the requirements of the role you might fill in our company.”
PERCEPTION IS KEY
The best way to know if your interviewer is getting what he needs is to ask questions. Susan Vobejda, the VP of Marketing at HotJobs elaborates, “When your interviewer asks you a complicated question, don’t launch into your answer straightaway. Make certain you understand what is being asked.” A clarifying question, or restating the question in your own words saves you from wasting your interviewer’s time, and demonstrates that your are a careful listener. Asking the right questions can also demonstrate your ability to think strategically, and help you decide if the position is right for you. To that end, Stagg suggests ending the interview with this question: “What are you looking for in a candidate to fill this role?” If the answer turns out to be something that doesn’t match your expectations, then you need to speak up.
Many candidates are so intimidated by the interview, they forget that the interviewer has a stake in seeing the candidate succeed. Peter Ackerson describes his attitude going into an interview as one of “hopeful skepticism.” They don’t want you to fail; they want you to show them why you will succeed with their company. The sooner they hire you, the sooner the search can end.
There are few things that make a person more nervous than a job interview. It feels as though your entire life is on display. Somehow you feel the need to prove that everything you have ever accomplished was done so for the express purpose of getting this ONE job.
While the interview will always evoke some amount of stress and trepidation, there are things you can do to make the process easier and a more positive outcome likely.
One of the most important things you can do is be prepared for the job interview. That doesn’t just mean you need to carry an extra copy or two of your resume with you, it means that you have to:
1. Research the company to have a true understanding of the products and/or services offered as well as to be able to converse knowledgeably about the company during the employment interview.
2. Know your answers to the most likely interview questions well enough to say them to yourself in a mirror without reading them or using cue cards.
3. Plan your route to the employment interview including alternate routes should traffic be a problem. Expect to get to the interview location 10-15 minutes early (or earlier if you need more time), but do not go into the building until approximately 5 minutes prior to the start of the interview.
4. Determine what to wear and have it ready and waiting the night before the big day. If necessary, shine your shoes. Do whatever it takes to ensure you look professional and it will help you feel professional, too.
5. Make sure every aspect of grooming is meticulously managed. (i.e. nails trimmed short, hair kept in a stylish cut, freshly showered and so on)
The job interview, while un-nerving, is a necessary part of virtually every career. If taken seriously and well planned for, it can be successfully accomplished with minimal stress.
You can do this!