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Interviewing Tips |
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| The process has begun... Your
interview is confirmed... Your
adrenalin is flowing... This is the
moment you've been waiting for! |
| Stop and
think before you rush off to
that interview! There
are a few things you
need to do:
before, during and after
your interview. |
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Before the interview |
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#1. Do
Your Homework! |
Research the Company
Make sure that you research the
company thoroughly before going to
the interview. Find out all you can
about the company's history,
financial status, accomplishments
and business focus. This information
should be available on the company's
web site. If for some reason they
don't have a web site, ask for a
brochure or annual report. Ask
business associates that currently
work or previously worked there
about the company culture,
management style and working
environment. It's also helpful to
take a look at the company's
president's background. |
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Remember: Everything trickles down
from the top! Is this the type of
company you really want to work for?
If you are 98% certain that you
don't want to work there, don't
waste your time and other’s time by
showing up and taking a half hearted
interviewing approach. You will not
make a good impression and you might
even burn a bridge in the process. |
Know
Thyself!
What do you need in order to
succeed? What type of
company environment best
suits you? What type of boss
do you work best for? Do you
work best as part of a team
or alone and behind the
scenes? Do you thrive on
chaos and tight deadlines or
do you work best on long
term projects? Think back to
positive and negative
experiences in your own
career history. Where were
you the happiest and most
productive and why? Life is
too short not to be happy in
your job! Once you analyze
and understand your own past
employment experiences, you
can then identify what your
needs are and apply that to
your job search criteria.
Remember, it's a Two-Way
Street! |
It's a two-way
street! |
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Get
a Job Description!
Try your best to get a job
description that outlines the
responsibilities and expectations
required for the position. Find out
why the position is open; did
someone leave, is it a newly created
position due to company growth, or
was someone terminated and why? If
this information isn't available,
don't forget to ask in the
interview. |
Find out where the Company is
Located!
The last thing you want to have
happen is to take off for the
interview only to discover it's on
the other side of the moon or
thereabouts! You realize it's an
impossible commute and no matter how
great the job is, you can't manage
the drive! PLEASE save yourself some
time and frustration by finding the
company location on a map. Drive
there and see what the drive is like
from your home. If you can't handle
it, don't even think about it! If
telecommuting is an option, then go
for it! |
Who is the Primary Interviewer!
Get the name correct (spelling and
pronunciation) and title of the
interviewer. Is this person the
hiring manager? If the person
conducting the initial interview
isn't the hiring manager, what is
their position and why are they
conducting the interview? Many times
a human resource person will conduct
the initial interview and then make
recommendations to the hiring
manager on whether to go forward
with a candidate or not. There are
the occasional group interviews that
involve several employees, usually
the manager plus a few team members.
Try to get a list of the team
member's names so you can send thank
you notes following your interview. |
Prepare
a List of Questions
Even though you may have a job
description, ask the interviewer
about what the job entails. You may
be surprised to learn that the job
description you have is not what the
interviewer presents! Don't let this
throw you, switch gears and move on.
Find out why the position is open.
If someone was terminated, ask why.
Hopefully this will open up a
dialogue regarding some of the
pitfalls and how they can be avoided
in the future. Be prepared to give
your own personal examples of
problems you've encountered and how
you've solved them. |
Appropriate
Interview Attire
A good rule of thumb is to overdress
rather than dress too casually. It’s
a good idea to ask what the
appropriate interviewing attire is
before the interview, so you can
plan accordingly. Good grooming can
not be emphasized enough. Make sure
your hair is cut and styled, your
nails are clean and manicured, and
your teeth are clean and breath is
fresh – No garlic before an
interview – unless you want to scare
off the werewolves! Make sure your
shoes are shined and in good
condition. If you have a significant
other, please have them do a once
over, checking for loose threads or
other noticeable problems with your
clothing and appearance. |
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Ladies Attire: Navy or Black
conservative suit or pants
suit, with matching blouse.
Avoid wearing spike heels,
overpowering perfume, loud
nail polish and no low cut
or revealing clothing! Keep
it conservative and keep it
simple. |
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Gentlemen's Attire: Navy, Black Or Gray Pin
Striped Suit With White Or
Light Colored Button Down
Shirt. Tie: Conservative,
Solid, Nothing Too Loud or
Outrageous! Shoes: Lace Up
or Slip-On Black Or Brown.
MAKE SURE THEY ARE POLISHED!
If the company has a
Business Casual dress code,
dress accordingly. |
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DURING THE INTERVIEW |
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This can be tricky!
Your nervous, your hands are
sweating, your knuckles are popping.
RELAX! Remember, it's a 2 way
street! Upon meeting the interviewer
for the first time, offer a firm
handshake and look them in the eye.
A firm handshake and direct eye
contact signal you have self
confidence and are sincerely
interested in the opportunity. |
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Focus on listening to the questions
carefully and attentively. Think
before you speak, but don't sit
there forever with long silences in
between dialogue. Do not ramble and
lose focus. Stay on subject relating
to questions asked by the
interviewer. Speak clearly and
intelligently! Maintain direct eye
contact with the interviewer. Smile
occasionally and above all, be
enthusiastic! |
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Pay attention to the
interviewer's body language. Are
they interested and attentive or are
they asleep in their chair? Do they
maintain eye contact with you or do
they look down during the interview?
Are they preoccupied and distracted,
answering phone calls and leaving
the room during the interview? Do
they do all the talking? Do they
give a positive or negative view of
the company? Do they bash the
competition? Do they ask intelligent
questions? Do they respond favorably
to your questions? Are they eager to
share information with you? Do you
want to work for this person? If
you're tuned into the interviewer's
style and approach, you can probably
size up the situation and decide
whether or not it's a good fit for
you. |
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AFTER THE INTERVIEW |
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Be sure you follow
up with the interviewer, thanking
them for their time, interest and
consideration. This can be
accomplished in a short hand written
note or in an email, as this has
recently become a more acceptable
way of communicating. If you are
being represented by a recruiter,
please call them immediately
following your interview. Your
feedback is very important to your
recruiter. Knowing your impressions
of the company and interest level in
the position is critical information
that needs to be shared with the
recruiter who is representing you. |
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The Do’s and Don’ts of
Interviewing |
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Don’t |
Talk negatively about your
current or past employers |
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Don’t |
Get off subject or give
rambling answers |
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Don’t |
Take control of the
interview |
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Don’t |
Interrupt the interviewers
when they are talking |
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Don’t |
Keep looking at your watch! |
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Do
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Be positive, enthusiastic,
smile and make good eye
contact |
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Do
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Give examples of your
specific accomplishments |
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Do
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Listen Intently and Respond
Intelligently |
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Do
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Stay focused and answer
questions directly |
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Do
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Give examples of your
accomplishments and problem
solving skills |
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Do |
Recommended reading:
The Wall Street Journal,
National Business Employment
Weekly – Interviewing,
Second Edition |
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