Interviewing

I recently read an article titled “The eight weirdest interview mistakes” [posted on: www.careerbuilder.com]. The article includes lighthearted occurrences and descriptions, items that as you read you think “I would never do that”, but in the heat and stress of the interview, who knows? It is always good to take a moment to brush up on what to do, and not to do during an interview, whether for a new job, a promotion, or even an employee review. In this time of economic upheaval and budget cuts, it's crucial to bring your “A” game to any important sit-down meeting.

Here are some tips to help make a great and lasting impression:

Before the interview:
* Perform a full dress rehearsal; try on your intended outfit to make sure there are no issues and drive by the scene of the interview so you know exactly where it is and how long it should take you to get there.
* Plan to dress to impress; it’s always better to be over- rather than under- dressed. Unless the interviewer specifically tells you that a suit is not necessary and to please dress accordingly, a suit is required.
* Practice discussing your resume in detail, explaining why you changed jobs or made shifts in positions.
* Think back to each position you have had and come up with a one or two sentence summary of the job, with a specific example for each that can be used to discuss strengths, weaknesses or challenges on the job.
* Practice answering the question "Tell me about yourself". You should have a one minute response which is confined to a broad statement about your career with one or two specific highlights and a closing statement which demonstrates the benefits that you would bring to a potential employer.
* Research the company in detail. Ask around. Look at and study the website and press releases that are posted on it. Come up with questions to ask based on this information such as:
“What do you see from the company in five years?”
“Who do you see as your major competition?”
“What were the major strengths and weaknesses of the last person who held this position?”
* Have a friend play the part of the interviewer and practice answering their questions. Have them ask as many tough questions as possible.

The day of:
* Always arrive early; plan to arrive at least ten minutes prior to the interview, and account for potential traffic and other occurrences that could cause you to be late. Once at the location, take one last look in the restroom mirror and double check your appearance. Better to have an extra few minutes to catch your breath than to appear rushed and out of sorts.
* When you meet your interviewer, use a strong and firm handshake and look them directly in the eye.
* Always bring a clean copy of your resume with you to give to the interviewer
* Take your lead from the interviewer and follow their cues as to what to discuss and how long to discuss each item. When asked specific questions, answer just that question before pausing for their response.
* Don’t ramble; It's easy to keep talking about your past successes and accomplishments, but don’t keep adding to your story. Once you have provided the specific answer, stop talking. The interviewer will ask a follow up question if they require additional information.
* Don’t be afraid to pause to collect your thoughts before answering. Ask for a moment to collect your thoughts, take a deep breath, and remember your dress rehearsal and the specific examples that you thought of.
* Be sure to have a strong response to each question; don’t use a theory or a vague response to answer any question.

Difficult Subjects:
* Compensation; try not to discuss specific compensation amounts during the first interview. If the interviewer brings the subject up, try to respond with something like “I know I have learned a lot today and I feel like this position would be a great fit for me. I feel confident that you will make me a fair offer”.
* Expectation Setting; it is a great idea to discuss the employers’ expectations in order to make sure that you feel confident that you can achieve them. Try inquiring as to what the #1 achievement or goal to be accomplished within the first 30 days? 90 days? 6 months? 1 year?
* Closing the Interview; ask a solid closing question such as “Is there anything you can see that would prevent me from further consideration?” You can tell a tremendous amount from the response.

For additional details and tips please check out the “Candidate Services” section of our website. I also would recommend reading "What Does Somebody Have To Do To Get A Job Around Here? 44 Insider Secrets That Will Get You Hired" by Cynthia Shapiro, MBA, ELC, PHR. It is one of my favorite books on the subject.

I hope you are enjoying the new site and I look forward to hearing from you. Good luck!

David Lammert
Pinnacle Placements