Looking for a job? Hoping to get a promotion? 2009 will be particularly difficult for those looking for new positions or improving their current ones. Jobs are scarce and competition is fierce. In order for you to prevail, you must master the art and science of interviewing.
This article will give you both standard and unorthodox techniques to make you shine and become memorable during and after your interview.
The focus of this discussion is on the preparation for, participation in, and follow-up to the actual interview. The focus is not on your resume, which should be prepared in a professional manner and be appropriate for the intended position, never a generic one. You can find help for writing your resume from a number of sources. Please sharpen yours up or else you will never get into the door for the interview!
Preparation
In order to look knowledgeable and truly interested in the organization, you need to do your research. What does this company really do, who are its stakeholders, what is its service or product, who are its competitors, what is its image in its community and beyond, what are its current challenges, where does it see itself in the future? You should study its website, annual report, newspaper and other articles - and contact people who might know.
You also need to find out more about the position you hope to secure. What are the expectations in that position, who has filled it before, what are the challenges, and how will they measure your success?
Once you are armed with this information, you can craft your answers and your "theme" to their needs. Build a file of information and attach papers neatly inside a binder. You might be able to refer to some of this during your interview.
Your visual presentation
First impressions make lasting ones. You should always dress and act for the position you are hoping to acquire. If you are looking for a high-level position, you must look the part. If the Birkenstock look is yours, you'd better be applying for a sales position with Birkenstock, not an executive position with a bank or school district.
This might be real obvious, but tattoos, piercings, and metal sticking out of orifices are taboo. I'm not totally sure what messages these accouterments are sending, but they are totally inappropriate for a high-level job interview. Please don't bother to interview with me if I can see any evidence of your tramp stamp or tongue jewelry. Yuck. Go find a job at a tattoo parlor.
If you are a woman, wear makeup that makes you look professional and attractive. Yes, attractiveness sells. You can protest the unfairness of this if you'd like, but it is a fact. Dress up, wear heels with nylons, and don conservative lines with power colors and creative accents. I like to add an interesting pin to my jacket or lapel, with coordinated earrings, necklace, and one ring. Not too much. No jangling or bracelets or flinging of hair, please. Shoes should look like you actually could walk in them.
For men, decide from your research whether you should wear a suit or if a sports jacket, tie, and jacket will do. When in doubt for everyone, dress up, not down. Men's shoes should be clean and classy and your ties should be interesting and appropriate. If in doubt, go visit the business and get a sense of what the executives are dressing like.
Eye contact and handshakes
Research shows that making direct eye contact with another person increases their perception of your credibility. When you first come into the room and when you answer questions, make sure to have direct eye contact with each interviewer. Hold the eye contact a bit longer than you would do in a regular social encounter, but not so long as to make the other person feel intimidated.
Shaking the hand of your interviewer bridges the physical gap between the two of you and can give the interviewer a sense of your confidence. Your handshake should be firm but not overpowering. Do not turn your hand over on top of the other person's hand, which feels aggressive and controlling. A limp handshake is annoying and appears weak and submissive. Practice giving a handshake with direct eye contact along with a smile as you enter the room and when you leave the interview. Smiles are important. In sales they say that "smiles sell." Let them sell you. Your smile should be natural and should include your whole face, or else it looks forced and creepy.
How to answer questions
There are two kinds of questions: open-ended, which give you an opportunity to expound a bit, and closed-ended, which are generally "yes" or "no" answers. In interviews, there should mostly be open-ended questions and you should be prepared to answer them directly, concisely, and appropriate to the position you are seeking. Making this happen takes practice. Many interviewees either ramble with no direction or theme to their answer - or do the opposite and answer with answers too short to tell their story.
"Your story" should be a theme you project through your interview. The theme describes who you are and why you are the best for this position. It should distinguish you from other applicants and make you memorable, highlighting what is unique about you and your experience. This sounds simple but is rarely done. You should be able to spout this theme in many forms throughout the interview. For example, if you are applying for the position of chief of police, you should be able to explain what makes you the perfect fit, including how your education, experience, and desire make you ideal for the needs of that community at this time. Your theme would sound something like this: "I have been preparing for this position all of my professional life, if not before. I always wanted to be in police work and believe that I have distinguished myself throughout the years with a number of accomplishments and innovations. I am now ready to share my expertise from a higher level - and I am asking you for this job."
Be clear about your accomplishments and show pride in how you have helped bring others along.
Other typical questions
* How have you prepared for this position?
* Tell us about your past positions and why you left them.
* Describe your greatest accomplishments in your past jobs.
* What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
* What were the good and bad features of your last position?
* Why do you think you qualify for this position?
We assume you've done some research on us (or this higher position). What do you think are our biggest challenges right now?
* What part of this position would be most difficult for you - and why?
* The last time you had a disagreement with a staff member/board member, how did you handle it?
* How do you think others would describe you and/or your management style?
* How do you feel about the way your last past company was managed?
* Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
* What else do you want us to know about you?
Questions to never answer
Be very careful in how you answer the starred questions above. They can be tricks, mine fields, or traps. Never, ever give them information they can use against you. When answering questions which ask you to be critical of someone else or especially yourself you must tread very lightly. Any negativity or criticism can make you look bad. You need to be honest but put everything in a positive light.
For example, if in answering why you left your last job, you answer, "Because they were all crooks," you might be telling the truth, but you might also be a troublemaker, someone who thinks he or she is above everyone else, or a bit paranoid, seeing evil all around you. A better response is that you had met most of your goals there and felt it was time for new challenges. Be ready for a follow-up question regarding why you couldn't get those challenges there.
Do not give them any negative information about yourself. You do not need to be that humble, especially if it is what they remember when trying to compare you with other favorable candidates. Don't even say you work too hard or have way high expectations of yourself. You could look like a sycophant or an arrogant cuss. Better to say something like this: One of my weaknesses was my inability to understand Excel worksheets, so, I took a class and discovered how they work and now I'm a real proponent of them. See where I'm going? You used to have a weakness, but you intelligently identified it and did something about it. Good for you.
Tricky questions
Be mindful of interview questions designed to throw you off or get you to reveal something you would prefer you didn't. I have seen some interviews where the applicant is purposely questioned in an antagonistic way in order to gauge his or her reaction to stress and unwelcome surprises. Never let anyone bait you to the point of losing your cool or returning any insults. This might be a ploy. Another more subtle ploy is to keep trying to get you to admit to some problem behaviors on the job or to "admit" that you have accomplished great deeds without the help from colleagues. Always give credit to others for your successes, without being too humble or self-effacing. You should be prepared for some manipulation and remain calm and reasonable.
Questions You Should Ask
Always be prepared to ask a few well-thought out questions of your own:
* Why is this position open now?
* What characteristics do you think the person for this job should have?
* What do you see your company's (or department's) biggest challenges are right now - and into the future?
* What do you think my chances for this position are?
* When will you making your decision?
* How would you like me to follow up with you?
Asking for the job
Just like with any good speech, you should conclude with a final statement which sums up your characteristics and why you are the perfect fit for the job. You should ask for the position and tell them how proud you would be to join their team, do their good works, and that they would be proud to have you working with them. Look them in the eye, smile, and shake their hands to firm up the deal.
The telephone interview
Many organizations use the telephone interview to screen potential applicants and to reduce the number of face-to-face interviews. The challenge is that the interviewers cannot see you. They only have your voice as a connection to you. Stand up, give great energy to your voice, smile, listen carefully to the question, and proceed. Thank them for the interview and make sure to ask them for the next level, the face-to-face interview.
Interviewing with a panel
When interviewing with a panel of people, make sure to make a connection with each person. Have eye contact with each questioner, first with the one who asks the question, then with the rest of the panel members. Shake everyone's hand at the end, have direct eye contact, smile, and thank them individually.
After the interview
Immediately send a thank you note to all the interviewers. Thank them for their time, offer to stay in touch to answer any additional questions, and restate that you believe you are the person for the job. You can fill the note cards out right away and leave them with the receptionist, or you can mail them. This personal card has more impact than an email note, so be ready with classy cards and stamps.
In order to become memorable and to rise to the top of the interview pack, be prepared with your theme, rehearse answering probable questions, and practice asking for the job. Now go forth and get that great new job!
Idora Silver is chief executive officer of the I. Silver Management Group Inc. in Reno. Contact her at 829-0606 or through www.TheSilverGroup.com.
