Interviewing

For some job seekers, the job interview can be very intimidating.  It doesn't have to be.  The key to a GREAT interview is simply .... prepare, prepare, prepare.  The interview is your chance to show your stuff.

So let's say you’ve just been scheduled for an interview. You’re one step closer to getting the job you want. Now’s the time to put it all together, and make sure you’re ready to impress. Here are some things you’ll need to make sure you do before your big interview.

Research the company.

Few things impress an interviewer more than an interviewee who knows about their company. Not only do you stand out from the job-hunting crowd, but you’re demonstrating you’re a hard worker, motivated, and proactive. So research the company before your interview by visiting their web site, looking through their annual reports, and reading their press releases.

Answer key questions with confidence.

Check out the list of commonly asked interview questions. Practice some well thought-out responses. Write them out if it’ll help you remember the key points you want to get across for each, but don’t memorize them. You want to appear natural and confident at the interview. During the interview, don’t be afraid to share your own relevant ideas or insights. After all, the best interviews are two-way conversations between you and the interviewer.

Ask good questions.

Show off your knowledge of their company by asking two or three strategic questions related to them. Not only will this prove you’ve done your homework, but you’ll demonstrate you’re an intelligent, analytic thinker.

Sell your strengths.

You don’t want to be cocky, but you definitely want to sell your strengths. Make sure to identify your five or six best attributes and skills, and be ready to talk about them with specific examples. Did you save a company money? Did you increase its revenue? Did you train a co-worker? Now’s your chance to talk about it, and discuss how it makes you a stronger candidate for this position. Remember, it’s all about fitting your strengths to their requirements.

Offer brief, focused responses.

It’s just as important to be concise and to-the-point as it is to be well prepared. Because if you keep going and going and going, you’re going to lose the interviewer—and maybe the job. Demonstrate your communication skills by keeping your responses focused, thorough, and specific. And remember to maintain eye contact with your interviewer and be enthusiastic.

Dress appropriately.

Business attire is always the safest choice. Even if the company’s workplace is casual, don’t show up in jeans and t-shirt.

Arrive early.

The last thing you want to do is get to your big interview late. Make sure to get there at least 15 minutes early to find parking and find your way around the building. You might even want to give yourself more time if you’ve never actually been to the building. Give yourself a few minutes as well to just relax.

Be friendly and enthusiastic.

Smile and say hello to everyone you meet, including the receptionists. It never hurts to make a positive impression on everyone you meet—especially if some of them might have an influence on the hiring decision.

Keep a positive perspective.

Forget any troubles you might have had with a past employer or co-worker. This isn’t the time to start venting about how they made your life hell. You want to keep things positive. After all, you’re trying to show the interviewer you’re a team player who always knows how to stay above the fray.

State your interest.

The end of the interview is the right time to let your interviewer know you’re interested in the position. You can ask what the next steps in the process will be, or get right to the point by asking, "Do my qualifications match the needs of your company?" Let them know you’re serious about your interest in their company.

Don’t forget the thank-you letter.

A thank-you letter is a great, easy way to show your interest—and show off your professionalism! Send a letter or an e-mail to the interviewer, although some managers view an e-mail as too easy, and think a handwritten note shows more effort. Just remember to send it the day after your interview. Express your thanks, quickly reiterate your strengths and their relevance to the position, and restate your interest in the position.

 

Common Interview Questions

 

Are you worried about the kinds of questions you’ll be asked at an interview? Don’t be! Here are some of the most commonly asked questions—and how best to respond to them.  By preparing yourself with good answers before the interview, you'll be surprised how smooth the interview will go.

How would you describe yourself?

This is your chance to talk about yourself—in a way that reflects just why you’re the perfect employee for them.  Be ready to spend about two minutes answering this. Focus on a particular accomplishment or attribute that would make you a valuable employee. Make sure to stay on target and not go off into any tangents.

Tell me about your biggest accomplishment.

There’s no need to be shy. Focus on an accomplishment that demonstrates your hard work, commitment to long hours, or ability to work under pressure. Try to discuss an accomplishment you feel might apply to this new position. The point is to show them that you accomplished something impressive—and that the things you did to get the job done are things you bring to the table.

Why do you want to change jobs?

Even if you had a boss from hell, and even if you hated the company you worked for, don’t ever give those as answers to this question. In fact, never criticize any past employer or co-worker. If your old company was being bought out or shut down, you can mention that. Another safe answer is to say that you feel you can no longer make a contribution because of extensive changes at the company.

What did you like/dislike about your last position?

Again, this isn’t the time to admit you hate overtime, or that you had a conflict with your previous supervisor. The interviewer wants to know whether you’re a good fit for the position, and that includes your temperament and willingness to work hard. Put a positive spin on things and discuss how you enjoy challenges and growth opportunities.

In what ways are you qualified for this position?

The trick is to zero in on a few of the job’s requirements, and then explain how your skills and experience are a perfect match for them. Remember, you want to stand out from the crowd, so don’t give general answers about being a hard worker. Give them specific examples of management experience, a technical skill, or a personal success story, and demonstrate how that meets their specific requirements.

Describe your most important strengths.

You know you’ve got skills and strengths. Pick the ones you think are most impressive—and most relevant to the position you’re interviewing for.  It could be a technical skill or management experience. No matter what your strengths, make sure you explain how you applied them to a previous work situation. After all, you want to show the interviewer how your strengths will benefit a workplace like theirs.

Have you accomplished something you didn’t think was possible?

Here’s another chance to prove your integrity, work ethic, and commitment to achieving a goal. Give an example of how you accomplished a significant challenge without giving up. Was there a situation in the past where you took the initiative? Employers really appreciate a results-oriented employee who knows what to do without being told, so this is your chance to prove you’re one.

Can you think of a situation during your career that was particularly embarrassing? How would you handle the same situation today?

This isn’t the time to be shy either. Be honest about a failure, but put a positive spin on it. Discuss how you learned a valuable skill or experience because of it. The trick here is to show that you’re able to learn from past mistakes. Saying "No, I can’t think of an embarrassing situation" is not only difficult to believe, but it robs you of a chance to really demonstrate your abilities.

One of our company’s biggest challenges is… how would you deal with this?

For this one, it’s never a bad idea to ask more details before trying to answer the question. You’re not stalling for time—you’re breaking the challenge down into sub-challenges, some of which you might already have experience dealing with. Talk about how you’d deal with these sub-challenges, but always bring it back to the main challenge. You want to present yourself as someone who can solve a complex problem, not just small parts of it. This is a great opportunity to show off your analytical and organizational skills.

Have you ever been in situations involving difficult co-workers, tight deadlines, or inadequate resources? How did you handle these situations?

Here’s another chance for you to turn a possible negative into a positive. Talk about your most difficult management task and the skills you used to deal with it. Maybe you used organizational or interpersonal skills, or maybe it was perseverance and diplomacy. Whatever it was, you want to demonstrate you have what it takes to deal with difficult situations in a calm, professional, and effective manner.

What would you change about your career if given the opportunity?

You’re going to have to be honest here. The interviewer wants to know if you’ll be happy in the position, and whether you’re motivated enough to make changes in order to get what you want out of your career. Be honest, but be careful not to say something that will make the interviewer think you’re just looking for a short-term job.

What are your career goals?

We all have goals, and some of them are more realistic than others. Stick to the realistic ones. Sure, maybe some day you want to be CEO of the biggest company in the world, but that’s not going to help you in an interview. Give a more realistic answer, such as a management promotion in three to five years. Having trouble? Then look at your past work history (e.g., did you rise quickly or travel a rocky road?) and use this as a guideline.

Most importantly, why should we hire you?

Interview questions don’t get more blunt than this, but be ready, because many interviewers will ask you this. Don’t get nervous.  If anything, this is your chance to be just as direct—about why you’re the best person for the job. Talk about your organizational skills, positive attitude, and confidence. Take charge by demonstrating, once and for all, why your skills, experience, and strengths are ideally suited for the job. Remember, it’s all about standing out from the crowd. Why should they hire you? Because your A skills, B experience, and C career goals fit perfectly with requirements A, B, and C.