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I've heard it said —
in fact, it might
well have been me that said it —
there are few things more
excruciating in professional life than the job interview.  Job
interviews are awful! Throughout my career I have attended many
and conducted many more, and the truth is, whether you are the
candidate or the interviewer, job interviews are challenging and
confronting and difficult. Despite this, you can not only survive but
learn to be a masterful interviewee by developing an understanding
of what it is the interviewer needs to see, and by learning to
conduct yourself with clarity and confidence.
Be prepared. Sounds obvious,
doesn't it?
You’d be surprised how many people don’t get this part right.
Make a detailed list of all the information you need about your
interview, including the:
- Address
- Time
- Name of the person you are meeting
- Correct pronunciation of the
interviewer’s name
- Approximate length of time the interview
is expected to take
- Directions to get to the meeting venue
Know the style of interview. When you
make the appointment, ask what form the interview will take. Is it
a one-on-one interview? A panel interview? Or a group assessment
activity? Also ask if there will be any testing involved. Knowing
the style will help you to be better prepared and will prevent you
from being surprised by an interview format different to what you
were anticipating.
Know how to get there. If you plan to
travel by public transport, allow extra time in case of delays. If
you are driving, allow extra time in case of delays. If you are
walking, allow extra time in case of delay — you get the picture?
— no matter how you plan to get there, allow extra time in case
of delays. There are not many worse ways to start an interview
than to arrive late and flustered.
Dress appropriately. Different
workplaces and different professions have different codes of
dress. Understand what is appropriate for the type of position and
organization you are being interviewed for and err on the side of
the more
conservative. Don’t wear too much make-up, jewelry, perfume or
aftershave.
Do your homework. Research the
company before the interview — look at their website, pick up a
copy of their annual report and ask others what they know about
the organization. It is inexcusable to front up for a job
interview not knowing anything about the company, and you’ll
never convince anyone that they should employ you if you don’t
even have a general understanding of the organization you’d be
working for. Use the information you find to develop some
questions to ask at the interview.
Good first impressions. When you meet
the person or people who will be interviewing you, look them in
the eye, smile and greet them with a firm (not too hard) handshake. If you aren’t used to shaking hands or don’t know how
to shake hands properly…learn.
Smile. Concentrate on projecting a
pleasant, relaxed, confident image. Smile and be personable
throughout the interview — you may feel nervous or even
scared…but don’t let it show.
Be conscious of your body language.
Don’t fidget, don’t fold your arms, don’t wave your arms
about, don’t lean back on your chair…it’s just like your
mother always told you!
Name drop. Address your interviewer
by name frequently during the interview. People love the sound of
their own name.
Listen intently. Give the interviewer
your full attention when he or she is speaking. This will help you
answer their questions appropriately and show that you are
interested in the role and have a good grasp of common courtesy
and professional behavior.
Be a STAR. Formulate your responses
using the STAR technique when responding to questions. Most
interviewers use a competency-based interview technique. Many
believe your past behavior will predict your future behavior,
so
they ask questions to help them to understand what your past behaviors
have been.
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STAR means:
- S – Situation
- T – Task
- A – Action
- R – Result
Always try to respond the following way:
“The situation or task was…, the action I took was…and
the result was…”. Don’t answer questions with words such as:
“I would do this…in that situation”. Interviewers want
specific examples of situations you have been involved in, not
hypothetical answers.
Be positive. Use positive, lively
language. Act as though you already have the role — use phrases
such as, “When I am in the role”, “When I start the job”
and “When I begin working with you”.
Take notes. Let the
interviewer know that you will be writing down points as you
discuss the role. This will help you to remember details after you
leave, it gives you something to do that stops your hands from
fidgeting, and it can help to settle the nerves a little too. But,
make sure you use a good pen; don’t use a cheap pen for your job
interviews. If you can’t afford a nice one, borrow one. It is
important to give a good impression and these small details can
make an impact.
Know the content of your résumé well.
The interviewer is likely to refer to something you’ve written
in your résumé — make sure you know it intimately and can
answer questions about all your past roles, responsibilities and
achievements. Also, know the timeline of your employment history
well; it’ll sound like you’re trying to cover something up if
you stumble over your own career chronology. Take additional
copies of your résumé with you — one for yourself and another
for your interviewer should they need it. White paper, black ink,
and a staple in the left-hand corner is the ideal format for most roles
— leave the plastic folders and fussy presentation out.
Ask questions. Ideally an interview
is an exchange — you are getting to know the people and the organization
you might be working with as much as they are getting to know you.
Make the interview interactive by asking your own questions in
response to theirs and, at the end of the interview, ask any
questions that have not yet been addressed. Always have questions
ready to ask; you won’t convince anyone that you really want to
work for their organization if you don’t want to know all about
it. These are good questions to have on hand:
- When will I be notified
I am successful
for the job?
- When will I start this new job?
- How many people would I be working with?
- What floor would I be located on?
- What is the dress standard here?
Send a note. Take a few minutes to
write a hand written thank you note to your interviewer and send
it the same day. This will probably arrive quite unexpectedly and
help to seal your interviewer’s good impression of you and help
you to stand out from the other candidates.
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Neen James is a Global Productivity Expert: by
looking at how they spend their time and energy
— and where
they focus their attention — Neen helps people to
rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic
speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how
boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing
things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon
common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity.
Find out more at
http://www.neenjames.com
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