When you have successfully mastered cover letters, resumes, and job
applications and are receiving requests for interviews, it's time to
understand how to succeed in the job interview so that you are ever
closer to your goal of obtaining one or more job offers..
1. Conduct Research on the Employer, Hiring Manager, Job Opportunity.
Success in a job interview starts with a
solid foundation of knowledge on the job-seeker's part. You should
understand the employer, the requirements of the job, and the
background of the person (or people) interviewing you. The more research
you conduct, the more you'll understand the employer,
and the better you'll be able to answer interview questions (as well as
ask insightful questions -- see #8).
Information sources include the organization's Website and other published materials, search engines, research tools, and your
network of contacts.
Learn more about job-search job-interview
researching here.
2. Review Common Interview Questions and Prepare Responses.
Another key to interview success is preparing
responses to expected interview questions. First, inquire as to the type
of interview to expect (which you can do by asking your contact
person at the organization). Your goal is composing detailed yet concise
responses, focusing on specific examples and accomplishments.
A good tool for remembering your responses is to put them into story
form that you can tell in the interview. No need to memorize
responses (in fact, it's best not to), but at least develop talking
points.
3. Dress for Success. Plan out a wardrobe that fits the
organization and its culture, striving for the most professional
appearance
you can accomplish. Remember that it's always better to be overdressed
than under -- and to wear clothing that fits and is clean and pressed.
Keep accessories and jewelry to a minimum. Try not to smoke or eat right
before the interview -- and if possible, brush your teeth or use
mouthwash.
4. Arrive on Time for the Interview -- and Prepared for Success.
There is no excuse for ever arriving late for an
interview -- other than some sort of disaster. Strive to arrive about 15
minutes before your scheduled interview to complete additional
paperwork and allow yourself time to get settled. Arriving a bit early
is also a chance to observe the dynamics of the workplace.
The day before the interview, pack up extra copies of your resume or CV and reference list. If you have a portfolio or samples
of your work, bring those along too. Finally, remember to pack several pens and a pad of paper to jot notes.
Finally, as you get to the offices, shut off your cell phone. (And if you were chewing gum, get rid of it.)
5. Make Good First Impressions -- to Everyone You Encounter. A
cardinal rule of interviewing: Be polite and offer warm
greetings to everyone you meet -- from parking attendant or receptionist
to the hiring manager. Employers often are curious how job
applicants treat staff members -- and your job offer could easily be
derailed if you're rude or arrogant to any of the staff.
When it's time for the interview, keep in mind that first impressions --
the ones interviewers make in the first few seconds of greeting
you -- can make or break an interview. Make a strong first impression by
dressing well (see #3), arriving early (see #4), and when greeting
your interviewer, stand, smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm
(neither limp and nor bone-crushing) handshake.
Remember that having a positive attitude and expressing enthusiasm for
the job and employer are vital in the initial stages of the
interview; studies show that hiring managers make critical decisions
about job applicants in the first 20 minutes of the interview.
6. Be Authentic, Upbeat, Focused, Confident, Candid, and Concise.
Once the interview starts, the key to success is
the quality and delivery of your responses. Your goal should always be
authenticity, responding truthfully to interview questions. At the
same time, your goal is to get to the next step, so you'll want to
provide focused responses that showcase your skills, experience, and
fit -- with the job and the employer. Provide solid examples of
solutions and accomplishments -- but keep your responses short and to
the point.
By preparing responses to common interview questions (see #2), you'll
ideally avoid long, rambling responses that bore interviewers.
Always attempt to keep your interview responses short and to the point.
Finally, no matter how much an interviewer might bait you, never
badmouth a previous employer, boss, or co-worker. The interview is
about you -- and making your case that you are the ideal candidate for
the job. Read about more interview mistakes in our article,
Avoid These 10 Interview Bloopers -- Critical Job-Seeker Mistakes.
7. Remember Body Language, Avoiding Bad Habits. While the content of your interview responses is paramount,
poor body language can be a distraction at best -- or a reason not to hire you at worst.
Effective forms of body language: smiling, eye contact, solid posture, active listening, nodding.
Detrimental forms of body language: slouching, looking off in the
distance, playing with pen, fidgeting in chair, brushing back hair,
touching face, chewing gum, mumbling.
Read more in our article,
The Unspoken Secrets of
Job Interviewing: How Your Nonverbal Presentation and Behaviors Impact the Impression You Make.
8. Ask Insightful Questions. Studies continually show that employers make a judgment about an applicant's interest
in the job by whether or not the interviewee asks questions. Thus, even if the hiring manager was thorough in his or her
discussions about the job opening and what is expected, you must ask a few questions.
The smart job-seeker prepares questions to ask days before the interview, adding any additional queries that might arise
from the interview.
For an idea of questions you could ask at the interview, see our
Questions
You Can Ask at the Job Interview, as well as our article,
Make a
Lasting Impression at Job Interviews Using Questions.
9. Sell Yourself Throughout and then Close the Deal. An adage in
interviewing says the most qualified applicant is
not always the one who is hired -- which means the hired candidate is
often the job-seeker who does the best job in responding to interview
questions and showcasing his or her fit with the job, department, and
organization.
Some liken the job interview to a sales call. You are the salesperson --
and the product you are selling to the employer is your
ability to fill the organization's needs, solve its problems, propel its
success.
Finally, as the interview winds down, ask about the next steps in the process and the timetable the employer expects to use to
make a decision about the position. If you are applying for a sales job -- or a position requiring equivalent aggressiveness --
consider asking for the job at the end of the interview.
See our article,
Closing the Sale and Overcoming
Objections in Job Interview.
10. Thank Interviewer(s) in Person, by Email, and Postal Mail. As
you have already seen from previous tips, common
courtesy and politeness go far in interviewing; thus, the importance of
thanking each person who interviews you should come as no
surprise. Start the process while at the interview, thanking each person
who interviewed you. Writing thank-you emails and notes shortly
after the interview will not get you the job offer, but doing so will
certainly give you an edge over any of the other finalists who did not
bother to send thank-you's.
For more tips on writing thank-you notes, read this article:
10 Tips for Writing a
Job-Search Interview Thank-You Letter.
