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How to Ace that Interview?

How to Ace that Interview?

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How to Ace that Interview? Unemployment is high nationally (9.1%) and even higher in California (12%).  Either, you networked for months for an interview or you got lucky.  Either way, you want to take advantage of this opportunity and do your best.  What should you do?

Preparation – Research the company before the interview.  Start with their website and put together your questions.  If the company is public, there are a lot of questions that you can find out before you go.  Start your research online, but don’t forget about calling the company human resources department.  Depending how creative you want to be, you can do an interview of the receptionist or someone else at the company.

Questions – Put together questions they may ask you and questions you may have for them.  Remember interviews are your opportunity to impress the employer and so you can find out about the employer.  In this economy, you may overlook some of the things you find important just to have a job.  Ask your question because the employer will judge your interest and suitability based on your question.

Practice – Practice interviewing with a friend.  Practice the hard questions such as why you are looking or why did you leave your last position?  If you can, video tape your interview because you will see and hear your mistakes.  The more you practice, the better you will do.  Feeling comfortable in the interview with the questions will give you confidence.

Dress for Success – Some companies are casual, others are business casual and some are still wear suits.  It should not matter to the applicant.  It is always better to over dress than to be too casual.  If it is less formal, you can always take your coat off.  Unless you have a personal relationship with the interviewer, dress your best.  I recommend a conservative navy blue suit, dress shirt and burgundy tie for men.  For women, you should wear a suit (jacket and skirt) or a nice conservative dress.  It should not be tight or revealing!  Don’t forget your grooming.

Interview Day – Get driving directions and leave early.  If you have to fill out any paperwork, allow extra time for it.  Bring along a fact sheet so yu can complete the application.  It is okay to arrive 5-10 minutes before the interview.  Be friendly with the receptionist and ask thoughtful questions.  When you meet the interviewer, the first 15 seconds is real important.  Smile, greet the person and give a good handshake.  Show your personality and enthusiasm, you are being judged!

Interview – You practiced your questions and developed your own questions.  Delivery is everything!  Make sure you are real and authentic!  Be sure to use your personality to develop a rapport.  You should smile, be charming and find an excuse to either compliment the interviewer or make a connection.  Hiring managers generally hire people they like!  Don’t do all the talking!  Listening is just as important and follow-up with questions.  If the interview is in a restaurant, use your best manners.  Bring extra copies of your resume.  Interviews are sales situations where you sell them on your skills and they sell you on the company.

Follow-up – Don’t forget to send a thank you note.  Call the hiring manager if you have heard a decision in a reasonable period.  Keep it low key, but be persistent without being annoying.  You are showing interest, but be careful you do not look like a stalker.  If you do not get the offer, you want to at least be able to network.  You can ask them for advice or a referral to other companies or friends.  Use the opportunity to do something positive.

Wrap Up

Interviews are scary because you do not normally interview every day.  You want to make yourself comfortable in order to be your best.  Impressing the interviewer is selling them on your skills and what you can do for the company.  Recently, I wrote an article called 20 Interview Questions to Ask Employers which outlines sample questions to impress future employers.  The goal of all interviews is to get an offer!  You want to do your best and convince the employer you are the right person for them.  Following these tips will help you succeed.  How to Ace that Interview?

Photo by:  Javrsmith

Comments

  1.  To this list, I would add: know how you’ll answer some of the personal questions, like “what are your weaknesses?”  There are some questions that get asked on every interview, phone or in-person.

    To the dress code – yeah, unless you wear a tux it’s almost impossible to overdress.  Some of the people who interviewed me at my current job made fun of me for my interview clothes (it’s Silicon Valley…) so I was pretty confident I was doing okay!  Put the jeans away, for at least a day.

  2. Practice is an important strategy, especially if you have not had a lot recent experience. You only get one shot in a real interview and it would be a shame to miss a job because you were not well practiced to answer the questions.

    • Very true, you only get one shot at a good first impression. It usually starts when you meet the interviewer.

  3. Good tip to film your practice interview.  That way you can check your body language to be sure it’s positive.  Practice your answers to hard questions while using positive body language.  The more you practice that the better!

    • I remember doing it a long time ago and it was very revealing. You see things that you were never aware of .

  4. I really think the suit tip is a great one KC.  I always wear my suit to interview because I get so few chances to wear it!  You may be a little out of place, but if everyone sees you in a suit they can help you find who you are looking for if you need anything.  
    You’ll also look professional and like you want the job.

  5. I agree, practice is huge. It not only helps keep your nerves in check for the real thing but it also helps you formulate what you might say ahead of time. I also agree that research is important. The more you know about a place, the better you can answer questions in a tailored way. 

    • When I interviewed, I wanted to know everything about the company and if I could find out anything about the interviewer all the better.

    • It all starts with their first question which is usually “tell me about yourself”. This is your opportunity to direct the interview any way you want. Personally, I have taken over interviews and those are the ones I usually nail. Interviews are your opportunity to shine, everyone should use it.

  7. Acting professional means dressing up for the interview. You look confident and serious about the job. On a couple of occasions, I ended up taking my jacket off because it was a very casual environment.

  8. These are all great tips; sheesh, it’s been so long since I’ve interviewed, I’ve almost forgotten!

  9. From what I have heard on the street, you have hit the nail on the head with these suggestions, especially follow up.  I would also suggest to have a positive attitude.  I think so many people feel beaten down that the defeatist attitude may shine through in the interview.  Try to at least act positive for the interview as nobody wants to work with someone who is perceived as a ‘downer’.

    • It may be only psychological, but they called you in because they think you may fit the requirements. That is a positive signal! I never had any problem to get up and be positive for an interview.

    • I videotaped myself many years ago and it was very revealing regarding speech patterns, and physical actions.

  12. Excellent points all and very timely post!  I had an opportunity to help my kid when he started job hunting.  I was peers with a bunch of hiring managers at work so I called on a couple of them and they agreed to meet my son for lunch and do a pretend interview with him.  I paid for the lunch so my kid got a nice near real practice and my peers got a free lunch!

  13. Great tips.  My additions, don’t be desperate.  You will exude a higher level of confidence.  Also, make sure you turn the tables and ask why the company would be a good place to work?  An interview goes both ways.  First you have to sell yourself to them, but they also need to sell themselves to you.  Mutual beneficial opportunity is a win-win for all!

    • In this economy, I think employers think it is a seller’s market. They do not have to sell you on the job. It is funny because their most attractive candidate is someone who is employed and they need to lure them away.

  14. Great article KC.  When I was doing a lot of interviewing, the best piece of advice I got was, “Most often the person interviewing is not looking for the smartest applicant, but the person that thinks the most like they do.”  A lot of interview success can be reading your interviewer.  I always found it weird to try and strike a balance between modesty and confidence as you tried to talk yourself up.

    • Absolutely true! Employers hire people they like and feel they will fit on their team. If the candidate can find something in common or show they get along with him/her you have a better chance of getting hired.

    • Absolutely true! Employers hire people they like and feel they will fit on their team. If the candidate can find something in common or show they get along with him/her you have a better chance of getting hired.

    • I have done that too. I am so relaxed that I am better at the interview and usually get an offer.

    • Along with CFO duties, I was Chief Administration Officer which included Human Resources.