Preparing for an Interview

In this ultra-competitive job market, the key to setting yourself apart in once you have secured the interview is preparation and practice.  Good interviewing is a skill that gets better, so the more that you can do; the more confident you will be when you walk in to greet your interviewer.  Here are some key steps for you in your interview:

Before the Interview

Research

1. Review your resume- Re-read your resume so you know and remember everything that you’ve documented, and be prepared to discuss every detail.  Many times people will update an oldver version of their resume and forget about the ‘why’s’ and ‘how’s’ details of previous positions.  Employers like to ask about early career moves, so having stories and examples fresh in your mind will be vital.
2. Research the Industry- A website as simple as Yahoo Finance can give you an industry snapshot, and trade magazines can give you an idea about what the newest trends and external forces are that your potential employer are dealing with.
3. Research the company– Get online and read the company website, while taking notes.  Write down key statistics and dates in the company’s history.  Look at all the job openings that the company has open.  Write these things down
4. Research the people that you will be interviewing with– LinkedIn.com is an excellent tool for you to research the profiles of the people you are meeting with.  This will give you a good chance to see their career paths, any external organizations that they are involved in, and causes that they may be passionate about.   Write down reminders in your interview book!

Write Down

1. Questions– All of your research should be a way for you to generate questions that you have prepared prior to your interview.  Write these questions down in clear, spaced handwriting so you will be able to refer to them quickly when you’re in an interview.  I typically recommend having 10-12 questions prepared.  90% of these will probably be answered during your conversation, but you always want to have a question ready when you get to that point in the interview (more on this later.)
2. Examples & Stories– The things an interviewer remembers are examples and stories to back up any attributes that you use to describe yourself.  It will benefit you to brainstorm a few of these prior to your interview.  It will give you a chance to say “I am like this, and an example of when I showed this was here.”  The key to a good example or story is specificity and brevity: Give accurate details and paint a picture of what you did, without getting too long-winded.
3. Accomplishments– Think of ways that you’ve saved your past employers money, or made them money.  Be ready to paint a clear and concise picture around this. 

Rehearse

1. “Tell me about yourself”- This question is asked in most interviews, so rehearsing your answer to this should always be a priority.  You want to be able to give a brief description of your career-to-date, which help clarify the reasons that you’ve made the decisions that you have.  Highlight any exciting things that you think are relevant, and what they taught you.
2. Rely on a Friend- Have someone you trust ask you a series of interview questions so you can practice answering them.  I think it’s more important for you to hear yourself answer the questions and practice than to actually solicit comments or criticism, but do your best to self-evaluate your answers.  You can even take it a step further and record yourself in this practice to hear how you sound.
3. Match your criteria to your company– Since you’ve done your research, you know what kind of company you’re meeting with.  Therefore, if you’re asked “tell me what you’re looking for in a company” you can describe their organization.  When I was interviewing & hiring for a boutique firm (ie; small business) I couldn’t believe how many candidates told me they wanted to work for a large organization where there was room for rapid growth.  It just showed me that they didn’t prepare properly.

During the Interview

1. Research and understand the location of your interview.  Do a ‘dry run’ if possible to know where you are to park and how long the commute will be.
2. Bring an interview folder– It’s just plain weird to walk into an interview with nothing in your hands.  My recommendation is to bring a notebook folio, with at least 5 copies of your resume with you.  You’ll have all your questions and notes written down here, and you can refer to it when needed.
3. Dress appropriately- You can ask a Recruiter or HR Assistant what they company dress code is, and always dress a notch above it.  Always err on the side of a business suit with conservative colors.
4. Arrive early, but not too early- Arriving 5-10 minutes is appropriate, but not much more than that.  You don’t want to throw off your interviewers schedule by arriving too early, and waiting too long in the lobby doesn’t help your cause.  I would recommend giving yourself plenty of time to arrive, but then either wait in your car or sit at a coffee shop nearby before heading in (You can always use this time to brush up on your research, right?)
5. Treat everyone you encounter with respect & friendliness- Even before you enter the building, you never know who you are passing on the sidewalk.  You might be next to your boss in the elevator.  The receptionist is usually the first person asked for their impression of you.  For this reason, be polite and professional with everyone you encounter.
6. The interview is a two-way conversation– I’ve found that the best interviews turn into professional discussions, and not just a question and answer period.  For that reason, don’t be afraid to ask questions if they are relevant during the interview, you don’t need to save them all until the end.  That being said, you should ALWAYS have a question at the end if the interviewer asks you “do you have any further questions?”  (Remember, this is why you did all of that preparation…)
7. Take some notes– Many times I’ve seen interviewers gauge interest on any notes they witness you write yourself, based on what they’re saying.  You don’t have to dictate every word, but when they tell you about their future plans or an objective, that is always a good time to open up your folio and jot a word or two that will help you remember what they said.
8. Confirm the next step in the process– This can be as easy as saying: “I’m extremely interested in the position, what is the next step in the interview process?”  You don’t want to leave without a clear path as to who should be contacting whom.
9. Ask for a business card- Ask everyone you are meeting with for a card, you’ll want to have their email addresses and correct spelling of their names.

After the Interview

1. Write a thank you note– I believe email is appropriate in this day and age.  Remember the principle of specificity and brevity?  Use it in your thank you note.  You don’t want to cut & paste a generic thank you, add a personal touch “I’m even more interested after learning about your international expansion plans, and look forward to taking the next step in the process.”  You also don’t want to write a story- keep it to 1-2 short paragraphs that show them you appreciate their time.  A thank you card mailed is a good touch, but you don’t want to delay if you’re sending one.  Get it in the mail that afternoon.
2. Follow up when you say you will- Many companies will put the onus of following up on the candidate, to gauge their interest and follow up skills.  If a potential employer says “call me on Tuesday” then you make a note and call them on Tuesday!  Even better, reference their request when you call them.  “I know you wanted me to call you today to discuss next steps.  I’m interested in moving forward, where do we go from here?”
3. Be persistent but not overbearing- Hiring Managers are human, so they might not call you back.  My recommendation is to wait a day, and then try again.  If they tell you to ‘call them on Tuesday’ and Thursday rolls around and you haven’t heard from them, give them a second call and perhaps follow up with an email.  It’s fair and reasonable for you to get feedback after the interview, even if it’s a ‘no thanks.’  Companies that simply ‘go dark’ aren’t showing you professional respect and courtesy.  That being said, this will happen, and you never want to burn a bridge, so always be respectful when reaching out.
4. Don’t let your guard down on subsequent interviews– After the 3^rd or 4^thinterview you may feel that you ‘have it in the bag’ but I’m here to tell you that this isn’t so.  I’ve seen a lot of companies bring people back many times so they can see who they really are, not just that they are good at interviewing.  Use these same principles each time you’re meeting with someone from the organization, and maintain professionalism the entire time.