Know The Time And Place

        Leave nothing to chance. Know the exact time and location of your interview. Purchase a pocket calendar and put all of your appoint­ments in it with the name and correct spelling of the person you’ll be meeting, as well as the person’s title, and the name and address of the organization. If you’re unsure about the location, get explicit directions or drive by the day before so you’ll know exactly how to get there. Leave early for the appointment to allow for traffic tie-ups or other problems.

Dress Appropriately

        Stories abound about men who have gone to interviews in jeans, with dirty fingernails, or unkempt hair, and women who have attended interviews wearing curlers or low-cut cocktail dresses. Those folks did not get job offers. Some use their clothing to make a statement, justi­fying such dress with the self-defeating logic, “If they don’t like what I wear, I don’t want to work there anyway.” Such an attitude, however, only hurts the applicant.

        The emphasis is on appropriate dress; there is no rule which fits all people. For male and female professionals, a conservative and properly-fitting business suit is recommended. Pant suits for women may be acceptable on the job but should rarely be worn for interviews. If in doubt, dress up. You may know in advance that office dress is casual, but don’t use that as a cue to dress down. It’s fine to be dressed in a suit while being interviewed by someone dressed casually. Every­one knows that when appropriate, people can dress down, but they have much less confidence that people are willing to dress up. Scents used by men or women should be subtle, with just a touch used. Jewelry should be conservative and limited. Unless you know it is highly accepted, a man’s earring should be removed for the interview. Beards and mustaches are generally accepted when nicely groomed.

Bring Pen And Pad

        When the interviewer gives you some key information that must be written down, such as the name of a person or organization, you’ll want to have a pen and pocket-sized note pad handy. Otherwise save your note-taking for later. Upon leaving the interview, jot down notes from the interview in the lobby of the building or in your car. Jot down your impressions about the job and the organization. List any questions that you feel were not adequately answered. Begin with the company name and the division, the name of your interviewer and the person’s title, date and time of the interview, and the length of the interview. List the people you interviewed with and met (do your best to get people’s business cards). Then jot down a detailed description of the job, including what you like about it and don’t like about it. Indicate the key points you made and the specific experiences (accom­plish­ments) you described. List the interviewer’s major concerns and how you responded. Consider for a moment what your next steps should be, and list those points. Then list points you wish you had made and things you said that you wish you hadn’t. Close with the actions you intend to take.

       

        While I prefer the approach of taking notes immediately after the interview, some people would rather take notes during the interview. If you take notes during the interview jot down only key points, do it as unobtrusively as possible, and maintain eye contact as you take your notes. Your notes may be a little hard to read as a result, but you can always rewrite them later. The important thing is to give total concen­tration to what is being said by the interviewer.

Remember The Interviewer’s Name

        Nothing is so important to people as their name. Anthony Medley, in his book Sweaty Palms, recalls an applicant who kept referring to him as Mr. Melody. She didn’t get the job. My pet peeve is people who insist on putting an r in Washington, making it Warshington. If you’re unsure of the pronunciation of the interviewer’s name, ask the receptionist. Do not call the person by his or her first name unless invited to do so.

Shake Hands Firmly

        Offer your hand as soon as the interviewer makes the first move. If you are a woman, offer your hand first if you feel comfortable doing so since men are sometimes cautious about offering a hand to a woman. Most people like a firm handshake but detest both the limp and bone-crushing types.

Wait Before You Sit

        Allow the interviewer to invite you to be seated and to indicate where to sit. If no indication is made, you can ask or simply sit down in the chair which is most obvious.

Look For Clues About Interests

        Photographs or mementos on a desk or wall can often provide clues regarding a person’s interests. Discussing a shared interest can help build rapport at the beginning of an interview. For example, if a person’s office has a nautical theme, it may mean that the person loves to sail or study the subject, or it may simply mean that this person likes the visual effect of such a theme. Rather than assume too much, broach the subject with an exploratory question such as, “Do you sail?” The person may respond with, “I love to sail, how about you?” If you share a love of sailing, the two of you will probably have an interesting conversation and the interviewer will begin with the belief that the two of you share numerous values and interests. That will help you. If you don’t sail, you might respond with, “No, I don’t sail but I’ve always wanted to,” or “No, but I love to watch sailboats. It must be an inter­esting sport.” The interviewer might then share a few past experiences before getting fully into the interview. Listen attentively. Avoid over­stating your interest or experience in a hobby, however; it could come back to haunt you.

No Smoking Or Gum Chewing

        If you’re a smoker and your inter­viewer lights up a cigarette and offers you one, tactfully decline. You cannot fully sell yourself with a cigarette in your hand. Chewing gum during an interview is considered rude.

 

No Profanity

        Even if your interviewer uses salty language, keep yours totally free of profanity. Even among those who swear themselves, hearing it out of the mouth of an interviewee is a turnoff. Some inter­viewers will even use profanity as a test to see if you will join in. Don’t.

Keep It Interesting

        Throughout the interview you must keep your responses inter­esting. One of the worst sins of interviewing is to bore the interviewer. Long-winded, rambling responses will cause the interviewer to lose interest. Responses that are concise and packed with key information, however, will maintain the interviewer’s interest. When you’re through, the interviewer may be so interested in the experience you’ve just described that he or she will ask a follow-up question. Anytime you sense you’ve lost the interviewer, finish your response as quickly as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, to begin with I’m trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,

courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean, and reverent

Go In With An Agenda

        The employer has an agenda and so should you. In your pocket-sized notebook, using your own shorthand, list the points you want to get across and the examples you want to give. List a few questions that you can ask if the employer invites you to ask questions. Toward the end of the interview, you can glance at your agenda to see if you’ve missed anything.

Practice Your Intuition

        Throughout the interview try to detect the biases of the inter­viewer. Everyone has biases, and sensing the biases of your interviewer can be a real advantage to you. For example, if your interviewer appears to be quite conservative, you as a liberal would be careful during any discussion of social issues. Other biases might include a belief that teamwork increases productivity, or that when quality is emphasized, profit will follow. When you detect a bias or belief that you personally hold as well, look for opportunities to demonstrate that you share those beliefs. It is human nature that most managers prefer hiring people who share their values and beliefs.

Ask About Needs

        If you are interviewing with someone other than the hiring man­ager, ask about the needs or challenges being faced in the department. Such people are often less reticent to share these types of things than hiring managers.

Don’t Ask Throwaway Questions

        In the first and second interview you will usually have the oppor­tunity to ask only a few questions, so they should be questions which are truly important to you. Never ask a question just because you think it will show how smart or knowledge­able you are. Often people will pick up an interesting tidbit during their research and then will try to squeeze in a question about it in order to look good. The problem with this, however, is that most employers can detect the true intent behind such a question. Instead of scoring points, such questions can actually cause you to lose points.

Share Credit

        Throughout your interview demonstrate that you value and appreciate team members. Show that when you work with a team there is synergy. Acknowledge the help you received from a mentor, a boss, or teacher, and specify how that person helped you. By doing these things it demonstrates that you are a self-confident person who trusts others and seeks out their help.

Don’t Assume

        Many an interviewee has gotten into trouble by assuming too much. Don’t assume the interviewer knows exactly what he wants or needs in an employee. And don’t assume the interviewer knows all the right questions to ask. Help the interviewer decide that you are the right person by revealing as many strengths as possible during the interview.

        Don’t assume that you did well or poorly in the interview. People have left interviews feeling they performed masterfully only to learn that the interview was a disaster. Others, who felt certain they’d blown it, have been surprised to get an offer. After each interview, spend a few minutes evaluating how you did and determine how you’ll do better next time. Do not waste time considering how poorly you did. Energy spent beating yourself up over what you assume has been a poor interview is self-defeating.

Leave The Interview On A Positive Note

        As you exit the interview, express your interest in the position. Do not ask how you did, as doing so can be embarrassing to both you and the interviewer. It is fine, however, to ask what the next step will be and how soon you might expect an answer. Your goal is to get invited back for the second round. Everything you say and do should be geared to that purpose.

Follow-Up Phone Calls May Be Appropriate

        Do not even consider a follow-up phone call unless you’ve already sent a thank-you note. A follow-up call can be made to express interest and thanks, or to clarify a point. You can come right out and say, “I just wanted you to know how interested I am in the position.” Because you may be interrupting the person, keep it short. You can also ask about the status of the position, but don’t do this unless it is past the date when you were told a decision would be made.

        If your first interviewer has subsequently passed you on to the hiring authority, or someone higher up, call and thank that person. Feel free to ask for some advice on how to prepare for that interview or even ask what that person will want to know about you. Your statement could be, “Mr. Weirman, I really appreciated the opportunity to meet with you, and I wanted to thank you for referring me to Janet Carlson. I’m looking forward to meeting her. What do you think are the main things she’s going to be looking for?”

Look For Buy Signals

        As soon as you hear phrases such as, “I think you could do a good job for us,” “I like [a particular quality such as determination] in a person,” or “If we offer you the job how soon could you start?” you know the employer is seriously interested in you. It does not mean, however, that the job is sewn up. Maintain a high level of enthusiasm and be sure to ask for another appointment. By all means state that you want the job.

Closed-Ended And Open-Ended Questions

        All questions are either closed-ended or open-ended. A closed-ended question is one which can be answered with a yes or no: “Are you a college graduate?” “Do you believe the U.S. should sell high-tech equipment to China?” and “Are you a team player?” The first question requires only the simplest of answers—“Yes, I am.” Although the latter two could be answered with a yes or no, each of them invites a broader explan­ation. When a question is thoroughly and completely answered with a yes or no, stop—there is no need to go further. Most questions, however, really do invite elabo­ra­tion. Inexperienced interviewers are the ones most apt to ask closed-ended questions. If you’re going to sell yourself in such an interview, most questions will require a 15–45 second response. Technically, “Do you work well under stress?” is a closed-ended question. No inter­viewer, however, is merely seeking a yes or no response. Clearly these types of questions require explanation even though they are asked in a closed-ended fashion. Remember the first rule of interviewing: every time you open your mouth, it is to sell yourself.

When You Blow An Interview

            Occasionally you’ll come out of an interview knowing you blew it. You may have been overly nervous, or lacked enthusiasm, or there were questions that stumped you and you know it hurt you. In such cases it may be appropriate to call the interviewer and simply state that you feel that you blew the interview and that the person did not see you at your best. You might go on to explain that since you believe you are ideal for the job, you would like another opportunity to sell yourself. After your explanation you could simply ask, “Could I meet with you to give you a half-hour of my best?” Obviously this tactic should be used sparingly, only for those jobs you really want, and only when you absolutely know you blew it.