Job Interviewing 101

Most of us experience a sudden dryness in the mouth whenever the word ‘interview’ is mentioned. This is because our default image of an interview is of sitting in front of an unsympathetic group of people being asked a series of questions that we do not know the answers to! The first thing to remind ourselves of when thinking like this is that interviewing techniques have mostly moved on (and mostly improved) from the times when they seemed to be modeled on the Spanish Inquisition. Having said that, it is still possible to ace even the toughest interview by paying attention to a few fundamentals. Some of these include:

·         Be prepared: Interviewers are invariably impressed if it becomes clear that you went to the trouble to familiarize yourself with their company. Do your best therefore do develop a clear understanding of things like company structure, governance, industry issues and competition.

·         Do not be rushed: Entering an interview in an agitated and frazzled state is like entering a boxing ring with one arm tied behind your back. Do your best therefore to try to be at the interview at least 15 minutes early. One of the main reasons that people turn up late for interviews is that they struggled to find a street or building.  Make very sure that you know exactly where to go and how to get there. If you are unsure it might be worth your while to do a ‘dummy run’ a few days before the interview.

·         Dress the part: You may have very strong ideas about informality at the workplace but an important interview is perhaps not the best place to showcase them! As a general rule you should always try to dress one notch above what is acceptable in the company that you are implying to. By doing this you are not indicating that you will dress like that every day but rather that you regard the interview as so important that you are willing to take special care with your appearance.

·         Act professionally: Act as if your interview starts the moment that you enter the front door of a company. Remember that first impressions count. You should therefore treat the personnel at reception with courtesy and respect (you should do that anyway) and then take a seat to wait for the interview. No matter how nervous you are, do not pace the hallways or go and stand outside for a ‘smoke break’!

·         Remember the value of body language: Once you are called into the interview you should introduce yourself by shaking hands with everyone present. Make sure that you maintain excellent eye contact throughout and that you make use of appropriate gestures and body positions.

·         Answers questions clearly, concisely and to the point: When you receive a question, begin the answer by addressing the questioner directly. After this initial acknowledgement of the questioner you can broaden your answer the address the whole panel. Do your best to stay on topic and to address the question at hand. Whatever you do, don’t ramble! Say just enough to give a clear answer. If you do know much more about the question that is being asked, hint as this, but leave it at that. Interviewers don’t like it at all when they perceive that an interviewee is ‘hijacking’ the interview. Avoid this perception at all costs.

·         Avoid Diversions and Distractions: Do not respond to attempts by interviewers to let you go ‘off on a tangent’, this can often be a test of your ability to focus! You should also make sure that your cell phone is switched off. It is not and starts to ring do not under any circumstances answer it!

·         Be ready with a short statement and some questions: Many interviews will conclude with the opportunity to say a few words and/or to ask questions to the interviewers. Never decline this invitation since your refusal can easily be interpreted as lack of interest. You should therefore be ready with a few things to say and a few questions about the company and the position. The value of this part of the interview is to be found in the fact that it allows you to showcase knowledge and skills that you feel are important while also demonstrating your willingness to learn from the company. Your statement should definitely include something about why you would like to work for the company and a declaration of your desire to be appointed to the position that you are being interviewed for.

·         Follow up: Make sure that you have the contact details of everyone who was present at the interview and follow up the interview with a personal ‘Thank You’ letter to each of them. This letter should be short and to the point in thanking the interviewer for his/her time and restating your willingness and ability to take up the position that you were interviewed for.

Recommended reading:

Powers, P, 2005, Winning Job Interviews: Reduce Interview Anxiety / Outprepare the Other Candidates / Land the Job You Love New Jersey: Career Press