|
 Top 10 Interview Tips
|
Great interviews arise from careful
groundwork. You can ace your next interview if you:
1. Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great
basketball players or Olympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self
chatter in your head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the
meeting. You'll focus on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in
concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.
2. Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real.
Engage in true conversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did
prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating
the interview before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions
you'll be asked on a final exam.
3. Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that
the interviewer knows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities,
experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before
leaving. If the interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose
them yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting
your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting
yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key
players.
4. Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to,
"Why should we hire you?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a
question about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing
delicately about your personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family
responsibilities will interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense
they are present.
5. Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter
lightly. It is another opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the
meeting and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very
minimum. Standing out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider
this follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the talking.
Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the team.
6. Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or
she has the responsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will
need to be justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person
fit the culture of this organization?" These as well as other questions will be
heavily on the interviewer's mind. Find ways to demonstrate your qualities above and
beyond just doing the job.
7. Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet
question of prepared and even unprepared interviewers. Everything you include should
answer the question, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to
include examples of achievements from your work life that closely match the elements of
the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as
you can before you respond to the question.
8. Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of
what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey
the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an
interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that
supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.
9. Be smart about money questions. Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer
your financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and in
each case ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the
job falls in. Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding
of the scope of responsibilities of the job.
10. Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales
that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous
experience in the most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer,
express your enthusiasm for earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak
negatively about another person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run
the risk (early in the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may have
difficulty working with others.
|
