Interview Preparation
Want to ace your
next interview and land that open job you’ve
been seeking? Here are 20 tips to help you prepare.
Top 20 tips for interview preparation
1. Research the industry and company.
An interviewer may ask how you perceive his company's position in its industry,
who the firm's competitors are, what its competitive advantages are, and how it
should best go forward. For this reason, avoid trying to thoroughly research a
dozen different industries. Focus your job search on just a few industries
instead.
2. Clarify your "selling points" and the reasons you want the job.
Prepare to go into every interview with three to five key selling points in
mind, such as what makes you the best candidate for the position. Have an
example of each selling point prepared ("I have good communication skills.
For example, I persuaded an entire group to ..."). And be prepared to tell
the interviewer why you want that job – including what interests you about it,
what rewards it offers that you find valuable, and what abilities it requires
that you possess. If an interviewer doesn't think you're really, really
interested in the job, he or she won't give you an offer – no matter how good
you are!
3. Anticipate the interviewer's concerns and reservations.
There are always more candidates for positions than there are openings. So
interviewers look for ways to screen people out. Put yourself in their shoes
and ask yourself why they might not want to hire you (“I don't have this,” “I'm
not that,” etc.). Then prepare your defense: “I know you may be thinking that I
might not be the best fit for this position because [their reservation]. But
you should know that [reason the interviewer shouldn't be overly concerned]."
4. Prepare for common interview questions.
Every "how to interview" book has a list of a hundred or more
"common interview questions." (You might wonder just how long those
interviews are if there are that many common questions!) So how do you prepare?
Pick any list and think about which questions you're most likely to encounter,
given your age and status (about to graduate, looking for a summer internship).
Then prepare your answers so you won't have to fumble for them during the
actual interview.
5. Line up your questions for the interviewer.
Come to the interview with some intelligent questions for the interviewer that
demonstrate your knowledge of the company as well as your serious intent.
Interviewers always ask if you have any questions, and no matter what, you
should have one or two ready. If you say, "No, not really," he or she
may conclude that you're not all that interested in the job or the company. A
good all-purpose question is, "If you could design the ideal candidate for
this position from the ground up, what would he or she be like?"
If you're having a series of interviews with
the same company, you can use some of your prepared questions with each person
you meet (for example, "What do you think is the best thing about working
here?" and "What kind of person would you most like to see fill this
position?") Then, try to think of one or two others during each interview
itself.
6. Practice, practice, practice.
It's one thing to come prepared with a mental answer to a question like,
"Why should we hire you?" It's another challenge entirely to say it
out loud in a confident and convincing way. The first time you try it, you'll
sound garbled and confused, no matter how clear your thoughts are in your own
mind! Do it another 10 times, and you'll sound a lot smoother and more
articulate.
But you shouldn't do your practicing when
you're "on stage" with a recruiter; rehearse before you go to the
interview. The best way to rehearse? Get two friends and practice interviewing
each other in a "round robin": one person acts as the observer and
the "interviewee" gets feedback from both the observer and the
"interviewer." Go for four or five rounds, switching roles as you go.
Another idea (but definitely second-best) is to tape record your answer and
then play it back to see where you need to improve. Whatever you do, make sure
your practice consists of speaking aloud. Rehearsing your answer in your mind
won't cut it.
7. Score a success in the first five minutes.
Also, start off with a positive comment about
the company – something like, "I've really been looking forward to this
meeting [not "interview"]. I think [the company] is doing great work
in [a particular field or project], and I'm really excited by the prospect of
being able to contribute."
8. Get on the same side as the interviewer.
Many interviewers view job interviews as adversarial: Candidates are going to
try to pry an offer out of the interviewer, and the interviewer's job is to
hold onto it. Your job is to transform this "tug of war" into a
relationship in which you're both on the same side. You could say something as
simple as, "I'm happy to have the chance to learn more about your company
and to let you learn more about me, so we can see if this is going to be a good
match or not. I always think that the worst thing that can happen is to be
hired into a job that's wrong for you – then nobody's happy!"
9. Be assertive and take responsibility for the interview.
Perhaps out of the effort to be polite, some usually assertive candidates
become overly passive during job interviews. But politeness doesn't equal
passivity. An interview is like any other conversation – it’s a dance in which
you and a partner move together, both responding to the other. Don't make the
mistake of just sitting there waiting for the interviewer to ask you about that
Nobel Prize you won. It's your responsibility to make sure he walks away
knowing your key selling points.
10. be ready to handle illegal and inappropriate questions.
Interview questions about your race, age, gender, religion, marital status, and
sexual orientation are inappropriate and in many areas illegal. Nevertheless,
you may get one or more of them. If you do, you have a couple of options. You
can simply answer with a question ("I'm not sure how that's relevant to my
application"), or you can try to answer "the question behind the
question": "I don't know whether I'll decide to have children in the
near future, but if you're wondering if I'll be leaving my job for an extended
period of time, I can say that I'm very committed to my career and frankly
can't imagine giving it up."
11. Make your selling points clear.
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it make a
sound? More important, if you communicate your selling points during a job
interview and the interviewer doesn't get it, did you score? On this question,
the answer is clear: No! So don't bury your selling points in long-winded
stories. Instead, tell the interviewer what your selling point is first, then
give the example.
12. Think positive.
No one likes a complainer, so don't dwell on negative experiences during an
interview. Even if the interviewer asks you point blank, "What courses
have you liked least?" or "What did you like least about that
previous job?" don't answer the question. Or more specifically, don't
answer it as it's been asked. Instead, say something like, "Well, actually
I've found something about all of my classes that I've liked. For example,
although I found [class] to be very tough, I liked the fact that [positive
point about the class]" or "I liked [a previous job] quite a bit,
although now I know that I really want to [new job]."
13. Close on a positive note.
If a salesman came to you and demonstrated his product, then thanked you for
your time and walked out the door, what did he do wrong? He didn't ask you to
buy it! If you get to the end of an interview and think you'd really like that
job, ask for it! Tell the interviewer that you'd really, really like the job –
that you were excited about it before the interview and are even more excited
now, and that you're convinced you'd like to work there. If there are two
equally good candidates at the end of the search – you and someone else – the
interviewer will think you're more likely to accept the offer, and thus may be
more inclined to make an offer to you.
Even better, take what you've learned about
yourself from your MyPath career assessment and use it to explain why you think
this is the job for you: "I've done some careful career self-assessment,
and I know that I'm most interested in [one or two of your most important
career interest themes], and – correct me if I'm wrong – it seems that this
position would allow me to express those interests. I also know that I'm most
motivated by [two or three of your most important motivators from your MyPath
assessment], and I have the sense that if I do well, I could get those rewards
in this position.
Finally, I know that my strongest abilities
are [two or three of your strongest abilities from your MyPath assessment], and
I see those as being the abilities you most need for this position." If
you follow this tip, you'll be (a) asking for the job, (b) explaining why you
think it's a good match, (c) displaying your thoughtfulness and maturity, and
(d) further disarming the tug-of-war dynamic that interviewers anticipate.
You'll be making the strongest possible "close" – and that's worth a
lot!
14. Bring a copy of your resume to every interview.
Have a copy of your resume with you when you go to every interview. If the
interviewer has misplaced his or her copy, you'll save a lot of time (and
embarrassment on the interviewer's part) if you can just pull your extra copy
out and hand it over.
15. Don't worry about sounding "canned".
Some people are concerned that if they rehearse their answers, they'll sound
"canned" (or overly polished or glib) during the interview. Don't
worry. If you're well prepared, you'll sound smooth and articulate, not canned.
And if you're not so well prepared, the anxiety of the situation will eliminate
any "canned" quality.
16. Make the most of the "Tell me about yourself" question.
Many interviewers begin interviews with this question. So how should you
respond? You can go into a story about where you were born, what your parents
do, how many brothers and sisters and dogs and cats you have, and that's okay.
But would you rather have the interviewer writing down what kind of dog you have
– or why the company should hire you?
Consider responding to this question with
something like: "Well, obviously I could tell you about lots of things,
and if I'm missing what you want, please let me know. But the three things I
think are most important for you to know about me are [your selling points]. I
can expand on those a little if you'd like." Interviewers will always say,
"Sure, go ahead." Then you say, "Well, regarding the first
point, [give your example]. And when I was working for [company], I [example of
another selling point]." Etc. This strategy enables you to focus the first
10-15 minutes of the interview on all of your key selling points. The
"Tell me about yourself" question is a golden opportunity. Don't miss
it!
17. Speak the right body language.
Dress appropriately, make eye contact, give a firm handshake, have good
posture, speak clearly, and don't wear perfume or cologne! Sometimes interview
locations are small rooms that may lack good air circulation. You want the
interviewer paying attention to your job qualifications -- not passing out
because you've come in wearing Chanel No. 5 and the candidate before you was
doused with Brut, and the two have mixed to form a poisonous gas that results
in you not getting an offer!
18. Be ready for "behavior-based" interviews".
One of the most common interview styles today is to ask people to describe
experiences they have had that demonstrate behaviors that the company thinks
are important for a particular position. You might be asked to talk about a
time when you made an unpopular decision, displayed a high level of
persistence, or made a decision under time pressure and with limited
information, for example.
Step 1 is to anticipate the behaviors this
hiring manager is likely to be looking for. Step 2 is to identify at least one
example of when you demonstrated each behavior. Step 3 is to prepare a story
for each example. Many people recommend using SAR (Situation-Action-Result) as
a model for the story. Step 4 is to practice telling the story. Also, make sure
to review your resume before the interview with this kind of format in mind;
this can help you to remember examples of behaviors you may not have
anticipated in advance.
19. Send thank-you notes.
Write a thank-you note after every interview. Type each note on paper or send
them by email, depending on the interviewers' preferences. Customize your notes
by referring specifically to what you and the interviewer discussed; for
example, "I was particularly excited about [or interested by, or glad to hear]
what you said about ..." Handwritten notes might be better if you're thanking a personal
contact for helping you in your job search, or if the company you're
interviewing with is based in Europe. Whatever method you choose, notes should
be sent within 48 hours of the interview.
To write a good thank-you note, you'll need
to take time after each interview to jot down a few things about what the
interviewer said. Also, write down what you could have done better in the
interview, and make adjustments before you head off for your next interview.
20. Don't give up!
If you've had a bad interview for a job that you truly think would be a great
fit for you (not just something you want badly), don't give up! Write a note,
send an email, or call the interviewer to let him or her know that you think
you did a poor job of communicating why you think this job would be a good
match. Reiterate what you have to offer the company, and say that you'd like an
opportunity to contribute. Whether this strategy will get you a job offer
depends on the company and on you. But one thing's for sure: If you don't try,
your chances are exactly zero. We've seen this approach work on numerous
occasions, and we encourage you to give it that last shot.
If you follow the above 20 strategies, you'll
be as prepared as any candidate an interviewer has ever seen. Check out our Open
Jobs to
start your new career today. Good luck!
