Interview Tips

Dramatically Improve Your Interviewing Skills

Interviewing is not a science. Nor is it an art form. It is simply an imperfect form of human communication designed to increase the predictive validity of potential employer-employee relationships. And it is very imperfect.

You finally have an interview! Your moment of truth has arrived and it is important to make the most of it. No matter where you went to school, no matter what your GPA is, no matter how much experience you have, no matter who you know--if you aren't able to interview successfully, you won't get the job. Following are some insights designed to help you successfully interview and get the job you want

Your objective in every interview should be to take yourself one step further toward generating the job offer. You can do that by doing your very best in each and every interview. Treat every interview as if it were the only one you will ever get with that company and your only opportunity to convince them that you are the right candidate for the position. Although there may be several interviews before the eventual offer, you must score positively in each interview.

Attitude is the Key

   

The key element to successful interviewing is not your experience, your grades, what classes you took, your extracurricular activities, or any of the other basic necessities. Those skills are what got you the interview. The key element to successful interviewing can be summed up in one word: attitude. If you want to rise above others with better experience, better grades, or better anything, you will need to work on developing a highly positive work attitude.

Why is attitude so important? Because most companies already have their full share of multi-talented superstars who care about no one but themselves. Ask any manager who the most valuable member of his team is, and he will point not to the overrated superstar, but to the person:

• Who has the "can do" attitude,
• The person who can be counted on in any situation,
• The person who truly strives for excellence.

So don't worry if you are not "superstar" quality. If you can show me, in your words and actions, that you are ready to put forth your very best effort toward achieving excellence, you will be chosen over the superstar.

If you can show me, by words and examples, your "can do" attitude, it is you I will hire, while all of the superstars will receive polite rejection letters to add to their growing collections.

The One Thing You Must Do Before Your First Interview

Practice. Before you go through an actual interview, you should first go through a mock interview. The mock interview is more than just a chance to work out your interview jitters. It is an opportunity to practice your interviewing technique and answers live. It is also a chance to hear constructive feedback from someone who can guide you toward improving your interviewing style and presentation.

Just one mock interview will result in a marked improvement in your interviewing skills. Why? For the same reason that a speech is not a speech while it is still on paper or just floating around in your head. It is not a speech until you give it verbally. The first time you give it in front of an audience (remember your first speech in Speech 101?), it will come out nothing like what you prepared. It is the same with interviewing. It is not enough to look at an interview question and say, "Yeah, I know the answer to that one." You need to practice your answer. Live. In front of someone else.

Go through at least one mock interview. For maximum effectiveness, review your answers and then go through a second mock interview. Even if you ace the second mock interview, it will be well worth it since it will give you confidence in your first real interview.

Insider Company Information

One critical aspect of job search preparation that can truly set you apart is employer research. Employer research is what brings you together and keeps you together with those who have the power and authority to potentially offer your first position.

Employer research serves a dual purpose. First, you will need to identify and target specific hiring companies in your job search. Second, you will need to gather detailed information about each target employer in order to be adequately prepared for making direct contact. While the research guides provide the basic information that will give you a broad overview, it is the detailed information that will set you apart from the crowd.

Sadly, most college students know little if anything about the employer they are contacting or even interviewing with. The quickest showstopper can come when I ask (whether on the phone or in person), "What do you know about our company?" If you have not even taken the time to do this basic research, why should I commit a segment of my busy day to speaking with you? Unfortunately, few are able to respond with even the basics. Strike one. Fewer still are able to articulate any information specific to our company. Strike two.

Job search is a two-way street. Don't just go begging for any job. Doing detailed research on each potential employer will assist you in better understanding which companies you may have an interest in working for. And it will give you the ammunition you need to be successful in securing a job offer from the employer of your choice.

Facts to Gather Before Interviewing

• Key people in the organization
• Major products or services
• Size in terms of sales and employees
• Locations other than your community
• Organizational structure of the company
• Major competitors
• View of the company by clients, suppliers, and competition
• Latest news reports on the company or on local or national news that affects the company

Your Communication Style is Important

Many interviews fail because of lack of proper communication. But communication is more than just what you say. Often it is the nonverbal communication that we are least aware of, yet speaks the loudest. Following are the top five nonverbal, ranked in order of importance, when it comes to interviewing:

• Eye Contact
• Facial Expressions
• Posture
• Gestures
• Space
• Openness and Warmth
• Confidence
• Nervousness
• Untrustworthy/Defensive

As you can see, there are far more negatives than positives--possibly more than we are consciously aware of. This list is given not so that you can artificially adopt the positive body language techniques, but more to help you recognize and avoid the negatives. If you have a habit of doing any of the above negatives, remove that action from your pattern of behavior before it sends the wrong signal.

Mastering the Interview

"To be a great champion, you must believe that you are the best.
If you're not, pretend you are."
- Muhammad Ali -

You are a special person. You know it. Your Mom knows it. Your Dad knows it. Your siblings know it (but probably won't admit it to anyone else). Your Mom really knows it. Your friends and relatives know it. But unless you convince the interviewer of your special talents and abilities, you will fade into that great dark abyss of Interviews Lost.

Study this Section. Get comfortable with the techniques and tactics before your first interview. Remember, every interview counts. Every time you interview successfully, you move one more golden step toward the job offer and career of your dreams.

The Truth About Interviewing

"But it seemed to go so well! We talked about everything...campus life ...the weather...the football season. I just don't understand why I got a rejection letter... "

Beware the interview that gets too chummy. It may be that the interviewer has already rejected you and out of politeness passes the remaining time talking about everything but you.

The truth about interviewing is that most initial interviews only last about five minutes. Oh, sure, the actual interview always takes longer than that. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. Sometimes even an hour. But the interview is usually over in five minutes or less. If you have not convinced the interviewer by the five-minute point that you are the right person for the job (or at least a contender who should be taken to the next level), it can be next to impossible to recover. Recoveries do happen. But they are very rare.

In that first five minutes of the interview, I will have noted many critical aspects.

• Your appearance
• Your grooming
• Your handshake
• Your personal presence
• Your eye contact
• Your articulation
• And, most importantly, your personality

Notice that I did not mention anything about your coursework, your GPA, or your work experience. That is what got you to the interview in the first place. But it is the "soft factors" that will take you to the next level.

Having taken the right courses, having good grades (critical!), and having related work experience are all important selection criteria. But they do not matter one iota if you are not a strong personal fit for our company.

The truth is that most interviewers are seeking individuals who are able to personally present themselves well in a face-to-face interview. They are seeking to recommend those who will be a good reflection upon themselves and their selectivity. So most interviewers naturally gravitate to specific "critical success factors" that have worked for them consistently.

The Three-Step Interview Process

In its simplest form, the interview consists of three distinct steps:

1. Establish rapport
2. Gather information
3. Close

It is vitally important to understand these basic steps in order to be successful in your interviewing. Each step carries with it a different focus and emphasis. Each step has its own protocol and requirements. And successful completion of each step is critical for you to go on to the next step in the process, whether that is another interview or the actual job offer.

The establishing rapport step is where the vital first impressions are formed. Some employers will claim to be able to make a decision about a candidate in thirty seconds or less. The truth is that you will set the tone for the interview through your physical appearance and initial responses.

Many interviewers are analyzing you in reference to the company culture. Does this person fit in? Would this person represent our company well? Would others feel I made a good selection in recommending? And the small talk is actually big talk, since it will greatly affect how you are perceived in the eyes of the interviewer. It's not necessarily the words you say, but how you say them.

If you have done your interview homework and have fully researched the company, the words will flow smoothly. If not, it will show. This is where your positive attitude and confidence will establish the tone for the interview. And this is the step during which you have the opportunity to make your personal connection with the interviewer.

In the gathering information step, the employer will be asking questions and matching your answers against their critical success factors. Some of the questions will be closed-ended, such as "What was your GPA?" Others will be open-ended behavioral questions, such as "Can you give me an example of a time when you had to make an unpopular decision?" While preparation is important, your honesty and sincerity in answering should be evident. Most interviewers are keenly aware of when they are being snowed. The questions in this step will usually be probing questions, which drill deep into your background, attempting to get past the interview veneer.

In the close step, the interviewer will set the hook for the next step. If you have succeeded to this point, the conversation will center around the interviewer selling you on the company and the next steps in the hiring process. If you have failed to this point, the conversation will center on the football team, the weather, or any other neutral subject, which provides for a clean disengage. If your interview was successful, there will usually be an indication of future steps. You may be given further company information, which is reserved, for only the select few.

Understanding the basic steps of the interview is only the starting point. You need to be fully prepared for different personality styles, different interview styles, and different questions. You need to master your ability to present the very best you.

The Eight Types of Interview Questions

There are basically eight types of questions you may face during the course of an interview:

1. Credential verification questions
   This type of question includes "What was your GPA?" and "How long were you at . . . " Its purpose is to place objective measurements on features of your background.

2. Experience verification questions
   This type of question includes "What did you learn in that class?" and "What were your responsibilities in that position?" Its purpose is to verify experiential features of your background.
3. Opinion questions
   This type of question includes "What would you do in this situation?" and "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" Its purpose is to subjectively analyze how you would respond to a scenario. The reality is that "Tape #143" in your brain kicks in and plays when you recognize the question and play back the pre-programmed answer.
4. Dumb questions
   This type of question includes "What kind of animal would you like to be?" or "What do you think flubber is made from?" Its purpose is to get past your pre-programmed answers to find out if you are capable of an original thought. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer, since it is used primarily as a test of your ability to think on your feet.
5. Math questions
   This type of question includes "What is 1000 divided by 73?" to "How many ping pong balls could fit in a Volkswagen?" Its purpose is to evaluate not only your mental math calculation skills, but also your creative ability in formulating the mathematical formula for providing an answer (or estimate, as can often be the case).
6. Case questions
   This type of question includes problem-solving questions ranging from: "How many gas stations are there in the U.S.?" to "What is your estimate of the U.S. online retail market for books?" Its purpose is to evaluate your problem-solving abilities and how you would analyze and work through potential case situations.
7. Behavioral questions
   This type of question includes "Can you give me a specific example of how you did that?" or "What were the steps you followed to accomplish that task?" Its purpose is to anticipate predictable future behaviors based upon past responses.
8. Competency questions
   This type of question includes "Can you give me a specific example of your leadership skills?" or "Explain a way in which you sought a creative solution to a problem." Its purpose is to align your past behaviors with specific competencies which are required for the position.

Ten Tough Interview Questions And Ten Great Answers

The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job interviews. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surface--such as "Tell me about yourself"--but these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open-ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.

The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough interview questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are there for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Always provide information that shows you want to become the very best _____ for the company and that you have specifically prepared yourself to become exactly that. They want to be sold. They are waiting to be sold. Don't disappoint them!

1. Tell me about yourself.
   My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best _____ I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I've prepared myself . . .

2. Why should I hire you?
   Because I sincerely believe that I'm the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other college students who have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job--my attitude for excellence. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In _____ and _____ I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become by doing the following . . .
3. What is your long-range objective? Where do you want to be 10 or 15 years from now?
   Although it's certainly difficult to predict things far into the future, I know what direction I want to develop toward. Within five years, I would like to become the very best _____ your company has. In fact, my personal career mission statement is to become a world-class _____ in the _____ industry. I will work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I will be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities that might be presented in the long term.
4. How has your education prepared you for your career?
   As you will note on my resume, I've taken not only the required core classes in the _____ field, I've also gone above and beyond. I've taken every class the college has to offer in the field and also completed an independent study project specifically in this area. But it's not just taking the classes to gain academic knowledge--I've taken each class, both inside and outside of my major, with this profession in mind. So when we're studying _____ in _____, I've viewed it from the perspective of _____. In addition, I've always tried to keep a practical view of how the information would apply to my job. Not just theory, but how it would actually apply. My capstone course project in my final semester involved developing a real-world model of _____, which is very similar to what might be used within your company. Let me tell you more about it . . .
5. Are you a team player?
   Very much so. In fact, I've had opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team player. I was involved in _____ at the intramural level, including leading my team in assists during the past year--I always try to help others achieve their best. In academics, I've worked on several team projects, serving as both a member and team leader. I've seen the value of working together as a team to achieve a greater goal than any one of us could have achieved individually. As an example . . .
6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved?
   Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but certainly there have been situations where there was a disagreement that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it's because of a failure to see both sides of the situation. Therefore, I ask the other person to give me their perspective and at the same time ask that they allow me to fully explain my perspective. At that point, I would work with the person to find out if a compromise could be reached. If not, I would submit to their decision because they are my superior. In the end, you have to be willing to submit yourself to the directives of your superior, whether you're in full agreement or not. An example of this was when . . .
7. What is your greatest weakness?
   I would say my greatest weakness has been my lack of proper planning in the past. I would over commit myself with too many variant tasks, then not be able to fully accomplish each as I would like. However, since I've come to recognize that weakness, I've taken steps to correct it. For example, I now carry a planning calendar in my pocket so that I can plan all of my appointments and "to do" items. Here, let me show you how I have this week planned out . . .
8. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
   I believe they would say I'm a very energetic person, that I put my mind to the task at hand and see to it that it's accomplished. They would say that if they ever had something that needed to be done, I was the person who they could always depend on to see that it was accomplished. They would say that I always took a keen interest in the subjects I was studying and always sought ways to apply the knowledge in real world settings. Am I just guessing that they would say these things? No, in fact, I'm quite certain they would say those things because I have with me several letters of recommendation from my professors, and those are their very words. Let me show you . . .
9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
   The key quality should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. A manager should also be a positive role model for others to follow. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person who I consider to be a true leader . . .
10. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?
    That's a good question. I realize that it can be very easy to continually look back and wish that things had been different in the past. But I also realize that things in the past cannot be changed, that only things in the future can be changed. That's why I continually strive to improve myself each and every day and that's why I'm working hard to continually increase my knowledge in the _____ field. That's also the reason why I want to become the very best _____ your company has ever had. To make positive change. And all of that is still in the future. So in answer to your question, there isn't anything in my past that I would change. I look only to the future to make changes in my life.

In reviewing the above responses, please remember that these are sample answers. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.

Top Ten Critical Success Factors

With all the different questions being referenced, you may wonder what exactly the employer is looking for. And I will tell you. Following is the list of the top ten critical success factors that nearly every employer is seeking:

1. Positive attitude toward work
2. Proficiency in field of study
3. Communication skills (oral and written)
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Confidence
6. Critical thinking and problem solving skills
7. Flexibility
8. Self-motivation
9. Leadership
10. Teamwork

Show your competence in as many of the above critical success factors as possible and you will rise above the competition.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Following are additional questions you may want to consider asking at an appropriate point in the interview:

"Why did you personally decide to work for this company?"

"What are the three most important attributes for success in this position?"

"What are the opportunities for growth and advancement for this position?"

"How is your company responding to competition in the _____ area?"

"What is the anticipated company growth rate over the next three years"

Limit yourself to no more than two or three questions during each company-site interview. Even if you are not able to get answers to all of your open questions before the offer is made, you will have one final opportunity at that point.