Are You Looking to Ace that Job Interview?

Four Tips to Consider When Preparing

Congratulations!  You’ve prepared a top notch résumé and you have been selected to interview for the position.  Although there is a plethora of ways in which you could prepare for your interview, there are three tips guaranteed to help you ace your interview and land that job.

Dressing for Success

This one seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?  One would think so, but if you fail to dress appropriately, you could lose out on an opportunity before you even speak!  Let’s talk about the obvious question…is a suit the way to go?  More often than not, the answer to that question is a resounding YES, but in today’s workplace, the traditional workplace setting has been redefined and a business suit is not always the best choice.  The best way to understand the corporate culture of your future workplace is to stake out the office a few days in advance of the interview.

If you see people walking around in suits and ties, then the traditional choice is the right one.  However, if jeans are the norm, then do your best to match the decorum in the office.  Here’s a quick caveat…although the corporate dress code may be casual, do your best to dress “business casual.”  A sweater set with a sensible pair of darkly colored jeans for women and a polo shirt/blazer with khaki pants for men. 

Equally important to your wardrobe is your grooming.  Are you a free spirit, who loves to wear your hair flowing in the wind?  Or maybe you’re abjectly opposed to using deodorant?  Well, guess what?  You’ll have to acquiesce to societal standards for just a couple of hours while you interview.  Grooming is incredibly important.  Think about it for a minute.  Imagine this…you see an impeccably dressed, very attractive, well coifed person entering the room.  You’re immediately impressed, right?  All of a sudden, an odor most foul begins to waft into your nostrils.  What in the world is that, you ask as you resist the urge to cover your nose and recoil.  Grooming, folks…it’s important. 

Whether you like it or not, appearance matters in a job interview and as the saying goes, “you can’t make a second first impression.”

Establishing a Rapport

You’ve done it.  You look good.  You smell good.  You firmly shake the interviewer’s hand and you take your seat.  Now what?  This is YOUR time to SHINE.  Your résumé tells your prospective employer about your hard skills and details your experience, but this is your chance to show off your soft skills.  Your interviewer is using this time to see if your personality will mesh with other employees, whether they can work with you and whether or not you communicate effectively.

So how do leave a lasting positive impression?  After that firm handshake, you need to ascertain the tone of the interview.  Allow the interviewer to set the tone, matching yours with theirs.  For example, if the interviewer is all business, so should you be.  Formal, however, does not mean stiff…a little levity is always welcome, but in measured doses.  Sometimes, an interviewer will begin the interview by telling you to relax and follow it with a small joke.  They are immediately setting a casual tone and you should follow suit.  Here’s where you should be careful.  A relaxed tone does not mean any of the following: flippant, overly personal, or sarcastic.  No two people have the same sense of humor, so keep your exchanges pleasant and light, avoiding attempts at humor.  Something you find hilarious may be offensive to the interviewer.  For example, jokes that start “a rabbi, a priest and a pastor walk into a bar…”  This is an extreme example, but is bears mentioning. 

Regardless of the tone, the one thing you should always do is smile.  It should be natural and inviting, which tells the interviewer that you are comfortable in your own skin and transparent in your responses.  You will undoubtedly be nervous, but do your best to stifle your anxiety and maintain a calm exterior.  If you’re one of those people who sweat profusely when you’re nervous, the best way to avoid this potentially embarrassing situation is by practicing in the mirror. 

Answering the Questions

And speaking of practice…Another area in which practice can be helpful is the most important part of the interview process…answering the questions.  Ladies and gentlemen, if you score 10 out of 10 in the previous two categories and fail to answer the interviewer’s questions well, you will NOT get hired…trust me.  There are certain questions everyone is asked in a job interview.  What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses?  How do you behave under pressure?  Why are you leaving your current job?  Where do you see yourself in five or ten years? 

Sound familiar?  If they don’t, they should.  Knowing that these questions will most likely come up afford you an amazing advantage, you can practice your responses.  Here are some suggestions to help you successfully navigate your interview. 

First, record yourself speaking.  After listening to yourself you may realize you speak to fast or too slow.  Make note of any idiosyncrasies and work on them.  It also helps to play your recordings for other people and ask them to evaluate you.  Once you’ve identified your strengths, play up to them and work on those weaknesses.  Second, pause before you answer a question.  Oftentimes, you are so eager to answer the question; you will begin speaking without having a full understanding of what is being asked.  Pausing gives you a moment to collect yourself and it provides a nonverbal cue to the interviewer that they were understood.  Finally, and I can’t stress this one enough; WAIT YOUR TURN TO SPEAK!!!  There is nothing more disrespectful to an interviewer than to have someone speak over them.  Not only is it disrespectful, but it is annoying an immediately lets the interviewer know that you will NOT be someone they want to work alongside.  Allow the interviewer to finish their thought before you provide comment, answer a question or even ask a question.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

You’ve made it.  You’ve answered every question effectively.  You spoke with elegance.  You dressed perfectly.  You’ve done EVERYTHING right.  Then the interviewer asks the inevitable question “do you have any questions?”  Folks, the answer to this question is always YES!!!  Asking questions about your potential employer demonstrates to the interviewer that you have done some research about the company or even the person interviewing you.  It is a compliment to ask questions.  Not sure what to ask?  Here are some basic questions that will make you seem a cut above the rest. 

• In this changing economy, how will [insert company name here] be positioning themselves to remain competitive and what part would I play in that repositioning?  This question shows you understand where the company is currently and you are interested in contributing to its success.

• Does the company have a succession plan for my department or division?  If so, what is the career trajectory for someone in my position?  This question establishes your intent to stay with the company for an extended period of time and that you want to learn more.

• Is there a formal company mentoring program?  If not, is management encouraged to mentor mid-level employees?  This question demonstrates your desires to master your skill set and absorb knowledge from those ahead of you on the corporate ladder.

Using all of these tools in concert may not guarantee you will land the job of your dreams, but it certainly increases your chances exponentially.  Until then, happy hunting.