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Interview Tips

Before The Interview:

Know the company! Visit their Web site, read about them, try to talk with employees. Know the number of employees, primary products and services, and general market of the company. 

Know the exact job you are applying for. Be sure to know what kind of position you are being interviewed for. The more you know, the better you can prepare for questions. 

Wear less jewelry and cologne -- less flash, because less is more. No company wants a smelly, flashy employee, unless they are in the business of being smelly and flashy. Tone it down! 

Be on time, be cordial, be polite. Use the manners that your mama made you know. Pretend you are visiting the most important person (or people) in the universe, which of course is partly true given you want that job. 

Practice, practice, practice! Practice as much as possible! If you don't have it down cold, you should hang it up. Prevent a sloppy interview by heating up the practice. 

Realize that the interviewer is looking for reasons to hire you and not hire you. They are looking for reasons to reject you and reasons to accept you. Minimize your weaknesses, accentuate your strengths. This means you need to be in touch with yourself -- knowing yourself is critical. 

Be prepared to wait. Have a book or magazine to read just in case (but make sure the reading material is appropriate). Don't be caught off guard if you are asked to wait. 

Be prepared for different kinds of interviews -- e.g., one on one, versus group interviews. Try to get a tackle on the folks that will be interviewing you. Will they be a committee? Will they be a mix of managers and employees. Will one person interview you? Is that
person the CEO or the janitor? When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter, as long as you know (and are prepared). 

During The Interview:

Know your resume; have samples and examples of your work. Know your resume like the palm of your hand. Be prepared to answer bizarre and difficult questions about your resume; the better you know what you wrote, the better off you will be. Be sure to review your cover letter too. 

Know what you should earn, but don't talk salary or benefits.Yes, salary is important, but they need to like you and want you first. Once you have them hook, line, and sinker, then you can think about the money. Until they talk salary, however, keep that mouth closed. 

Ask questions; be an active participant. Nothing is worse than a slouch. Be on your toes, be engaged with the interviews. Talk when needed. Be an active listener. 

As much as possible, avoid talking about your husband/wife, parents, pets, religion, or other personal matters -- be professional, be business-like. 

Talk about your previous employment experience(s) and your future potential. Make sure that you make it clear that you are a rising star and that you can add some serious value to the company.You are a great asset. 

Don't speak negatively about your old boss or company. If you talk poorly about the old boss, the new (potential) bosses will think that you'll speak poorly of them too. If you have something negative to say, that is your business only. 

Watch your language -- you're "willing", "eager", and "ready"; you say, "when I get the job", not "if". Use your language skills effectively. Be on top of what you say. Use positive, engaging words. Be excited, sound excited. 

Use your interview as an opportunity to interview the company. Be interested in the company, and be sure to ask questions that are important to you. This is your interview. This is your chance to find out more about the company -- they want you to ask. It shows you are interested, and they like it.  

Physical nuances are critical (e.g., no gum chewing, bouncing, or head scratching). Don't ruin your chances by being annoying. Be a professional. 

Have a positive attitude, think positive thoughts. If you have fear, it will show. If you have confidence, it will show. Both of these things can be easily controlled. Which will you choose? Be smart, and think great thoughts about yourself. Get a pep talk from a friend,
or give yourself one. 

Mimic the interviewer's behavior -- if they offer you coffee and they are drinking it, have some too (but be careful!). If they cross their legs, try to do the same. If they smile, you smile. Do your best to fit in with the interviewer or interviewers. Get friendly, but maintain
professionalism. 

After The Interview

Say thank you; be genuine. No matter how good or bad things go, you must say thanks to the interviewer(s). It is kind and professionally courteous. Do yourself a favor and be friendly -- say thank you! 

Be sure to write a thank you letter (including any writing samples, URLs, etc., that you or they referenced). Be sure to substantiate any claims you made. Be sure to use the thank you letter as an opportunity to show you are very interested. 

Be sure to make good eye contact and be sure to give a good handshake. Be friendly at the end of the interview. Don't go overboard, but do show strength of character and also enthusiasm. 

Directly ask the interviewer when they will be contacting you next. They will tell you when you can expect to hear from them. You want to be able to plan the future, if possible. 

Take notes of your experience. Use the notes to help you write a better thank you letter. Also, if you don't get the job, use these notes to improve your next interview(s). "continuous improvement" 

If you don't get the job and your rejection letter is not satisfactory, write the interview(s) and ask exactly what they were looking for. Some companies discourage this, but it is worth your time to ask (for feedback). 

Be persistent! Don't give up. You will find that perfect job. It can take many, many applications just to get one interview, and it can take many interviews to get an offer. But, it will happen. The key is to keep it up!