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| Interviewing is an ART! |
- No one can predict exactly how an interview will go.
- No one can give you a fool-proof method for acing every interview.
But with a better understanding of the process, a foundation and a grounding in the art of interviewing, and knowledge of what it IS and ISN'T, you increase your chances of staying in the game and ultimately winning the prize – your new job!
An Interview is NOT a confrontation
Recently, I heard a job seeker, inexperienced
in the task of searching for a new job, comment, “Interviewing is a
confrontation. Right?” . . . . . . Wrong!
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Nor is it a round of “20 Questions.”
● And, it is not a “tell-all” on the
part of the job seeker.
An Interview IS a conversation
An interview, simply put, is a
conversation between 2 or more people who try, through the art of conversation,
to learn about each other in order to determine if the job seeker is the right candidate for the job. There is a
give-and-take of information by each, that naturally leads to questions being
asked and answered by both throughout the conversational interview.
Interviewing generally goes best when the interviewer and interviewee, or job seeker, view the
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| Defenses go up in interview! |
The job seeker, bracing for a round of 20 questions, goes into a defensive posture - guard up. The interviewer may respond by going on the offensive.
Take a different tack. View the interview as a conversation.
View it as a chance for both parties in the discussion to explore mutual professional interests and get to know each other. In the more congenial atmosphere of a conversation, both parties can participate in the give-and-take of the normal flow of a conversation, with each strategically revealing information and asking questions.
There’s less stress, so both parties . . .
- Can be more relaxed,
- Share information more confidently, and
- Put their best foot forward. Both make a better first impression..
THE 4 PARTS of an INTERVIEW
In establishing a firm foundation
for better interviewing, understand that there are 4 parts, or stages, of an
interview: The schmooze, the opening,
Q&A, and the close. Here’s what you
need to know to move smoothly through each stage.
PART 1: The Schmooze . . . Small talk counts
It is in Stage 1 where first
impressions are established. You say
hello, and rapport is, or is not, developed.
Handshakes count. Eye contact
counts. Smiles count. Appearance, both physical and confidence,
count. Small talk counts as you
work toward developing a rapport and a positive connection and impression.
Tip 1. Learn to schmooze.
Do your homework: Find out as much as you can about the firm and your
interviewer(s). But don’t reveal all you
know as you say hello - it’s way too much too soon. But by, for instance, commenting
conversationally on a positive showing of the firm’s latest product, or an
accomplishment of your interviewer, you help establish a connection, develop
rapport, and make a positive first impression.
Tip 2. Learn when enough
is enough! You can comment on things
that impress you about the firm or your interviewers - even a hobby of your
interviewer if appropriate, but keep it short.
Your objective is to tell
about you - not wind up using 20 of your allotted 45 minutes on his or
her hobby.
Part 2: Opening . . . Interview begins
Stage 2 is where the formal phase of
the interview begins. You can feel the
shift away from small talk into information sharing as interviewers begin to
talk about the company, its challenges and needs, leading to why the position
exists. More often than not, the most
frequently asked interview question pops up here: “So why don’t you tell me about
yourself?” This question, an ice
breaker, gets the ball rolling.
Tip: 1.
Listen to the interviewer’s discourse on
the company and take notes.
Obvious – but the obvious
sometimes bears mentioning – what they talk about is important to them. Use this information when you answer the ice
breaker question. Your interviewer has
just revealed needs as he/she sees them, so weave how you have met similar
needs into your answer about your work experience and accomplishments.
Tip: 2. The best answer to the ice-breaker question is your
“L”vator speech. Prepare it ahead of
time, practice saying it as often as possible, and adapt it to feature your
relevant background and accomplishments in relation to what you have just
learned about the firm’s needs and interviewer’s interests.
Part 3: Q & A
Interviewers
have various styles and strategies for questioning candidates. Some ask
straight-forward factual questions
that can be answered with information only.
Others prefer behavioral
questions which require providing an example of you using your skills and
achieving results. Others use a
combination of the two styles.
Tip: 1. Do some homework and learn what questions are at the top
of most interviewers’ lists. Prepare
and learn – not memorize – answers ahead of time to these frequently
asked
questions.
Tip: 2.
Read your resume thoroughly
before the interview. It is amazing how
we actually forget what we’ve written on our resumes. It happens - trust me - so read and review it.
Tip: 3.
Review the accomplishment statements you have listed and practice telling the story of these
accomplishments aloud.
Part 4: Close . . . Sell yourself
There are
2 closes to the interview - the interviewer’s and yours. Many, if not most
interviews have only one - the interviewer’s.
Here the interviewer thanks the candidate, often talks of where he/she
is in the process of interviewing candidates for this position, and tells the
candidate, “We’ll be in touch.”
Tip:
1. Take
advantage of this time to offer your close as well. In sales jargon, this is the first of several
opportunities you will have to “close
your sale” and move the action forward to the next step. Here’s how to Close Your Interview in 4
Steps:
Step 1: Thank the interviewer(s).
Step 2: State why you are a good fit for the position.
Step 3: Express your interest in the position and going forward to
the next step enthusiastically.
Step 4: Find out what the next step is! If you don’t, you’ll spend the next several
days or weeks waiting anxiously by the phone.
Tip:
2. Close your sale again - this time
in writing.
Send an e-mail, and/or a hard copy of a letter to each interviewer using
the 4-step process for closing an interview just described.
Forgot something?
- Did you forgot to mention a relevant accomplishment in the interview, an experience, or a problem you solved?
- Did you think of a better answer to a question after you said goodbye?
Your written follow-up Thank You letter gives you another chance to include that information.
Forgot something?
- Did you forgot to mention a relevant accomplishment in the interview, an experience, or a problem you solved?
- Did you think of a better answer to a question after you said goodbye?
Your written follow-up Thank You letter gives you another chance to include that information.
Like most
things in life, interviewing goes better if you know
a little something about what you are doing! It helps to know that:
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An interview IS a conversation.
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It is an opportunity for both side to explore and learn what each has to
offer the other while
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| You got the offer! |
As we said earlier, to interview successfully, it is essential to have (1) an understanding of the process, (2) a foundation and a grounding in the art of interviewing, and (3) knowledge of what interviewing is and isn’t.
With this understanding, foundation, and knowledge, you increase your chances of staying in the game and ultimately winning the prize – your new job! And, isn’t that what interviewing is all about!
____________________________________________________________________________
nancy@ajcglobal.com www.ajcglobal.com AJC - for Your Career Path
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-c-gober/6/14b/965
Twitter: @AfterJobClub
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