The Interview – So Much to Say, So Little Time!

By Piper C. Reason

February 7, 2006

Some folks believe that the resumé gets you the interview and the interview gets you the job. And interviews can range from the brief, informal chat over a retail counter to a day-long process involving many people in a variety settings. How well the interview is coordinated depends on factors including the level of the job for which you are applying and the experience of the interviewer. Bottom line … in most situations, you won’t know what your interview will be like until you’re there, but doing well in the interview is crucial. Here’s what I know about preparing for and acing an interview.

First Impressions and Presentation

Like it or not, we are judged by appearances. It might not be fair to “judge a book by its cover,” but this is no time to challenge an old adage. (Once you’re in, you can try to make changes. But not now!) When you do your research about the organization, pay attention to how people dress and then kick it up a notch! You don’t want to be over-dressed either, so just kick it one notch. (Note “dress” includes details like accessories, hairstyles, and footwear as well as the presence of tattoos and piercings.)

Getting this kind of information cannot usually be done via the internet. If it’s not the kind of organization where you can just walk in and see for yourself how folks dress, and you can’t find someone who knows someone who works there¹, sit out in the parking lot and watch as they come and go.

Presentation, in addition to appearance, includes posture, eye contact, clarity of message, enthusiasm, and an overall aura of confidence. It’s okay to be nervous, but you can be nervous and confident! The best way to learn whether or not your presentation is positive is by asking for feedback from family and friends. Just let them know you need honest feedback, not lots of empty compliments.

The Purpose of the Interview

While there may be an infinite number of questions that may be asked of you during a job interview, there are really only three questions that you need to be prepared to answer:

1. Do you have the skills and background to do the job?
2. Are you willing to do the job?
3. Will you be a good fit with the company?

In order to respond to these questions, you need to know:

1. Yourself – skills, values, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses
2. The job – tasks, responsibilities, terminology/jargon, working conditions
3. The company – products, programs, and services; history and plans for the future; dress code; pay scale and benefits; culture – including “family friendliness”

As with anything else, your ability to show the match between you and the position during an interview will only get better with practice. Assess your current interview skills by thinking about the last few times you were interviewed.

• How did you prepare for the interviews?
• What did you find difficult or challenging?
• What did you find easy or fun?
• Which questions were most difficult to answer?
• What were your answers?
• How did you judge whether or not they were good answers?
• What did you learn from each interview experience – so that you can improve next time?

One relatively simple technique for improving your interviews is to approach it with a well-thought-out list of the three things you want to emphasize. They should reflect what you feel are your strongest selling points, and you should be prepared to offer examples that prove you what you are saying.² You can carry around index cards with you for a few days before the interview with notes reminding you about what you want to say. When the time comes, the answers will flow more smoothly. Other effective strategies include practicing in front of a mirror (which sounds embarrassing, but no one else has to know!) and role playing. Ask someone you feel comfortable with to ask you some of “the usual” questions³ and try some different answers until you feel good about your response.

Final Thoughts

Don’t pretend to be something you’re not, or to know things you don’t. You’ll just end up in a job that doesn’t fit, doing work that you don’t feel confident doing, with people that don’t appreciate your actual skills and abilities.

Do share your personality and sense of humor with the interviewer. It may sound very unprofessional, but people hire people they like. For the interviewer who has to assess you in a very short period of time, friendliness and honesty are very likeable qualities.

Additional resources

To research organizations:

• Business Utility Zone Gateway, New Hampshire Chambers of Commerce
• Hoover's, Research Companies and Industries
• DirectoryNH.com
• Business NH Magazine

For help with interviewing skills:

• Adams Job Interview Almanac, ©2005, Adams Media Corporation
• Knock ‘Em Dead by Martin Yate, © 2005, Adams Media Corporation
• Getting the Job You Really Want by J. Michael Farr, © 2001, JIST Works, Inc.

Footnotes:

1. See previous article, “Networking”
2. See previous article, “Don’t Just Say It – Prove It!”
3. See one of the resources recommended above for help with interviewing skills