All job interviews have the same objective,
but employers reach that objective in a variety of ways. One
strategy for performing your best during an interview is to
know the rules of the particular game you are playing when
you walk through the door. Everything cannot be predicted
in advance but of course there are few do's and don'ts to
follow:
Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can
ace your next interview if you :
Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is
the state from which great basketball players or Olympic
skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self
chatter in your head through meditation or visualization
prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus on
the present moment and will be less apt to experience
lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.
Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic
self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation
with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you
did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial
runs with another person simulating the interview before
it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the
questions you'll be asked on a final exam.
Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave
the meeting feeling secure that the interviewer knows
as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities,
experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions,
clear them up before leaving. If the interviewer doesn't
get around to asking you important questions, pose them
yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave
the meeting without getting your own questions answered
so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting
yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews,
especially with other key players.
Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every
question boils down to, "Why should we hire you?"
Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question
about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer
is probing delicately about your personal life, careful
not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will
interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if
you sense they are present.
Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter.
Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity
to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting
and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter
after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing out among
the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider
this follow up letter as an additional interview in which
you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that
demonstrate your added value to the team.
Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders
of the interviewer. He or she has the responsibility of
hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job
will need to be justified. "Are there additional
pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture
of this organization?" These as well as other questions
will be heavily on the interviewer's mind. Find ways to
demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing
the job.
Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself."
This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared
interviewers. Everything you include should answer the
question, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully
prepare your answer to include examples of achievements
from your work life that closely match the elements of
the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as
much about the job description as you can before you respond
to the question.
