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Interviewing
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The goal
in an interview should be to do well
enough to be offered the opportunity to
advance to the next step. This doesn't
mean the next step must be taken, but
you want to have the choice. As an
astute candidate once said to us, "I
will never turn down a position that
hasn't been offered to me." On the other
hand, candidates should stop the process
as soon as they are certain that a good
but realistic offer would be turned
down.
Planning For and Conducting the
Interview
All interviews, regardless of who they
are with and whether in person or over
the phone, should be preceded by
preparation and forethought. This holds
true even for people who feel
comfortable and confident in
interviewing situations. Every recruiter
has examples of well intentioned and
qualified candidates who undermined
themselves by not sticking to some basic
principles, or letting their guard down.
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1.
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Develop background
information about the company and
position. Gnodde Associates will give
you as much information as we have,
however, you should also undertake some
research, which is often easily done via
the Internet. This will impress the
interviewer and also enable you to compare
and contrast the opportunity with your
current job. It is always a good sign when
we hear from a client that our candidate
"asked all the right questions".
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2.
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Allow enough time so
you can announce yourself a few minutes
early and in case of an emergency call
ahead explaining that you will be late,
even if it's only ten minutes. Also, be
patient and bring some reading
material, just in case the interviewer is
late. At the same time remain focused on
what you want to talk about during the
interview. A client once told us of a
candidate who was visibly agitated for
having been kept waiting and it soured the
whole interview.
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3.
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Pay attention
throughout the interview. Often an
interview will change direction and topics
will be discussed out of order so be
careful not to ask a question that has
already been covered. Also, remember that
good eye contact is very important.
Rightly or wrongly, most interviewers use
this as a measure of your self confidence,
ability to concentrate, level of interest
and general credibility and
integrity.
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4.
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Look, speak and act
like a professional. If there is a
question about clothing, it is always
better to overdress. We all have plenty of
ways to be ourselves but when it comes to
dressing for an interview it is best to
conform. Our candidate who wore a pink tank
top found this out too late. Also, be
mindful about how you express yourself
and avoid using slang. Once a client told
us that our candidate used the expression
"that sucks" when describing something.
Another client became negative toward the
candidate when his beeper went off during
the interview.
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5.
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Be enthusiastic but
don't talk too much. Show interest and
speak with enthusiasm about what you do and
what you want to do. Carry the conversation
when it is given to you and don't allow
dead air. Interviewers sometimes go silent
just to see how much or little the
candidate will say. In such a situation it
is important to strike a proper balance
because either too little or too much
conversation can be a negative.
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6.
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Be prepared to talk
about your responsibilities and
accomplishments. Hopefully the
interviewer will be balanced and will allow
you to talk about your skills and
background, as well as giving you
information about the position and the
company. If the interviewer dominates the
conversation he or she will have scant
recollection of you and your abilities.
Keep in mind that the company may have
other openings either today or in the
future for which you may be well
qualified.
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7.
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Avoid criticizing
current or previous employers. It is
appropriate to point out concerns or issues
but not to blame present or previous
employers. You do not want to be perceived
as a complainer or one who cannot take
responsibility for your own actions. Be
positive and upbeat because everyone likes
individuals with positive mental attitudes,
a sense of humor, and the ability to roll
with the punches.
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8.
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Don't raise the
issue of compensation. If the
interviewer does, however, you must
respond. Ideally your response should be
along the lines that you know the range on
the position and your final decision to
accept any offer will be based on several
factors, and compensation will be one of
them. It would be good to add that you are
interested in the position and you believe
that something can be worked out.
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9.
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At the end of the
interview you want to accomplish three
things. First, ask if there are any
concerns that will prevent you from
advancing to the next step. A little extra
confidence will help here because there
might be some legitimate issues. It would
be far worse, however, to not ask and not
get the offer due to a concern that you
could have overcome. Second, ask
where they are in the interview process and
when you might be hearing back. This should
lead to the Third, which is a quick
summary from you as to why you are
interested in the position and believe that
you are qualified for further
consideration. Again, this is not a
commitment on your part but a means of
keeping the door open and of being
polite.
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10.
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Follow-up the
meeting immediately with a short thank you
note. This will not get you an offer
but it will make a favorable impression and
will help seal a potential offer. Once one
of our candidates sent a hand delivered
thank you note two hours after the first
interview. Our client was very impressed,
and later made an enthusiastic offer which
was accepted.
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The Three
Basic Types of Interview Styles
Generally speaking interviewers
use one of three types of approaches. There are
variations on these approaches and sometimes more
than one will be used in the same interview. Do not
make a quick judgement as to how skilled the
interviewer is based on his or her approach, or how
well you are doing, but rather be able to deal with
each. Often the most skilled interviewers are those
that put you at ease so that you say things that
might not otherwise have come out.
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1.
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The open ended
question. If the question is "tell me
about yourself', it would be appropriate to
respond with something like "I'll be glad
to. Would you like me to start with my
educational background or my actual
experience?". The interviewer's response
will give you a direction and let you know
what is most important to them. Whichever
one they decide, start with the most recent
degree or job, because this the most
relevant. Give the interviewer plenty of
opportunity to ask questions and to direct
the conversation. Without appearing
boastful tell them about your strengths and
again avoid criticizing others in the
process.
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2.
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The series of direct
& specific questions. First, don't
let this approach or the accompanying tone
of voice intimidate you. This may just be a
busy person who knows what they are looking
for, and prefers a more scripted approach.
As always, with good eye contact give solid
answers, without extensive elaboration. Do
not try to be overly friendly or
conversational, as this may tend to
irritate a very business-like person. If
you will be spending a lot of time with
this person, then you should work passively
at getting them to loosen up, but don't
worry about it if they don't smile, as this
may not be their style.
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3.
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The explanatory
approach. Smile, and get ready to take
notes, mentally if you prefer. Some people
mistakenly think that this approach is a
roadmap to an eventual offer. It may be,
but only if you can demonstrate your
ability to do the job, and to do it better
than your competition. Be careful not to
parrot back "that describes me perfectly".
Instead be more subtle and weave into your
description of yourself facts and examples
that will allow the interviewer to come to
that conclusion. Also, it is not a good
idea to suggest that you could do this job
in your sleep or to use the expression
"been there, done that", and thereby
unwittingly suggest that you might get
bored.
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Questions You
May Encounter During an Interview
Candidates often make two
crucial mistakes when answering questions in an
interview. First, they fail to listen to the
question and then proceed to either answer a
question that wasn't asked, or give a lot of
superfluous information. Second, they may attempt to
answer questions without thinking about what they
are going to say. Do not be afraid to pause before
answering a question. If you develop good responses
to the questions below you will increase your
chances of a job offer, and you will get more
enjoyment out of the interview process.
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1.
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Why do you want to
change jobs? Be sure the company you
are interviewing with has the ability to
address the concerns that you have about
your current position. Conversely, you
might respond that you were not actively
looking, however, the opportunity being
presented in this position is very
interesting to you, and be able to state
why.
If you are in a position where advancement
and learning opportunities are limited the
interviewer will understand. Another
reasonable answer would be that you feel
your present employer is losing ground to
competition. On the other hand, it is best
not to state that compensation is your only
reason for looking, or that you hate your
boss, or that you are bored. This is a
question you need to be careful with and
sometimes your tone and phrasing can be as
important as your specific answers.
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Why do you want to
work here? If you have done your
homework on the company, you will have a
few responses that can be delivered
succinctly, such as: "You have a reputation
for providing your clients with excellent
service". "Your management is farsighted
enough to reinvest in training and
technology so that your leadership in
service will continue".
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3.
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What interests you
most about this position? Give a
truthful but brief answer like "the
challenge" or "the future" or "the
environment" or "the competitiveness". This
response will force the interviewer to ask
you to explain, giving you another
opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge
of the company. Their response will also
give you more insight as to what is most
important to them.
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4.
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Why should I hire
you? The interviewer does not want a
lengthy regurgitation of your resume or
barrage of facts and figures. In part they
are testing your poise and confidence, so
give a short, generalized summary like "I
have the qualifications to do the job that
needs to be done and my track record proves
it." This can be followed by an example or
two, however, they should not be
detailed.
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What training /
qualifications do you have for a job like
this? Deliver a short, fact filled
summary of your two or three most important
qualifications. For example, "I have done
very well in business development", or
"I've demonstrated the ability to
underwrite complex credits", or "I'm
capable of handling several product
development projects
simultaneously".
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6.
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How have you helped
sales / profits / cost reductions? Have
your success stories ready and be willing
to prove that you have made significant
contributions in one or more important
areas. Keep your explanations short and try
to include specific dollar amounts. If you
cannot answer this straight from your
resume then you should consider rewriting
it.
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What are the reasons
for your success? It is best to keep
this answer very general, permitting the
interviewer to probe more deeply. Offer a
short list of positive character traits
that describe you: "I like to work hard",
"I get along with all kinds of people and I
know how to listen", or "I pay close
attention to details; I give thought and
time to developing my new business plans
and then I stick to them".
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How do you feel
about your progress to date? It is not
necessary to apologize for yourself. A good
answer would be "I think I've done well,
but I need new challenges and
opportunities". This is a good time to drop
a success story, if you have one: "few
people in my bank / area have advanced as
fast as I have". If your achievements are
less lofty, still state them honestly and
with conviction.
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Why were you out of
work? If there is a time gap in your
resume, be prepared to explain what you
were doing during that time. Try to explain
very positively what you learned or
accomplished during the hiatus. For
example, "I took several courses to
strengthen my skills in . . .", or "I used
this time to re-examine my goals and
reached this conclusion . . .".
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10.
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Why have you changed
jobs so frequently? If it applies, it
is important to convince the interviewer
that your job hopping days are over. This
is no place to be glib and explain that you
bettered yourself with each move. That
might be part of your answer, but it will
probably not satisfactorily explain every
job change. If you feel it was a mistake
leaving a previous job so soon, say so and
explain why. If something in your personal
or business life necessitated a past change
and / or will make you more stable in the
future, come out with the facts. Honesty is
important and appreciated.
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11.
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What kind of
decisions are most difficult for you?
Be human and admit that not everything
comes easily, but be careful about what you
admit to: "I find it difficult to decide
which of two good employees must be let
go", or "it is difficult for me to tell a
client when he's running his business
badly". Alternatively, you might be asked
to explain a difficult situation or
decision that you have faced, either on or
off the job, and how you resolved
it.
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Would you like to
have your boss's job? If you are like
most people you want to advance, and the
company will almost always prefer someone
with ambition. Therefore, the answer to
this question usually is "Yes, when I am
judged qualified" or "should an opening
develop down the road". On the other hand,
your next best step might be a strategic
lateral move; consequently, before
answering you should think about the
alternatives that make the most sense for
you.
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13.
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What would you like
to be doing five years from now? To
answer this question, make sure you have a
good idea about what can or cannot be
accomplished by the ideal candidate in this
position and with this company. Also be
honest and realistic with yourself and
where you want to go with your career.
Candidates frequently stumble on this
question because of a lack of prior thought
and homework.
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14.
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Have you ever hired
or fired anyone? or How many people have
you supervised? You are being asked
these questions to determine whether you
are capable of performing such duties and
if your previous experience was at a high
enough level to include hiring / firing
responsibilities. If you have no
supervisory experience, and it will be a
part of your next position, you must
convince the interviewer that you can
perform in these areas.
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One last thought: It is
important to make your answers and your interview
sound natural and to have some of your personality
come through. If you're over prepared you may appear
wooden and unimaginative. It is possible for someone
to have a solid interview and not get an offer
because they do not establish a good rapport and
credibility.
We want to acknowledge that
many of the ideas and even specific text for this
interviewing section are not original to Gnodde
Associates. Although we cannot accurately reference
other resources, we specifically would like to thank
Bob Cozzens of Wayne Associates for allowing us to
borrow liberally from his web site.
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