The Job Interview:
Making it work for you!

“You have one chance to make a first impression”

Follow these Proven Techniques:

I. Preparation – Resume & "Skill set Summary."

• Take the time to prepare a stellar resume. Work closely with your Recruiter and implement any suggestions to your current resume that make sense to you.  Presenting an accurate & comprehensive summary of your background in a logical and easy-to-read format is vital. Remember, your resume will need to “keep the door open” until you can get in front of the hiring manager and reinforce your expertise and their interest in selecting you.
• Prior preparation will enable you to be confident, overcome interviewing inexperience, and to sell yourself and your qualifications. Begin by preparing your employment, educational and miscellaneous “inventory sheets” which will outline your qualifications. Don't be modest, don't minimize your strengths, and be specific when describing results. Keep these sheets, a copy of your resume, and a pad & paper by the phone for easy reference during a telephone interview.
• Never go on an interview without first researching the company. Spend time on the web utilizing sites such as www.hoovers.com & www.bizjournals.com in addition to the company’s web site, will enable you to know the company's products/services, markets, sales volume, locations and subsidiaries.
• Prepare to answer all questions you do not want to hear. If you can sensibly answer the toughest questions, the others are easy. All questions potentially have follow-ups. Prepare to answer the logical who, what, why, when and how questions.

II. How to Conduct Yourself During the Interview.

• Be sure to bring several copies of your “JD-IT resume” with you to your interview (printed out on high quality paper). Hold the resumes, along with your typed list of questions you plan to ask, and a writing pad & pen in a small hand-held portfolio, or binder for easy accessibility.
• Prior planning requires you to inventory all responsibilities performed and to state how well you carried them out.
• Prove your competency by stating how well you performed in the past by using the 1-2-3 mini-story technique.- i.e., state the problem, describe your solution and emphasize the positive results.
• Strive to project eagerness and interest; be a conversationalist by being yourself.
• Conclude the interview by getting a "what-will-happen-next?" summary. Show genuine interest in the opportunity. Ask for the business cards of the people that interviewed you, and write a brief follow-up letter via e-mail.
• Be punctual. Professional manners and courtesy are fundamentally important. Show enthusiasm for the job.

Communication Tips and Techniques

• Have a clear beginning and ending. Don’t let your sentences run together or trail off.
• Avoid using vocal pauses and slang words (um, uh, like, you know ...)
• Plan what you want to communicate to the interviewer (practice answering questions)
• Answer question asked and volunteer relevant information
• Don’t ramble
• Don’t use slang or other forms of poor English

Interview Negatives
The interviewer will be evaluating your negative as well as your positive characteristics during interview, following are some negative factors that can lead to the rejection of an applicant:

• Unprofessional appearance
• Aggressive, overbearing, or egotistical behavior
• Lack of affirmative purpose
• Passive or indifferent behavior, indicating lack of enthusiasm and interest in the position
• Nervousness or lack of poise and confidence.
• Excessive focus on compensation
• Not forthcoming or seemingly evasive
• Making excuses for questionable factors in work history
• Unprofessional bearing, lacking tact, courtesy, immaturity
• Criticism of present or past employers, colleagues, technology, projects
• Failure to maintain and actively participate in a conversation
• Insignificant demonstrated commitment to the position
• Lack of questions about the position
• Pervasive "what can you do for me" attitude
• Poor preparation for the interview, lack of info about the company, failure to ask informed questions.

Common Interview Pitfalls

• Don’t respond to questions with yes or no answers
• Explain and expand answers into compelling reasons to hire you when possible
• Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments - be positive but honest
• Don’t provide too much information or go off into tangents
• Answer questions fully and frankly, but to the point
• Don’t make opinionated statements unless the employer invites you to do so.
• Avoid a growling stomach, by eating a solid meal prior to your interview (just be certain to brush your teeth or pop a breath mint immediately before your interview begins).

III. How to Answer Questions
The question - answering rule says, "Answer every question in terms of your background and qualifications or in terms of the job to be filled."

• "Tell me about yourself" means, "Tell me about your qualifications." Pre-plan a three-to-five-minute answer describing your education and then mention each job in terms of accomplishment or performance indicators.
• Personality questions attempt to determine if you have the qualities being sought. "What kind of manager are you? Are you creative?" Answer these questions in terms of the obvious answer supported by past or present experiences as proof of your claim.
• Motive questions are asked to determine if you would enjoy the job. "Describe your ideal job. Would you prefer to work for a large or small company? What did you like most/least about your last job?" Answer these questions as they relate to the job for which you are interviewing, following the question-answering rule. Be specific and empathetic.
• Salary questions: When asked what you desire, say - "I am prepared to accept a fair offer based upon my skills & experience and fair market value". Be prepared to answer any salary history questions accurately.  Refer to your Recruiter prior to your interview regarding any additional salary and/or compensation related questions.
• Prepare for tough questions. Anticipate what they will be, and have your answer ready. They will most likely focus on: reason for leaving, quality of performance, gap in employment history, or salary questions. Be brief but factual. Write out your answers before hand while practicing. Refine & memorize your responses to these tough questions, without sounding rehearsed.
• When asked, "What are your weaknesses?" Use a positive-negative response. For instance "sometimes my projects take a little bit longer than most, but they are always done correctly the first time and nobody has to go back and fix my work!"

Questions typically asked by employers:

• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• Where do you see yourself five to ten years from now?
• Describe your most rewarding accomplishment.
• What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this position?
• Describe a challenge you encountered and how you dealt with it.
• Why are you interested in working for our company or organization?
• What do you know about our company?
• Tell me a little about yourself.
• How would you describe yourself?
• What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
• Why should I hire you?
• In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
• If you were hiring somebody for this position, what qualities would you look for?
• What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• What qualities should a successful manager possess?
• In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
• How do you evaluate or determine success?
• What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
• How do you think a friend, teacher, or former employer would describe you?
• Which is more important to you, money or type of job?
• How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
• What are your long range/short range goals and objectives?
• When and why did you establish these goals?
• How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
• Why did you leave your last assignment?
• Describe your ideal job.
• Would you like to work for a large or small company?
• What did you like most/least about your previous job?

IV. Asking Questions-Employers Like to be Interviewed, Too!
Have a list, don't cross-examine, make them job related, ask questions that require an explanation.

• Interest questions pertain to: job opportunity; the company; its people; its products/services.
• Job-satisfaction questions relate to: importance of job; responsibility and authority; recognition and career potential.
• Past-performance questions concentrate on people who previously held the position, their performance and where they are today.
• Sales questions help you determine the kind of person the employer wants to hire in terms of education, experience, future performance and personality: When you understand the kind of person the employer wants to hire, you can then say, "I can do the job you want done, because I did it before and did it well."
• Ask for the job: "I can do what you want done and I want the job!"
• Avoid questions relating to salary, fringes, vacations and retirement until the job is offered.

Questions to ask Employer:

• What is the philosophy of the company or organization?
• What do you consider to be the company’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What are the company’s plans and goals?
• Describe the work environment and company culture.
• What attracted you to this organization?
• Why do you enjoy working for this company?
• Describe the typical responsibilities of the position.
• What are the challenging facets of the position?
• Describe the opportunity for training and professional development.
• Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?
• Why is the position open?
• Who previously held this position?
• What was their performance and where are they today?
• What type of responsibilities and authorities does the position hold?
• Does the company see this position as important for its growth?
• When I have succeeded in accomplishing the tasks of this position, what would the next step be?
• Is there a defined career path?

Closing questions that the applicant must ask:

• Do you have any other questions regarding my background?
• Is there anything else that you need to know to make a decision?
• This is a great opportunity and I am more than just interested in the position, what is the next step?

V. Dress Properly

• For men: conservative suit, white shirt, contrasting tie, shoes shined, socks over calf. Fresh haircut if applicable.
• For women: professional business suit or dress with matching jacket, neutral-colored hose, simple pumps, minimum makeup and jewelry.
• The old saying still stands, “You dress up, you go up”. Do not under dress for the interview, unless specifically directed to do so.

VI. After the Interview

• Contact your Recruiter immediately and discuss what transpired. It’s important that your Recruiter speaks with you first before obtaining feedback from the hiring manager, so they may speak intelligently on your behalf. If you are interested in the position, your Recruiter will help you get it.
• You're in the final stretch. The interviews have gone well, success seems well in hand. Here are some tips on putting the final touches on your job search:

Follow-up letters are noticed more by their omission. While no one ever got hired because of a thank-you note, lots of candidates have lost ground because they didn't write one, or the letter was poorly written. Try this format: State your enjoyment in meeting the interviewer(s), and your interest in position. Then state two to three sentences on some specific aspect about the conversation you had, and that you feel well qualified for this position. Close by reiterating your interest the company and in advancing to the next step. Be sure to thank them for their time. Also, make certain to check for grammatical and spelling errors before you hit the “send” button!

Remember………your last impression is as important as your first. Treat the receptionist as well as you treat the hiring manager. If you like the opportunity, let them know you have the ability to handle the job, you’re interested in it, and most importantly, let them know you want to work there!