Job Interviewing Tips and Techniques for Candidates

Mastering the interview process is the key to securing that next step position that you're seeking. It's tough enough to get into the interview process in today's current job market, but once you've begun the hiring process you've got to thoroughly prepare and be ready for every interview step. This includes phone interviews, one-on-one interviews with the leadership team, and group or panel-style interviews. The three most important steps with interviewing are preparation, practice, and presentation:

PREPARATION:

Prepare in advance of EVERY interview. It's almost impossible to over-prepare for an interview. Those who prepare and take the time to do all of their homework, put themselves at a major competitive advantage. Consider all of the following steps in preparation for an interview:

Research the company. Thoroughly research the company. Talk to those in your network that know the company. Research the company on the internet. If a public company, review publicly available financial statement information. What are the key issues currently facing the Company? Why is the position you are interviewing for available? Is it a new position? If so, why? Is it a replacement position? If so, what happened to the former executive employee? What are the company's key strengths? What is their market share for key products/services? What is going on with the company's key competitors? What late-breaking news is available on the company? Set up a "Google Alert" for the weeks/days leading up to your interview to keep current on late-breaking news.

Know the format. Confirm ahead of time the format of the interview. Will it be a phone interview, face-to-face interview, group interview, panel interview, lunch interview, dinner interview, etc? You NEVER want to be surprised by the format -- it can definitely throw you off and affect your level of confidence.

Know the interviewers. Find out as much as you can about all of those individuals with whom you will be interviewing -- Ask for their names in advance. If you're working with an executive recruiter, ask him or her to provide you with that information. Do a "Google" search on all of the individuals. Do a LinkedIn search on all of the individuals. Look for things in common with your background -- former employers, college and university alumni, professional organizations, outside interests, etc. Draw up a list of possible talking points.

Know the position. Make sure you thoroughly understand the roles and responsibilities of the position you will be interviewing for. Ask for a job description, find out why the position is open, thoroughly research similar positions on the internet (job boards are a great resource for this exercise). Confirm your understanding of the position with your recruiter. Make no presumptions about the position.

Draw up insightful questions. Make a list of relevant and targeted questions that you can ask. Formulate separate sets of questions for each of the individuals you'll be interviewing. Orient your questioning to each person's background, role and responsibility at the company.Great questions = Great results.

Draw up a list of questions that will likely be asked of you. Put together a comprehensive list of some of the key questions that you will likely be asked. What are the most difficult questions that you could be asked? Consider things such as: Gaps in your work experience; Short-tenure job positions (particularly those where you were employed less than one year; Lack of experience in one or more of the key requirements of the job position for which you will be interviewing

PRACTICE:

This is the big one that most executive level candidates fail to give sufficient attention to. My experience in working with hundreds and hundreds of candidates and preparing them for job interviews, is that those who prepare always outshine their competition. Preparation helps you build your confidence. Preparation will result in a relaxed and calm presentation. Preparation is also about minimizing any surprises. Here are a few ideas for practicing your presentation and fine-tuning potential answers to questions:

·      Role playing with a friend, your spouse, or an experienced coach.

·      Self-observation. Practicing in front of a mirror.

·      Video replay. Video-taping yourself and critiquing your performance.

As with anything, Practice makes perfect. Why leave anything to chance? If the position you're planning to interview for is important, take the time to practice.

PRESENTATION:

On the day of the interviews you've got to impress everyone you will meet. No exceptions. You have to impress all of the interviewers. You've got to create an excellent initial impression and you've got to leave a lasting enthusiastic impression of yourself. Consider these key tips for making a successful first impression.

·     Dress for success. Know the dress-style expectation ahead of time and take it up just a notch. If it's business casual and they ask you to dress business casual, then respect their request but take it up just a notch. For males that means putting a blue blazer over your golf shirt and wearing impeccable shoes.

·     Impeccable grooming. Speaks for itself.

·     Watch your manners. Show respect for everyone you meet -- the receptionist, the administrative assistant. It may be that everyone's vote counts. Be kind, be considerate, be nice.

·     Smile and be engaging. Interviews are serious, but let your personality come out. Smile and show enthusiasm. Be engaging. Practice an interview style that replaces "stiffness" with being more conversational. Be interesting.

·     Don't take notes during the interviews. It's OK to bring a small folio to hold a couple copies of your resume, but don't take notes during the interviews. You must keep eye contact 100% of the time with the interviewers, and note taking distracts you from the person interviewing you.

 A few final thoughts:

·      Keep your answers on-point. Answer the question and avoid rambling commentary.

·      Ask about next steps. Asking "what's next" is a signal of your interest. Know the next steps.

·      Let everyone know you're interested. Don't leave anyone questioning your interest level. Make it totally apparent and sincere.

·      Pick up business cards or contact information on everyone you meet with. You'll need this for follow up responses.

·      Follow up with everyone you interviewed with -- at a minimum via email. Handwritten notes to some of the key interviewers have always made a positive impact. Keep each message unique, while reaffirming your interest level, and point out the top two or three reasons why you will be successful in the position. End by expressing an interest in taking the next steps in the process.