Interview Help: Purpose | First Impressions | Hints | Frequently Asked Questions | Selling Your Benefits | Other Possible Questions | Sensitive Questions | Salary Questions | Questions for You to Ask | Sample Questions for You to Ask | Green Lights | References

Hints

• Be prepared for each interview, do any appropriate reading and research on the person, the company, the product, and the industry.
• Know yourself and review your accomplishments, so that when the occasion presents itself, you can illustrate your areas of strength with specific examples. Be prepared to give further descriptions or additional examples, beyond the points made in your CV.
• Be polite and personable.
• Let the interviewer indicate where you should sit, and avoid leaning or placing anything on their desk. Ask for or exchange business cards, if possible, in order to get the correct spelling, title or telephone number.
• Make eye contact with the other person for at least some of the time. Most people are very sensitive to lack of eye contact, and tend to think that people who do not look them in the eye are dishonest. But do not stare too much.
• Be careful to avoid showing signs of nervousness - scratching, drumming fingers, etc. Relax. Interviews are never fatal and can be satisfying if you relax.
• Try to read the interviewer and get on the same wavelength. If he or she wants details, provide them. If the person is interested in ideas or concepts, focus accordingly.
• Concentrate on your strengths. Your experiences, results and ability to overcome problems are key indicators of your worth as an employee.
• Underplay your need for a position. Demonstrate confidence, interest, and enthusiasm, because that's the way you are, not because you need a job.
• Convey optimism, but do not over-promise. You will do your very best and your record speaks for your abilities.
• Take the positive view of things, modesty can be seen as a weakness. You should not boast, but you do not need be apologetic. Even mistakes can be shown to have been valuable learning experiences.
• Never talk to an interviewer about your personal problems. Your problems will weaken your case and set a negative tone for the meeting.
• Avoid premature salary discussions. Don't talk about money until your value has been established and understood. Do not seem concerned primarily with salary and benefits for yourself; these will be negotiated at an appropriate time.
• Listen accurately. What you say and ask will be relevant and meaningful to the interviewer. Watch for signs of confusion, agreement, or strong interest, and react accordingly. Make sure you understand the question before responding.
• Concentrate on the idea of making a contribution in a team environment. Competence alone does not make you successful; you must be seen as a person who will be productive in a compatible way.
• Maintain a pace, by building interest toward your objective. If the conversation falters, ask good questions to go further into areas in which the interviewer has earlier shown interest. Try to have interest peaks near the conclusion of the interview, then press for your objective, which should usually be another interview, or a future positive response to the interview or a good referral. Offer to mail in any further thoughts or to investigate a point that came up in the interview, always go the extra mile.
• Always protect the confidence of a past employer and be understanding of any difficulties the employer may have had, including those which caused you to leave. You may be talking to your future employer, and you are demonstrating how much consideration you will show him/her should future problems arise.
• Be realistic about the odds. You won't generate interest every time, but you should be getting useful referrals more often than not, and invitations to a further meeting, once every four or five times. If you are not getting these positive results, sit down and closely review your presentation style and face-to-face meeting skills.
• Be yourself and not what you think someone else expects. Maintain your dignity and self-respect. You will have to live with the new employer, right or wrong, for a considerable time, so you may as well “hire” the right employer.