A great opportunity has presented itself, you’ve applied, and guess what? You’ve been granted an interview!!! Depending on how you look at it, the next step could be the easiest or the hardest. I believe getting your foot in the door is the toughest part. Once you’re in, all you have to do is sell yourself. This should actually be easy because no one knows you better than you. Below are some tips to help you interview at your best, so that not only do you provide great answers, you’re allowing your true self to shine through.
Be prepared: I find myself almost always starting an advise blog with this statement, but it is true! The more prepared you are, generally the more comfortable and confident you will be. Thoroughly review the company’s web site; ask in advance what type of questions will be asked; know exactly where your interview will be and what you need to bring. Sounds very basic, but you’d be amazed at what people do not do in preparation for their interviews.
How to present: Regardless of what you are presenting- complex statistical data, or a light hearted approach as to why you’re the best candidate, all presentations should follow this format: Tell them what you’re going to discuss, then discuss it, and then end it with a recap or concise summary. This allows your audience to know what to expect and helps them formulate better questions at the end of your presentation
How to answer questions: This could be an entire essay by itself, so what I present will be thin. I find there are three types of interview questions: behavioral, situational, and what I call fact based. The first simply wants to know if examples of your past behavior can dictate future behavior. “Tell me a time when....” The best method for answering these questions is MIT’s STAR approach (situation, task, action, and results) I highly recommend that you Google this process to learn more. Situational questions want to know how you would handle certain circumstances, for example two employees are late, but for different reasons. How would you discipline them, if at all? If you have a process for handling situations, this is the time to use it. Lay out a plan from beginning to end on how you would handle disciplinary circumstances, deadline examples, etc...Fact based questions are the toughest to prepare. They tend to be random questions about the company or department you are interviewing for. This is when your thorough preparation before you enter the interview room will help you. Examples are, “What do you know about our Mission Statement”, etc...
Follow up questions: ALWAYS have two to three follow up questions prepared at the end of the interview. To have none infers you are indifferent. Besides, this gives you an opportunity to interview them. Interviews should never be one sided.
Concluding the interview: Thank your interviewers for the opportunity to prove why you are the best candidate for the position. And ask for the job!! It doesn’t have to be direct or demanding, but subtle. For example, “Thank you for the interview. I hope I’ve demonstrated I’m not only well qualified, but the right person for this role. When can I expect to hear back from you? I’d like to start as soon as possible.” Interviewers want to know you are enthusiastic and really want to work for them. And sending a follow up note (try not to email if you can) is a nice touch.
Incorporate these tips when you interview and you should have no problem landing your dream job.
