How to Prepare for an Interview

Anticipating interview questions and preparing answers for these questions is an important success step if you want to come out on top in the interview process. Many if not most job candidates are under prepared when they sit down for an interview. Those that take the time to prepare interview questions and answers have a decided advantage over their competition.

For example, many job candidates are caught off guard by the question “Tell me about yourself?”

In reality this is a question you want to be asked. It is an invitation for you to deliver an unedited commercial about yourself, one that you have prepared and practiced in advance. What could be more beneficial to the impression you are trying to make than to deliver a precise message about the value you can bring to an organization. In constructing your answer it is important to adhere to the following points;

1. Reinforce the value you will bring to the organization. Deliver new information that is not already in your resume or cover letter. Or present your value in a new context so that the hiring manager gains further insight into your substantial abilities. You want to stress that you are results oriented, so give an example.
2. Relate something interesting about yourself that is not work related. You want the hiring manager to understand that you are a fine and interesting person. So describe a non controversial activity that you like to participate in outside of work.
3. Give your answer with energy and enthusiasm. By delivering your message with conviction you will convey that you are passionate about what you do and what type of person you are. This energy will insure that your answer is not perceived as “canned”.
4. Practice your delivery. Your answer should be no longer than one minute. You do not want to ramble. Make your point and let the interview continue. It is important that you practice your delivery out loud, either to another person or a mirror. Get some feedback as to the content and delivery of your message. Is it memorable? This practice will also help you add the enthusiasm to your answer.

Preparing and rehearsing answers to common interview questions will allow you to approach each interview with the confidence needed to convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job.

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John Lucht, in his bestselling book Rites of Passage, discusses how that when on an interview you must prove yourself on two levels. You must be perceived as someone who is 1) a fine person, and 2) capable of performing the job. The important tip for job interview success is to understand that unless you pass the fine person test your capabilities on job performance will be greatly diminished. Most job applicants understand that they must present their capabilities and skills, but many do no interview preparation on how they will convey the image of a fine person. Let’s look more closely at what “makes” someone a fine person.

The hiring manager wants to hire a fine person because that someone will be working closely with him/her. How the new hire is perceived by others in the organization will also reflect on the hiring manager. So the interviewer is wanting to identify someone who:

1. Has good communication skills, especially listening.
2. Is optimistic and believes that he/she can make a difference.
3. Coveys honesty and openness.
4. Is a logical intelligent person who doesn’t “shoot from the hip”.
5. Can make a commitment and take responsibility.
6. Appears healthy, attractive and tasteful in dress.
7. Has compassion for others and is not egocentric.
8. On the whole is an interesting enthusiastic person who people want to associate with.

The above points may seem to be more about image than substance, but they should not be overlooked. If you come across as someone who hasn’t mastered common social graces than your ability to do the job will often be overlooked. So when preparing for an interview take an assessment of how you are presenting yourself on the traits that help define a fine person. Make any necessary modifications that will help position you as the most desirable candidate.

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The current job market is a difficult one with more job applicants than positions available. In times such as these is does take more interviews to get an offer than in times of full employment. But if you have been on a number of interviews and haven’t received a job offer, you must evaluate why this is so. Don’t take the easy way out and blame your lack of success on the economy or other factors. Somebody else received an offer, so why not you? You must evaluate your interview performance objectively in order to make improvements to insure future success. Poor performance in the following four areas are reasons that many candidates don’t measure up against the competition. A tip for job interview success is to improve in these areas and greatly enhance you job offer conversion ratio.

1. You are not relating your accomplishments to the company’s needs. This is critical, the hiring company wants to know how you will be able to contribute to their bottom line. The best way to demonstrate this is for you to relate success stories that highlight specific results that you have achieved. These success stories should have been prepared in advance and then used at the appropriate time during the interview. See How to Prepare for an Interview for more information.
2. You do not demonstrate any knowledge of the company. Many candidates do no research into the organization they are interviewing with. If you have prepared for the interview then you can ask questions that indicate your enthusiasm for the job and the company. You will leave a positive impression by doing your homework and you will stand out from the competition.
3. There is a disconnect between what you say and your resume. A red flag goes up when a candidate cannot adequately answer questions about their resume. You need to know your resume inside and out. You should have success stories planned to provide evidence to the accomplishments cited on your resume. By doing proper interview preparation you can anticipate questions and have a great response ready. Surprisingly, many candidates get tripped up by questions on their own resumes.
4. The image you convey does not match with that of the ideal candidate. Image is projected in many ways. Make sure you are projecting one that fits with the position and company you are interviewing with. You should not dress down, your attire should match that of the hiring manager at a minimum. If the position requires business casual dress but the supervisor wears a tie, then your interview attire should include a tie. Neatness matters, your shoes should be polished and your hair properly groomed. Your manners and way of speaking affect your image.

If you learn how to prepare for an interview you will excel in the above areas. Proper preparation will position you ahead of the competition and provide you with more job offers to choose from. So conduct an honest evaluation of your interview performance and make the necessary adjustments to stand out from the crowd.

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You have just completed an interview, one in which you feel you have done well in. Now is the time to take the follow up steps that will continue to set you apart from the competition. There are three action steps you need to complete after the interview. They are:

1. Send a thank you note
2. Send a follow up letter or email
3. Place a follow up phone call

A tip for job interview success is to immediately send an old fashioned thank you note. This is not an email, it is a personal hand-written note. When the hiring manager receives your note you will have accomplished a number of things:

1. You will have demonstrated that you are a gracious person, respectful of others time and attention.
2. You will now be foremost in that person’s mind. 
3. Your interest in the job will be reinforced.
4. This little kindness is so rare now, it really makes an impression. You will set yourself apart from other candidates.

I use the technique of sending thank you notes in all of my personal/business affairs. I know they work based on the positive comments I receive from those who get them. The notes open the doors when you call to schedule the next meeting.

How to write a thank you note

A thank you note should be between 3 – 5 lines, anything longer starts to become a letter. A good structure is to provide thanks for the interview, reference something positive that was discussed, and indicate a future interaction. Here is an example:

Notice that the thank you note is not a time to reinforce your skills and accomplishments. That can be done in a follow up letter or email.

Write your notes on quality cards, avoid preprinted cards as they often do not fit the situation. Write in black or blue ink, using bold strokes, to make a strong impact. Never use computer generated text. Hand address the envelopes and use real stamps.

Try this tip for job interview success and I guarantee you will improve your follow up success rate.

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In our previous post we discussed that learning how to prepare for an interview is not about applying a magic formula that works every time. The goal in preparing well for an interview is to give yourself a competitive advantage and increase the number of job offers resulting from successful interviews. There are eight steps to successful interview preparation. Today let’s look at steps 5-8.

Step 5 – Create Your Success Stories. Once you have created a portfolio of success stories you will decide which ones to use for each person you are interviewing. Those selected should match you to the needs of the position you are interviewing for. A success story should have the following format; describe a situation or opportunity, explain what you did, and then talk about the specific results achieved. Explaining the results achieved is what is important. Most people describe responsibilities or skills but don’t relate them to results.

Step 6 – Prepare Questions to Ask. Based on your research formulate 15 -20 questions that you can ask during the interview. Asking thoughtful questions will set you apart from the competition. By asking questions you can also influence the flow of the interview. Ask questions that will then open the door for you to tell an appropriate success story. You are showcasing your intellect, interest in the job and level of preparedness with this step.

Step 7 – Practice Your Interviewing Skills. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because you’ve been on many interviews you don’t need to practice. You may have been on many interviews but if you don’t know how to prepare for an interview you have just been reinforcing bad habits. A key step is to practice your interviewing skills. For the best results, work with a partner who can provide feedback to you. But even practicing by yourself has great benefits. Say your success stories and prepared answers out loud. Get them down pat so that in the interview you are answering without hesitation. You will project a confidence that will make a strong impression.

Step 8 – Prepare to Make a Great First Impression. Dress the part, exude confidence and treat the interviewer with courtesy and a smile. By doing a complete interview preparation your confidence will shine through. You will be able to interact without hesitation clearly establishing yourself as a desirable candidate.

Implement these steps along with the steps learned in Part A to increase your interview success rate. Learning how to prepare for an interview is a competitive weapon in today’s tight job market.

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Learning how to prepare for an interview is not about applying a magic formula that will result in a job offer every time. Preparing for an interview is following a series of proven steps that if implemented well will provide a competitive advantage over other job candidates. The reason that these techniques work is that most people put in minimal preparation and are in react mode during the interview. Those that take the time to prepare will clearly stand out above the rest. Master the following eight steps and you will be well on your way to improving your interview success rate.

Once you have gotten an interview (no easy task) its time to prepare. Today let’s look at the first four steps.

Step 1 – Research the Company. Find out about the company and position you are interested in. Learn about the company’s culture, its products and services. How well are they doing financially and who is the competition. Don’t just visit the company’s website, search for articles and news items about the company. Visit a financial site to get relevant data. Talk with people who work there, former employees or with customers. This is the foundation for the doing the other steps effectively and it is often totally ignored or done haphazardly.

Step 2 – Know the Interview Logistics. This is knowing the who, what, when and where of the interview. Learning who you will be interviewing is the most important. Many times you will interview with multiple people during one visit. In order to prepare effectively you need to know their title, role in the company and role in the hiring process. Ask what the format of the interview will be. Is it a group interview or a series of one on one interviews. The when and where might seem obvious, but many companies have multiple locations or multiple buildings in a campus location. Not knowing exactly where to be at the stated time could cause you to be late. You don’t want tardiness to be your first impression.

Step 3 – Analyze Your Resume. Your resume will be the basis that the interviewer will use to formulate questions to ask you. You need to be able to answer in detail any questions about the information that is on your resume. Also review your resume for questions that may come up, i.e. gaps in your employment history, a short job stint or a job change that may appear to be a demotion. You should be able to provide answers to these types of questions without hesitation. Uncertainty will raise red flags in the interviewers mind.

Step 4 – Prepare Answers to Common Questions. Most hiring managers have received no training on how to get the most out of an interview. They are also very busy with their jobs and put little effort in preparing for an interview. Because of this they tend to ask a series of common interview questions, such as “tell me about yourself?” Preparing creative answers to these stock questions will differentiate you from other candidates. A good reference resource to help formulate your own answers is The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers.

Remember, it’s not usually the most qualified candidate who gets the offer, it is the one who has interviewed the best. So thorough interview preparation can set you apart from the competition and land you the job offer you want.

In the next post we will review the remaining four steps necessary in how to prepare for an interview.

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Most job applicants don’t know how to prepare for an interview. Nor do many feel the need to adequately prepare for the most important step in the hiring process. Job candidates just show up and rely on their instincts during the interview. This approach puts them at a tremendous disadvantage to those who do prepare thoroughly. There are five common misconceptions that govern this reluctance to put in the effort to improve interviewing preparation skills. Let’s look at each of these misconceptions and compare them with current realities.

1. My interpersonal communication capabilities are excellent. This may be the case, but the communication skills you employ in your daily business activities are quite different from those you will need to perform well in an interview. In an interview you need to, without hesitation, match your past accomplishments to the hiring manager’s priorities. These priorities unfold dynamically during the course of the interview. Candidates who have prepared success stories in advance are in a much better position to deliver a well thought out response.
2. I’ve had many interviews over the course of my business career. You may have been part of many interviews, but if you don’t know how to prepare for an interview you have just been reinforcing bad habits. If you will perform good interview preparation you will set yourself apart from the competition. This is a great advantage in today’s tight job market.
3. I overachieve in my current position. The skills you use daily to excel at your current job are quite different than those needed to convince a potential employer that you are the best candidate for a job. When you gain insight by doing research on a company you can anticipate their questions and formulate engaging responses. This insight will also allow you to formulate thoughtful questions to ask and  provide the basis to create your success stories that will give you the confidence to ace the interview.
4. The interviewers are well prepared and have excellent interviewing skills. This is far from the truth, most hiring managers have received no training on how to get the most out of an interview. They are also very busy with their jobs and put little effort in preparing for an interview. These facts give the prepared candidate an opportunity to control the flow of an interview by asking prepared questions that lead the hiring manager through a conversation the candidate wants to have. The prepared candidate gets to leave the impression of a highly qualified professional. This is a tremendous advantage over those job applicants who just wing it.
5. The most qualified candidate gets the job in most cases. The hiring decision is made on the perception of who the best candidate is not the reality. So the candidate who has prepared thoroughly has a much better opportunity to leave the impression that they are the most qualified of all candidates.

Getting an interview, a significant accomplishment, is only one step in getting a job offer. To close the deal you must employ better interviewing skills than your competition. Knowing how to prepare for an interview is a skill that will provide the edge needed to convince the hiring manager that you are the candidate best suited to help the company.

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