How to Prepare for an Interview

Interesting, dependable, original and relevant.

Think back to your last interview. Do you believe that you left a memorable impression? One that would have the interviewer remember you over the other half dozen candidates that were interviewed. In today’s highly competitive job market it is those candidates that create a lasting impression that receive the job offers.

In preparing for an interview you must plan ahead and then implement an interview strategy that does leave a memorable impression. The impression that you create is what comes to mind when the interviewer thinks of you. Most candidates leave a neutral mental picture of themselves, one that doesn’t separate them from the crowd.

Your goal is to leave a positive memorable impression. If you do the interviewer will think of you as interesting, dependable, original and relevant. It’s in the how you prepare for an interview that will allow you to convey this positive mental image of yourself. Let’s look at each characteristic and how you can ensure that you convey a positive image.

DEPENDABLE – You can convey dependability in a number of ways. The most important is by the first impression that you make. Were you on time, appropriately dressed, appearing friendly and confident? If you have prepared well for the interview and know what to expect you will be confident. Dependability is also influenced by your ability to back up what is on your resume with appropriate success stories. You need to be who you said you were and then some!

INTERESTING – You need to do your best to make the interview flow like a conversation instead of an interrogation. This can be done by relating success stories about yourself and asking thought provoking questions about the hiring organization. Relate interesting pieces of information about yourself that do not appear on your resume.

ORIGINAL – What do you bring to the table that others don’t? Be prepared to offer ideas on how you would approach the job that demonstrates original thinking. You can discuss an action plan for getting started and/or you can relate success stories from previous positions that demonstrates your creativity. Set yourself apart from the competition.

RELEVANT – You can be dependable, interesting and original, but if you are not relevant to the hiring manager and the organization your success rate will be slim. You must convey that you fit culturally, personality wise and have the necessary job skills. As you uncover information through your questioning you must offer information about yourself that makes you relevant for the position.

It is very difficult to leave a positive memorable impression if you arrive at the interview unprepared. It’s not only about learning how to prepare for an interview, it’s about actually doing the preparation work for each and every interview that matters.

So to leave that memorable impression you need to make it part of your interview preparation. Prepare in advance the success stories you will relate. Emphasize interesting things about yourself that are not on your resume. Plan how you will convey how you are relevant to the organization. And finally, give some thought about the first impression you make as you walk through the door. If you make these interview preparations you will come out ahead of your competition.

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Learning how to prepare for an interview will increase your overall career success rate. But to use your new found skills you also need to learn how to get more interviews scheduled. A tip to job interview success is to understand where the sources of new hires come from. In March of 2011, CareerXRoads released their 10th annual Source of Hire study. The findings of the study are important for you to know, as they should influence where you spend your time looking for opportunities. The findings are similar to those published in my post Do you know the Source of Job Hires? published last June.


Significant findings from the 2010 CareerXRoads study are:

1. 50.3% of all job openings were filled by internal candidates. This is almost identical to last year’s number. In “normal” conditions this number would be about 35%. I expect that it will take a few years for hiring patterns to return to “normal”. So the competition for open positions will continue to be fierce.
2. The following graph highlights the sources of external hires.
3. 71.2% of all external hires are attributed to just three sources: Referrals (27.5%), Job boards (24.9%), Company Career Site (18.8%). Based on my experience in working with job candidates, I find that too many rely primarily on job boards, like Monster and CareerBuilder, for their job search. It is important to expand one’s options and consider ALL those available.




4. Referrals account for the largest percent of external hires at 27.5%. This is a slight increase over last year. To be referred you must learn how to network. Networking is a skill that few take the time to understand let alone master. Learning how to network effectively will pay huge dividends in a job search campaign. Many jobs are never advertised, so the only way to learn about them is through talking with others in the know. Learn more about The Networking Game.
5. The number of hires from career job boards rose significantly in 2010. This figure had been flat for years and most hiring companies have previously reported that they were reducing their reliance on career boards. The key point here is that you cannot rely on only a single strategy for your job search. Diversify or you will miss out on most of the quality job opportunities.

Again, the source of the above data is the CareerXRoads 10th annual Source of Hire study. CareerXRoads is a staffing strategy consulting firm.

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Most job candidates are focused on preparing for and attending specific job interviews. But there is another type of interview that shouldn’t be neglected, the informational interview. An informational interview is meeting with an influential person not about a specific job opening, but to discuss a company, an industry, a type of job function, etc.

Informational interviews are easier to get scheduled because you are asking for guidance, something that is easy to provide. Many individuals are more than happy to participate in this type of discussion. They want to help others be successful.

There are 4 important advantages that you can gain by participating in an informational interview. These advantages are:

1. Gain valuable insight about a company or an industry. This information will be most helpful when interviewing for a job because your competition is less likely to have it.
2. Learn the ins and outs of a specific job function. This will help you determine if that type of job is a good fit for your desires and skill sets.
3. Get specific suggestions about your own qualifications. If the interview has gone well, you can ask for some specific suggestions on how you can better position yourself for future employment. You should only ask if you feel that the interviewee will be receptive to such a request.
4. Secure an introduction to others. Again, if the interview has gone well you can ask for introductions to others that may be able to provide additional insight. The ultimate introduction would be to a hiring manager with a specific job opportunity.

You may not gain all 4 advantages in a single encounter but you should be able to get the first or second because one of those is probably the basis of the interview. In order to maximize the benefits of an informational interview you must prepare just as thoroughly as a job interview. See How to Prepare for an Interview – 8 Critical Steps for more detail.

Because the premise of the interview is not about you your preparation should emphasize; 1) research, 2) formulating questions to ask, 3) making a positive impression, and 4) practicing your interview skills. You still want to be prepared with your own success stories in case you are asked to describe yourself. While it doesn’t happen often, sometimes an informational interview will become a job interview. So you want to be prepared for that situation.

Seek out informational interviews because the advantages they provide can give you an edge over your competition when competing for a specific job you desire.

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The gist of my blog is to talk about techniques and strategies that apply to preparing for an interview. But it is also important to master some underlying skills that will help you immensely in your job search. Briefly they are:
 
1) Become a master of time management and productivity enhancers.
 
You need to do this so that you are not wasting valuable time and are putting your efforts into activities that will move you ahead towards your goals. There are many ways you can do this, but I like to use mindmaps to keep me on track. A mindmap is a visual diagram of the project you are working on, or the tasks that need to get done. Once you create it can be referenced easily and keep you on track. You can get a no cost copy of Freemind mind mapping software HERE.
 
If you know where you want to go you can accomplish more in less time.
 
2) Improve your networking skill set
 
26.7% of external job hires are filled by candidates who were referred to the hiring company. This is by far the largest source of external hires. This statistic is courtesy of the February 2010 CareerXRoads 9th annual Source of Hire study.

To capitalize on the largest source of external hires you need a solid networking strategy. This will allow you to find out about what opportunities are available that the masses aren’t seeing. Many people are afraid of networking because they feel strange going to meetings and events to meet new people. But guess what, you can be great at networking just by focusing on the people you already know. How easy can it get?

3) Creating information products about yourself.

You need to be good at creating resumes, cover letters, follow up letters, thank you notes and success stories. This communication skill is important. You can increase your success rate dramatically if you become more proficient in this area. You need to incorporate key words into your various means of communication that tie to the specific job that you are interested in. You need to leave the person who sees or listens to your various forms of communication with the impression that you are a candidate who can make things happen.

The above skills are the building blocks to a successful job search campaign. Mastering the skills of productivity enhancement, networking, and targeted communication will help you in all areas of your life. They will set you apart from the average person.

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In a previous blog post the question was asked; Do you possess the attributes of a high performing employee? Today we will examine 6 more success attributes.

Companies want to hire people they feel will outperform the average worker. The candidates who can position themselves as someone who can over deliver will greatly increase the probability of a job offer. A tip for interview success is to understand what the attributes of a high performing employee are. Once you understand these attributes you can devise a strategy for exhibiting them in an interview.

We will examine 12 important attributes. The discussion will be broken into two parts, each looking at six attributes.

Today’s 6 success attributes are:


7. Fit Both Physically and Mentally.

The successful employee is fit both in the physical and mental sense. People who are fit are better able to perform under stress and in conditions that are ever changing. A person who is fit in both senses will exhibit more energy and accomplish more than their more sedate counterparts.

8. Approach Their Work as a Career Rather than as a Job.

The most valuable employees are looking at what work they do from a career perspective. They see beyond the scope of the “job” and are willing to do what it takes to add value and thus enhance their career. A job focused individual more often than not will not go beyond the scope of their “job” description. These people are much less valuable than the career minded person.

9.  Take Pride in Helping Others be Successful.

The outstanding employee makes others around him/her more successful. And their ability to accomplish this gives them great satisfaction. The successful person’s efforts are not centered around themselves. There efforts solve problems for their customers and or co-workers. With this approach the over-achiever becomes invaluable, and is rewarded appropriately.

10. Dedicated to Excellence

The top performesr are always striving to succeed at a high level. They are not satisfied with just getting the job done, they want to their efforts to make a big impact. They are aware of all of the details, are great listeners and go beyond the call of duty.

11. Has Written Goals and is Focused on Their Achievement.

The most successful people have written goals. They are constantly reviewing these gaols and determining where they are in achieving them. A study by Gail Matthews, Ph.D., Dominican University concluded that the positive effect of written goals was supported: Those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals.

Write down your goals for the long term , medium term and short term. I have my longer term goals, but then create monthly, weekly and daily goals to keep me on track. This process helps keep me moving towards my goals in a more straight line.

12. Demonstrates a Positive Attitude Everyday.

The top performers believe they will be successful. They are not thrown of course by the potholes that show up each and every day. They figure out how to navigate through the roadblocks by taking positive actions. The successful individual does not stop to complain or make excuses, they just get it done.

We all possess some or all of these attributes to some degree. Take stock of where you fall on each of this attributes a make a plan to improve in each. As you prepare for an interview, incorporate these attributes into your success stories. It will make a great impact on the interviewer as you tell him/her of your accomplishments.

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Do you possess the attributes of a high performing employee?

Companies want to hire people they feel will outperform the average worker. The candidates who can position themselves as someone who can over deliver will greatly increase the probability of a job offer. A tip for interview success is to understand what the attributes of a high performing employee are. Once you understand these attributes you can devise a strategy for exhibiting them in an interview.

We will examine 12 important attributes. The discussion will be broken into two parts, each looking at six attributes.  

Today’s 6 success attributes are:

1. Great Communication Skills - The top performers are not just good communicators, they are great communicators. They communicate in a way that causes others to take notice and take action. They are clear and concise and their communications carry energy and enthusiasm. In the interview process you will be demonstrating your communication skill set.

2.  Intelligence – The overachievers are smart enough to make decisions on the spot as situations arise. Their intelligence allows them to handle most situations they are thrown into. The top performer understands that they don’t know everything. During your interview preparation you can create success stories that demonstrate your ability to think intelligently.

3. Self-motivated - The boss doesn’t need to tell the A performer what to do. The great performers know what to do and they take action all day long. These performers do more than their job description, that’s why they are so valuable to an organization. During the interview you need to describe situations from your past that demonstrates your self motivation.

4. A Constant learner - In order to stay on top the outstanding performer understands the importance on continued learning. They are always looking for ways to improve themselves. When a new opportunity presents itself they are ready for it. There is a great difference between the person who thinks he/she knows it all and the person dedicated to lifelong learning. Reinforce what you’ve done in the past that will position you as a constant learner.

5. Computer Knowledgeable - In today’s business world one cannot be successful without knowing how to leverage the power of the Internet. Those that do not understand this will be left behind. If you are not above average in this area you should create a plan to improve your computer literacy. Do this now!

6. Track Record of Success - The top performer has a proven history of success. It is these successes that are the building blocks to future achievements. Success comes not only from prior jobs, but also from academic, community and outside organizational achievements.

How do you measure up in relation to these six attributes of success? After your analysis you need to take two action steps. The first is to prepare how you will convey these attributes in the interview process. And the second is to put a self improvement plan in place to improve in each of these areas. After all you are a constant learner, aren’t you?

In the next blog post will will discuss six more success attributes.

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When you sit down with an interviewer they are trying to ascertain whether you are a good fit for the position they are trying to fill. A skilled interviewer will know what criteria they are looking for and be able, through their questioning, to gather the information that they need to determine if the candidate meets their desired profile. Your job is to anticipate what criteria the interviewer is looking for and position yourself as the best available candidate. To accomplish this you must learn how to prepare for an interview.

Let’s look at the key areas an interviewer will look at and how you can prepare for them:

1. Your professional experience. Or, are you who you say you are? The experience, skills and accomplishments presented on your resume have identified you as a viable candidate for the position. The interviewer will try to validate if the candidate is indeed the person who the resume has profiled. A skilled interviewer will probe with multiple questions, often at different times in the interview, to determine to what extent the candidate meets the criteria they have identified. You need to prepare in a number of ways. First, you must know your resume inside and out. There should be nothing on your resume that you can’t explain in detail and back up with success stories. Also you must be prepared to relate significant experience and accomplishments that are not on your resume. You do this by preparing success stories and anticipating questions that you may receive.
2. Proficiency in a job’s “technical” skills. All jobs have certain skills requirements that are essential for that job to be performed at a high level. So whether you are a software engineer, accountant, salesperson, administrative person, etc, you need to know what “technical” skills are required and prepare to demonstrate that you possess these skills at the highest level possible. The interviewer will ask how to questions in order to gauge your level of expertise. For example, if the use of Microsoft Powerpoint is important for the job you are applying for you may be asked a how to question around its use. How well you answer this will determine the skill level that the interviewer believes you possess. In certain cases, you may want to have a sample of your work that you can show if appropriate during the interview.
3. Creativity in job performance. The hiring manager will attempt to determine the extent a candidate will bring creative and individual skills that will add to the expertise of the team. You don’t want to be perceived as someone who will only bring supportive skills and not be able to contribute new ideas. If you are prepared with success stories that highlight your creative talents you can relate them as the opportunity arises. Just by being prepared for the interview will demonstrate your leadership abilities. Don’t miss this opportunity to shine.
4. Are you a fine person? A hiring manager wants to find 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 to present the image of a fine person. Briefly a fine person is someone who; is optimistic, a good communicator, honest, has compassion for others but is not egotistical, and appears healthy, attractive and tasteful in dress. This is about your image, and a poor image can overshadow your real abilities to get the job done.
5. Does the attitude you convey fit in? The interviewer will try to determine your attitude in regards to important issues such as team work, communication style, how you handle stressful situations and interpersonal relationships. They want to know if you will fit in with the team. Your interview preparation should include trying to understand the dynamics of the current team and how you might fit in. This can be learned through talking with existing and former employees, clients and or suppliers.

By being prepared to address these key criteria you will be perceived as head and shoulders above your competition. It is not always the best candidate in terms of capabilities that gets the offer, it is usually the candidate who best presents their overall combination of experience, skills and attitude that wins.

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According to the U.S. Department of Labor we are in the worst job market in over 25 years. The unemployment figure rose to 10.2% in October of 2009, the highest since April of 1983. Looking for a job in this market can be a long drawn out frustrating and demoralizing endeavor. So in offering tips for interview success, it may seem trite to recommend that you stay enthusiastic and keep a positive attitude. But that’s exactly what you must do!

Here’s why; If you are down and carrying around a negative attitude, this negative energy will be felt by those you interact with. You may not intentionally be trying to exude this negative energy but it will come through. Just think of your own interactions with others and how you can feel someone’s positive or negative enthusiasm come through. Hiring managers want to add employees who will bring enthusiasm and a results oriented approach to the job. Those candidates who can come across with unstoppable energy will have a clear edge in the interview process.

Try these practices to increase your level of enthusiasm and energy.

• Focus on those activities that you can control, such as networking or interview follow up.
• If something doesn’t go your way, like not getting chosen for the next round of interviews, let it go. Keep moving forward, because in this tight market it is natural for your job search to be slower.
• Get involved with an outside activity. Volunteer, coach your kid’s sports teams, or help someone else in need.
• Hang out with others who generate enthusiasm and have a can do approach to life. Their energy will be imparted to you.
• Get some exercise as this will increase your energy and help burn out some frustrations.
• Ignore the talking heads on TV who highlight the doom and gloom.

Approach every opportunity with enthusiasm, not just the ones that interest you the most. This positive energy will be seen and felt by all you interact with. The positive aura that you transmit will give you an edge versus your competition. It might just be what gets you that job offer.

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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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