Successful Interviewing Tips

Preparing For Your Interview:

• Properly preparing for your interview enables you to be more confident
• It helps you to overcome the handicap of interviewing inexperience
• Helps you to sell yourself and your qualifications

Research – Get familiar with the company:

• Do your homework. Learn what you can about a company, its products and services, location, subsidiaries, etc. before your interview.
• Always be on time for an interview. Familiarize yourself with the interview site, parking and allow plenty of extra time to get there.
• Recent news
• Application process – check with your recruiter beforehand. Often times, employment applications are required to be completed. If it is available online or beforehand, bring a completed application with you.

Items to bring to the interview and timing:

• A notepad or portfolio
• A few clean updated copies of your resume
• If appropriate, bring samples of your work
• A list of references, ideally with three former supervisors who are familiar with your work
• Make sure you know where the interview is to take place
• Arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the interview

Dress for Success. Overall appearance should be:

• Neat, clean and professional. Hair should be neat, clean and brushed
• Navy blue or dark gray suit (tailored dress for women) Current subtle tie for men
• White shirts for men, tailored and color coordinated for ladies
• Shoes should be well polished with dark socks
• Jewelry should be kept to a minimum
• Do not take cell phones into the interview

During the interview:

• Introduce yourself with professionalism and confidence. This includes a firm handshake.
• While engaging in introductory conversation, attempt to establish a connection between you and the interviewer through small talk, humor, related similarities, etc.
• Maintain good eye contact at all times during the interview. If meeting with more than one person, be sure to acknowledge each person as you speak.
• Be aware of your non-verbal body language. Avoid movements that indicate nervousness or act as a distraction, such as foot tapping, fidgeting, or restless legs.
• Listen carefully to the questions asked. Make sure you answer each question positively and in its entirety. Some people suggest taking notes. If you do, use a professional-looking notebook, and make sure to get the interviewer’s permission first.
• Avoid “yes” or “no” responses. Elaborate on your answers. You should be doing more talking than the interviewer.
• When referring to a skill you possess, provide an example of how you have used this skill, and how it would be helpful in the position for which you are interviewing.
• Ask questions about company policies and the position for which you are applying. For example, what challenges does the position offer? What do you look for in a successful employee?
• Do not discuss discriminatory subjects such as religion, race, age, or national origin.
• Do not discuss salary on the first interview.
• Let your past achievements speak to future contributions
• By using the 1-2-3 mini-story technique: stating the problem; describing your solution; emphasizing the results

Concluding the interview consists of:

• Getting a “what is the next step” summary
• Always showing interest for any prospective offers
• Writing a brief follow-up thank-you letter to the Employer
• Calling your search consultant to communicate what transpired and your interest level

Follow up – Thank You Note:

• Always send a short thank you letter to each interviewer. This is not intended to sell your qualifications. It should be less than one page and it should be mailed within 24 hours.
• Be certain that names are spelled correctly and use proper titles.
• Thank the interviewer for taking time out of their busy schedule to meet with you. Show that you were paying attention during the interview by mentioning some of the key points made during the interview.
• Express your feelings about the organization, people, human resources team and position in a positive and professional manner. You can express your enthusiasm about the prospect of representing the organization.
• If you have not heard anything within one week, you might want to follow up with a phone call to the human resources representative to determine your status.