Interview Advice from an Employer

If brief and compelling, your response letter (or inquiry letter) and your résumé will tell the reader:

Live out your passion! Think about the types of things you like to do and the places you like to be. How do you want to spend your day? In what kind of culture are you comfortable? (If you're not sure, play The Career Interests Game, free.) Why waste your time or an employer's time interviewing at the wrong place? Most interviews fail not because of fear or panic, but because the candidate is in the wrong place.

Get the scoop on the organization, its mission, the person interviewing you, the culture, and more from the library (trade journals) and/or the internet. Using many of the free research methods shown on my home page, you can learn an enormous amount about many types of work and many employers. If you discover useful information on a website, print it, bring it to your interview, and plunk it on the interviewer's desk. When you do, explain that you've really done your homework. Your enthusiasm will be irrefutable.

Before you work with a headhunter, Rites of Passage at $100,000 to $1 Million... by John Lucht is a must-read. Among other things, Lucht explains the differences between contingency and retainer headhunters (and hybrids of both) and provides detailed strategies for dealing with each type.

If you seek a management position (any management position), read Quality Is Free by Philip Crosby. Apply the ideas to any industry (really) and you will delight customers. People who read it carefully are usually guided by its principles forever. Interviewers love candidates with a genuine understanding of this subject.

Psychologists have theorized that smiling can actually help make you feel happy. If you're feeling down, employers can smell it a mile away. Disguised contempt or weariness or frustration are not always as well disguised as you may think. By smiling (Sure, it seems silly, but give it a whirl!), the theory holds that we activate neurotransmitters that make us feel happy. (We're not shooting for delirium here, just adequate perkiness to get you ready for a swell interview.) If you're feeling blue, smile (not a wimpy smile-ette, but a nice big grin) for around 30 seconds or so, and see for yourself.

When we observe one good thing about someone, we assume all kinds of other good things about the person. It's not fair, but we do it anyway. For example, if you're snappily dressed, many interviewers will assume you are probably responsible in other ways, even if in truth, you are not. This means that for everything you do right, many more good things are assumed!

If your best friend has spinach in his teeth, you might tell him, "Hey, grab some floss, Spinach-Boy!" But what if you were meeting him for the first time and saw him with spinach in his teeth? You may very well think he's a spinach-in-the-teeth kind of guy generally. We tend to attribute a stranger's behavior to his disposition rather than to the situation. This is known as the fundamental attribution error, and examples of it are plopped all over the interview process. It's not fair, but now that you're aware of it, you will take a few minutes, do your physical preparation, and prevent mistaken impressions.

Whether the interview is one-on-one, many-on-one, a stress interview, an offsite coffee/breakfast/lunch/dinner interview, a walking interview, or a phone interview...

Employers want to hire a person who...

How can you show it?

...won't one day use their phones to find work.

Do not include your work phone number on your résumé.

...follows instructions.

If the ad says no phone calls, do not call; asks for salary history
and/or requirements, provide the requested information.

...writes well.

Provide an error-free, focused, clear, and compelling cover letter
and résumé.

...respects deadlines.

Be on time for the interview. Trains, planes, traffic are not an
employer's problem.

...is a nice person.

Be friendly with the security guard, the secretary - not just the
boss.

...is honest.

Don't make stuff up.

...actively listens to others.

Focus your attention on what the interviewer is saying (not on
what you'll say next).

...actively listens to others!

Does your answer address the question asked? And only the
question asked?

...speaks well.

No "ums, ahs, likes, you knows, okays"; use "going to" instead
of "gonna," etc.

...presents well.

Dress appropriately.

...is enthusiastic.

Use direct eye contact. Think only in the context of the great
opportunity here.

...won't bad-mouth them in the future.

Do not ever speak poorly of a current or former employer.

...knows what s/he doesn't know. (one sure sign of a smart person)

Ask relevant questions. Give examples of when you've turned
to others for help.

...knows who s/he is and where s/he's going.

Have a compelling two-minute answer ready for "Tell me about
yourself." It should consist of three parts (around 40 seconds
each): 1) where you've been, 2) where you're going, and 3) why
you're sitting across from this interviewer in this organization right
now.

...thinks before s/he speaks.

Think before you answer. A pause to consider a question is
perfectly appropriate.

...thinks before s/he speaks!

Think before you ask. Is your question relevant, well-timed, and
not already answered?`

...knows something about their organization.

Plunk your printed research on the interviewer's desk while
stating your interest and excitement.

...knows the organization's mission and relevant
trends.

Your research can include external articles on important
relevant news and trends.

...can plan and organize well.

Answer complex questions thoughtfully.

...can think rationally and has analytical skill.

Have an example ready of how you tackled a complex and
challenging problem.

...is not terribly sensitive to criticism.

Have an example ready of how you gratefully received
criticism and smartly learned from it.

...knows his/her job is one part of a larger picture.

Express an interest in the entire organization and how your
role fits into it.

...gets along with others; can work as part of a team.

Give examples from work, school, or volunteer activities,
especially with diverse people.

...is willing to question the status quo and innovate.

Have an example ready where you changed things for the
better, and (briefly) how you did it.

...is comfortable with technology.

Explain that with a user guide and a couple of days, you'll
figure out their software.

...can manage projects and processes.

Give examples from work, school, or volunteer activities.

...can make decisions and solve problems.

Give examples from work, school, or volunteer activities.

...is able to manage relationships.

Give examples from work, school, or volunteer activities.

...is able to manage across disciplines.

Even if you haven't, mention the skills you have that
would allow you to do so.

Home