The best way to ace your next job interview is to prepare for it.
The job Interview is a sales presentation and your goal is to sell one thing – that is your self
This may sound obvious, but it’s not. Too many applicants walk into an interview without knowing as much as they should about the customer. That means the industry, the company and its problems.
Remember: You are there to solve a problem. That is why they are hiring you. They don’t want to interview people, they want to do their business
Follow these steps:
- Know the company who is interviewing you. Find out as much as you can about the position, the company and its needs, so you can show how your background meets those needs. Telephone the company and ask for copies of company brochures. Be friendly and professional on the phone and when you go pick up those brochures. If its a public company, get a copy of the company’s annual report. Research the company at your local library and on the Internet. Find somebody on LinkedIn who works at the company in the area where you are interviewing. Call them and chat for a few minutes. Be up front about why you are calling and what you hope to achieve.
- Know yourself. This is so important. Here are a few tips to help prepare yourself. Mentally review the skills and character traits you have that will help the company’s bottom line. Think in terms of the value you can add to the position and the company. Make sure you are connected to the goals of the company. But be a little careful, if you research the company too well, you may know more than the person interviewing you. Don’t be a know it all. Be confident and well informed but only show the knowledge when its relevant to the question.
- Know your job history. Physically review your resume. Mentally review your past achievements and be prepared to describe your work experience in detail. Gather letters of reference and samples of your work to present to the interviewer as proof of your past accomplishments. Practice in front of a mirror or your spouse describing your experience in terms of your responsibilities and accomplishments at each job.
- Know the questions. You can almost bet on being asked: “Tell me about yourself.” Approach this from the employer’s point of view. Ask yourself, “If I were hiring someone for this position, what would I want to know?” Then answer those questions. And be ready for tough ones, too. Think of the worst questions you could be asked about your experience and abilities, then prepare positive responses.
- Prepare questions of your own. Employers are as interested in your questions as they are in your answers. And they’ll react favorably if you ask intelligent questions about the position, the company and the industry. (Examples: Where does this position fit into the company as a whole? Is there any problem on this job with waste/accuracy/meeting quotas, etc.? What is the largest single problem facing your staff now?) I just interviewed a number of people for a position at my Curves location. The person who got the job, was the one asking good detailed questions. And then responded back to my answers with ideas and further questions. It showed she listened and was interested in what I had to say. The ones who asked off topic questions and didn’t follow-up didn’t get the job.
- Get the big picture. Visualize the entire interview, from start to finish. See yourself as performing with style and confidence. How will the interview end? Will you get a job offer or be called back for a second interview? How much salary do you want? What kind of benefits? The research you did in step 1 will give you an idea of what to expect. Be ready for any eventuality. There are some resources on my site to learn how to visualize well.
—
This job hunting post was adapted from content provided to by my good friends Kevin Donlin and David Perry, co-creators of the Guerrilla Job Search System.
Kevin and David have been interviewed by New York Times, Fortune magazine, and the Christian Science Monitor about their method to finding a job.
Click and get right away the free audio from Kevin and David on getting your job search into high gear.
Keyword Related posts:
