Get More Job Offers!
You have an meeting scheduled with a excellent company for a position which you are quite interested in. How is it possible to prepare your self to deliver the interview performance which can make you stand out from other applicants and lead to a job offer?
When preparing for a job interview, plan for a sales dialogue between two people where the product being sold is you. Often applicants don’t get offered the job because these folks don’t sell themselves.
Do your homework. Before the meeting research the organization’s web-site, products or other sites where company’s public information is available. If you are working with a Recruiter they will be a great source of additional information on the organization. If the company is publicly traded, most Stock Brokers will have a copy of their most recent 10K or 10Q. Past or current employees of the organization are excellent sources of information. Invest some time thinking about what you do and how you do it. Be prepared to provide a short summary of the different positions or situations you have been in.
Arrive five to ten minutes early for the scheduled interview. Bring several resumes with you to the interview in case you need extras.
Listen attentively to the questions you are asked and answer those questions completely. Often interviews begin with some version of the question, “Tell me about yourself.” Talk about your achievements, capabilities and abilities – NOT your childhood, family, hobbies or interests. Participate in the discussion. Shake the interviewers hand firmly. Look the interviewer in the eye. Smile, add a bit of and your personality to the interview where and when appropriate. Be ready to express what you can bring to the organization. Be aware that most organizations want to understand how you can either make them money or save them money.
Anticipate what the interviewer is looking for and be willing to provide examples of what you can deliver. Listen and be prepared for trick questions such as, “Tell me about your greatest weakness?” You can turn the response to a trick question into a positive. Say, “I’m a workaholic. I want to get everything complete before I go home at night.”
After you have answered the interviewers questions, work your questions into the interview mix. Avoid questions about salary or benefits unless the interviewer brings the topic up, and then stay general. It is best to prevent becomming locked into a precise salary. The optimum time to engage in salary negotiations is after the company has told you they plan to make you an employment offer.
When closing the interview with every person, ask him or her for a business card. You will require this information for follow-up. As the discussion is coming to a end, deliver a closing statement. “Mr. Smith, I want this job. I can bring to your company… (Summarize your strengths).” Then ask for the job.
You should send a thank you note to all of the people that you interviewed with. Include in the thank you note a closing presentation explaining when you will be following up on the interview. Make sure your thank you note is well written and conscientiously edited for spelling and typos. Many a job has been lost because of a poorly written thank you note.
If you are working with a Recruiter, contact the Recruiter as soon as possible after the interview to discuss the interview. Recruiters work with employers over lengthy durations of time and can possess advise as to what follow-up measures can improve the likelihood of being offered a great job.
