The Interview – The Nitty Gritty – Now You Know!
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It’s an hour after your interview and you’re still obsessing about what you should have said, what you did say, and what perhaps you never should have said. As we hit rewind and replay the interview, let’s rehash the interview process. Let’s start at the very beginning...When we asked my middle daughter what she did in kindergarten, she always began with “first, I hung up my coat...” and then we heard her very imaginative play-by-play. And it’s a perfect starting point as we rewind the moments before the interview, the actual interview, and the aftermath of the interview process.

Retrace your steps prior to the interview:

• Shoes buffed or polished? Pants hemmed (no walking on your pants gals!) Heels look like new? No toothpaste stains? Piercings removed from lip, eyebrow, and/or nose?

• Did you arrive 10-15 minutes early so that your reliability and dependability was apparent?

• Resume? Best to bring at least one printed copy along.

• Did you remember to eliminate any coffee or tobacco breath or gum before you entered the building?

• Did you acknowledge the office staff with a friendly greeting and project a positive attitude? Remember your image has already begun so opt for a magazine rather than your phone or Ipod!

• If you waited to meet your interviewer, did you sit patiently and properly—for women, legs crossed at the ankles and for men no slouching!

• When you were addressed did you immediately respond with a smile and an extended hand?

• As you walked to the interview room, did you keep your focus on the interviewer rather than showing visible signs of the darting eye syndrome as if you were “sizing up” the environment?

Your interview:

• Just like in the waiting area, your posture projects an image and you want your image to be one of pure professionalism.

• Did you use your hands when you talked? All the time, some of the time, or did your hands remain clenched together on your lap? Some of the time is the most natural.

• When asked a question, did you rephrase the question and then answer? The interviewer already knew the question, so why not just jump to the answer? Take a short pause of a second or two before answering to collect your thoughts.

• Hopefully you’ve practiced some of your answers from the list you’ve printed off the Internet of the most commonly asked questions. But you have to be able to rationalize why you are being asked those questions...the interviewer is always trying to get the “big picture” of you—your overall attitude, your ability to focus, to be a team player, to meet deadlines with proficiency and efficiency, along with sizing up your commitment and loyalty.

Your answers:

• Where do you begin when asked the open-ended question that’s more a command than a question — “tell me about yourself”. When you actually consider this question, it shouldn’t be too tough because you know you best! Before the interview, think about what makes you tick — talk to friends who “get you” and ask them to describe your strengths and weaknesses. Listen to what they say — is that the way you see yourself too? Any areas need improvement, updating, or tweaking? If you haven’t been asked the strengths and weaknesses question perhaps work that in the “tell me about yourself” answer. This is the answer where you need to brag about yourself — talk about a great college class that lead you to this career or how the unfailing attitude of a coach or encouraging teammate influenced your commitment to teamwork and the value of reaching a goal together, discuss how volunteering your time and talent makes you feel rooted in your community, describe how the relationship you have with your grandmother has taught you the importance of family, tradition, support and unconditional love. When you talk about what matters to you, you are allowing the interviewer to see a glimpse of your life — your education and accomplishments are already listed on your resume—not what gives purpose to your day.

• The question about failure or disappointment — we’ve all had some type of failure in our lives. It might be too personal to share but you have to answer the question. Perhaps you missed a deadline in a college class and you disappointed a professor — how do you feel when you look back on that? Maybe you missed an opportunity to get to know people out of your immediate social circle—where might those connections have led you had you been more open? Perhaps you regret not spending more time learning from mom and dad — how to bake or cook or garden...this list is exponentially limitless.

Teamwork — do you see yourself as the leader, the worker, the finisher, the one who inspires, or the arbitrator? All of these are vital to the team concept and where you fall in the line indicates your strengths and perhaps weaknesses. Teamwork is not just for athletics because the reality is it does take a village to accomplish success in just about any field — sales team, medical team, advertising team, the manufacturing line — everyone must work together for a successful outcome. Networking is a team event—without the individual players, the concept of networking wouldn’t work.

How will this job relate to your interests and experiences? Bingo! This is the answer that should knock your potential candidacy for the position out of the ballpark; this is the slam dunk; the overtime touchdown! You’ve done your homework — you know the mission and the vision of this company; you’ve had an informational interview with someone from the company; you’ve connected on LinkedIn; you know you’re perfectly aligned with what this company stands for, produces or sells. Discuss why you’re the perfect candidate — your integrity, sense of commitment and loyalty, your skill set and organizational abilities, that you can see the big picture while paying attention to the details. Number One priority for this question is to sell yourself but keep a check on your enthusiasm. Too much and you’ll seem like you’re already thinking about the next position above the one you’re interviewing for; too little and you’ll appear as if you’re reluctant to begin a new chapter in your life.

Behavioral questions — the questions that seek to determine whether you have a certain skill that is required for the position. Be prepared for specific type questions because the overall objective by the interviewer is to find out your performance based on past experiences along with your abilities and knowledge. This type of question could be anything from prioritizing to motivating others to using sound judgment and logic. Example: If the skill is problem solving, your question might be — How did you handle a situation in which you found an error made by your manager or boss? Touchy subject because a) you’re the employee b) finding an error might make you look smarter than your manager or that you were actively looking for an error. In reality though, this situation does happen—students point out errors made by teachers, assistants keep executives on track and project managers may have to remind department supervisors about policy. When responding, rely on your sense of value—honesty, integrity, doing what’s right for the company. Simply state how you noticed the error (detail oriented), relay how you brought it up to your boss (communication skills, ability to be straightforward, your sincerity and positive rapport with management) and sum up how the situation was resolved (what did you learn).

Your questions:

• What do you like about working here?

• What are the opportunities for advancement?

• Describe a typical workweek — is there travel involved? Evening or weekend hours to complete a project? Daily team meetings?

• What is your background and why did you want to work for this company?

• Is there anything else I can answer for you?

Your follow-up:

• Email thank you to the interviewer — be sure you have the correct spelling of his/her name

• Written thank you to the interviewer mailed that afternoon or the next morning

• Refrain from using twitter or facebook to tell your friends/network whether you thought the interview was a bust or a slam dunk

Although the interview process can be long and frustrating, it also represents a new beginning and the opportunity for new challenges. Learn from every experience, refine your interview skills, and project the best you with your genuineness, sincerity and honesty!