The Art of the Interview

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Posted By: Alexandra Levit In: Job Seeker - Interview
First-hand tips for making a slam-dunk first impression at the company you want to work for.

Your resume has made it past the slush pile in your company of choice and the HR Manager has invited you in for an interview. Pat yourself on the back – you’ve gotten yourself noticed and have made it past the toughest part of the job search process. All you have to do now is nail the interview. Relax! This is not as hard as you think. Play your cards right and you’ll have an offer in hand in no time.

The key to stress-free interviewing is to prepare, but not too much. You want to do just enough research so that you know what to expect and can speak intelligently on the points related to your job function. It helps to jot down a few “wow ‘em” facts about the company that you would never know unless you did your homework. Don’t spend so much time on the company’s website, though, or you’ll end up sounding like an encyclopedia in the interview.

It’s in your best interest to find out as much as you can about the person or people interviewing you so that you arrive at the meeting with some preliminary information about who you’re dealing with. A Google search might prove helpful in this regard. Determine in advance what type of interview you’ll be having so you aren’t caught off guard. Will the meeting be one-on-one, or will you be sitting in front of a panel of executives? Will you be asked to consider a real-life business problem? Will any type of written or computer test be required while you’re on site?

If your past experience can be demonstrated on paper, I recommend putting together an interview portfolio. A portfolio is a three-ring binder in which you can include anything that highlights your business achievements and shows your level of commitment to previous positions. For example, I’m a marketing communications executive, so my portfolio includes press releases and business plans I’ve written, magazine articles I’ve contributed to and print advertising campaigns I’ve helped develop. A neat and professional portfolio can be an excellent tool to refer to during an interview. Most people don’t bother to create one, but it speaks volumes about your ability to package yourself.

While it’s a good idea to be conversational during an interview, be careful how much personal information you divulge. There is never a good reason to bad-mouth your previous employer, even if everything you say is justified. While he is listening to your sob story, your prospective employer is thinking that in a year, you will be sitting in front of another interviewer complaining about HIS company. Don’t be fooled by an interviewer that seems compassionate. Remember, the two of you are not friends and the interviewer’s first loyalty is to the company he’s hiring for. If you are asked why you left a job, answer with a neutral statement like “I was spending more time on the train than I was at work” or “I wanted to gain experience working in a different industry.”

Many companies have their human resources representatives conduct interviews, but you should try to meet, or at least speak with, the person who will be your official manager. The reason behind this is pretty simple. If your personalities clash or if you have fundamental differences in the way you work, you need to know immediately so you can determine if you want to pursue the opportunity further. I’m not saying that one conversation will accurately reflect how your boss will act on the job, or that problems won’t arise later that were impossible to predict. However, if you hate the person on site, you should consider if it’s a smart move to work for her.

While you’re interviewing, you should also talk to existing employees at the company, preferably in your department. Tactfully learn as much as you can about the corporate culture, or the working environment and the politics of the organization. Think seriously about whether you could fit in, because you won’t be able to have a happy and fruitful career in a company that makes you uncomfortable or doesn’t meet your individual needs. Get a sense of the overall mood and morale of the employees and listen carefully to what they say…and don’t say. If you think that every employee is going to sing the company’s praises just because you came up from HR, you might be surprised. I interviewed at a technology company that really impressed me until two of my potential colleagues told me to leave “before I got sucked in.” I didn’t take the offer, but I might have if I hadn’t taken the time to get the insider view.

Alexandra Levit worked for a Fortune 500 software company and an international public relations firm before starting Inspiration @Work, an independent marketing communications business. She's the author of They Don't Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World (Career Press 2004; http://www.alexandralevit.com).

Comments

Posted by: PAMELA COOK MY CAREER OBJECTIVE IS SEEKING A CHALLENGING POSITION AS A LEASING CONSULTANT IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER !

Posted by: Regina I feel that this article gave me the reassurance and confidence I need for the interview I have scheduled today, focusing on the actual interview and answering the hard question of "Why did you leave". Thanks!

Posted by: Joel Derera I would like to how and when the interview is taking place and also the type of interview to be done.

Posted by: Kathy Silva Thank you for the article. I have had many interviews and second interviews in the last year but no job offers. I didn't fit in to the culture of many of the places and would not have been happy there, but the other couple I thought I wanted I may not have been selected due to my answering why I left one of my long-standing jobs. I always answer honestly which I can see is not a good answer in an interview. Thank you for this information. I am sure I will receive an offer when I have my next interview if I want it.

Posted by: Walt Siedlecki I appreciate your advice on a simple process that can become complex. I did not find the job interview easy to master initially. A problem is many professions, such as engineering, are largely introverted. It is not easy to talk to strangers and explain subtle career details. Know the reason for the questions. It helps to have good stories to tell during the interview as to how you were successful in similar roles. After months of searching with little hope, including several interviews that seemed to go well, I just got an offer!

Posted by: Ken Thank you for the recommendations; they are most helpful! A couple other suggestions from my experience is to keep your answers summed up to within 60 seconds and to prepare yourself by writing out and practicing answers to some of the most commonly asked questions, such as "Name one strength and one weakness you have;" "What do you think makes you a good fit for this job?;" and "Where do you see yourself in five years?;" etc. Working on these things has helped me feel more confident and relaxed when going through the interviewing process.

Posted by: Warren Pons My Objective is: To secure employment with a company who will utilize my skills and abilities to the utmost. Thank You!!!!

Posted by: Michele Henson I would also like to add some interview information that was given to me to help me succeed in getting a job because like so many others I did not know how to interview. I went in and I was honest too, but from reading so many different views from the Internet, it's almost like a chess/checkers game. Be careful in whom you think you can trust at work. Before the interview, know what you can do for the company. In detailing your accomplishments (in a short summary), focus on the problems you have dealt with, the solutions to those problems, the results of the solutions, and the value of having the problems fixed (preferably in dollar values). Be careful about the question, "Tell me about yourself?" They don't want to know that you have 2 kids and enjoy gardening and cooking, they want to know how your career will benefit their company, your organizational skills, your attention to detail, if your team oriented, your problem resolution skills, a critical thinker, etc. Thanks you for the extra interview information and I hope that what I was able to share can help other people out too!

Posted by: Arizona HR consulting You took every single detail and post it here. Sometimes small gestures really matter. The posture, for example, can tell the employer if you are a secure person or not.

Posted by: Terri Zeigler Thanks for all of the helpful tips shared on this site and for all of the previous comments made. I have taken the time to write out some of the key points highlighted, so that I can utilize these tools and techniques. I feel a bit more confident and abreast as to how I will approach my next interview.

Posted by: Gloria Hudson Your advice was quite helpful. I'll use the points at my next interview. Thanks

Posted by: Lisa Wilborn this information is very helpful. It will help me focus on the interview questions and relax. thank you.

Posted by: Robin Dixon I also agree that during an interview to keep your answers to questions on a professional level. In other words, don't get into your personal life so much. Company's want to know how your going to be an asset to their company.

Posted by: Kelby This is really helpful. But I am trying to relocate as there are no jobs where I am. So mine have all been phone interviews. I have on tomorrow in fact. They seem to be more casual in their interviewing but I will make sure to keep my side of it professional no matter how casual they get with me. Also the reason for leaving you previous job helped. I too learned honesty is not the best policy, no matter what the situation was. Thanks

Posted by: angela "why did you leave the previous position" Is Very hard to answer. What would be a non compromising answer if you had to leave because of your boss?

Posted by: JASSIE SINGH what are the most important questions hiring manager ask and want in an employee? I know based on my experience interviewing employers are looking for someone who can be a good asset to the company in 2 main ways how they can save money and bring money into the company. This is what I believe!

Posted by: Michelle Green The information is helpful to me and every little bit counts.

Posted by: Teresa Any suggestions re: "why did you leave your previous position after being there for 5+ years" This is really hard to answer as I did leave based on issues with my direct manager, I applied for and received unemployment given the details of the situation. The entire experience was horrible and continues to tap into my level of personal and professional confidence. I have now been searching for a new opportunity for almost a year and this is still the most uncomfortable question I am ALWAYS asked when I interview.

Posted by: ESTHER WAIRURI WAINAINAH good piece of advice

Posted by: Christopher Debard i think the above article was interesting, in that I had not thought of some of the specific points brought up until I read the article. I believe that now I have more of an idea of both what and what not to say. I realize that some of the tips just described could conceivably make a difference as to whether or not I get very far in my job search.

Posted by: Claudia Fleischer How do you explain in an interview that you left a job that you were at for 6+ years after having issues with your new boss to the point of having a break down?Thank you in advance for any advice

Posted by: shelly the hardest questions i have found is "where do you want to be in five years?" I want to be alive, but I can't tell them that. I flub at that answer, because I don't have an answer. I tell them I would like to work for a company that will be there in five years, but that doesn't seem like a good answer. What do I say?

Posted by: latasha I've done a lot of these things regarding my interviews. What should i do now. I must be missing something. If anyone can give me some helpful pointers for a interview please send me an email @ babe-girl-69@hotmail.com Thank you for all your help. tasha from Milwaukee

Posted by: Rita Longhofer My hurdle seems to be ageism. I've targeted sales positions in tech companies and the hiring manager tells me he is concerned that I won't be able to understand their technology even though my backround is in technology sales.

Posted by: ANNETTE MARSHALL I WOULD LIKE TO THANK FOR THE THE WONDERFUL TIPS AND I WILL USE THEM , WHEN I AM TRYING TO GET THAT JOB I WANT. THE INFORMATION WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

Posted by: Irma Sanders What should I say if I were fired from my job.

Posted by: Rimma Pugachevsky I think these tips are very helpful, and I definitely will use them during my next interview.

Posted by: Kim Anthony Thank you for this article, it was very informative and helpful to me. I will surely use these tips in my next interview.

Posted by: Margaret Lange This was a very helpful article. The "why did you leave your last position" question information was most helpful to me. Thanks for giving us these tips and other useful information.

Posted by: Mikhail Tsimmerman Thank you for this informative and helpful article. The answer for the "why did you leave your last position" question - is GOOOD! ...TRAIN...A!???I will surely use some of these tips in my interview

Posted by: Betty Jackson Thanks very much for this article. I made this mistake three times in interviews were I really liked the positon but made it to known how much research I had done on the company. I sounded like a mechanical know it all. This really changes my approach from now on. Thanks again.

Posted by: Hortense Rockwell Thank you for the advice on what to say during an interview regarding a job I left after 7 years. It is humililating to answer directly the reason why you left and at the same time to be honest. When your male boss does not have self control there is no other alternative but to look for another job.

Posted by: Elaine Knight The tips were helpful

Posted by: Jo Ann Taylor I beleive if you are a hard worker,and a team player you should be a very good person for the job.

Posted by: Brian Leggett On: 2/15/2010 8:57:43 PM In order to do your best on an interview, get a video recorder, or at least a mirror and voice recorder, and read 'typical questions' to yourself, and watch yourself answer them...practice, practice, practice. When the real deal comes up, you feel confident and prepared.

Posted by: Nancy McGuire On: 3/2/2010 8:45:33 PM Everyone's comments were very helpful, especially, Michele Henson's. I freeze up when someone asks me to 'tell me about yourself'. I do not feel comfortable talking about myself and this question always gets me in trouble. I am practicing for this tough question and others for an interview I have tomorrow morning. Thank you and good luck to all.