Career Advice - Interview Skills, Techniques, Tips and Advice
The job interview really is the make or break point and excellent interview skills are what stand between you and success. If you’ve done your preparation you should be feeling confident and ready put your interview skills into practice.
You will have thought about the likely questions and the best answers and spent time ensuring that you give the right first impression.
Alas, interview skills are not an exact science. The sad truth is that many interviews are decided within the first few moments by extraneous factors beyond the interviewees control: his or her appearance, accent, a chance remark, how many people the interviewers have already seen, whether they have already seen the person they want, and so on. The upside is that if you don’t get the job, don’t blame yourself or your interview skills: it was probably nothing you could have foreseen, and interview skills won’t make you taller or less red-headed or more impressive than the internal candidate who was favourite all along.
All that being said, polished interview skills can help you avoid some simple errors and tilt the balance your way. The following are some helpful hints.
Look the part
Wear appropriate business dress and act professionally at all times. Work out what is appropriate in terms of everything you present, including yourself. Look the part, and you will feel it. A good rule of thumb is to dress as if you are already doing the job. Hair should be clean and tidy and nails trimmed – these are the simple things that may stand out at first impression.Match style
It is important that you quickly establish rapport with your interviewer. Once you are through the door, look for signs of the type of person interviewing you. Family photographs or sporting trophies indicate a warm, chatty interviewer. This person may appear to dwell on peripheral issues and you will need to carefully guide the discussion back to the purpose of the meeting. An interviewer with statistical data on wall charts means they will probably want detailed answers - how you are going to research and target the product or service? An office that is 'buzzing' means your interviewer will be results orientated - so give them the bottom line of what you can contribute, how much you can save, or how much you can make for them.It has been estimated that 70% of all decisions are based on personal chemistry, so learning to speak the interviewer's language is vital. Watch out for, and try to mirror, their pace, volume and style.
Develop rapport
Make sure you know the names of the people who will be interviewing you. Practice saying them if they are difficult to pronounce.Be courteous to everyone from the moment you walk through the front door: treat everyone you meet as if they have the power to employ you.
As you walk from reception to the interviewer's office, begin with some light chat to help yourself relax. Talk about their offices, pass a favourable comment on the facilities, decor or a local place of interest. Whatever you discuss, be upbeat and confident from the outset.
When you sit be comfortable, but assume a forward leaning posture. This conveys that you are interested – but do not lean too far forward, you may appear to be pushing the interviewer into a corner. Certainly, do not lean back and adopt a casual stance - interviewers perceive this as informality or arrogance. Ask if you can take brief notes, and jot down any items you may want to refer to later.
Be aware of any fidgeting tendencies you have and find something else to do with your hands - folded in your lap is fairly safe or clasping pen and paper is acceptable.
Be organised
Remember that this is your opportunity to find out if this is the sort of environment in which you would be happy to work. Have your own agenda of what you want to cover. Your questions should be relevant, and reflect you have done some research. You might ask questions relating to their products, markets or technical specifications. Don't try to be clever: a manager confronted with a "know all" candidate may not feel comfortable with a challenger - you!You may want to know what some of the primary objectives of the job are, what responsibilities are critical, what will your performance be judged on, how will it be measured.
Having questions like these ready avoids a deathly silence when asked if you have any further questions.
Sell yourself
This is where you’ll put your practice and preparation into action. You should have prepared a 2-3 minute resume of yourself for when you are asked to 'Tell me about yourself'. Have this resume well rehearsed, as it is a one off opportunity to sell yourself.Don’t be modest about your accomplishments, but be factual, be proud of and proclaim your achievements.
Demonstrate your research
Use every opportunity to show that you have done your homework. However, do not speak for more than two minutes, and do not be a "know all". Rather than ask what gross sales were last year - refer to a figure from a report showing an increase / decrease, then ask if that reflects local or international sales.Don’t stumble
Practice the tough questions so that your responses come across positively and naturally. Be prepared to answer any of three types of question: standard, open-ended, and structured.Standard questions require a straight forward 'yes' or 'no' response. Are you prepared to relocate? Try a brief, but not abrupt, answer, like "I have not specifically discussed relocation with my family, but they have always been supportive of my career".
Open-ended questions invite you to talk. Tell me about yourself? What are your future goals? These answers should be rehearsed so that you provide a clear response, conveying the important information required, within two minutes.
Structured interview questions discourage candidates from embellishing their responses. A professional interviewer may say "tell me how you would introduce and support our new database software".
Whatever the style, do not feel rushed into giving an answer. Pausing before responding indicates thoughtfulness. Think carefully about what the company is looking for before you answer, and then do so slowly and confidently.
A poor interviewer may ask you a closed question, i.e. "Do you have experience in a product launch?" You may be prompted to say "yes" or "no" and then a silence crashes around your ears. This is because the interviewer really wants the meat or specifically: what, when, how, achievements, accomplishments, impact, costs, savings, etc.
Bear the following in mind:
- Do not say anything derogatory about your former employer or colleagues.
- Do not discuss personal issues - family or health matters would not normally be relevant.
- Do not reveal confidential or proprietary information.
- Do not be impatient or lose concentration if the interview is interrupted several times.
- The job interview should be a two-way conversation. If confronted with someone who does all the talking remember the meter is running and they are using up your time.
- The same applies to you - do not be remembered for being the bore on Tuesday morning. Be the candidate that appeared prepared, competent, confident and compatible.
Establish the next steps
Do not be a pawn, ask about the interview process. Before you leave, find out what the next step is, when you might hear, who makes the ultimate decision and when they hope to fill the position.Express Gratitude
Companies usually favour candidates with good interpersonal skills - they want you to be likeable. Thank the interviewer at the start and end of the meeting for their time and remember to follow up with a thank you note.When you do write, restate why you are interested in the position, what you have to offer the employer, and that you desire to meet for another interview if accepting an offer.
Good luck!
Useful links
Questions for consideration from worksmart.com
Try The Interview Company for help and interview advice
