Strategies of the Employment Interview
PREPARATION:
To help get the job offer it is important to know as much as possible about the position for which you are interviewing. You should know
something of the duties and responsibilities of the position, as well as the ideal background the employer is seeking. Once you know this, you can then
highlight or emphasize your experience in the areas that are important to the employer. Again, look at the interview from the employer's point of view.
If they're looking for someone who has worked with accounting systems, don't dwell on how well you know people management.
Be sure to research the company, the position and any information you can obtain about the people you will be interviewing with. Many companies can be
researched on the internet. Your executive recruiter should be able to provide you with a profile of the position, background information on the company,
a schedule for the interviews and possibly even background on the people you will meet. This information will put you in an informed position to respond
to the company's probing and questions.
Keep in mind that in most cases you are competing with one or more qualified candidates for the same position. Most companies, even if they interview a
candidate they feel can do the job, will still want to interview other candidates to make sure they hire the best available person. This means that you'll
have to convince the employer that not only can you do the job, but that you can do it better than other people.
One way of doing this is before the interview write out a list of your strengths, because more often than not an employer will ask you to tell him in what
areas you consider yourself to be strong. Again, keep in mind what the employer is seeking. Don't bring the list with you, but keep it in mind when the question
comes up. Also consider your weaknesses and when possible turn them into strengths, e.g., "I get impatient with myself when things don't go perfectly the
first time". Obviously, don't dwell on weaknesses; emphasize strengths instead.
And, most importantly, be prepared to explain your duties and your accomplishments in as specific a fashion as possible. Be sure to emphasize specific levels
of achievement or responsibilities that you've earned. Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Describe not only what you've done, but how well you've
done your work. This can be best accomplished by (1) stating a problem you fixed, (2) your solution to the problem, and (3) emphasize the results. Don't
be afraid to relate what others have said about your work.
Finally, dress in a conservative and businesslike manner. Men should wear a conservative
2-piece suit, white shirt and contrasting tie. Avoid sport coats. Women should wear a skirted suit or dress with a matching jacket, along with a minimum
amount of makeup and jewelry. Dressing in this fashion is what employers expect in an interview situation. If you do not come so attired, you are putting
yourself in a marked disadvantage in comparison to other people who do dress in this manner and who are interviewing for the same job.
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| >> THE INTERVIEW >> |
