Interview Power. Tom Washington
appearing relaxed, providing brief, well thought-out responses, and asking a few intelligent questions.
7. Hiring decisions are based mostly on emotion. Do I like her? Will we get along? Will she accept criticism and be a good team worker? Being liked by the employer is just as important as having the qualifications.
8. Concentrate on giving examples of your accomplishments. Accomplishments demonstrate your potential. Stress how you can benefit the organization.
9. Be yourself, but also be your best. If you tend to be overly aggressive, consciously tone it down during the interview. If you have strong opinions on everything and like to express them, keep them to yourself. If you tend to be too quiet and reserved, try to be a little more outgoing and enthusiastic during the interview.
10. Use examples to back up any statements you make. Be prepared for questions like, “Are you good with details?” “Are you a hard worker?” “Can you handle difficult people?” You can begin your response with, “Yes, I am good with details. For example . . .”
11. Be able to explain any statements included in your resume, such as accomplishments or job duties. You can use your resume to predict many of the questions that will be asked. Practice describing your job duties in the most concise way possible.
12. Showing confidence in yourself will create a favorable impression. Such confidence can come only from truly knowing yourself and recognizing your own potential.
13. Send a thank-you note the evening of the interview. Some employers have never received a thank-you note, yet this simple courtesy frequently makes the difference between selection and rejection.
14. Relax and enjoy your interviews.
Chapter 2
KEY INTERVIEWING SKILLS
Active Listening
Active listening is one of the most critical interviewing skills you need to develop. Active listening can be defined as high-level listening in which your entire attention is focused on the person speaking—your body, face, and eyes all confirm you are listening. Through active listening you’ll pick up the cues and clues that the interviewer is consciously and unconsciously giving you. If you are well prepared for the interview, you will be able to process the clues to determine the interviewer’s needs and biases. This will enable you to respond appropriately to those needs or biases at an opportune time. Attentive listeners are highly regarded by employers.
Do not allow your mind to wander. Not only will you miss key information, but more than one interviewee has been embarrassed by not hearing a question and then having to ask that it be repeated.
To be an active listener you must truly want to hear everything the person says. When the interviewer pauses from time to time, don’t jump in with a comment. Let the interviewer collect his thoughts, and then continue. Your willingness to allow the person to continue sends a positive message to the person, and will cause him to provide you with more information. After you ask a question it is particularly important to let the person know you are attentively listening to the response.
Do not be concerned if the interviewer does a lot of talking at the beginning of the interview. That’s exactly what you want. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to speak. In the meantime, listening carefully will give you an opportunity to learn valuable things about the person, the job, and the organization.
“Listen” with your body. Be relaxed, but don’t slouch. You should always be looking at the speaker, but with a gentle look, never a stare. When people speak, they often look away from the listener for 5–20 seconds, but when the speaker’s eyes return to you, your eyes should be gently looking at him or her. You should not be looking at your watch, looking out the window, or looking at objects in the office. Nod at appropriate times to signal you are really hearing what the person is saying.
As you listen, you should be taking in and interpreting everything. While listening, part of your brain is deciphering the information and deciding what to do with it. For example, employers are often cautious about mentioning serious problems that exist, yet will often allude to them in obscure ways. If you aren’t listening actively, the words might go right past you, and an opportunity would be missed. The interviewer might indirectly indicate that the company is experiencing high turnover and, thus, is looking for evidence of strong company loyalty. By sensing the need, you could provide evidence that demonstrates you have the kind of loyalty the company desires.
You will approach each interview with your own agenda, looking for opportunities to sell those skills which you feel are important for the job. You must also be flexible. You may pick up clues from the interviewer that the skills you had planned to emphasize are not as important as some other skills you possess. Only an active listener can recognize the need for a change in strategy, and then be able to make the appropriate shift.
By concentrating on what the interviewer says, you’ll be better able to use the information later in the interview. For example, the interviewer may have presented evidence that the position requires an ability to quickly gain the confidence of customers. A half hour may pass before you have the opportunity to cover that talent. Because you listened, you’ll remember.
Do not assume that just because you have years of experience, you are a good listener. Most of us have learned how to appear attentive with the appropriate nods, uh-huhs, and an occasional “I know what you mean.” You undoubtedly can recognize fake listening, and you don’t like it. A good listener makes the speaker feel that everything said is of great interest and that there is a desire to hear the whole story. Real listening occurs when you hear and understand the words, you properly interpret the feelings behind the words, and the person feels he or she has been listened to.
Preparation
In interviewing there is no substitute for preparation and practice. Fortunately for you, most people spend little time preparing for interviews. They will get a good night’s sleep, polish their shoes, take a shower, and hope for the best. Their attitude is, “Since I don’t know what the interviewer will ask, I’ll just give it my best shot.”
But you can anticipate and prepare for the questions that will be asked in an interview. There are approximately 75 basic questions, all others being variations of these. Then there are the technical questions that can be asked of people in your field. These too can be predicted. Questions will also arise from information you’ve provided in your resume, particularly your accomplishments.
A complete discussion of the most commonly asked questions is covered in chapters 21 through 28. In each case, the principle behind answering the question is discussed, with an example often included.
To prepare your responses, simply jot down the points you want to make. Do not try to develop word-for-word responses. That would require memorization, which is not recommended—if you forget a point during an interview, you could become flustered and completely blow the response. Giving memorized answers can also make you seem mechanical. Instead of memorizing, you should practice your responses several times. This will help you feel confident and relaxed. Say your answers slightly differently each time to give them a ring of spontaneity.
Thorough preparation takes time. Preparing and practicing your responses to the 75 basic questions, the 5-8 technical questions you suspect could be asked, and the 8-10 questions likely to come off your resume, might require 15-25 hours. The effort spent, however, will pay big dividends.
Building Rapport
Building rapport quickly with your interviewer is a vital skill in the process of obtaining job offers. The main aspect of rapport is a mutual trust and respect. Begin by utilizing your best social skills. Use the person’s name several times throughout the interview, but don’t overdo