In my blog, “Building a Better Resume” I explained what steps you can take to make your resume stand out from the rest. In this blog, I want to share with you tips to a successful interview. These tips are the things you should do prior to and during the interview. Remember, the interview is the make or break point for you in the hiring process. If you made it this far, that means the hiring authority is strongly considering you. So let’s take a look at the things you should prepare for before and during the interview.
The three main types of interviews are: in-person, video teleconference, and telephone. The most popular of course is the in-person interview. The higher the salary, the more likely the organization will be willing to pay for you to fly or drive in on a reimbursable basis. If you have a choice of all three, you want to get the in-person interview for obvious reasons. I would then go for the video teleconference because they can at least still see you and read your body language. This added level of comfort for the interviewer or panel can increase your chances of getting the job.
This leaves us with the telephone interview. If you have no choice but to conduct a phone interview, you have to work a little harder to impress the interviewer or panel. Your energy level really has to be high so that they don’t get bored. Whatever you do, conduct your phone interview in a place that you will not be interrupted. Believe or not, I have been on phone interviews where you can hear children crying in the background or fighter jets flying above. It makes for an awkward interview and has never helped anyone’s case.
Before you show up for the interview, be sure to do your research on the job itself and the organization as a whole. Believe or not, I have seen people stumped by the obvious questions like, “What interested you in the job” or “What do you like best about our organization.” You need to familiarize yourself with the job and organization and you can do this by looking at their web site, reviewing the job description again, and if possible, speak to someone who already works there. Knowing what they are about, what they value, and learning their language is a good way to show you are interested in them.
The interview is a lot like that first date (and I don’t mean asking 20 questions). What I do mean is that the interviewer or panel wants to know that you are interested in them outside the financial gain you will get if hired. If you didn’t take the time to do your due diligence and familiarize yourself with what your future team values, you might not be the teammate for them.
This goes without saying but you will be amazed at how many times a person came underdressed. The truth is, “how well” you dress shouldn’t, to certain extent, be a major factor. What matters is the message you send when you don’t “dress up” for the interview. It tells the interviewer and panel that you are not taking this seriously. Don’t over or under do it. Be professional.
You also want to keep it simple. For instance, if you are a huge sports fan and you want to wear your team’s lapel pin on your outfit or some flashy tie, try to refrain. Like your resume, you don’t want to give anyone a reason to bring your interview score down. Although not appropriate, I have heard that people make comments about trivial things like this in other organizations. It should not even be an issue but you always have to account for trivial things like this so dress the part and let them focus on you, their future teammate. You too need to focus on the other areas of the interview that can really score you points.
The point of the interview is for the interviewer or the panel to get to know you better. So when they ask you a question, answer it! The most common question people don’t answer is, “Do you want to tell us a little about yourself before we get started?” Believe it or not, some interviewees say, “No.” If they do answer it, it is very short and uninformative.
Because this is a common opening question, you should be prepared to answer it. As with all interview questions, be short and to the point. You want a blend of professional and personal areas. I recommend the 80/20 rule. 80% of your statement should be professional in nature and the remaining 20% personal (where you are from, family, etc.).
Remember what I said about looking the part. It is okay to share your personal likes but don’t spend an inordinate amount of time expounding upon the intricate details. Just give them enough to see you as a person they want to be around for eight hours a day. You always want to take advantage of the time you have so answer all the questions.
If for whatever reason you get stumped on a question, just ask if you can have the question reread to help gather your thoughts. If you are still stumped, ask if it is okay to come back to the question. If the interviewer or panel forgets to re-ask the question be sure to remind them and give them your best response.
There are typically three types of questions: Behavioral, Technical, and Cognitive. You need to be prepared to answer all of them. This is probably where most interviewees fail to deliver. Being prepared means thinking about potential questions and prepping yourself to answer them in effective and concise ways.
Behavioral-based Questions: This type of questioning is really popular with hiring authorities because it is a great way to measure soft skills (leadership, collaboration, etc.) and at the same time, see how you can communicate your thoughts. You want to be prepared to answer these questions by coming up with real-life experiences that show you have dealt with these situations before. When describing these situations, tell the story so they have no doubt that you have a high proficiency in that area.
Be sure that your story is relevant and recent. I have sat on numerous hiring panels where all of the examples given were at least 10 years or older. That told me that the person doesn’t have enough recent experience in these areas which in turn probably means they are not my strongest candidate for the job.
Behavioral-based questions should be aligned with the organization and directly tied to the critical responsibilities of that job so make sure you identify those competencies and begin to practice answering these questions with recent and relevant personal experiences. You can identify these competencies by looking at the organization’s web site or the job advertisement itself.
Technical Questions: The more technical the job, the more technical questions you are likely to get. Don’t be surprised if there is a “hands on” portion of the interview process where you have to demonstrate those technical skills. The more technical the job, the more in the weeds you need to get as far as brushing up on the basics and working your way up to the highly technical areas. For less technical jobs, you still need to familiarize yourself with key terms, processes, and programs used in that job. You always want to hedge your bets and not having an answer can mean the difference in getting hired or passed over.
Cognitive-based Questions: This line of questioning is also on the rise. The questions are designed to see how you process things so if you get this type of question, pay close attention to every single word. In some cases, there is no right or wrong answer or there are multiple answers. The interviewer or panel is interested in seeing how you process problems. If you get this type of question, it is okay to ask them to repeat the question. I would even ask if it is okay if you write things down, use props around you, etc. If they say “yes”, you get to display your problem solving skills in front of them. This is another area where I see interviewees pass on answering the question. Remember, an answer is better than no answer at all.
Preparation, preparation, preparation! All three types of questioning require practice and preparation. I recommend that you go over your responses over and over again until it is second nature. By preparing to answer all three types of questions, you can reduce the anxiety I see when someone is asked the question and they are unprepared.
Most interviews will give the interviewee the opportunity to share anything that was not in their resume or not covered in the interview. If you are given this opportunity, take advantage of it! Be short and concise and address any uncovered areas. It is also okay to briefly rehash some of the stronger points of your resume and skills discussed during the interview. Think as if you were running for political office and give a short overview of why you think you are the best candidate for the job.
It always amazes me when I hear an interviewee ask a strange question. I always ask myself, “What were they thinking?” The truth is, they probably weren’t thinking at all. Some of the crazy questions I have heard some interviewees ask are, “If I get hired, do I get access to the shopping center” or “What kind of vacation and time off will I start off with?” As you can imagine, the impression left with the interviewer or panel is that this person isn’t even hired and they are already looking for when they can get away from work or get something out of it. I get that there are benefits that are important to you but getting a job is probably more important. Be sure that during your research on the organization, its competencies, etc. that you also look at their benefits package so you can remove that thought from your head during the interview.
Never underestimate how being organized and thankful can help your cause. When an interviewee can remember the interviewer or panel member’s names, it is always a plus. Have extra resumes, business cards in your padfolio just in case. No need to hand them out but if asked, you are ready. At the conclusion of the interview, always thank the interviewer and panel for the opportunity for giving you an interview. If you have their contact info, send them an email thanking them.
Every interview is different but I tried to capture all of the variances I have seen from my own experience on numerous hiring panels. Just remember that preparation is critical. Don’t forget to look the part and be organized prior to that first question. Do your research and be prepared to share recent and relevant examples of your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Don’t make the mistake of not being prepared and get caught off guard because you were asked a question you did not see coming. You want to cover all your basis but don’t be so thorough that you ask an awkward question.
Remember…preparation, preparation, preparation! If you have to, ask a friend, co-worker, or family member to practice with you. By going over your intro, stories, and presentation, you will be well on your way to a successful interview.
Before we end, I wanted to share with you a tool you will find helpful. Talent Generator® has a competency base assessment tool that will allow you to ask those who know you best to give their assessment of your knowledge, skills, and abilities in areas most important to the job you are applying for. Talent Generator® already comes with a few private sector competency models (Education, Medical, Non-Profit, etc.). You simply select the sector of your choice and then email out the survey. We even have a baseline leadership competency model you can use.
The best part of this survey is that you are in control and you can select people who will give you honest feedback. The number of evaluators is unlimited but we recommend you choose people who will give you honest and actionable feedback. The best part is that the survey has been gamified so you don’t have to worry about multiple choice or Likert scale assessments. You can have fun while getting the answers you need to display the best parts of your skills and abilities.
If you are an organization that wants to prioritize competencies you value most, the Talent Generator® tool is perfect for you. Whether you use one of the pre-existing competency models or build your own, the Talent Generator® Competency Assessment and Calibration Tool is easy to use and gets you the results you have been waiting for. To find out more, click here.
