Nailing the interview
1. Be likable. Obvious? Absolutely –
but you’d be amazed by how many people don’t try to be likeable at all – much
less try to be remarkably likeable.
Making
a great first impression and establishing a real connection is everything.
Smile, make eye contact, be enthusiastic, sit forward in your chair, use the
interviewer's name... be yourself but be the best version of yourself possible.
We
all want to work with people we like – and who like us. Use that basic fact to
your advantage..
2. Use body language to your
advantage. How
you sit, stand, and move can sometimes matter more than what you say. The right postures and gestures can help you come across
smart, open, engaging, less stressed… off of which contributes to making an
awesome impression.
3. Know the company -- and some
of the key players.
Don't
just do a quick Google search. Look for current and past employees on LinkedIn.
See where they worked previously. If they've moved on, see where they went. Get
a feel for career progressions.
A
little time and thought will show you what skills the company values, its areas
of growth, why employees come and go... never forget that companies are a
collection of individuals, and each individual has a story to tell.
And
definitely research the person(s) who will interview you. (How will you know
ahead of time who will interview you? Ask.) Use what you learn to help
establish a rapport and connection with the interviewer.
4. Set a hook. A sad truth of
interviewing is that later we often don't remember a tremendous amount about
you -- especially if we've interviewed a number of candidates for the same
position.
Later
we might refer to you as, "The guy with the alligator shoes," or,
"The lady who finished an Iron Man," or, "The guy who grew up in
New Zealand."
Your hook can be simple, like clothing
(within reason), or an outside interest, or an unusual fact about your
experience or career. Hooks make you memorable and create an anchor for interviewers
to remember you by.
5. Be ready for unusual
questions. A quick search will
uncover hundreds more possibilities. Those kinds of questions – as long as
you’re qualified and experienced – are easy to answer.
And
never be afraid to say, “Give me a second to think about that.” Smart
interviewers don’t care if you need a few seconds to reflect; quality, not
speed, is what matters most.
6. Describe what you can offer
immediately. Researching the
company is a given; go a step farther and find a way you can hit the ground running or
contribute to a critical area.
If
you have a specific technical skill, show how it can be leveraged immediately.
Think hard about what makes you special and then show how those skills will
instantly benefit the company.
Always
remember that hiring an employee is an investment, and everyone wants to see a
return on their investments.
7. Avoid leaving negative sound
bites. Just like with your
hook, most interviewers will only remember a few sound bites from your
conversation – especially if they are negative.
So
if you've never been in charge of training, don't say, "I've never been in
charge of training." Say, "I did not fill that specific role, but I
have trained dozens of new hires and created several training guides."
Whenever
possible don’t say, "I can't," or "I haven't," or "I
don't." Share
applicable experience and find the positives in what you can do, have done,
and are eager to do.
No
matter what the subject, stay positive – after all, your worst mistake is also
your best learning experience.
8. Ask questions that really
matter.
Rule
number one: never ask a question you could have answered through a Google or
LinkedIn search. Asking those kinds of questions isn't just lazy, it shows a
total lack of respect for the interviewer's time.
Instead focus on making sure the job is a
good fit for you: the people you
will work with, the person you will report to, the scope of responsibilities,
etc. Interviews should always be two-way, and interviewers respond positively
to people eager to find the right fit. (Plus there's really no other way to
know that you want the job.)
And
don't be afraid to ask a number of questions. As long as you don't completely
take over, the interviewer will enjoy and remember your conversation as a nice
change of pace.
9. Ask for the job – with solid
justification. By
the end of the interview you should have a good sense of whether you want the
job. If you need more information, say so.
Otherwise use your sales skills and ask for the
job. Focus on specific aspects of the job: explain you work best on a team, or
thrive in unsupervised roles, or get a charge from frequent travel... ask for
the job and use facts to prove you want and deserve it.
10. Reinforce a connection when
you follow up. Email follow-ups are
fine. Handwritten notes are better. Following up based on something you learned
during the interview is best, like a note including additional information you
were asked to provide or an email with a link to a subject you discussed
(whether business or personal.)
The better the interview -- and more closely
you listened -- the easier it will be to think of
ways you can make following up seem natural and unforced.
inspired and extracted from: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140715123318-20017018-ten-simple-steps-to-the-perfect-job-interview?trk=tod-home-art-list-small_3
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