Byline: LESLIE ROSE McDONALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The importance of the interview in the overall hiring process cannot be overstated. It is where the "rubber meets the road." It is where you have one opportunity to establish yourself as the candidate of choice to your potential employer.
Too many talented and valuable candidates do not understand the value of preparation and practice for this important aspect of the selection process, then wonder why they didn't make the cut.
Successful professionals, especially extroverts with strong interpersonal skills, frequently dismiss the notion of preparing and practicing for their interviews, feeling that they can probably "wing it." While that may be true in some cases, you should consider these important aspects which will enhance your interview experience and give you a competitive edge.
Understand how the***interview process works
There are many excellent books at the local library or bookstore on interviewing techniques. This foundational preparation is a necessary step to give you specific insight as to what the employer is looking for. It is important to understand the dynamics of the interview process, including what questions are likely to be asked of you and what some effective responses might be.
Learn how to interpret the interviewer's question-behind-the-question. Know about behavioral interview questions and why they are important to a prospective employer. Understand the process from the interviewer's side of the table. Be aware of proper interview etiquette, and know the kinds of questions that you need to ask the interviewer.
Research the company, the***hiring manager, the culture
Researching companies is much easier today with the help of the Internet. Most companies have Web sites where you can get such information as the company's history, product lines, annual sales, and, in publicly held companies, the annual report.
To meet with a hiring manager and expect her to provide you with this basic information about her company will start you out on the wrong foot. You will be expected to have taken the initiative to research this information before your meeting.
To find out about the hiring manager and the culture of the company, you may need to tap your network to find people who work there or who previously worked there. To find out more about the position you are interviewing for, call your contact in the Human Resources Department and ask them to e-mail you a copy of the job description. This will give you a frame of reference and context in which to answer your interview questions. It will also be a guide to develop your own list of questions that you will want to ask during the interview process.
Know yourself, your***strengths and weaknesses
One of the most common "stumpers" that surprise many professionals is the typical opening question, "Tell me about yourself." Prepare and practice a segment that will be about three to six minutes in length. It should be business-focused, with an overview of your career from the beginning, or when you graduated from school.
The interviewer will be listening for the following in addition to the content of your response: how well you know yourself; how organized and articulate you are in presenting yourself; your verbal communication skills and self confidence; your general attitude; and your personal and career motivators and satisfiers.
They will be looking for what circumstances prompted your career moves - around, up or out of your previous organizations, including why you are on the market at this time.
Expect to be queried in some form about your strengths and weaknesses. It is best to think beforehand what assets you bring to the position and the organization. These are your selling points, which should be directly related to the skills, traits and strengths needed for the position you are applying for.
When asked about your areas in need of development, don't sabotage your candidacy with true confessions. Talk about an aspect of yourself that you are working to improve, preferably one that will not be perceived as a liability in the open position or the company's culture.
Answer questions in terms of***accomplishments; use anecdotes
It is easiest for most people to think of their work in terms of their job description or the responsibilities that they had in various positions. While this is good foundational information for the interviewer, it is not enough. Employers want to know not just what you were responsible for, but also how your being in that role made a difference or made improvements to the job, department or organization. Your resume was developed in a way that focused on these accomplishments. The interview offers you the opportunity to expand on them.
The next step is to think of specific examples of real-life work or customer situations which will give the interviewer an anecdote or "story" that brings your accomplishments to life. The employer knows that when you present yourself in terms of specific ways you contributed to past employers, that this will be a fairly good indicator of what they might expect from you in their organization. Remember that no employer wants to hire someone who merely puts in his or her hours to collect a paycheck each week. They want to hire someone who will make a difference, who will add value and will provide results.
Practice, practice, practice
Knowing yourself is one thing; articulating it out loud to someone you do not know is another. Just as an athlete or a musician prepares and practices for a performance, so must you prepare for your interview. Some people resist practicing because they think that they will sound too scripted or overly rehearsed in the interview. This is not true. It is important to anticipate questions and be prepared without sounding scripted. You will want to sound natural, but ironically, this will take practice. The idea is to be planned, not "canned."
There are several ways to practice and receive feedback: with a friend, partner or a professional career consultant. You may want to consider videotaping your practice interview session so that you can observe yourself as others see you. Frequently even the most professional people have traits or habits that can be distracting, annoying or imply a lack of self-confidence.
Balance being prepared***with being yourself
It is important that throughout the process you let your own natural personality shine through. Your preparation and practice should be blended with your intelligence, personal warmth and sense of humor. Keep a positive attitude and remind yourself that you have much to offer and will be a terrific asset to the company you are interviewing with. When you believe it, so will the people who are meeting you and evaluating your candidacy.
Leslie Rose McDonald, a local career and outplacement consultant, is president of Pathfinders Career Transition Services Inc. in Liverpool. Write to: Workplace Wellness, c/o Leslie McDonald, 7445 Morgan Road, Liverpool, N.Y. 13090, or e-mail her at careertracking@pathfinderscts.com
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