Interview Tips

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Here are some helpful tips for you for the interviewing process.

Something positive can come of the worst jobs. Never bad-mouth a previous employer or speak negatively about past experiences. It's okay to describe the tough situation you may have faced, but discuss how you overcame this adversity to achieve success and how this perseverance and drive will benefit your next employer.

If possible, take the time to locate the location of your interview. Ideally a drive by of the company location will ensure timeliness and greatly reduce the "where am I going" stress syndrome.

There exists great value in "asking for the job" or "the close". Employers though, almost always resent an approach which places them on the spot. Try ... "This appears to be a challenging opportunity with a very dynamic organization and I would be interested in pursuing this position further"; definitely not ... "Am I the person for the job?" or "So, when do I start?".

Follow up each interview (where you are genuinely interested in the position) with a thank you letter. Do not resell your qualifications or list why you are perfect for the job. Short and to the point, thank the interviewer, express your enthusiasm and commit to persuing the opportunity further.

Never underestimate the value of a firm handshake. Many make or break impressions are made within the first five minutes of an interview. A solid grip often is interpreted as confidence and enthusiasm with a limp grip taken as the opposite.

Make a concerted effort to remember the names of the individuals to whom you are introduced. When you speak to that person and when you close off that particular meeting, address them by name. This trick tends to develop a stronger bond with the interviewer and hence a more favorable and longer lasting impression!

Prepare honest short and long term goals. Be specific and avoid "Miss America" answers.

Traditional interviewing questions which employers still frequently ask include:

Tell me about yourself. Interviews may begin with this question. Offer a brief outline of your salient background, but keep in mind that the interviewer is most likely interested in understanding your background specifically in terms of what led you to be interviewing today with their company, in their industry, and so forth. Keep your answer focused, interesting, and, most importantly, relevant. Employers' biggest complaints are that the responses to this question are either too carefully rehearsed, or too rambling, unfocused, or irrelevant to the interviewing situation.

What are your weaknesses (or, What do you anticipate will be your biggest challenge in your next job)? Advice from employers is that you should answer this question with characteristics which are genuinely a challenge for you --but, most importantly, emphasize how you have controlled and mastered the challenge. As an example, "I used to be extremely uncomfortable in a public speaking capacity, so I enrolled in a speech coaching program. Now, I find that I look forward to presentations and have been favorably reviewed by my recent experiences with public speaking." Avoid cliched responses such as, "I am such a hard worker that sometimes I lose track of time."

What are your strengths? Discuss your strong points, with particular emphasis on your characteristics which would be useful in the company and position for which you are interviewing.

Where do you envision yourself three years from now? This question is not asked frequently anymore, but when it is asked, employers are looking for your answer to reflect synergy with their organization and the requirements for the position for which you are interviewing, to show that your innate characteristics are aligned with their needs. In other words, if you're interviewing for a sales position today, the employer hopes to see that your long-term goals involve ambition, creativity, competitiveness, and so forth. Beyond that, you should have a firm sense of whether or not the employer values long-term commitment from employees -- and of course, they again are looking to see whether your goals are aligned with theirs.

Other traditional questions could include:

What do you know about our company? How might your co-workers describe you? and so forth. The former reflects that your preparation for interviews necessarily includes company and industry research; employers expect MBA candidates to be conversational about industry trends, company competitors, and current events as well as company profile and historical information. The latter again requires an answer which is relevant to the particular interviewing situation.