The Interview Process

This guide is designed to provide an overview of the tips and techniques to successful employment interviewing. The following pages provide a brief but helpful explanation of the interview from the time the interview appointment is made until the time the interview is ended. To keep things simple, this process will be divided into three distinct categories: (1) preparation for the interview, (2) during the interview, and (3) after the interview is ended.

BEFORE HAND: Preparing for the Interview

You must be willing to prepare ahead of time if you wish for the interview to be successful. Your degree of preparation will definitely be noticed by the person who is giving you the interview. There are number of ways that you might prepare. Below we focus on the five most important things you can do to prepare for a successful interview. Specifically, we encourage you to (1) identify your personal goals, (2) learn about the company, (3) think of questions you may want to ask, (4) consider the type of clothing to wear, and (5) practice answering questions.

Personal Goals:Personal goals are when you decide what type of job you are looking for. Are you looking for a job that allows you to move around, a job that asks you to do outside work? Would you like a job that offers a variety of hours, or are you looking for a set schedule? Is the type of job you want one that you work with the public, or would you prefer to deal with machines and paperwork? The answers to these questions are important because they will help guide you in what companies you would like to contact about possible job openings.

Knowledge about the Company: The second area that you can prepare yourself in is knowledge about the company itself. Basic information is the key. Does the company fit the description you developed by answering your personal goals questions above? You will also want to look at the location of the company. Is the company close enough for your current transportation situation? Thinking of these questions and then giving the answers considerable thought will help you prepare for when it is time to go to the interview. There are a number of ways that you can find information about a company. You might go to your public library, you can search on the Internet, or you can even talk to some current employees.

What to ask the Interviewer:At some point during the interview you will be asked if you have any questions - count on it. Be prepared to ask thoughtful and useful questions. Asking well thought-out questions will make you look good in the eyes of the person who is conducting the interview. Avoid asking me-centered questions regarding items such as salary and vacation time. These indicate that you might only be interested in money and not in making a contribution to the organization. On the other hand, good ideas for questions are: "What would my job duties include?" , "Is there a chance for promotions?" "What type of things would I be in charge of?" and many other related questions.

Dressing Properly: You can also prepare for the job interview by making sure you are dressed properly. Dressing properly means being professional. Personal cleanliness and grooming are also related to dressing properly. This includes bathing, using deodorant, brushing your teeth, and making sure your clothes are ironed, or have few wrinkles. Dressing properly means having your hair brushed and styled neatly. Perfume and cologne can be worn in small amounts, but should be avoided if at all possible. Also, be careful about the type of jewelry you wear - this makes a statement about who you are. You might want to ask the person who calls you for the interview what he or she would like for you to wear.

Practice Answering Questions: It is the job of the interviewer to find out as much job-relevant information about you as possible. You will be asked a lot of questions. Some of these questions will be easy to answer but others might be very difficult. Questions such as, "Why did you leave your last job?" might be difficult to answer. Other questions, such as, "Are you a thinker or action taker?" may be confusing and require forethought to answer. And of course, you need to be prepared to give a good answer to the question, "Why do you want to work here?" The appendix to this guide contains a list of the most commonly asked questions in job interviews. Please examine the list and prepare answers for these questions just in case you are asked.

Preparing for the interview is an important first step. The degree to which this preparation will affect the overall success of the interview should not be taken lightly. After identifying your goals, researching the company, thinking of questions you may want to ask, considering the type of clothing to wear, and practicing answers to questions, you are ready to go to the place where the interview will be.

ACTION: During the Interview

This part of the interview process is the actual face-to-face interview. There are many things to consider once you get to the place where the interview will be conducted. It may seem confusing at first, but if you break everything down into steps it becomes much easier. This section of the interviewing guide will consider the steps of (1) arriving on time, (2) introducing yourself, (3) conversing with the interviewer, (4) responding to questions, and (5) interviewing do's and don'ts. The final focus of this section is a discussion of the main idea behind the whole interview process, selling yourself to the company that you would like to work for.

Arriving on Time: The first time factor you must consider is the time you are to arrive at the interview. It is important to show up on time. Five to ten minutes early is appropriate, any more than that and you seem too eager and may be interrupting what the interviewer was doing before your appointment. Besides, arriving too early may be awkward and will give you an opportunity to get nervous. Arriving late is completely unacceptable. If you can not make it to the interview on time you must call and provide a good reason for the delay (be prepared for the possibility of having to reschedule the interview). The second time factor you want consider regards the best use of time. The interviewer has many things to accomplish in addition to your interview. Think about the answers you are giving, give precise and short answers. Try to avoid going into detail unless it is requested. The key is to highlight the good things and show the interviewer why it would be a good idea for the company to hire you.

Introducing Yourself: The first thing the interviewer learns about you, you teach him or her by how you introduce yourself. Be very assured and self-confident when entering the room. Offer a handshake and be sure that it is firm and demonstrates confidence. An example of how to begin would be " Hello, my name is George Jones I am here for my interview." When the introductions are made be sure to remember the name of the person interviewing you. The interview will progress on better terms if you are able to respond using the name of the person you are speaking with. After the introductions are made there should be a seat offered to you. Do not assume that there is a particular place for you, wait until the interviewer motions to where he or she would like to have you sit. Once you are seated and introductions are over the interview is ready to begin. Also, keep in mind that everyone you meet at the organization is important and might have input as to the decision to hire you. It is not unlikely for an interviewer or manager to ask the receptionist or counter person for his or her impressions of you.

The Conversation Between You and the Interviewer: The biggest thing to remember when you are talking to the interviewer is that enthusiasm makes the difference. An example of an enthusiastic response would be, " I would welcome the opportunity to prove myself at that task." When you are speaking be sure that your voice has force and assurance. The surer you are about yourself, the more the interviewer becomes confident that you are capable of doing the job. Treating the interviewer with respect is also very important. You can demonstrate this respect by listening and responding with interest. Such behavior allows you to establish rapport with the interviewer. Rapport (the French word for relationship) is a type of understanding or easy and friendly pattern of interaction between individuals. An example would be the type of conversations you have with really good friends. You are interested in what they are saying, they are listening to you and the conversation flows with little interruption or problems. You have established a rapport with this person that allows you to speak comfortably. This is what you want to establish with your interviewer.

Responding to Questions: When answering questions asked by the interviewer there are four things to keep in mind: listen carefully, make your answers specific and organized, frame the answers positively while emphasizing your strengths, and discuss your weaknesses honestly. First, listening carefully is important because you want to make sure you hear the question correctly. It would be very embarrassing if you answered a question inappropriately because you were only listening to how it was phrased. Second, make your answers specific and organized. Think about the question and then consider your answer before you speak it. Organize your thoughts, so if the question is, "What were your main duties at your last job?" you can concentrate on the top duties and avoid unneeded information. The more you tell the interviewer the bigger the risk you run that they might forget something you said. If you stick to only the most important information, it won't get lost among the unimportant facts. Third, when answering questions form your answers positively. An example of this would be replacing " I work hard," with " I am very determined." Although you should be positive, this does not mean you should be dishonest. This leads to the fourth and final point, honesty enhances your credibility. More likely than not you will be asked what you believe is your greatest weakness. Answering this questions insincerely (for example, "I am a workaholic"), will be noticed by the interviewer and will reflect poorly on you. You can discuss your weaknesses and then tell the interviewer what you have learned from them and how you intend to improve upon them. You can turn a weakness into a positive learning experience.

Interviewing Do's and Don'ts: The things you will want to avoid when you are interviewing are all of the bad habits you have while speaking, or

when you are nervous. Examples of things to consider are biting your nails, twisting your hair, moving around continuously in your chair, tapping you hand or a pen, and anything else that would be considered fidgeting. Never make assumptions as to what the interviewer is trying to say or ask. If you are uncertain, it is better to ask the interviewer to repeat the question. Other "don'ts" include lying or exaggerating (which might come back to haunt you) and speaking poorly about a former employer. If you "bad-mouth" a former employer, the interviewer will picture you doing the same thing to his or her company.

There are a number of important "do's" involved in interviewing. Some ideas to try to do while interviewing: make eye contact with the interviewer. There is a significant impact made through good eye contact. This helps to show honesty as well as letting the interviewer know you are truly interested in what they are saying. Watch the Interviewer's body language. Being able to read body language will help you tell what point you are at in the interview. Folded arms, yawning, picking up papers, or concentrating on something else are signs that the interview has lasted too long, or that the answer you are giving is too long and vague. React quickly and positively to any negative signs. An easy way to stop a long answer is to pause briefly and then sum up you thoughts in one sentence. If you have a question or a doubt: ask a question to clarify. This will help you avoid answering inappropriately. The final thing to remember when interviewing is SMILE. Smiles are contageous and will help ease any tension or nervousness associated with the interview.

FOLLOW-UP: After the Interview

Actions taken after the interview can be as important as the interview itself. Employers have probably interviewed several, if not hundreds, of applicants and now must decide which ones to call back or ultimately hire. One action to take after the interview is send a thank you note. Do not just send one to the interviewer, but also others in the organization that might have assisted in setting up the interview. Also include thank you letters for everyone who did the interviewing. If there were multiple interviewers, send each a different, individualized, thank you. This will show general interest in the job and may be something other candidates have not done. Sending thank you letters will put a more permanent image in the interviewer's mind. They could make the difference that will get you the job. The following are a few ideas that should be included in the thank you letter.

Thank the employer for his or her time during the interview.
Mention some of the things you learned during the interview, especially those things you feel you are qualified to do.
If you forgot to mention something during the interview, include it in the thank you note.
Invite the employer to contact you for more information if necessary.
Mention that you are looking forward to the employer's decision.
Send requested material. If the employer requested that you submit additional paperwork, you may attach it to the thank you letter. Be sure to mention the attachments in your letter: "As requested, I am forwarding letters of recommendation and certification materials."
Be sure to sign your thank you letter.

Sending a follow-up thank you should help in gaining the interviewer's final attention and demonstrating your commitment. However, there is still one

more important thing that must be done after the interview has taken place. You need to carefully evaluate your performance in the interview. Evaluate how well you think you answered questions, how well you maintained eye contact, the appropriateness of your posture, and the quality of as well as response from the questions you asked during the interview. Write down any questions that caught you off guard and practice a better response for the next interview. Analyze all the times you were uncomfortable and see how you could handle similar situations in the future. This is the best way to improve your interviewing skills.

Make sure both of these tasks get completed after an interview. They are critically important to obtaining the job. Failure to send an appropriate thank you letter could result in the person who did send one getting the job. And if you don't evaluate your performance on the last interview, you will be unlikely to improve your future interviews.

CONCLUSION

Interviewing for a job is a difficult task. Nobody likes being analyzed and evaluated. Most people become nervous at the thought of interviewing, and that's normal. However, there are a number of steps you can take to become better at interviewing. Most of those steps involve preparation and practice. You can increase your confidence by identifying your goals, preparing appropriate questions to ask, and anticipating as well as practicing difficult questions. Your increased confidence will make you a more effective communicator.

Appendix

The Most Popular Questions asked by Interviewers: When researching the question most commonly asked by interviewers the discovery was made that certain questions seem to be the most commonly used. When you read through the following questions consider how you would answer each of them if they were posed to you during an interview, this will help you prepare for when it happens for real.

What are your major weaknesses?

What type of work experience do you bring to this job?

What do you see yourself doing in 5-10 years?

Why do you want to work for us?

What assets do you bring to this company?

Discuss a project or undertaking in which you have been successful, why do you believe you succeeded.

Discuss something at which you did not succeed, what did you learn from the experience.

If you have supervised others, how do you think your staff would describe your management style?

How do you feel about working in stressful situations?

Would you describe yourself as a thinker or an action taker?

Describe a goal you have set for yourself in the past and the steps you took to accomplish it.

Pick someone in the business or professional world that you admire- why do you respect this individual?

What do you do for fun? What are your personal interests?

Describe the type of manager you would like to work for.