Want the job? Here’s how you can increase your chances.
The first thing you need to remember is this – most interviewers hate interviewing candidates. It’s time consuming and interrupts their day. They want to get to know you and get a feel for who you are. It is hard for them to really know who you are if you’re stiff, nervous and constantly thinking before your answer each question. The interviewer would rather it go like a casual conversation on the back porch of a cookout. Trust me. So you need to relax and be as casual as you can be even though you’re in a suit. Be happy and smile but don’t force small talk just for the sake of making small talk. If you ask about a photo on their desk and you aren’t genuinely interested – it will show. Don’t be afraid to get personal, you might strike a chord. For example – I once had a kid sit in front of my desk and he was really nervous and I did what I could to loosen him up by asking him questions about his extra curricular activities and he said he played golf. After I found that out we had an hour long conversation about playing and watching golf. The rest of the interview went real well so don’t be afraid to talk a little about your life and what you enjoy doing.
The second thing you need to know is what they are looking for. If you are asked the question – where you see yourself in five years and that answer doesn’t include working for a company, you just screwed yourself. Why? They are looking for long term employees. It cost our company about $10,000 in revenue every time we have to hire an employee to fill a previously filled position. The previously filled position had an employee who was making money for the company and when they leave, we have to hire and train a new employee to get to their level and the time it takes to train and get them up to speed, we have lost that revenue we would have had if the employee had never left the company. So if they ask you that question and you say something like – “owning my own business” or “being a stay at home mom because I really want kids” they know right away that won’t hire you.
The third thing is this. . . know the job description. You should know it forwards and backwards and be able to recite it on cue even though you won’t be asked. The reason for this is so that when the interviewer asks if you’re capable of performing a certain task you can say that you are very capable and that it would be easy for you to accomplish so it won’t affect your ability to perform some other job description that is listed that is more daunting. For example, lets say you are applying for an accountant position and two of your thirteen responsibilities are keeping up to date with changing tax laws and speaking with clients on a weekly basis. The interviewer says “how are you at keeping up to date with changing tax laws regarding small businesses?” and your answer begins with how easy it is for you to review congressional meetings by reading transcripts free on the Internet at night so that during the day you can speak with clients. First of all the interviewer will love the fact that you really do know the position to be filled and he will love the conversational quality of the interview. It also makes you look polished and ready to work. From there he will ask you about your relationships with clients and from there you create a segue into the next job responsibility just as you did with the previous question. This tip is nearly secret and not too many people know or why it works. But it does.
Let’s say the actual interviewer calls you to set up the appointment instead of their secretary. If they call you to see what time is good for you – say “The morning or afternoon is good for me but I also have lunchtime open too – do you do lunch interviews?” Here’s why you should ask that question – The interviewer may have never thought of it. They also have an expense account and can use it for business reasons and an interview does qualify so this means to them – FREE LUNCH! They can expense their lunch and yours! It also provides a relaxed atmosphere and sets up for a good conversational interview. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Get the interviewer engaged with props! If your job description requires you to know Excel Spreadsheet and you have laid out a few impressive spreadsheets in your previous job, throw them on a disc and bring them with you to the interview. Show off your work! If you are interviewing for an engineering position, bring your college coursework or plans from a previous job. If you are applying for a law enforcement position, bring documentation on previous incidents and how you handled them. Place your own profession in those scenarios and bring props that fit your situation. Props engage the interviewer and they will be more likely to remember you after they interview several other candidates.
These tips will surely put you ahead of the other applicants! Good Luck!
