1. Enter into a state of relaxed concentration.
This is the state from which great basketball players or Olympic skaters
operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatter in your head through
meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus
on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in
concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.
2. Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your
authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation with your
interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting.
Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview before
it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked
on a final exam.
3. Set goals for the interview. It is your job to
leave the meeting feeling secure that the interviewer knows as much as he or
she possibly can about your skills, abilities, experience and achievements. If
you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before leaving. If the
interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose them
yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without
getting your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you
would be getting yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews,
especially with other key players.
4. Know the question behind the question.
Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why should we hire you?"
Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your meeting
deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your
personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will
interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are
present.
5. Follow up with an effective "thank
you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity to
market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them
in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing
out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this
follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the
talking. Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the
team.
6. Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on
the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has the responsibility of hiring
the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be justified.
"Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the
culture of this organization?" These as well as other questions will be
heavily on the interviewer's mind. Find ways to demonstrate your qualities
above and beyond just doing the job.
7. Expect to answer the question, "Tell me
about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared
interviewers. Everything you include should answer the question, "Why
should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of
achievements from your work life that closely match the elements of the job
before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as
you can before you respond to the question.
8. Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate
that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial
expressions and body movements and actions convey the rest. Make and keep eye
contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show
interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports
appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.
9. Be smart about money questions. Don't fall
into the trap of telling the interviewer your financial expectations. You may
be asking for too little or too much money and in each case ruin your chances
of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in.
Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of
the scope of responsibilities of the job.
10. Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful
not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope
of the interview. State your previous experience in the most positive terms.
Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm for
earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak negatively about
another person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run the
risk (early in the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may
have difficulty working with others.
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