Dealing with an interviewer is facing your moment of truth! After a long wait from submitting your résumé a call for an interview is sometime anticlimactic for many because many feel both anxious and relieved that they have been called to qualify themselves for the job. Anxious because they do not know how—and if— they will make the cut, and get the offer they are seeking; relived, because they are in the running.
When people get sucked into the dynamic of an interview it is difficult for them to objectively assess if they are coming across as desperate or desirable. If you come across as desperate then this can be a deal breaker. But, if you come across as desirable then you can close the deal when you walk away from that interview, even though you may not get the offer right there and then. In most cases you hold more power and control than you realize.
How?
Most candidates surrender their personal power to the interview process even subconsciously. Why? Primarily because they assume that the interviewer is in charge of the decision-making and that they are merely there at the pleasure of the interviewer. This is a wrong mindset and can militate against your getting the job offer, if that is what you want.
So, what are some of the telltale signs of a desperate applicant? Regardless of your employment status you must not betray your desperation during an interview process. Here are some of the guidelines to hold that power you deserve and keep the interview flowing on your terms:
- Walk in with confidence, with a broad smile on your face. Exude an aura of authority and calmness as you walk into the interview room. Offer a firm—and dry—handshake and maintain eye contact with the interviewer.
- Manage your body language in the way you carry yourself, especially during the first few minutes after you enter the room and as you get acquainted with the interviewer. Continue to smile. Let them wonder why you are so happy!
- Have a great opening line for the first question: Tell me about yourself. Try responding to that question with 140-characters (or so).
- Be highly organized in your presentation, including finding your résumé from your briefcase or folder, to taking notes during the interview. Continue smiling. Let them wonder why you are so relaxed and confident.
- At an appropriate time, but early in the process, start asking key questions and wait for the interviewer to respond. Take notes and use the exact language they use in your responses throughout the interview. Asking questions and getting them answered will steer you in the right direction that will keep the interviewer engaged.
- You will betray your anxiety by asking—or even answering—questions that can better be asked at a later time. Don’t ask salary questions during the early interviews, nor should you answer such questions. Politely say, I really do not know much about the job yet, so I prefer to wait to discuss this when I have a better knowledge about what is expected of me in this job and how I am going to create value for you. Initially, though, when recruiters ask these questions be open and honest, which will allow you to move to the next round with the hiring team.
- Probe more deeply about how you’ll be measured, what is important in that role, and how you’ll be managed. Get clarity as if you are starting the job after you complete that interview, so that the interviewer sees you as the only candidate for the job.
- Avoid asking questions about promotion, raises, benefits, telecommute, and travel at this stage. The later in the process you ask these questions the better off you will be.
- Be authentic in all your questions and responses, so that the decision-maker knows what they are getting on their team when they hire you. Avoid being painfully open, but enough so that there is no surprise on either side.
- See if you can move the discussion to closing the deal: What timelines are you looking at for making an offer to the right candidate? Then, if things look reasonably good emphasize your interest in the job and in joining the team. Also, ask what the next step would be.
If you follow these guidelines you have taken charge of the interview, and what outcome you create will depend more on you than on the interviewer.
Good luck!