Getting a call for an interview is a major source of relief-and anxiety-for those who keep sending their resumes in response to jobs that interest them. Recent statistics shed some light why this is so. Nearly 84% of those already employed keep looking for a “better” job and keep themselves in the market by casually sending their resumes to see if they can get some action. Google receives 1300-plus resumes every single day (that is nearly 200,000 a year); Hewlett-Packard (155, 000 employees) received a cool one million resumes last year, despite the negative press that it received because of the scandal!
So, getting a call for an interview is a big deal! No one is hired without going through an interview process, which can vary from something that you would see on Seinfeld, to one that can be quite prolonged and grueling! So, what are some of the strategies that give you a better chance at making your case for being hired at the end of the process? Well, the answer depends on how well you are able to master the interviewing process and how well you make your case. Sometimes, making your case after the interview is what gets you the job and not during!
This article focuses on not the everyday recommendations that abound on this topic (research the employer, get your facts right, etc), but on how to manage the interview process once you have done all the work prior to appearing for the interview. The following suggestions may help develop a better outcome if you follow them:
Your Attitude and Appearance:
Before you enter the interview space how you appear and how you carry yourself are important in making the first impression. Having a fresh-looking wardrobe that is appropriate for the interview is critical, but more important, how confidently you present yourself during the first few moments can set the tone for how the interview moves from then on. The final touch on your appearance is not just the straightening of your hair, but a confident smile on your face and an assuring manner. You do not want to overwhelm the interviewer, either, in such situations. Remember, the interviewer is often as nervous about the interview as you are about it. A pleasant smile can override the feeling of fear and anxiety; the two mortal enemies of a good interview.
Taking Control
After entering the room where the interview is taking place, you do not know how the interview is going to be conducted. Ideally, there is a dialog between the two and a good exchange takes place that gets both the information that is required to assess the mutual fit.
Sometimes you run into a poor interviewer or someone who may be nervous and you end up listening to them for the entire duration of the interview, without getting a chance to present your case or even to explore a fit by asking key questions you brought to the event. Unfortunately, with such people it is often too late before you discover that you have lost control over the process.
One way to avoid this situation is to set the ground rules before the interview begins. This may appear presumptuous or even arrogant to some, but it works! The best way to bring this up is to start by asking how much time is scheduled for the interview as you settle down after the initial handshake. This is a good time to say that you have some questions to ask about the job and about the company to explore your fit for the job and that you need some of that time to achieve that objective. You may also want to state that you prefer to ask these questions throughout the exchange rather than at the end. “Will this work for you?” is how you take control of the interview.
If this fails and the interviewer goes on with their logorrheic binge, then one way to get back on track is to detect this early and to stop the interviewer at an appropriate time early and to explore if making a physical break in the surrounding will give you the chance to recover from this situation. “Can we go and take a look at the QA Test area, please? I am curious to see how the work is organized and carried out.” If they take you up on it then you get another chance to ask questions about what you are observing during the tour and use that opportunity to getting back on track.
From your side, one way to manager your time is to mentally envision a “traffic light analogy.” If you start speaking, imagine as if the “Green” light is on for about 60 seconds. The “Orange” light goes on for 15 seconds after that and the “Red” light comes on at 90 seconds. You must stop on Red! Now the interviewer talks!
Another strategy that works is not to assume what is described in the job posting as what is expected of you once you are selected for that job. The best way to explore this is to say (about one third of the way into the interview), I have read the job description and I understand what the job entails in broad terms, but could you please tell me the three most important parameters that will make the incumbent a clear winner? Listening to the response to this question is important, and taking notes of the key items mentioned in that response will give you a way to position yourself as the candidate for the job.
Following up:
Once the interview is over, the best next step to make up for any deficiencies that surfaced during the interview is to send a great thank-you note. The main purpose of this note is not to just thank the interviewer, but, more importantly, is to provide a stronger answer to questions where you could have done better. A short paragraph that starts with, As I was driving back from the interview I realized that another way to address the customer issue is to sit down with the customer face-to-face and to explore what it would take to get their business back, etc. Showing first-hand experience having done this goes a long way in making your recovery answer credible. It also shows that you are willing to go the extra mile to make things right.
In most cases making a cut in an interview has more to do with Chemistry, Competency, and Compatibility (the Three Cs) than anything else. Some of the Competency is already vetted through how you presented your resume and the cover letter. So, focusing on the two other Cs can help shift the tipping point in your favor.
Good luck!