Looking for a new job can be really stressful. Maybe you’re looking for work because you were laid off or fired. Maybe your company filed for bankruptcy. Maybe you left a bad boss.
One of the most stressful parts of the job hunting process is the interview. Follow the basic steps below and you can stand out from from most other candidates.
Here are the basic steps to nail an interview:
- Personalize Your Application
- Research Before The Interview
- Dress for Success
- Prepare Questions
- Arrive Ahead of Time
- Be Likable
- Take Notes
- Ask Questions
- Confirm Next Steps
- Immediate Thank You Note
Personalize Your Application
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make while looking for a job is sending a generic resume to hundreds of companies. You’re treating each company equally and hoping that the law of large numbers plays to your benefit.
A much better strategy is to personalize your application. You can do that by editing your resume to match the job description, personally reaching out to leaders at the company on LinkedIn and using your personal network to get your foot in the door.
Research Before the Interview
Once you’ve scheduled an interview (phone, video conference or in-person) you should make sure to do research on the company. Here are some simple ways to research a company:
- Website (About, Company History, Leadership)
- LinkedIn (Company Profile, Profiles of Leaders or Hiring Managers)
- Facebook / Instagram (Company Profile Page, Recent Updates)
- Google Search (News Articles)
Your goal should be to walk into the interview with a decent understanding of the company’s general business model (target customers, primary products or services), recent history and current leadership team. This initial research should prompt some questions which you should write down and bring to your interview.
Dress for Success
This piece of advice may feel really obvious but you need to dress for success. You’d be surprised how many people don’t follow this advice and show up to an interview looking unkempt.
Here are some specific recommendations:
- Smell Good
- Shower
- Use Deodorant / Antiperspirant
- Brush Your Teeth
- Proceed with Caution: Light Perfume / Cologne
- Look Good
- Style Your Hair
- Men – Wear a Suit and Tie
- Women – Wear a Blazer Jacket and Slacks or Skirt
- Accessorize
- Wear Nice Shoes that Match Your Outfit
- Wear a Watch or Subtle Jewelry
- Interview Supplies
- Extra Copies of Resume (Cover Letter and Portfolio if relevant)
- Notepad and Pen
- List of Questions to Ask
Prepare Questions
The questions that you ask are one of the things that will make you stand out from other candidates. There are three types of questions to think about. First, questions that ensure the job is a good fit for you. Second, questions that display your understanding of the work required. Third, questions that advance the process.
Here is an example of each:
- “What specific actions does someone need to take to be successful in this position?”
- “It seems like {insert relevant item here} might be a challenge in this role, how do other people deal with that?”
- “Based on our conversation so far I’m excited about this opportunity. What’s the next step after our conversation today?”
You’ll generally want to have at least 5 questions to ask that keep the conversation going. Try not to ask questions that can be answered with a simple Yes/No. Also avoid questions related to compensation, benefits, vacation days and holidays until you’ve built some rapport with the person interviewing you. These questions are typically answered in an offer letter and are not generally discussed in an initial interview.
Arrive Ahead of Time
Use Google Maps traffic prediction to estimate how long it will take to get from your home to the business. Ensure that you aim to arrive 15-20 minutes ahead of the interview. Showing up any earlier can be an inconvenience for the interviewer. Showing up any later can cause you to be late if you need to park, find a building, take an elevator, check in, etc.
Be Likable
Smile. Stand up straight. Smile. Walk with a purpose as you enter the building. Smile. Firmly shake hands with anyone you meet. Smile. Introduce yourself. Smile. Remember names. Smile. Speak confidently. Smile.
Try to make friends with everyone you meet. You can talk to them about all sorts of things that are common to all humans. Here are some basic questions that you could ask:
- Hi, what’s your name?
- How is your day going?
- Do you mind if I ask you a question? What’s your favorite thing about working here?
- [If Raining or Snowing] Are you staying dry/warm with all of this rain/snow?
- [If Pleasant Weather] It is such a beautiful day. Are you enjoying this weather?
- [If Hot] I’m so thankful for air conditioning. Have you been staying cool?
The goal of small talk is simply to show people that you’re friendly, likable and easy to get along with. It also demonstrates that you are not shy. More importantly a little bit of small talk can ease your nervousness before the interview begins.
Take Notes
Interviews are conversations. There will be times when the interviewer is talking and there will be times when you’re talking. When they’re talking be sure to take notes. You might have a question to come back to in a few minutes, you might write down a key fact that you find interesting or you might jot down a stray thought so it doesn’t distract you.
When someone is taking notes they seem engaged, interested and thoughtful. Those are all characteristics that employers are looking for when they’re interviewing you. There are plenty of people that leave a negative impression because they don’t take any notes during the interview.
Ask Questions
Generally we think of an interview somewhat like an interrogation. The interviewer has a list of rapid-fire questions and they’re actively trying to disqualify you from the job. This negative view is unhelpful.
A more practical view is that each of you are having a conversation to determine if this job is a mutually beneficial opportunity. Good for you. Good for the company. With this view in mind you can see the importance of questions.
Since the employer only knows how to gauge if you’ll be a good employee they can’t say with any level of certainty if the role will be good for you. That’s your job to figure out. You have to ask enough questions to envision yourself in the role. Then you have to ask yourself, “do I think this would be a good job for me?” Be honest. There’s nothing worse than a job that isn’t a good fit.
Confirm Next Steps
If you ask some questions and don’t like the job you can say something like this.
“Thank you for taking time to meet with me today. Based on our discussion I don’t think that this role will be a good fit for me. Therefore, I’d like to be respectful of your time and wrap things up.”
However, if you DO feel like the job is a good fit for you then you should show some eagerness. Ask a question like this.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come in and interview today. Based on our conversation(s) so far I’m excited about the possibility of working for {Company Name}. What’s the rest of the evaluation process look like from here?”
This question accomplishes two things at once. First, it gives the interviewer clarity around how you’re feeling about the job. Second, it gives you clarity around what to expect as a next step.
Some companies hire quickly. Some have long, arduous, multi-day interview processes. Regardless of the situation you want to know what to expect as a next step so that you’re not left in the dark.
Once they’ve determined the next step ask for the business card or contact information for the various people that you met with. You’ll need this to follow up on the next step and to send a thank you note.
Immediate Thank You Note
If you don’t want the job you don’t have to send a thank you note. If you do want the job you MUST send a thank you note.
The note could be email but hiring managers are MUCH more impressed when you send a physical card with your handwriting through the mail. The note doesn’t have to be long. A quick, “Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the {Role Name} at {Company Name}. I’m excited about the possibility of working together and look forward to hearing from you soon.”
Conclusion
Recently I was involved in the interview process for a management position that had the potential to earn between $100,000 and $200,000 per year. We interviewed a candidate that had a strong background, great credentials and seemed like a potential good fit. They neglected to send a Thank You card or email and didn’t follow up until over a week after the interview. We hired somebody else.
Make sure that you follow these simple steps nail the interview and you’ll stand out from most candidates. Sure, you still have to be a good fit for the role, have the right qualifications, etc. But you probably already have all of that since they scheduled the interview with you. Keep that in mind and follow these steps for interview success.
