Preparing for the Interview

I’m heading out for a job interview in a little while, and I’m worried about having that positive attitude that is going to impress the hiring team. Actually I have three interviews scheduled for this week, and my bank balance if falling fast. I need a job, and so I am highly motivated to have one of these interviews to work out for me.



One thing I want to avoid today is being, or appearing to be confused. Obviously, it is important for me to not be confused during my interview. How do I do this? How does anyone avoid confusing during the interview? Like this:



1. Listen to the question carefully. It is OK for there to be a pause between the question and the answer, although not a lengthy pause. Speak up, and focus on your answer.



2. Tell stories. It is always better to give illustrations of what you have done or created during your course. Have some stories in mind before you get to the interview. Anticipate the possible hard questions, and know the stories that fit those hard questions. It is not good driving home from the interview and think, “Why did I tell the story about that mouse in the conference room? I should have told the story about the client that lied to me, and how I figured it out before we had a disaster.”



3. Answer all the questions with details. Avoid generalities. Answer all the questions confidently. [Note: you don’t have to actually be confident, you have to answer confidently. There is a difference.]



4. It is OK to ask if that answered their question, IF you are unsure. It is better to ask for clarification before you start answering if you really didn’t understand the question. This goes back to Number 1. Listen carefully. If you don’t want to look confused, then try to understand the questions the first time, but it is still better to seek clarification to than to fumble around answering something that is totally off the wall from what was asked.



5. be honest. This is the flip side of don’t lie. You don’t have to brag on your flaws and weak areas, but a lie can be grounds for being fired later, it can get you into a job you are not equipped to do. In a recent interview I found out that they had several openings and one of the jobs would be working with spreadsheets, and bookkeeping type things. They asked me which of the areas listed appealed to me. I pointed out that the spreadsheet part was really the only one that I would not feel comfortable doing. For me, it would be better not to be hired than to be hired to do accounting work. I have no training, no natural ability, and no interest in accounting work.

Remember that one of the things a hiring officer or interview team is trying to do is balance out the skills of their staff. If they have three great writers, but no one really good with interviewing clients, or no one good at investigating, or number crunching, then they are looking for that sort of person. This may mean that you are qualified, and would be a great employee, but they already have people who are good at what you are good at, and they need someone good at something else. Not getting a job is not nearly as personal as it feels when you don’t get the nod.



All you can do, and all I can do, is:

• Rehearse the interview with some spouse, associate, or pal
• Dress appropriately for the interview
• Arrive early
• Have enough resumes for the entire interview team
• Listen to their questions
• Answer their questions carefully
• Convey an interest in that particular job
• Indicate your interest in being a long-term employee
• Have a prepared set of questions to ask the interview team