Being hired doesn’t happen in one singular event. There are actually 3 distinct stages to successfully completing a job interview and landing a new position with a company.
Preparing to Interview
Actually interviewing
Following Up on the Interview (and preparing for the 2nd and 3rd round of interviews)
The following process will greatly elevate your chances of being offered the employment position you seek.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
-Ben Franklin
Being prepared for a job interview is a critical component on the path to being hired. Here is a checklist to help you know whether you are really ready for you job interview:
Be prepared with responses to some of the most common interview questions.
Make a short list of questions you’d expect to be asked
Create a series of short responses to each question
Practice giving the answers to a friend, parent or teacher prior to going on the interview
Here is a link where you can discover more about common interview questions
Determine 2-3 key ideas you want to get across to the interviewer.
What are your top 2-3 technical skills?
What are your top 2-3 personality traits?
Why do you feel the company will benefit from hiring you?
Make sure you have a plan to communicate the above to your job interviewer.
Know why and how you are a good match?
If you don’t feel you are a good match for the company, why will the company feel you are a good match for them?
If you do feel you are a good match for the company, then make sure you can identify 2-3 reasons why this is true
Researching the company prior to the interview is a must.
Go to their website
Look at their social media outlets
Researching the person with whom you will be meeting is a must (if you know their name)
Go to their website
Look at their social media outlets
Not Dressing Appropriately
First impressions matter. And prospective employers often associate the way you dress with the way you’ll perform at the job. Therefore, if you are underdressed, sloppy, or too casual companies will often jump to the conclusion that you’ll perform your work in a subpar manner.
LESSON: Dress for success.
Not Arriving on Time
Traffic happens. People get lost. Parking can be hard to find and the entire city might have a power outage. And while being tardy might not really be your fault, the company doesn’t want to hear excuses… because it makes you seem like a person who is going to “one of those folks who offers excuses”.
LESSON: Plan on arriving at least 15 minutes early.
Not Knowing Squat About the Company
If you do not know what the company does, who the company serves or how the company earns its income, then you are at great risk of embarrassing yourself if you are asked the very common question, “So what made you want to apply to our company?”
LESSON: Take the time to go online. Visit the company’s website and check out the Linked In profile of the person with whom you will be interviewing.
“A job interview is a two-way communication to probe for cultural and team fit. No matter which side of the table you sit, you should be asking questions that are important to you without fear.”
-Salil Jah
If you have done the necessary preparation before your interview to be successful, it’s okay to be confident (with a dash of humility, of course). Now it’s time for “the big day.” Here is a checklist to help you succeed during the actual interview:
Arrive early
10 minutes early is perfect. 5 minutes is good. Arriving “exactly on the dot” is cutting it too close.
NOTE: Make sure you have good directions, the correct address, and the office number or suite if needed.
Remember, some office buildings have elevators, weird parking garages, security desks at the front where you will need to present an ID or fill out a visitor badge. Plan ahead for the unexpected potential delays.
Punctuality is a MAJOR concern for all employers. Showing up late is a MAJOR strike against any prospective hire.
First Impressions Matter!
Did we mention that PUNCTUALITY MATTERS!
If you do not show up on time, you are unnecessarily shooting yourself in the foot.
Dress appropriately
Being underdressed is a mistake that too many people (who do not get hired) make. Sloppy clothes, uncombed hair, crumbs from your toast on the front of your shirt… make sure you choose an outfit that demonstrates a sense of professional competency.
For most jobs, business casual will be suitable.
A nice pair of pants and a collared shirt for guys.
Girls can wear a nice blouse, and can pair it with a skirt (of appropriate length) or a nice pair of pants.
Jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers are rarely the best option for either gender.
Know how to properly shake someone’s hand
Firm, not crushing
Done with eye contact
Say hello
Be positive and energetic.
Use please and thank you
Understand that you communicate more nonverbally than you do with words (verbally). Therefore, pay attention to the following tips:
Avoid slouching.
Eliminate fidgeting and shaking of limbs.
Maintain appropriate eye contact
Stay focused on the conversation. (No drifting off.)
Do not interrupt. Wait until the person is done talking to respond.
Keep your arms open (folded arms can convey defensiveness)
Modulate your vocal tone to express excitement and punctuate key points.
Nod to show you are listening and understanding.
Observe the reaction of others to your statements.
Pay attention to the nonverbal signals of others.
Clarify if they appear confused; move on if you sense they have heard enough.
Smile.
Bringing a Drink (or Food) With You
We all get thirsty. Having a drink creates an unnecessary distraction - and heaven forbid you accidentally spill it! Food - like munching a hot dog - would be even worse. Also, forget the gum chewing and make sure all mints have dissolved in your mouth before the first handshake.
LESSON: Eating and drinking happens BEFORE you arrive.
Using Your Phone During the Interview
Silence your phone before the interview and be mature enough to realize that texting during your interview would be a tragic mistake. Don’t answer calls, don’t update your Instagram page and if you forget to silence your phone and you do get a call, apologize but definitely do NOT answer.
LESSON: Put your phone away and don’t take it out.
Badmouthing
As Grandma used to preach, “If you do not have something nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.” Speaking badly about “the former jerk boss who was so incompetent that they couldn’t even boil a pot of water” will not create a positive impression.
LESSON: It doesn’t matter if a former boss, or old friend, or anyone, was a jerk… don’t talk trash about anyone in a job interview. Ever.
Not Asking the Interviewer any Questions
Make sure you have at least 2 questions you plan to ask of the person interviewing you. What the questions are is not nearly as important as demonstrating that you are thoughtful, serious and confident enough to engage in an active dialogue with co-workers.
LESSON: Ask two questions, the more thoughtful or unique, the better.
“No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”
— Alfred North Whitehead
Just because the interview has ended doesn’t mean that the process of being hired is over. Congratulations - you made it through. But your work is not yet done. Here is a checklist for next steps:
Always follow up.
It doesn’t matter if it was the worst job interview in the history of the world or if you absolutely have no intention of working for Company X ever in your life. Following up is a great lifelong habit to cultivate starting right now.
Compose a THANK YOU message
Even if you did meet someone with whom you’d never dare share a cup of hot chocolate, if someone took the time out of their day to interview you, it’s common courtesy to take the time to follow up with a THANK YOU.
This ought to be done within 24 hours of the interview
Make sure you proofread it so that the spelling is proper and the message is error free.
Remember there might be a Round 2
Very few people are hired right after a first interview. Often there are multiple rounds.
You might be asked to meet different team members, perform some sample tasks to demonstrate an example of your work, provide some added insights, who knows?
Just remember that getting hired is often a multi-stage process.
Follow Up
If you do not hear anything back after a few days, send an email. Or make a phone call.
Do not presume you didn’t get the job. People are busy and their lives are hectic.
Keep “nudging” (respectfully) until you get a definitive answer one way or the other.
Reflect on the interview:
What went well?
Reflecting on where you did well will help you to remember to do more of what you did well the next time you search for a job.
What could have gone better?
Reflecting on where you did not do so well will help you to learn from your challenges and develop your interviewing skills for the next time you search for a job.
How can you improve the next time?
Identify 2 specific areas where you’d like to improve and then take the initiative to work on these areas the next time you interview for a job.
No one gets everything right the first time they do it. Like all skills, we often learn a great deal from our mistakes.