Column: Successful Interviewing

To interview successfully, remember that interviewing is a two-way process.

You need to learn as much about the organization as you can to make a good decision—and the employer needs to learn about you so it can make a good decision also. Each party is selling—and one, both, or neither may buy.

Screening Interviews

Many organizations screen candidates by telephone before inviting them in. Some start this process by email—often with a set of questions to answer before any further discussions. Whether you are screened by phone or email, respond when you can take the time and give it your full attention. If a recruiter or hiring manager calls or emails you and you cannot really pay full attention or do not have the privacy to respond, tell the person you cannot talk then and provide some alternative times. If you are answering by email, don't just dash something off. Take the time to prepare a professional reply and spellcheck it, too.

When you do a phone interview, do the following:

• Have your resume and cover letter in front of you;
• Note the caller's name, title and organization, phone number or email address for your records;
• Be prepared to give brief overviews of your skills and experiences;
• Ask some basic questions of your own so that you know whether you are interested in proceeding or not;
• Ask what the next steps are and the timetable.

After a phone interview, send a thank-you note to the person, highlighting your special attributes if you are interested in the position. These differentiate you positively from the many candidates who think their role is just to respond, not to enter into the process actively.

There are a few companies that do video interviews for candidates who are not local. If you are asked to do one of these, consider it an in-person interview and prepare accordingly.

In-Person Interviews

They want you to come in and talk! Hurrah!

Now, how do you get ready and ace the interview?

1. Preparing for the interview
   
   Get out all the information you have gathered: the ad or lead to the job, your research on the organization, any contacts you may have there. Review it all and decide what else you might need.
   
   If some time has passed since you applied, do the following:
   
   • Take another look for available public information,
   • Do a search for new articles or press releases,
   • Look at the website for anything new or explore the parts you did not look at before.
   • Define the questions you want answered. You can bring them as notes so you remember them all. Some of these might be as follows
     
     • a. The Organization
       
       • What is the strategy? vision? mission?
       • Who are major competitors?
       • What are the critical business issues facing the company?
       • What is the culture of the organization?
     • b. Executive view of function (critical information for more senior positions, parts are helpful for any level position)
       
       • What is the (function's) role within the company?
       • What is this position's relationship to executives?
       • Ask each executive interviewed with: What do you see as role of the function?
       • What experiences do you have with the function?
       • Current view of critical issues? Longer-term view?
       • What are the 'critical few' objectives for this position in next year?
     • c. For Immediate Supervisor of position
       
       • What are the key projects linked to the strategic plan? Vision? Mission? Critical business issues?
       • What results are expected in the first year?
       • How will performance be measured? Timetable?
       • What resources are available? Budget status?
       • What really are the "critical few" objectives?
       • What is the function's role within the company? Is it effective as is?
       • What projects would I be working on?
       • Why is the position open? Any internal candidates?
       • How is function set up currently? Is it effectively organized?
       • What training or development activities do you actively support for this position?
       • How would your subordinates describe your management style?
       • If I asked the most recent incumbent, what would s/he say about the organization and this function?
       • How would you describe the ideal candidate?
       • What is your background?
       • What are the next step(s) in process and estimated timeline.
     • d. Also in advance:
       
       
       • Figure out what you want to wear. Do be sure it is something you are comfortable in. That stunning new pantsuit is not the best choice if you have not worn it enough to know it fits well and you won't be fiddling with it during the interview. Tugging on clothes or hobbling down stairs and long corridors in new shoes tries your confidence and raises questions for the interviewer(s), but is way too common. Be well groomed - also obvious, but not always done. If you have questions about the organization's dress code, you can look at your research or ask during the screening process. But it is always wise to dress at your professional best during interviews. You want to feel good about how you are presenting yourself as well as be physically comfortable so that you can forget about your clothes.
       • Learn where the place is and how long it will take to get there. New buildings and streets make the metro area confusing at times - get directions from the interviewer, do a Mapquest search, check your maps in advance - whatever makes you comfortable. And give yourself extra time to get there. Rushing in late because you could not park easily or you thought it was a shorter trip starts you off on the wrong note.
     
     
2. Face-to-Face: the actual interview
   
   Organizations arrange interviews in many ways. Some do each interview one-on-one. Some do group interviews, while others have a panel of interviewers. Some have all the interviews on one day and others bring you back several times. You may see the Human Resources representative upfront or not at all. You may start by filling out an application form or go directly to the hiring manager or a technical interview. If you do not get a sheet showing your interview schedule, do be sure to ask each person for their card. Actually, that is always a good idea since it clearly shows the name and contact information.
   
   In most cases, you will be asked to complete an application. These are used for a variety of purposes, including legal compliance issues. If you do it by hand, print legibly. If you are asked to sign any agreements as part of this, read them carefully so you know whether you are willing to sign as is or want to modify them. These may give the organization the rights to check your credit history or other data as well as check your references. You will have to decide what salary information you are willing to provide. And, while many people write in 'see resume' rather than putting job details on the application, do check to see what information they ask for that is not on your resume and fill it in. Be sure the information you do give is accurate—you do not want to later lose a good job because you falsified your application. Yes, this does happen.
   
   Your role in the interview process is to sell yourself effectively and to gather all the information you need to make a good decision. Thus, you need to be prepared to answer questions and to ask them.
   
   Behavioral Interviews
   
   Many organizations use behavioral-based interviewing techniques. These seek to find the common patterns of your past behavior as they relate to the position. Unfortunately, there are also many untrained interviewers who do not know how to effectively learn what they need to know about you.
   
   When you go to an interview, be prepared to give some real examples of your achievements. These will help you succeed with any interview. One of the easier ways to do this is to prepare a few stories in advance that demonstrate:
   
   
   • a situation or a task you faced (at work, or as an intern or as a volunteer)
   • what you actually did
   • what the results were (qualitative and quantitative are best mix.)
   
   If you have several of these, you will be prepared to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and expertise effectively in response to a wide range of questions.
   
   Here are some questions you might be asked so you can prepare for a behaviorial interview:
   
   
   • Describe a time when you had problems with a supervisor and had to communicate your unhappy feelings or difficult disagreements. Tell me what you did and what happened.
   • When you are dealing with co-workers or customers, what really tries your patience and how do you deal with that?
   • What was the hardest "sell" of a new idea or method you have had to make to get it accepted?
   • Have you ever been responsible for creating forms, checklists, work procedures, or similar documents, and what was your experience in doing such things?
   • How do you describe your ability to write, spell, use correct grammar, and communicate in a written form, and what feedback have you had on your writing ability?
   • Tell me about your experiences in dealing with frequent changes in your assigned work tasks or priorities.
   • Describe a time when you were almost finished with a major task, and your customer suddenly wanted to change directions. How did you handle it? What did you learn?
   • Describe your most demanding manager and his or her management style.
   • What is the most creative accomplishment you have made in your current position and describe it in detail.
   • Describe the planning processes you have used at previous jobs and tell me how you planned a specific project.
   • Have you ever had to suddenly take on a new role, such as filling in as team leader or giving someone else's presentation? Tell me what happened and how it worked out.
   • Describe one of your bigger successes for me—something that made you feel good about yourself at work or outside it, and tell me what you did and what happened.
   • What is the riskiest business decision you have ever made? How did you make it and what happened?
   • What do you know about our company and how did you learn that? What did you do to prepare for this interview?
   • Tell me about a time when you had difficulty getting others to work together on a critical problem and how you handled it.
   • Tell me about your experiences in dealing with multiple demands with conflicting deadlines; what did you do and what did you learn?
   
   If you have not been told in advance and the first person you talk to does not tell you, do ask who you will be talking with and what the schedule is. These do sometimes change during the interview process, but a roadmap helps you plan your time and gives you insight into the employer's process. When you interview with more than one person, be sure you ask each one about his or her role and how it relates to the open position. This gives you insight into the position and organization. It also will help you to tailor your thank-you note to that person after the interview. Also ask for schedules—how much time does the person have for the interview? This sends the message that you understand the person has other commitments. Be sure you pay attention to the time so that you get your own questions answered, too. Never hesitate to ask if you need to go to the bathroom or make a short call. Some interviewers remember to ask and offer such time, but not all do.
   
   What if the interviewer is not skilled?
   
   After a brief series of welcoming questions and comments, many interviewers will ask, "Tell me about yourself." This is the time to pull out your personal 'elevator speech' (described in column 1) and give it. That keeps the conversation professional and gives the interviewer an overview of your skills and experience.
   
   Sometimes you will find the interviewer does not ask questions that give you an opportunity to discuss your skills. You may get off into tangents about a hobby or sports event or past employer's current problems. Or the interviewer may be struggling for questions. While the interviewer should control the interview, you need to get your qualifications out. In these cases, take a tip from movie stars and politicians: give an answer that makes your point even if the question is unrelated. For example: halfway through the hour, the interviewer asks '"Uh, so, have you lived in this area very long?" You could respond: "Yes, I moved here right after I finished my degree in medical illustration because I got a cutting-edge web design job at X (medically related organization) here."
   
   Or you may get a very personal or illegal question you prefer not to answer. Usually, these are stupid rather than malicious, and it is not worth antagonizing the interviewer. But you still do not need to answer them directly: redirect them to the job requirements if you can. If asked about personal commitments, religion, or family needs: you might say, 'I think what you are trying to discover is whether I can work overtime regularly (or travel periodically or whatever) and yes, I can meet that job requirement." If you find a pattern of such questions or the person repeats it, try stating, "I am not sure what job requirement you are assessing with that question." Or, you can be more direct and say, "I am sure you do not mean to ask an illegal question, but I do not know what job requirement you are really interested in asking about." Obviously, a number of such questions may reveal an organization you do not want to work for.
   
   
3. Other interviewing situations
   
   Interviews at a meal: You may be taken out to lunch or asked to interview at a meal. Remember that it is still a part of the interview. Order normally, but consider the messy aspects of your meal. Ribs are just not interview food! Skip the booze even if your interviewer orders a drink. If you are not comfortable about your table manners, learn proper etiquette from an etiquette trainer or a library book. Then get on with the meal. Don't worry that one lettuce leaf on your lapel will doom you—it won't, unless you over-react.
   
   Panel interviews: Some organizations like to use a panel to interview so that everything is done at once and every participant in the hiring process has the same information from the candidate. If you are interviewed by a panel, just remember to look around the group when answering a question rather than responding only to the person who asked it. And when you ask questions, try to address most of them to individuals rather than just tossing them out to all.
   
   
4. After the interviews
   
   It is always good form to thank each interviewer for his or her time at the end of your session. Then a follow-up thank-you note, by email or regular mail, gives you another chance to remind the person of a special qualification you have and to reinforce your professional image. But do tailor the notes to the person—at least one paragraph should be different for each interviewer when you do multiple interviews—because, yes, they do often all end up in your applicant file and you do not want to undermine the good impression you made.

Special Situations

Changing careers

Your challenge is to look into all your previous experiences and develop stories of your achievements and expertise that demonstrate

• understanding of the field and position you want
• skills and knowledge you have that are important to the job and organization
• transferable skills you have, such as ability to build a team or write grant proposals

If you get as far as the screening interview, you have already started this process and captured the hiring manager's interest with your resume and cover letter examples. Now is your chance to build on these, to give your picture depth and breadth.

Returning to the workplace

Your challenge is to show that you are current technologically, are ready for full-time work, and have good work habits. This is often easiest if you have worked part-time or volunteered in a relevant arena. It can be done any way. Muster your skills to demonstrate your current or cutting-edge knowledge. Develop stories that tie your achievements into the employer's work needs and culture.

Once I ran a training program for displaced housewives. One woman felt she had no skills and could not get any work other than low-skill jobs. In a group exercise focused on each person describing something very hard that they had done, she talked of supporting her husband and kids for 7 years while he attended medical school and advanced training. At first, she held a cleaning job, but then she bought a very cheap house in terrible condition so that she would have a place to live. She fixed it up days while working nights and sold it for a good profit. She quit her cleaning job and did that same type of renovation with 7 houses in 5 years. But she saw no skills there. Fortunately, her group members saw a lot, and she got a very good job with a construction firm not long thereafter.

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