Introduction
Each step in the job search process is designed to get you an interview. This is when a hiring manager decides if you are the right candidate for the job; more importantly, this is the time for you to assess if the position is right for you.
Most interviews follow a predictable format, similar to the script of a play. There are logical steps in an interview that are taken by the interviewer and the candidate to decide if they can work together. These steps are called pre-meeting preparation, greetings and rapport, questions and answers, and ending the meeting. All four steps are equally important and deserve to be considered and prepared for.
Preparing for the interview
Find out about the company and the position
Before your interview, learn as much as you can about the company, the position and the person who will be conducting the interview. Your research objectives should include obtaining information about the company’s products, people, organizational structure, successes (and failures), profits (and losses), capital expenditures, strategic plans, philosophy, and work climate. Show your interviewer that you are aware of certain activities within the company; this can only make you more credible among other candidates.
Use the following search strategies:
- Search the company’s website.
- Go to libraries and carefully read directories, article databases and professional journals.
- Ask a friendly recruiter, co-worker or broker what they know about the company.
- Call people you have networked with and ask them if they know the company and/or the person conducting the interview.
- Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau.
- Call the company itself and ask for a brochure, annual report or other information about the company.
Confirming arrangements
Call the interviewer’s office a day or two before the interview and confirm the time and place, especially if your interview is in an unfamiliar city or geographic area.
What to bring to the interview?
Bring a few copies of your resume in your portfolio or briefcase in case you are interviewed by other members of the recruiting team. Also bring paper and pencil to write down some of the information the interviewer provides, not to take notes during the interview.
Knowing the company's needs
Once you have completed your basic research, you must then identify how your abilities, experience and expertise can meet the needs of the interviewer, the company and the job. This is something you cannot overstate. You must meet the needs of the company, not your own. Surprisingly, by meeting the company’s needs, you are also meeting your own.
What are the needs of a company? Most fall into the following categories:
- increased productivity
- better performance
- reduction of waste
- solutions to problems
- trusted individuals
- relations with industries
- special skills
- new and creative ideas
Review your skills
You have already identified your skills and strengths.
- Review your functional skills summary.
- Review your summary of intellectual and technical skills.
- Review your personal skills summary.
- Review your summary of specific gifts.
Review your PAR stories
As you prepare for your interview, review the problem-action-result (PAR) stories you have prepared. Focus on the connections you can make between the company’s needs and the benefits of your accomplishments, as well as your contribution to the company.
The value I bring
Prepare for your interviews (and networking meetings) with a clear understanding of the value you bring to a prospective employer and to the company being recruited. Do not end your interviews without expressing the values listed below. Incorporate parts of the information into your responses, or use them in your closing remarks.
Exercise: Expressing The Value I Bring
This exercise will make you think about the skills that make you an outstanding worker.