Interviewing II

April 28, 1998

The Interview

Through the interaction which will take place during the interview, the interviewer will be searching out your strong and weak points, evaluating you on your qualifications, skills and intellectual qualities, and will probably probe deeply to determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability, motivation and maturity.

Some "do's" and "don'ts" concerning the interview:

• DO plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable.

• If presented with an application, DO fill it out neatly and completely. DON'T relax and rely on your application or resume to do your selling for you. Most interviewers will want you to speak for yourself.

• DO greet the interviewers by their surnames if you are sure of the pronunciation. (If you are not, ask for it to be repeated.) Give the appearance of energy as you walk. Smile! Shake hands firmly. Be genuinely glad to meet your interviewer and prospects are excellent you'll find him or her to be an extremely interesting person.

• DO wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair; look alert and interested at all times. Be a good listener as well as a good talker. Smile :-)

• DON'T smoke even if the interviewer smokes and offers you a cigarette. Do not chew gum.

• DO look a prospective employer in the eye while you talk to him or her. Don't wear tinted spectacles.

• DO follow the interviewer's leads, but try to get the interviewer to describe what he or she would like to see accomplished in the job to you early in the interview so that you can relate your background, skills and accomplishments to the position.

• DON'T answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no." Explain whenever possible. Tell those things about yourself which relate to the situation.

• DO make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner. Stress achievements. For example: sales records, processes developed, savings achieved, systems installed, etc.

• DON'T lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly, and as "to the point" as possible.

• DON'T ever make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies.

• DON'T "over answer" questions. The interviewer may steer the conversation into politics or economics. Since this can be a tricky situation, it is best to answer the questions honestly, trying not to say any more than is necessary.

• DON'T inquire about SALARY, VACATION, BONUSES, RETIREMENT, etc. If you have questions on these matters, take them up with your recruiter. If the interviewer asks what salary you are looking for, only indicate what you've most recently earned and that starting salary would be only one of several factors for you to consider in a new job at this time. Opportunity would be of prime importance.

• DO always conduct yourself in such a way as to get an offer for the job you are discussing. Never close the door on opportunity. Until you have a specific offer you will never know the whole situation. You will not be in a position to intelligently accept or reject an opportunity.

Be Prepared for Questions Like:

• Why did you choose this particular vocation?

• Why would you like to work for our company?

• How much money do you hope to earn five years from now? Ten years from now?

• What job in our company do you want to move toward?

• What do you know about our company?

• What interests you about our product or services?

• We'll need references from previous employers.

• What contributions to profits have you made in your present or former position to justify your salary level there?

• What is your major weakness?

• What do you think determines a person's progress in a good company?

• Are you willing to relocate?

• How do you spend your spare time? What are your hobbies?

• Have you saved money? Have you any debts?

• What type of books do you read? How many?

Negative Factors Evaluated by an Interviewer:

• Persistent attitude of "What can you do for me?"

• Poor personal appearance.

• Overbearing -- overagressive -- conceited "superiority complex" -- "know it all."

• Inability to express thoughts clearly -- poor poise, diction, or grammar.

• Lack of planning for career -- no purpose or goals.

• Lack of interest and enthusiasm -- passive and indifferent.

• Lack of confidence and poise -- nervousness.

• Overemphasis on money -- interest only in best dollar offer.

• Evasive -- makes excuses for unfavorable factors in record.

• Lack of tact -- maturity -- courtesy.

• Condemnation of past employers.

• Failure to look interviewer in the eye.

• Limp, fishy handshake.

• Lack of appreciation of the value of experience.

• Failure to ask questions about the job.

• Lack of preparation for interview -- failure to get information about the company, resulting in inability to ask intelligent questions.

Next: Closing the Interview

Interviewing I

April 27, 1998

Having created your killer resume and submitted it along with your irresistible cover letter, you find yourself called for an interview with your company of choice.

The thirty minutes to an hour that you spend with an interviewer may determine your entire future. A successful job interview, therefore, is vital.

There are three distinct phases to a job interview:

Preparation

The Interview Itself

Closing

Preparation: Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer's full name, the correct pronunciation, and title.

Find out specific facts about the company: where its plants, offices or stores are located, what its growth has been, and what its growth potential is for the future.

Some research publications providing this kind of information are:

• Company Annual Reports.

• Thomas' Register of American Manufacturers.

• Moody's Manuals.

• Fitch Corporation Manuals.

• MacRae's Bluebook.

• Standard and Poor's Corporation Records.

• Poor's Register of Directors and Executives.

• Dun & Bradstreet Reference Book.

All are available in a public library. A brokerage office or bank may also be of help.

Also, check the company's home page. Use one of the World Wide Web search engines to find the page, or try "www.[company].com" using the company's name or commonly used initials.

The SEC's database of corporate 10k statements is available online.

For a fee, information services such as Dun and Bradstreet also offer information about companies.

Dress conservatively in business clothes (NO SPORTS CLOTHES), clean and neatly pressed, shoes well shined, and hair well groomed. (Your own personal taste may not be your best guide...)

Tomorrow: The Interview