You have carefully planned your resume; articulately stated an employer-centric objective, employment history, education record, accomplishments, skills, interests, and references; radiantly crafted an application message; and included excellent recommendations. Your diligence landed you a seat at the table—an interview. How can you prepare for this important meeting? By going to your sources: your resume and application message as well as any documentation you have about the position. Here are pre-interview tips at key moments in the job application process.
Days Before the Interview
1. Enjoy the process. See the interview prep period as an opportunity to polish your presentation skills and to discover everything you can about that coveted job and industry.
2. Work from the mindset that you are interviewing the employer. Get over thinking that the employer may say, "You are not the right fit for us." What about them for you? Prepare make-or-break questions to help yourself decide whether you would want to work in such a place doing such work for such an employer.
3. Practice with a trusted coach. Once you think you've got your pitch down, find a friend who will tell you whether you really do. Others will see gestures, facial expressions, utterances, and body language that have not surfaced in your consciousness.
4. Define the employer's purpose for the interview. Answer this simple question: "What and who are looking for?" Knowing the answer to the question will enable you to be that person.
5. Identify the qualifications and requirements for the position. The answers to the next questions are more specific than the answer to the previous question: "What do you want me to do for you? What does my work achieve for the business?" Answering these questions focuses you on your role in the grand scheme of things.
6. Review the employer's materials. You have no excuse not to know everything that's publicly available about the business and the job. Get to work by studying the website, job posting, and everything else out there about the company.
7. Consider responses to employer's questions. They can concern your personality ("What was your best/worst boss like?"), job ("How does your current job relate to this one?"), industry ("Do you think this field has a future?"), education ("Do you plan to get a degree/license?"), career ("Where do you want to be in five years?"), or company of application ("Why do you want to work for us?"), among other topics. Collect possible questions and know your answers to them.
8. Prepare questions of your own for the employer. Ditto those areas of questions from you: cultural ("What does this organization value most in an employee?"), job ("May I see the work area?"), industry ("Is this field moving toward remote work?"), education ("Do you support further education through time or reimbursement?"), career ("Is relocation a possibility?"), career ("Can I cultivate my leadership/communication/technical skills here?"), or company of application ("What is this organization's greatest challenge?").
9. Choose the right outfit. I'm not sure what that means for you. For me, it means a collared shirt, necktie, dark suit, and polished shoes; for my wife, it means a skirt, blouse, and pumps. Just make sure what you wear will make you and the interviewer comfortable.
Day of the Interview
10. Eat, dress, and groom carefully. Get that body of yours comfortable. Look good. It makes you feel good.
11. Get there early. No excuses. Be on time. Take an early train, bus, car ride, or walk to the interview site. And anticipate delays.
12. Think of your professional achievements. On your way to the interview, use autosuggestion to psyche yourself up. Remind yourself of why you are worthy of the job. At the same time, tell yourself that the interviewer deserves your utmost respect for having earned the right to interview you and appreciation for taking the time to do so.
13. Wait patiently. Just don't sit there in the waiting room. Review your notes, resume, application message, and whatever else you have to focus on the interview.
14. Consider the interview a learning experience. Regardless of what happens today, remember Friedrich Nietzsche's aphorism: "Out of life's school of war, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger." You will get something positive from the interview experience.
More to come. In the next post, I'll look at what you can do during the interview.
