Fright or Fight: How to Avoid a Horrific Job Interview

By Suzanne Panoplos

Let’s face it – it’s getting pretty scary out there. The stock market is a regular “Nightmare on Wall Street,” and everyone is reacting to the situation – including employers who are either cutting jobs or taking longer to bring in “the right candidate.”

With these conditions, looking for a new job can be even more daunting, and I can’t think of anything more frightening than coming face-to-face with a highly critical potential employer. To avoid having your next job interview become just another horror story, here are seven simple tips for conquering your fears and landing the right position:

1. Do your homework:  Research the company, the industry, the people you are meeting, and the position itself. The best candidate that I have ever interviewed came to the appointment well prepared – she knew everything about the senior management team and even referred to them by their first names. She knew what was going on in our industry on the day of the interview, and by checking my LinkedIn, she even knew what companies I have worked for previously. It gave her several conversation starters, and we even discovered we have a mutual acquaintance.
2. Prepare your resume: This seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many people have no idea about what to communicate on a resume. Include all relevant job experience and don’t be intimidated if your experience doesn’t perfectly align to the available position.  Perhaps your job at the shoe store required you to manage a team, or your summer internship at an advertising firm gave you experience pitching prospects over the phone. Connect the dots for prospective employers and explain how your skills fit the open position. What should you avoid?  The list is long, but please do not include your photo, an excessive list of extracurricular activities (do we really care that about your stint in the high school chorus?), spelling errors, and most importantly – untruths and exaggerations.
3. Be Honest: This is a big one – never lie to your employer about anything. I once had a colleague who was interviewing a candidate for a technical writing position. As the candidate pulled out his samples, he showed the employer a document he claimed to have written at a previous company. My friend asked the candidate several times if he truly wrote the document “from scratch” or if he had just “updated” it. As fate would have it, my friend had written this document when he was at the same company five years ago.  Needless to say, the candidate was very quickly shown the door.
4. Dress for success: The right outfit doesn’t necessarily translate to a suit and tie, but it certainly isn’t a low-cut top and jeans either. If you can, scope out the employer’s company in advance and determine how the company’s current employees dress on a daily basis. Use that as your baseline and then take it up a level.  Also, avoid excessive makeup, large jewelry, or heavy perfumes and colognes. No one wants to smell you coming!
5. Develop a set of questions and answers: Practice answering typical interview questions so you’ll be prepared and comfortable. Check job interview sites for a list of standard interviewing questions, and enlist the aid of friend to quiz you the day before the interview. Make sure you have a list of questions to ask the employer as well.  Your questions will give an employer better insight into your personality and stimulate the conversation.
6. Ask for the job: Too many candidates leave an interview without asking for the job.  Show the employer that you are both interested and motivated. Let the employer know why you are uniquely qualified to staff this role and what you think you can do for the company in general. Do not leave the interview until you ask for the job!
7. Follow-up:  If possible, get a business card during the interview so that you can follow up with a “thank you” email after the meeting. Reiterate your interest in the position and company and summarize why you are the right candidate for the position. If you don’t hear back, give the employer a call.  But make sure you don’t cross the line and begin stalking your future boss. I once interviewed a candidate who pursued me mercilessly.  She called me every day, sent numerous emails, invited me to “connect” on my LinkedIn and Facebook and even called my boss.

So Ghouls and Boys (sorry, I couldn’t resist), the best trick or treat of all will be landing a job in today’s terrifying job market. So put on your best costumes, hide your inner monsters, and get out there—your next job is waiting for you.

Comments

[Jonathan]

Linkedin was added to the About.com Top 10 Employment site list with 2 other sites but linkedin is still the only social netwoking site on the list. The 3 newest job sites are:

www.linkedin.com (networking)
www.indeed.com (aggregated job listings)
www.realmatch.com (matches you to the perfect job)

Good luck to all those searching for jobs.

[J Penny]

It really is all about the preparation beforehand. The more homework and preparation you do the more confident and equipped you will be to stand out from the other job candidates. A good way of doing this is to go through a pre-interview checklist before your interview and make sure you have covered everything!