INTERVIEW PREPARATION

There’s a saying that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Clearly, the interview is an opportunity - Prepare Adequately!

I know:
Exactly what I am going to say when asked “tell me about yourself” in about 30 seconds. This is a predictable opportunity to craft an engaging and intriguing executive summary of, who you are and, why you are there in the interview. A short statement of where you have been, so far in your career, and where you are going.

I am:
Savvy to the interviewing protocols of my specific profession or industry. You should understand how interviewing typically works in your target industry and the likely expectations to prepare for.

• For consulting companies, expect a case interview
• Engineers, programmers and other technical professions may be asked to solve a problem

I am ready to:

• Talk the talk of the industry. If the industry has a particular language they use, widely-understood terminology, you would do well to use some of it in your interview
• Prove that I am career focused and want to establish a career within that industry
• Show that I am interested in working for their particular company
• Confidently answer technical or skill-specific questions that are likely to be asked
• Describe in detail my most significant accomplishment and/or project, my role and what I did, the challenges I faced and what the outcome was
• Talk about why I am interested in this company, why I want to work for them, and why I think I will add value to their organization

I have:

• Figured out how my past experience and skills, strengths, abilities and interests are relevant and useful to this company. It is your job, not the interviewers, to connect the dots between what you’ve done, what you know, and who you are to what they need
• Compared the job description to my background and am ready to support my candidacy. If the job description or ad isn’t detailed enough, I have looked online for similar roles to get a better idea of what the job might entail
• Figured out what key competencies (skills, strengths and abilities) my interviewer will be looking for in an ideal candidate for this position
• Structured my answers to anticipated interview questions to ensure that these key competencies are addressed. In other words, I am prepared to prove, through example, that I have the skills and ability to do the job
• A compelling list of reasons why I would be a valuable asset to target companies, if asked “why should we hire you?”
• Answers that are honest but not damaging if asked about my weaknesses. Consider providing a weakness that you have learned from or pick a technical skill that you need to work on

Closing the Interview:
Develop a series of intelligent questions to ask. Thoughtful questions demonstrate interest in a way that is more powerful than just saying you are interested. As a candidate, you should be evaluating whether this opportunity is right for you.

• I am ready to ask “what’s next” at the conclusion of the interview and voluntarily reinforce my candidacy by restating my interest and briefly summarizing how my experience matches their needs. Regardless of how you choose to close the interview, there are some key points to keep in mind
• Leave your interviewer with the right picture of you. Think of at least five skills or traits you want remembered after the interview
• Ask if there is anything else you can provide, such as references, background information or work samples
• Find out how to contact them. If you don’t hear back, you will need to know who to contact and whether they will accept calls to check the status