This is the third and final segment in this interviewing arc. I haven't exhausted the subject, but I'll bet you're starting to think, "All right, already. Enough. Let me get on with it." Okay, after this ...
Interviewers
As I explained earlier, there are good interviewers and bad ones. Be prepared for all kinds, since it's possible that you'll encounter them within a single company. If you're being given serious consideration, you'll be interviewing with several people.
First you may meet with a representative from Human Resources (or Personnel). In a large organization, this individual may be responsible for a preliminary review of all kinds of job candidates from technical, to managerial to administrative. They typically work from a pre-set list of screening questions and try to gauge whether you'd fit into the company or not.
Your goal here is to make it across the first hurdle to the technical interview. Listen to screening questions carefully - the preferred answers are pretty evident. Finesse your answers if you have to so that you can get to the technical rep. Don't waste a lot of time going into detail with a screening interviewer. It's exhausting for both of you. But don't blow this person off either.
Don't be visibly amused by the lack of this interviewer's understanding if she/he asks technical questions that don't seem to make sense. Don't talk down, this person is just doing the job. The screener may not have your exalted knowledge base, but can pick up on your sarcasm or condescension. The technical person will hear about it and will not be pleased.
Making a good impression with the HR rep is very important. If it comes down to you vs another candidate, you'll want to have every advantage and this is a significant one.
Tech Time
Once you've finished with the preliminaries, you'll generally go straight on to a technical interview with the hiring manager. This is show time. Don't be surprised if you are asked a lot of the same questions as in the initial screening. These are ice-breaker type questions, but there's more to it. They'll be comparing your answers, so be consistent … and patient.
Finally, you're at the stage you've been preparing for. Time to tell the hiring pro what you can do and what you'd like to be doing. Time to talk about the tough problems you've solved, what you learned from those situations and what challenges you'd appreciate facing in a new job.
The trick is to get the opportunity to say these things. Some interviewers are great, but not most of them. You may have to work really hard to get your story across. Let's review a few types of bad interviewers:
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Script Man: | Uses a form with questions that he asks one after another. When he's filled out the form, he's done. And so are you, unless you can distract him and try to offer more information than he tries to elicit from you. Specifically, try to follow up with leading statements or follow-on questions of your own before he moves on to the next item on his list.
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Monologist: | Spends virtually the entire time you're together talking at you. Though you'll probably learn a lot about the company, you won't seem to get a word in edgewise. Try not to interrupt, but when she takes a breath, ask politely if this is the right time to tell her a bit about how you think you could add value to such an impressive operation.
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Silent One: | Doesn't say much at all and may ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This can be tricky, since there are two types of silent interviewers - the ones who are really uncomfortable and would rather not be there and the ones that use silence as a tactic. The uncomfortable types can sometimes be identified through their lowered eyes and mumbled speech. The quiet tacticians are waiting for you to get uncomfortable in the silence and say something revealing. Keep quiet, look him in the eye and smile while you wait.
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At the Table
No, not the negotiating table. The lunch or dinner table. Interviews over meals pose their own set of challenges. You'll have to think and chew at the same time. But interview meals are a good sign - you're being observed in a social situation to see how you handle yourself. They generally mean you're under serious consideration.
If you are invited to a meal, expect to take your lead from your host when it comes to ordering. If you are offered an alcoholic beverage, it's in your best interests to decline. However, if your host is insistent and is ordering for him/herself, order something light and sip at it slowly. Your goal is to keep a clear head.
Keep the food simple too. Nothing with sloppy sauces, stringy cheese or requiring delicate surgery with knife and fork. Pricewise, take your direction from your host, or if you're pushed to order first, keep to the middle of the price range on the menu.
Expect small talk at the table. Don't be in a rush to move into interview mode. Relax if you can and try to enjoy the situation. Let your host set the pace of discussion and follow his/her conversation. You'll know when the actual interview starts.
Table manners absolutely count here. Make sure the napkin is in your lap, elbows off the table, don't talk with your mouth full and don't make unnecessary noise while you eat (thanks, Mom.) Keep your voice modulated and look at your host rather than your plate when you respond to questions.
Remember to thank your host both for the meal and the opportunity to interview when you're done.
Interview Follow-Up
The best way to know how to follow up after an interview is to ask the interviewer directly. Before you leave, find out what the next step should be. When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions of your own, save room for "How soon do you expect to be making a decision about filling this position?" or "Would it be better to call you at the end of this week or the beginning of next week?"
Don't ask the interviewer if you should call or will he/she be calling you. Take the initiative for yourself and then be sure to follow the instructions you get. There is nothing worse than telling an interviewer that you'll follow up at a certain point and then not doing it. You've just proved you're unreliable. So put down the follow-up date in your Palm Pilot or calendar or whatever. And then call when you said you would.
But that's not all you should do. The thank-you note after the interview is not totally out of style. An email to the interviewer is perfectly okay these days, if you've been given the address, or snail mail will do. Drop the interviewer a short (three lines is enough) message no later than the day after your meeting. Send your thanks, mention something that the interviewer said that you found particularly interesting (yes, make it up if you have to) and reinforce your interest in the job.
Unless, of course, you aren't interested in the position. You may wish to keep your options open and see how it plays out. Or, you might let the initial screener (HR person) know that, despite your gratitude for the opportunity, you find that this is not quite what you are looking for. The gracious "thanks, but no thanks, right now." This can save everybody a lot of time and energy. It can also result in the unexpected side effect of making you a lot more attractive and having them pursue you harder, but we don't need to go there.
Three Rules for Interviewing Success
Remember these three things about the entire interviewing process, if you can't remember anything else:
1. Listen, listen, listen. Sure, you're a little nervous, but don't babble. Let the interviewer speak and don't interrupt.
2. Ask questions of your own. Listen carefully to the answers. You're making a decision about how to spend a large and important piece of your life if they make you an offer. The fit between you and the company needs to be right.
3. Emphasize what you can do over what you think you know. It's not about how smart you are or how many certifications you've got. It's about using your knowledge every day to heighten your capabilities.
More...
I think this is enough about interviewing for now. If anyone has put any of this advice to use, I'd be interested in hearing how it worked for you. Keep those emails coming to jamie@jobcircle.com. And in response to an overwhelming number of messages, next month, Getting That First Job. Later.
Enjoy this article? Read more of JobCircle.com's Career Coach articles.
Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company. Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column. You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.
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