The Interview Tool Box
The Interview Tool Box
Robin Westerly
You’ve received a call or an email asking for you to be available at a specific date and at a specific time for a face to face interview. It is the response that you have been waiting for and with it the hope of landing a job. But as exciting and uplifting as the chance is for you to make the right impression in person it can also be a harbinger of doom if you are not ready to seize the opportunity.
The individual that you will meet with will have set aside plenty of time to conduct a good evaluation of your talents and skills but they also have other responsibilities to attend to, and as such, limited time to complete the hiring process. This means you will have one chance to make the right impression.
I found in my earlier career that preparation is the key to any successful outcome so doing your homework and preparing your “Tool Box” for the interview will give you the best shot at nailing it.
The idea of a “Tool Box” conjures up an image of a container that when opened reveals a selection of items inside that will meet any handyman or mechanics needs. The “Interview Tool Box” works on the same principle but instead of a box you will have a portfolio and instead of a hammer or screwdriver it will contain a resume, an employment history, a reference list, as well as, an optional personal accomplishment file.
The “Tool Box” will also include the mental readiness aspects of your interview, such as mapping the location with back up routes in the event that your trip encounters traffic delays and the prep work that you should do for the questions that you will face and the “I am ready” attitude.
The interview process and evaluation really initiates itself once you have arrived for the appointment not when you sit in front of the interviewer. It will be noted as to whether you arrived early or did you walk in right at your scheduled time.
Other observations will include how you spent your time before being called in for your face to face. Did you spend your waiting time talking or texting on your phone or did you wait patiently for your turn reviewing the documents in your “Interview Tool Box”.
Now since on-line applications are done in the privacy of your home, coffee house, etc. some employers may ask you to complete an additional application when you arrive just to make sure that the on-line application was done by you. This is why a list of your previous employers with addresses, phone numbers, contact names and email addresses and your list of references will need to be in your “Interview Tool Box” along with a working pen and a back up pen.
These first few minutes before the face to face are considered the pre game warm up the real contest begins once you are inside the interview room.
When it’s your turn greet the interviewer by looking them in the eye with a firm handshake and a welcoming smile. Let them ask the pleasantry questions and make your answers short but informative and to the point.
A prospective employer has few resources to gauge who their candidates really are. They can ask your previous employer anything about your previous work experience but what they will be told depends upon how much your previous employer what’s to divulge so sometimes they don’t get much to go on.
Employers know that personal references are not a real measure for evaluation as no one would list a reference that would say something negative about them. Don’t get me wrong many employers will contact your references but it may not be a main contributor to their decision.
Your main supportive documentation is your resume as it is your employment history, experiences and successes. Your “Interview Tool Box” should contain three resumes so that you can have one for the main interviewer, one for you so that you can follow along as they discuss your employment history and one extra resume in case there is a second interviewer.
Since your resume is static the interview questions will be the fluid component of the interview and the questions asked can vary. Here is where your personal experiences, knowledge of the position, confidence and charisma, the ‘I am ready” comes in.
The interview questions generally fit a pattern with a few exceptions but listed below are some of the most frequently asked interview questions.
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What do you know about our company?
3. What interests you about this opening?
4. Tell me about your responsibilities at your last job.
5. What can you bring to this position?
6. Why did you leave your last job? Or why are you thinking about leaving your current job?
7. What is your greatest strength and what is your greatest weakness?
8. Situation questions such as. “Tell me about a time when …
9. What salary range are you looking for?
10. What questions do you have for me?
These aren’t the only questions that can be asked but they focus on the important areas that a prospective employer will want to discuss. There are many resources available to review appropriate answers to these and other questions but make sure that when responding to them your answers reflect passion in your voice and remember never disrespect your previous employer.
You should know something about a company that you want to work for so question 2 will require you to investigate the company so that you have a perspective on their business model, their products and/or services, their strength in the industry and who their competition is.
Now question 10 is your chance to ask what the company can do for you. Remember that the interview is a two way street allowing you to see if the company is a match for your career plans. Questions regarding individual growth, future opportunities and benefits are fair game as long as you ask them appropriately.
It’s alright to ask what time frame they are looking at to fill the position but that doesn’t always mean that their time frame is set and won’t change even eliminating the hiring all together.
Leave with a business card so you have backup information on the interviewer. With today’s technology it is prudent to send a thank you email as soon as possible. A follow up email can be done several days after the interview but limit that email to asking if there are any additional items that they need from you to help them with their decision.
There is an old saying. “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched”, so even if you feel that you nailed the interview never expect that you have the job until an offer letter is received.
Robin Westerly is a contributing writer for JoblessandFaceless.com
Robin Westerly
You’ve received a call or an email asking for you to be available at a specific date and at a specific time for a face to face interview. It is the response that you have been waiting for and with it the hope of landing a job. But as exciting and uplifting as the chance is for you to make the right impression in person it can also be a harbinger of doom if you are not ready to seize the opportunity.
The individual that you will meet with will have set aside plenty of time to conduct a good evaluation of your talents and skills but they also have other responsibilities to attend to, and as such, limited time to complete the hiring process. This means you will have one chance to make the right impression.
I found in my earlier career that preparation is the key to any successful outcome so doing your homework and preparing your “Tool Box” for the interview will give you the best shot at nailing it.
The idea of a “Tool Box” conjures up an image of a container that when opened reveals a selection of items inside that will meet any handyman or mechanics needs. The “Interview Tool Box” works on the same principle but instead of a box you will have a portfolio and instead of a hammer or screwdriver it will contain a resume, an employment history, a reference list, as well as, an optional personal accomplishment file.
The “Tool Box” will also include the mental readiness aspects of your interview, such as mapping the location with back up routes in the event that your trip encounters traffic delays and the prep work that you should do for the questions that you will face and the “I am ready” attitude.
The interview process and evaluation really initiates itself once you have arrived for the appointment not when you sit in front of the interviewer. It will be noted as to whether you arrived early or did you walk in right at your scheduled time.
Other observations will include how you spent your time before being called in for your face to face. Did you spend your waiting time talking or texting on your phone or did you wait patiently for your turn reviewing the documents in your “Interview Tool Box”.
Now since on-line applications are done in the privacy of your home, coffee house, etc. some employers may ask you to complete an additional application when you arrive just to make sure that the on-line application was done by you. This is why a list of your previous employers with addresses, phone numbers, contact names and email addresses and your list of references will need to be in your “Interview Tool Box” along with a working pen and a back up pen.
These first few minutes before the face to face are considered the pre game warm up the real contest begins once you are inside the interview room.
When it’s your turn greet the interviewer by looking them in the eye with a firm handshake and a welcoming smile. Let them ask the pleasantry questions and make your answers short but informative and to the point.
A prospective employer has few resources to gauge who their candidates really are. They can ask your previous employer anything about your previous work experience but what they will be told depends upon how much your previous employer what’s to divulge so sometimes they don’t get much to go on.
Employers know that personal references are not a real measure for evaluation as no one would list a reference that would say something negative about them. Don’t get me wrong many employers will contact your references but it may not be a main contributor to their decision.
Your main supportive documentation is your resume as it is your employment history, experiences and successes. Your “Interview Tool Box” should contain three resumes so that you can have one for the main interviewer, one for you so that you can follow along as they discuss your employment history and one extra resume in case there is a second interviewer.
Since your resume is static the interview questions will be the fluid component of the interview and the questions asked can vary. Here is where your personal experiences, knowledge of the position, confidence and charisma, the ‘I am ready” comes in.
The interview questions generally fit a pattern with a few exceptions but listed below are some of the most frequently asked interview questions.
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What do you know about our company?
3. What interests you about this opening?
4. Tell me about your responsibilities at your last job.
5. What can you bring to this position?
6. Why did you leave your last job? Or why are you thinking about leaving your current job?
7. What is your greatest strength and what is your greatest weakness?
8. Situation questions such as. “Tell me about a time when …
9. What salary range are you looking for?
10. What questions do you have for me?
These aren’t the only questions that can be asked but they focus on the important areas that a prospective employer will want to discuss. There are many resources available to review appropriate answers to these and other questions but make sure that when responding to them your answers reflect passion in your voice and remember never disrespect your previous employer.
You should know something about a company that you want to work for so question 2 will require you to investigate the company so that you have a perspective on their business model, their products and/or services, their strength in the industry and who their competition is.
Now question 10 is your chance to ask what the company can do for you. Remember that the interview is a two way street allowing you to see if the company is a match for your career plans. Questions regarding individual growth, future opportunities and benefits are fair game as long as you ask them appropriately.
It’s alright to ask what time frame they are looking at to fill the position but that doesn’t always mean that their time frame is set and won’t change even eliminating the hiring all together.
Leave with a business card so you have backup information on the interviewer. With today’s technology it is prudent to send a thank you email as soon as possible. A follow up email can be done several days after the interview but limit that email to asking if there are any additional items that they need from you to help them with their decision.
There is an old saying. “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched”, so even if you feel that you nailed the interview never expect that you have the job until an offer letter is received.
Robin Westerly is a contributing writer for JoblessandFaceless.com
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