Interviewing

Let’s look at an alte
ative to the usual interview; we’re not invalidating other ways, just exploring another way that has been highly effective in today’s job market.

Start off with your first contact ¡V it’s the most important;
**Be Professional; use industry terminology, and language the hiring authority will be comfortable with. **No slang, or local colloquialisms. Modulate your voice to be interesting, but not distracting in any way.
**Have the conversation be about what the company is looking for; what they are trying to accomplish by the hire. Match yourself to what they are looking for, and schedule the face to face interview.
**Be sure your voicemail message is clear, concise and professional!

Before the Interview:
Do your Homework! Know who the company is in the industry, and who you are talking to ¡V their position in the company. Has the company been financially successful? Do they have a high rate of employee turnover?

Resumes are good for:
**Disqualifying you from the positionn**Their note taking during the interview.

Use your resume as a follow up tool, or as a “leave behind” as you complete the interview. NOT as an introduction. Use a voice to voice conversation to introduce yourself.

Practice interviewing with a partner!! Go through and answer questions designed from all different aspects of the interviewer- be both the interviewer and the job seeker in your practice sessions. Try being: exhausted by the process; irritated at having to talk to candidate number 475; delighted to be meeting someone new; serious and significant; distracted.

Before each interview, write down: 1) What is the minimum result you want to produce out of the conversation? and 2) The maximum result possible? (play with this ¡V see how outrageous you can be!)
Open it up from just a job interview to establishing a relationship with someone new, and connecting with all that they bring to the table.

During the Interview: Relax! Both of you want you to be the one!!
First and foremost, in an interview, your job is to let the hiring authority see how you will be an asset to his team. Pay close attention to everything they say ¡V it is what you can use to show how you are the best for the position. Listen, listen, listen. Answer the question they ask, not what you think they need to know!

Three questions you want answered by the end of the initial conversation: n„X What does the next level of success look like for them?? n„X What resources are they looking for to reach that next level of success? n„X And what service can you provide to support them in reaching that next level of success?

Turn the interview around: Go into the conversation with specific questions you have about:
**The company’s goalsn**Your potential boss’s goalsn**What do they like most about working there? Least?
**What kind of personality profile has been successful in the past? Failed?
**What kind of experience/education has been successful? Failed?
Keep balance! You don’t want to talk a lot!!! Answer their question directly and concisely, and then ask one of your own.

Note on Professional Appearance: always make sure that there is nothing distracting about your appearance. Be professional! You want to appear ready to be a member of their staff. You want their attention to be wholly on you, not your clothes, jewelry, scent, hair, etc. Beware of what might pull their attention from concentrating on your ability to do the job! After you are working for them, you can change your appearance as may be appropriate. For now, conservative is the most successful.

Be sure to schedule a time to follow up with them; know their timetable for the hiring decision.

After the Interview:

Send a thank you note, call with a thank you, do something that will differentiate you from the crowd! n nn