Job Interview Techniques That Get Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) November 28, 2011 -- So you have managed to get a job interview in this dismal economic environment. This significantly improves your chances of getting a job. But now you really have to shine. So how do you ensure you present yourself in the best possible light and make sure this is the job for you?

Pre-Interview

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Job Interview Techniques That Get Results

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It is all about preparation, and starts with some serious research about the company and job you are applying for. Start by making sure you really understand the job requirements and how your skills , experience and expertise match up. Do you have all the attributes and skills they are looking for; what will you say if asked? If you are missing a skill or attribute how will you address this – can you learn it?

Research
This is really important, even if you don’t think you need to know it, you will be surprised how helpful this is to you in the interview.

• The company: size, locations, range of products or services. What makes this company stand out in terms of its competitive advantage? What is its reputation? Who are its’ competitors? Are its’ revenues growing? Is it profitable and are its profits growing? Does it have cash, and is its’ cash growing? How big is the company in terms of number of employees and the number that work in the location in which you will situated? Do you know any one employed at the company (if you do, talk to them about the company, their job, the culture and what they know about the open position)?
• The Job: what are the responsibilities and job tasks expected of this position? Who does the job report to and where does it fit in the overall organization? What type of person are they looking for and what type of attributes should you have or need to acquire?

Prepare Answers to Likely Questions
• It’s a good idea to jot down the questions you think you will be asked at the interview and then to prepare a 1-2 sentence answer to each question.

• What are your strengths? For each strength create a short explanation and example of why this is a strength (you will probably be asked).
• For each job you have held, define one or two of your major accomplishments providing statistics where possible (grew sales, saved costs, increased customers, etc). Never complain about past companies or bosses.
• For each sentence in your resume assume they ask you to tell them more about it; what would you say? If you say reading is a hobby, you best be ready to answer the question, what was the last book you read and what did you think of it. Be ready to talk about your education, what you really enjoyed and why you took those classes.

• What makes you right for this job and what interests you in the company? This is really marrying your expertise and strengths with what they are looking for.
• What do you want to be doing in 3-5 years? They are looking to see if you are ambitious; but your response should take into account what they are offering. You could say, for example, that you would hope to progress within the company and that you enjoy learning new skills.
• What type of work are you interested in? Make sure your answer includes the type of role you are applying for.
• Are you a team player? Don’t just say Yes or No. Give an example of a team you have been part of, what you achieved and how you contributed.

• A favorite question is “Tell me about a failure you had at work and what happened?” Or, “What are you weaknesses?” Don’t be afraid to answer this one, they want to see if you learned anything from it or if you have limits. Everybody has had a failure. Prepare an example where you did learn something from doing something incorrectly, or if you have a weakness, how you have over come it.
• Prepare some specific questions you think will be asked for your specialty or the job you are going for and prepare a short concise answer, this way you will be prepared.

Prepare Questions you can ask of them, although it is likely their questioning will prompt a few questions you have to:
• Please describe the main responsibilities of the job and the day-to-day activities? Is there any training involved in this position?
• Can you give me an example of a project I might be involved in?
• How they measure performance?

• What are the future opportunities for progression in the company?
• Ask to meet with your potential boss?
• Ask about the business and how your job can have an impact?
• Are they growing and what is their greatest challenge?
• Who are their most significant competitors and why?
• What are the short and long term goals of the company?
• What do they particularly like about the company and what drives them nuts?

The Interview
There are some general rules of etiquette, which you should adhere to:
• Be on time for the interview (give yourself extra time to get there in case traffic is bad.

• Make sure your appearance is smart. Blue is a good color for interviews.
• LISTEN CAREFULLY and answer questions concisely – don’t get into long drawn out stories. If they ask for an example, give them one short answer; don’t ramble on for 15 minutes.
• Be honest, open and polite.
• Be enthusiastic! I would rather hire an enthusiastic person with lots of energy and little experience, than someone with lots of experience but no energy and enthusiasm! They just get more done.
• Be confident.
• Be prepared to answer questions regarding any item they pick off your resume or cover letter.

• Take 5-10 copies of your resume on good quality paper to hand out. You may want to consider recycled paper if the job is in the environmental industry.
• Take your list of questions with you. There is nothing worse than some who says they have no questions to ask.
• Make sure you ask them about the next steps in the interview process and when you can expect to hear back from them.
• Ask each person you meet for a business card, or his or her email address before you leave.

Post Interview

It is absolutely necessary to send a thank you note to everyone you met. Email certainly works and it does not have to be long, but make sure you tell them you are very interested in the company, the position and offer to answer any further questions they have. Always try to include a sentence that references what you talked about with that person.

Getting a job is not luck, it is making sure you are prepared and being able to sell yourself as a competent, capable individual that will fit into their world to help them get the job done that they want doing.

MP Consulting writes a weekly blog on Social Media, Marketing, Leadership, Business Strategy and other Key Business Topics. I hope you enjoyed this blog and that you will send me your comments and subscribe and link to my blog at http://mpconsulting.worpress.com. There are a number of free guides and presentations available at my site, and if you need help, or need to ask me a question, then fill out the comment section on my blog or send me an email.

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MP Consulting Services specializes in the areas of strategic planning, leadership, marketing and social media. Mark Philip, principal at MPCS, has over 20 years experience in managing businesses, both small and large, has orchestrated multiple turnarounds, built product pipelines, launched new products, sold companies and created significant shareholder value. Let me know how I can help you with your business challenge

For More Information: visit my blog at http://mpconsulting.wordpress.com or visit my LinkedIn account at http://www.linkedin.com/in/markpconsulting
Special thanks to Abigail Philip for her critique and suggestions.

Copyright © 2011 Mark Philip

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