Wednesday 3 August 2011

Interview Secrets of the Pros

A great interview can help you stand out from the crowd and get a great job. Unfortunately, there is no single secret word or expression that can turn a good interview into a great interview. There are, however, some true interview secrets that can help you stand out from the crowd.

Common Mistakes are Killers

Simply by avoiding making common interviewing mistakes, you will be one step ahead of your competition. To find out what NOT to do, please refer to Common Mistakes of Interviewees.

Follow the Golden Rules

Every expert will agree that by following the Golden Rules of Successful Interviewing you will go a long way toward succeeding in the interview.

Interviewing is Proactive Not Reactive

Many interviewees go into an interview prepared to simply react to questions. Think of yourself less as a job seeker and more as a qualified IT professional looking to find opportunities to deliver value and competitive advantage to your potential employer’s business. To proactively engage in the interview and present yourself as a professional ready to engage in the interviewer’s business:

  • Be confident, poised and self assured
  • Be prepared – have your own questions and know everything you can about the company, the position and your interviewer
  • Listen for problems the company is trying to solve and give succinct and specific examples of how you can help resolve these problems, based on your skills and past experience
  • Actively participate in the interview process
  • Drive the interview where you want to go by asking your own follow-up questions about information the interviewer is providing you

Repeat When You Greet

When you first meet the interviewer repeat his or her name. “Hello Mr. Smith, I am Sacha Cohen.” This serves two purposes. First, the interviewer hears his name, which will make him feel more directly engaged by you. Second, it helps you remember the interviewer’s name so you can use it additional times within the interview.

Technical Interviews are About More than Technical Skills

Remember that IT job interviews are as much about your soft-skills as your technical skills. In fact, it is some of these soft-skills that can most effectively set you apart from your competitors.

Confidence, Poise and Self-Assurance

Whatever you do, do it with confidence, poise and self-assurance. Your interviewer will notice and feel more confidence in you.

Be a Doer

Whenever possible, position yourself as someone who gets things done. You are a problem solver, a doer, a troubleshooter, and a go-to-person. These are the kind of employees a company wants.

Manage Body Language

An interview is not just about what you say. It is also about how you look while saying it. Avoid tapping your feet, playing with your hair, folding your arms, fidgeting, not maintaining eye contact, chewing gum, mumbling, slumping and fidgeting with your pen or other objects.

Lean Toward the Interviewer

While conversing with your interviewer, keep your arms open and assume a slightly forward-leaning position during the interview. It conveys your interest in what the interviewer has to say.

Use Your Hands

Practice using hand gestures to emphasize statements you make as you speak. For examples of professional speakers using hand gestures to underscore what they’re saying, turn on the TV and watch any elite politician’s hands as he or she speaks.

Look Them in the Eye But Do Not Stare

Maintain eye contact but do not stare or hold your gaze so long your interviewer becomes uncomfortable. Practice with friends and mentors.

Never Interrupt

If the interviewer is talking, do not ever interrupt.

Get the Interviewer Talking

The more your interviewer talks during the interview, the better off you will be. People generally like to talk—especially about themselves. Keep the conversation flowing but try and get the interviewer to talk about himself or herself as much as possible. They will leave the interview thinking they really liked you.

Do Not Ask About Salary and Benefits

Save talk of salary and benefits for a second interview or once you have received an offer.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

When asking questions, never ask one that the interviewer can answer with a single-word response. Try to get the interviewer talking by asking questions that start with Who, What, Where, When or How.

Precise Diction is a Sign of Precise Thinking

Avoid “um,” “ah,” “yeah,” “yup,” “like,” “okay,” and “I guess.” They suggest imprecision and uncertainty.

The Interview Week is Tuesday to Thursday

Mondays are tough for all of us and people want to get out of work promptly on Fridays. To ensure you get the most time to make your case for employment and to avoid an irritated or distracted interviewer, try to never schedule an interview for a Monday or a Friday.

Get a Good Time

Try to get an interview early in the day when the interviewer is fresher and more focused, but avoid interviews first thing in the morning or right before lunch. 10:30am is typically perfect.

Shake Hands Firmly

Whether you are a man or a woman and regardless of whether your interviewer is a man or a woman, shake hands firmly. A light shake to a woman can be seen as patronizing. Also, make sure your hand is not damp or cold.

Accept a Drink

If you are offered a drink, regardless of whether you are thirsty, accept it. By accepting, you show confidence and comfort. This does not mean alcoholic drinks – never consume alcohol before or during an interview.

Show Respect

If you are sitting when the interviewer enters, stand and greet them. If you are standing when the interview starts, wait for the interviewer to offer you a seat.

Listen Carefully

Everyone loves to talk. Let the interviewer talk. Listen carefully so you can use words and phrases they use in your answer and allude to their comments later in the conversation, while explaining key concepts. Look at the interviewer when he or she is speaking so he or she knows they have your total attention. Acknowledge you are listening by giving the interviewer verbal cues like “I understand,” “I see,” or “Yes,” and non-verbal cues like a nod of your head.

Paraphrase when Answering

To make sure you understood any question, paraphrase the question before your answer prefaced by comments such as “You are asking…” and “Am I right in thinking…”

Confirm Your Answers

When you have answered a question, you can close by asking something such as, “Does that address your concerns in this area?”

Ask for Clarification Delicately

Do not tell the interviewer a question was unclear or simply ask him or her to rephrase it. Instead, try to get clarification in other ways by saying, “You are referring specifically to…” or “You are asking about…”

Smile and Be Happy

When you speak, speak with grace. Take a moment to collect your thoughts before responding. Make eye contact whenever you speak. Smile whenever appropriate. Your air of ease will make everyone else in the room feel more comfortable.

Laugh at All Jokes

With only few exceptions, laugh at the interviewer’s jokes. The interviewer is telling the joke because he wants you to laugh. Accommodate him and it will show you as a person with a good sense of humor. If the joke is truly offensive to you, downgrade the laugh to a smile and take notice – this may not be a place where you want to work.

Confidence is Contagious

By conducting yourself with confidence and self-assuredness in the interview, you project an impression of the ability to get things done which your interviewer will notice.

Speak in Terms of “We”

Try drawing the interviewer into what you are saying and make them a part of your answer. For example:

Interviewer: Our challenge is to limit the number of help desk calls that need to go to a supervisor.

You: Mr. Ross, I understand our problem. Working together, we could solve this problem. In my previous role at Atalanta, I was able to limit supervisor involvement in help desk calls by 45% by training and educating the help desk team. We could apply some of the same solutions here.

Address People by Name

People, and interviewers are no exception, tend to like to be addressed by name. Use the interviewer’s name intermittently throughout the interview—especially when introduced and just prior to departing.

Take Cues From Your Interviewer

Watch your interviewer, and watch for cues to what the interviewer is thinking:

  • A smile is usually a good sign.
  • A nod indicates recognition of a point you made.
  • “Go on” or “I see” indicate you are getting your point across.
  • A forward lean is usually a sign of interest. However, it may mean you are not speaking clearly though.
  • A look at a watch, the door or the window are signs to wrap up your point quickly.

Use of Humor

If you are unsure of your sense of humor, do not use any humor. If you are sure of it, use humor sparingly, if at all.

Relax. Relax. Relax.

The more you can relax, the better your true self will shine through. A couple of deep breaths will help to settle nerves.

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