The job market is an ever changing marketplace. Sometimes it favors the job seeker with organizations bidding for a scarcity of talent. But today it is the hiring organizations that hold the upper hand. There is an abundance of qualified individuals for most job openings. So if you have been successful in gaining an interview you need to be able to take advantage of the opportunity and convert it to a job offer. Learning how to prepare for an interview will give you a competitive edge. Unfortunately, most people do not put much time into interview preparation. They show up and hope for the best. If you come well prepared you will stand out in the hiring manger's mind when candidates strengths and weaknesses are compared.
Focus your preparation in the following 4 areas:
Research the company and the position.
Start by visiting the organization's website, you can learn valuable information about their priorities and current strategies. But don't stop here, you need to further your research by researching current news items about the company. This will sometimes uncover valuable information that will demonstrate your resourcefulness. If possible, talk with current/former employees to learn more about the organization's culture. By researching a number of sources you get a more complete picture of the company.
Prepare your results oriented stories.
A hiring manager is trying to determine if you are the right fit for the position. The objective is not to determine if you are a nice person, but if you have the talent and experience to add value to the organization. As you prepare for the interview, you need to create results oriented success stories that you can tell during the interview. These successes will demonstrate your talents and ability to achieve results. A success story should contain three elements; 1) describe the situation, 2) describe what you did, and 3) identify the specific results achieved. You are positioning yourself as the right person for the job.
Prepare answers to common questions.
Most hiring managers wont take the time to think up creative questions to ask during an interview. They will ask the typical interview questions such as "tell about yourself", etc. There are many publications you can obtain that will cover the many interview questions that can be asked. The important point is that you need to be prepared to answer these types of questions in a posed and well thought out manner. Displaying confidence in your answers will help convince the hiring manager of your abilities to get the job done.
The bulk of questions you are asked will come from your resume. Review your resume and anticipate questions that may arise. For example, you may be asked to explain how you approached a specific accomplishment listed by one of your prior jobs. This is a great opportunity to relate a results oriented story you have already prepared. Many questions will come about by what's not specifically stated on a resume, i.e. gaps in employment, lateral job changes, unrelated jobs. By preparing in advance you can answer in a way that will remove any concerns that may be lingering
Prepare Questions to Ask
This is an area that is many times overlooked by those in preparation for an interview. This is an area where you can differentiate yourself from the competition. These are questions about the company, its products/services, its strategies, target customers and job responsibilities to name a few. They are not questions about benefits, salary, or vacation time. You ask these questions to convey insight and knowledge that others wont bother to demonstrate. You can ask leading questions that will allow you to tell a success story that stresses the value you can bring to the organization. By asking thought provoking questions you will have some control over the direction of the interview. I have been amazed at the high percentage of people I have interviewed who ask no questions at all. It makes one wonder now much interest and enthusiasm they will bring to the job if hired.
If you seriously focus on these four areas in How to Prepare for an Interview you will be miles ahead of your competition. Your extra effort will be noted and could be the difference in a job offer or a rejection letter.
Mark Gregory, a results oriented executive with 34 years of experience in privately held and Fortune 1000 companies, is the author of the newly created 'The How to Prepare for an Interview' blog. His experience includes creating a regional hiring plan which resulted in the hiring of 100 sales and sales support individuals in a 6 month time-frame. As part of the plan he developed the hiring profiles for the positions to be filled, helped create the candidate screening process and trained the hiring managers in proper interview technique. He will share his experience in what hiring managers look for in a candidate, pitfalls to avoid, and how to position yourself as a desirable employee.
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