BRIDGE Blog

The internet is full of examples of interviews gone bad.  Many of these examples are humorous, from candidates challenging interviewers to arm wrestling, to mid-interview phone calls to therapists  you don’t have to search long to find examples of really poor decision making during interviews.  A personal favorite of mine is that of a candidate who came to an interview with a moped and proceeded to leave it in the reception area.  He didn’t want it to get stolen, and said he would require indoor parking for the moped if he were hired.  He wasn’t. 

While most of these examples seem far-fetched, any recruiter can give you similar examples (let’s just say that it’s not a good idea to bring a pet to an interview unless it is a service animal).

The importance of a successful interview has seldom been greater as our economy is undoubtedly in desperate times.  Simply put, you can’t waste the opportunities you’re given. Whether there is a science to good interviewing is debatable.  The so-called “experts” on the subject have led at least one interviewee in my experience to disaster even when the person followed instructions to “alleged” perfection.  This particular example came about as a candidate answered some of the most common interview questions (particularly “What are your biggest weaknesses?”), with pre-planned answers according to how a popular book on the subject informed interviewees to do so.  To make matters worse, this candidate had already interviewed successfully with the employer more than once.  Both the candidate’s technical skills and “soft” skills passed the test.  In the end, one “X” from Human Resources was all that it took to derail his successful interview train.  The cause … they didn’t like the way the candidate answered the most commonly asked questions. 

Although all employers are different in what they are looking for, there are a few “universal truths” to help you put together a successful interview.  The first of which occurs before the interview begins.  Research the employer and  - if possible -  try to learn the credentials (at least the name!) of the person that you will be interviewing with.  I have found that the impact of doing this successfully has been tremendous.  For example, one recent interviewee discussed an article that the interviewer had written to assist in the answering of a question.  Major bonus points.  More important, though, is learning about what the employer is looking to accomplish with a particular project, software, etc…  Establishing an understanding of what they are looking to accomplish, and then stating specifically how you can help them attain their goals is paramount to success.  Preparing to do so before the interview has clear benefits. 

Keeping a positive attitude and personality throughout an interview is also an important factor.  This should go without saying, but far too often candidates have been nixed for not being a “personality fit.”  As a hiring manager once told me, “you can teach someone technical skills, but you can’t teach personality.”  Some actions that can immediately raise red flags are speaking negatively about past or current employers, or prematurely discussing the issue of compensation.  The desired personality certainly does not have to be that of the life of the party.  Rather, the characteristics necessary are those of someone who will be able to get along well with most people while displaying some form of enjoyment for performing one’s job.  Seems simple right?  Of course that is greatly simplified, but it is surprisingly accurate.  And please, please do not speak over the person interviewing you!             

Finally, practice interviewing as much as possible.  If at all possible, practice with a friend or family member.  This will increase your comfort level, and will help ensure that you answer questions clearly and directly.  An interviewer, much like the rest of us, is not a mind reader.  He or she will not know what you are capable of unless you tell them.  It is always unfortunate to hear from a hiring manager that “I feel that he has good skills, he just could not get across the knowledge in his answers.”  Practicing interviews will assist in preparing you to get all of the points across that best illustrate your skills.  While practice may not necessarily make you perfect, it will optimize your chances of impressing the interviewer.        

There are multiple other interview tips to help you make the best of your opportunities.  Much like how the internet offers you access to humorous interview horror stories, there are also helpful websites to help prevent a disastrous performance.  Below are a few of our favorite links …

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/aceinterview.htm

http://www.job-interview.net/interview.htm

http://www.jobopenings.net/interview_tips.htm#TIPS

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 2nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm and is filed under Career, ecomomy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.