Interviewing!

Tips:
1. Research a company PRIOR to the interview. The person interviewing you will appreciate that you've already put work into learning about the company. You should try to get a sense of the hierarchy (organizational chart) before the interview so you know where the person interviewing you lands as well as where you would land if hired. Find out if the company has been in the press lately. Those articles will probably give you an updated look at the products and services as well as any drama you may want to avoid discussing. At the same time, you may discover the company's competition. Other information to find out prior to the interview should include the size of the company, location, and other open positions that you may be interested in.

To find this information, look at the company's website. Talk to friends and family that may already work there or who have worked there in the past. They may have information you'll never find on the web! You can also, like I mentioned above, look through newspapers and news sites for the most recent media coverage.

2. Come prepared with questions for the employer. Of course most questions will be answered during the interview. Appropriate questions will clarify something about the position, company, or specific tasks and responsibilities. For example, To whom would I report? How often? What are the most important tasks/issues of this position? What percentage of time would you like devoted to each of the key tasks? How many people would I oversee? What does this involve? What's gotten in the way of achieving your office's goals in the past? What will training entail? Don't bring up compensation during the interview. If the employer mentions it, that's fine. However, it's a sticky subject and usually avoided. An employer wants to know you're interested in the position and company, not the money.

3. You should bring some important things with you to the interview, other than questions, like a copy of your resume. Sometimes you'll be meeting with a panel. If you have turned in one copy of your resume, other panel members may not have a copy. They'll appreciate that you thought ahead. Also, if you have access to it, bring a copy of the job description. This will be helpful for personalizing answers. It'll also be helpful when the employer begins discussing the position.

4. Dress professionally. Kate's blog discussed this in more detail if you're interested in knowing what "professional dress" entails.

5. During the interview, don't fidget too much. If you tend to play with your hair a lot, try wearing it up or out of your face to decrease twirling. Take notes because you may want some of that information after the interview, but may not remember it all. Make eye contact. It's a sign of respect and confidence. Get the names of the people you've been interviewed by. This will be helpful for the next tip...

6. After the interview, you should send Thank You notes to those people who interviewed you. Make sure you have their names and hopefully their titles. Send a professional letter thanking them for their time. Highlight anything mentioned in the interview that will help you get the job. Also, if there was anything you were uncomfortable about during the interview (for example, you answered a question very poorly) feel free to explain that more thoroughly. A great tool for writing an outstanding thank you letter is OptimalResume. This will walk you through each paragraph of the letter as well as format it for you. It also has great examples to help guide you through the process. These examples are vague though and should be personalized!

I hope these tips help you with your next interview. There are many other tips out there if you're still worried. The Career Resource Room (in the Career Services office in Rakov) has some excellent books on interviewing. They will help with behavioral interviews, which can be tough, by providing example questions and corresponding answers. If you're not sure what a behavioral interview is, please stop by and ask!