Preparing for a job interview can be overwhelming; however, if a person focuses on the following three main areas, it may take some of the anxiety out of the process. The first area is what you want the Interviewer to know about you. The second area is what you, after researching the organization, want to know about the job, and the third segment of the interview you ought to be prepared for is the list of questions you have for any organization about any job.
To begin, let’s take a look at what you want the employer to know about you. There are several ways that hiring managers break the ice to get to know the interviewee. I have had hiring managers ask me questions ranging from, “Tell us a little about yourself,”; “What have you read lately?”; to “what four words would best characterize your personality?” While it’s a good idea to have answers (Brief ones — you don’t want to put the hiring manager to sleep), the most important element of your presentation is the impression you give the hiring manager that you are focused on what you can do for the firm. If you keep your focus on presenting yourself as competent and capable of solving problems to achieve the goals of the company, you will lift yourself out of the common trap of trying to impress the employer with all your wonderful traits. For example, if the hiring manager asks you to tell them a little about yourself, make sure you gear your answer to what the firm wants you to achieve. In other words, don’t tell them that you are an expert reader of Shakespeare, unless you are going to edit Shakespeare on the job. Tell them that you are driven by your desire to achieve objectives and be ready to give an example from your life. You keep a detailed journal in which you make to-do lists and record the achievements of your days. You have found that if you write down an accomplishment that you want to make and break it down into steps in your to-do list, then you have more satisfactory days because you are able to cross off several of the tasks every day.
If the hiring manager asks you what you have read lately, be prepared: “I read The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, about how things build up and build up until finally they reach a tipping point, and finally everyone has to accept a new paradigm; but lately I heard Gladwell revised his book to come to a less optimistic conclusion.” Talk a little about the book, but do not dwell on it; your main objective here is to communicate that you are a thoughtful, well-informed candidate, and that you can approach a problem from more than one point of view.
If the Interviewer asks you to describe yourself in 4 words, use words that suggest intelligence, trustworthiness, reliability, and responsibility. Don’t worry if you are asked to describe a weakness, have something prepared to say that sounds like a weakness on the surface, but has positive connotations as well, such as “I am a perfectionist.”
Secondly, it is very likely that the Hiring Manager will ask you why you want to work for this firm. This is where your research of the company culture, and products comes in. The more you know about the company, the better. “I want to work for X, because I shop at X, and I believe in the products X makes.” IF the hiring manager skips asking you why you want to work there, they may give you an overview of the job you are interviewing for. Listen carefully and note some key words that you hear that point to the Manager’s priorities. You can make a point of remembering the first letter of each important item, such as, “Quality.” That is to say, if the hiring manager says, “Our teams examine our outgoing products for excellent quality. We don’t want any shoddy work going out of our doors.” You make a note of the letter Q in your mind, so you can come back and ask about that priority, and how you will fit into the team that addresses it.
Finally, in your preparation for the interview, you should do an Internet search of questions to pose. One question that has always stood out in my mind is: “What are the greatest challenges your teams face in achieving the company’s objectives.” If you ask this question, you may want to follow up with the question, “If and when I face this challenge, what will you be looking for from me?” Another question similar to this one is “How do you define a successful employee in this role
You should take time to make all these preparations in the week before the interview, or at least a few days ahead. You should write out your prepared answers and questions on flash cards and rehearse presenting them with a family member of a friend. This way, you will be prepared, and it will show in the interview. It may be more important to the Interviewer that you prepared yourself for the Interview than anything else. Remember, you can think on your feet too. It the interviewer surprises you with a question that you haven’t prepared for, you can ask for clarification, and even a second do think. Interviewers know that Interviewees are nervous. It is natural. You are not there to show that you are superhuman, you just want to demonstrate you can perform the job competently, responsibly, and with integrity. Focus on what you want the interviewer to see in you, what you learned through research on the company and why you chose to apply there and ask lots of questions. I can’t guarantee you will get the job if you do these things, but I do know that if you follow my plan, you will set yourself apart from the majority of people that the Hiring Manager considers.