Taming Your Interview Fears

Most people see the interviewer as the one with all the power. Remember, though, that you have something the interviewer wants, too, or you wouldn’t be in the interview in the first place. Think of the interview not as an interrogation, but as a two-way conversation during which you and the employer determine whether you meet each other’s needs. More often than not, the interviewer is nervous too.

Being properly prepared and informed about the interview process can help you focus your energy on what needs to be done and help you find the right job.

MAKE YOURSELF THE BEST CANDIDATE

1. RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION
Learn as much as you can about the company before you go to the interview. Visit the company’s web page or read company literature and find out about its sales volume, competitors, services and products, size and reputation.

2. RESEARCH THE JOB
In addition to researching the company, you also need to find out as much as you can about the job itself. Analyze the job description and match your experiences, interests and abilities to the job. Talk with people who have worked in similar positions in that organization or in other companies.

It is also important to have a good idea of a salary range for the position so that you can better negotiate when the time comes. (See Salary Negotiation below) Professional trade associations and the Department of Labor publish salary statistics.

3. KNOW YOURSELF
Now that you have completed your company, job and salary research, you need to turn the focus onto yourself. How do your experiences and qualifications fit with the requirements of the job? Be able to discuss your strengths and weaknesses, your educational and work experiences, and your personal goals and values. Write down your accomplishments and prepare concrete and specific examples of these.

4. KNOW THE INTERVIEW FORMAT AHEAD OF TIME
One of the most important ways to prepare for your interview is to ask about the interview format. It is a good idea to ask questions such as “with whom will I be meeting?” and/or “how long should I plan to be at your office?” Discovering the interview format will help you to prepare for and visualize your interviewing experience.

5. PREPARE FOR AND ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS
Read the job description thoroughly and anticipate questions that may be asked of you. Prepare answers beforehand to some of the more difficult or sensitive questions by practicing aloud or with a friend. (See Strategies for Handling Tough Questions below)

6. MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS TO ASK
The questions you ask will reveal a lot about your level of interest in the company and your preparedness for the interview. Don’t ask questions that could be easily answered through your own research. Instead ask questions which demonstrate a genuine interest in and knowledge of the company and the position.

Examples:

“What characteristics does a successful person have at your company?”

“Describe the typical first year assignment.”

“What have been some of the major contributions made by individuals who have held this job previously?”

“What are the problems I will be expected to solve?”

“What is the career path for this position?”

“Could you tell me about the people with whom I will be working directly?”

“How is an employee evaluated?”

“When may I expect to hear from you regarding my candidacy?”

7. MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
During the first few minutes of the interview, the interviewer makes certain judgments about your character and work style based on your dress, demeanor and body language. Be on time; sit where the interviewer indicates; and don’t smoke or chew gum. Smile and offer a firm handshake. Maintain good eye contact and control nervous mannerisms. Dress professionally. Conservative business attire is best.

8. PREPARE YOUR REFERENCES
Develop a list of 3-5 people who can attest to your professional abilities. Your references might include former managers, co-workers, professors, clients or others who are familiar with your qualifications and on-the-job performance.

9. FOLLOW UP
Write a brief letter of thanks for the interview. Reiterate your interest in the position and briefly state why you are the best candidate. Inquire about the next steps in the interview process, and when you will be contacted again. If you don’t hear from anyone in a week, call to express your continued interest in the position.

WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS WILL I BE ASKED?

BEHAVIOR-BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Many employers use behavioral questions asking you to discuss specific examples of yourself as a successful employee. In responding, you may use examples from work, school, community service, or any setting in which you have had work-related success. Examples of behavioral questions include:

“Please give me an example of a time when you had to juggle multiple tasks.”

“Tell me about a situation in which you solved a problem as a member of a group or team. What was your role?”

“This position requires meeting frequent deadlines. Please give me an example of a time when you had to work under time pressure.

“Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer. How did you handle the situation and what happened?”

Answering Behavior-Based Questions
Strong answers to behavioral questions described specific situations where your actions are the focus. In asking behavior-based questions, employers are attempting to get a “glimpse” of you as a worker. Often, behavioral questions cover specific “themes” required by the position, such as: time management, teamwork, initiative, organizational and communication skills, etc. In preparing for an interview, review the job description to discover what kinds of behavioral questions the employer may ask.

One strategy for answering behavior-based questions is to use the S.T.A.R. formula (Situation, Task, Actions, Response). Using S.T.A.R. ensures that you deliver a complete and concise answer. For example, let’s take the last question above and answer it according to the S.T.A.R. model.

“Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer. How did you handle the situation and what happened?”

Situation “While working as a salesperson for Deluxe Caterers, I was given an account that had been mishandled by our company in the past. When this customer came in to place a large, new order, she was angry, expressing dissatisfaction with past service and asked us to guarantee superior work this time around.”

Task “I wanted to maintain this customer relationship, but also to not promise service we could not deliver and compound the problem. I expressed regret to her over past service problems and told her I would review her order in detail with my supervisor and get back to her within 24 hours.”

Action “I scheduled a meeting with my supervisor and we reviewed her order, identifying potential pitfalls, resulting in our adjusting the services we could provide. I then returned the customer’s call, negotiated a new contract, and faxed it to her.”

Result “While the customer was a little disappointed that we could not provide everything she wanted, she appreciated my being honest about what we could do. In the end both parties were happy.”

Don’t be frustrated if the interviewer interrupts you to ask probing questions that will enhance his or her understanding of your work style. This gives you an opportunity to clarify your response.

TRADITIONAL QUESTIONS

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” The employer may be assessing how well you know yourself and how honest and open you are. You have an opportunity to showcase and give examples of your strengths and also to reveal a not too serious weakness. It is best to demonstrate how you are working to improve your stated weakness. For example, you might say, “My computer experience is somewhat limited. However, I recently took a week long training program on using Microsoft Office and I’m looking forward to building on the skills I learned.”

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” They want to know if you are ambitious. If you find it hard to look five years out, try this: “Five years seems like a long time. I can see myself as a programmer analyst in two years. Five years from now, I might be a software developer or a systems analyst. I cannot know which direction I want to take until I’ve been in the field for awhile.”

“Why should I hire you?” Here’s where they find out how well you understand their needs and how confident you are of your qualifications for the position. A possible response could be: “I think you should hire me because I have the skills you need for this marketing support position. My technical skills exactly match the requirements as I’ve been using your software in my Co-op job. And my interpersonal skills are strong as a result of my student government experience.”

“Why do you want to work here?” This is where the employer finds out how much you know about the organization. You want to convey your interest in contributing to their mission or in being part of an important project they’ve been awarded. For example: “I’ve read about your contract to develop tax accounting software for the federal government, and I want to be part of the action...”

HANDLING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

Then there are those questions that you hope no one asks but they inevitably do--important questions that demand a well-prepared response from you. For example, if your resume doesn’t show continuous employment, you should expect to be asked for an explanation. What positive results came out of your decision not to work? An upbeat way to explain might be, “That’s correct, I did not work in 1988. I was nearing the end of my degree program at Northeastern. I realized that if I attended school full time I could complete my bachelor’s degree in one year, rather than working and taking three years to finish. I feel I made the right decision--when I went back to work, I was offered a salary considerably higher than my previous earnings.

Perhaps you were laid off last year, so you dread being asked why you left your last job. You want to frame your explanation in a way that dispels any shame or guilt you may be harboring. “I was one of 180 people laid off last September when XYZ Corporation went through a major downsizing.”

What if you were fired for some reason? “To be honest with you, I just didn’t fit into the organization. Finally, my supervisor and I decided it was best for me to leave. While this was a difficult experience, I feel I am ready to begin again.”

These examples show honest, straight forward responses that will be acceptable to an employer. The important thing is for you to come to terms with the issue, see the positive side, and demonstrate that you are eager to move on in your career.

TWENTY QUESTIONS

Below are some questions you may review to help you prepare for your interview.

1. Why are you interested in this position?

2. Tell me about yourself.

3. Can you describe a time on the job when something didn’t go as planned?

4. Can you describe one or two of your most important accomplishments?

5. What is important to you in a company? What things do you look for in an organization?

6. Why did you major in x?

7. Can you think of a problem you have encountered when the old solutions didn’t work and you came up with new ones?

8. What has been a high pressure situation you have been under in recent years? How did you cope with this?

9. In your last review what did your supervisor suggest needed improvement?

10. What would you say is the most important thing you learned from your college career?

11. What qualities do you look for in a supervisor?

12. How do you handle stress?

13. What has been your favorite extracurricular activity in school and why?

14. Describe a situation in which you had to be creative. What did you find challenging and/or exciting about this?

15. List three things former coworkers would say about you.

16. What did you do in your last job that helped facilitate teamwork?

17. How would you describe your leadership style? Give specific examples of how you practice this.

18. How do you keep up with what’s going on in your company/industry/profession?

19. What was the most important idea or suggestion you received recently from your coworkers or supervisor? What happened as a result?

20. Please give me an example of a conflict you have encountered and how you handled it?

SALARY NEGOTIATION AND RESPONDING TO THE JOB OFFER

Salary negotiation often makes candidates uncomfortable, and rightfully so, as this is one of the trickiest parts of interviewing. A few suggestions on how to manage this topic may eliminate some of the discomfort.

First of all, if the topic comes up too early in the interviewing process, it is advisable to postpone the discussion. For example, you could say, “I would be happy to discuss my salary requirements, but I feel I need to know more about the position first. Could you tell me about..?” The idea here is to buy some time. The more you know about the job, the better you will be able to pinpoint what it is worth in today’s market. And, of course, you will have done your homework on researching salaries for similar positions.

Secondly, if you are in the final round of interviewing and you are asked about your salary expectations, it is appropriate to clarify, “Are you prepared to make me an offer?” Try to get the interviewer to commit to you as the preferred candidate. Your negotiating position will be greatly enhanced if you establish that you are their first choice.

Finally, there comes a time when the negotiation can’t be delayed any longer. Ideally, you know a lot about the position and how it compares in the market because you’ve done your homework, and you are the front running candidate. You are still likely to do better in the process if you aren’t the first one to name a figure. You may be able to ask what they have in mind or what they have budgeted. If they tell you, for example, that the position is rated at $32,000 to $36,000, you can then say why you think you deserve to receive the higher end of the scale, based on your knowledge and experience.

Source: Career Services