NOW WHAT?

So you have started your search, sent your resume out and as a result, have multiple interviews scheduled.  As hard that may have seemed – it was really only the tip of the iceberg…Now that you have your foot in the door, it is your time to sell yourself as the most qualified person for the position .

DO YOUR RESEARCH — Prior to going on an interview you should know everything there is to know about the company you are going to meet with and the person(s) you are meeting with.  This can be anything from visiting the company website, to talking to people in your network that work there or have worked there, to looking for articles or profiles on the individuals you are meeting with. Who knows? You may have something or someone in common to break the ice.

DRESS TO IMPRESS — There is no standard on what to wear to an interview, but my advice is use your research to determine what the environment is like and make decisions from there.  You never want to show up under-dressed and should always look neat and well put together without overdoing it.  (Little things to note – do not smell like smoke, do not wear too much cologne or perfume, have fresh breath – but don’t chew gum during an interview; your clothes should be clean and not wrinkled; if you wear makeup – look nice, but don’t over do it; do not over accessorize.) Also, if you’re interviewing with a creative agency, don’t wear the same thing you would wear in a more corporate interview.

PREPARE — Be overly prepared to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself” – as an interviewee you should understand that most first-round interviews will start off with this question, and the following rounds with managers will likely start off the same. This is your opportunity to sell yourself into this position by highlighting everything from your career history that will be relevant to this job. You should tell this as a 5 – 7 minute story of your career history.  Most times you should start least recent job and end with most recent, hitting on highlights of what you did at each position, why you took jobs, why you left jobs, and how these positions relate to what you would be doing in this position you are interviewing for.  When you are interviewing and still working…make sure that you go back to your list of why you want to leave your current position and articulate that to your interviewer in the most positive way possible.  \This is probably the hardest question to answer especially because you do not want to come across like a negative employee.

DO NOT — go off on tangents
DO — answer questions the interviewer may interject without getting sidetracked
DO NOT — take more then 7 minutes on this
DO — show a little bit of you and your personality while telling the story
DO NOT — talk badly or bash past bosses, co-workers, employers, or companies (no matter HOW BAD they were)
DO — everything that you can to sell yourself and make you look good – while telling the truth

Try to mirror the interviewer at this point in terms of style and answers. They are finally giving you a sense of who they are, so use that to your advantage.

Be careful of an interviewer asking about where you see yourself in 5 years or what your dream job is. Try not to answer with something that is completely irrelevant to the position. Great candidates can lose opportunities because of that.

Interviewer Questions & Answers — The interviewer may have additional questions about your story and how it relates to the company. With any questions about your background give examples. Be prepared for everything from what are your weaknesses?, why do you want this job?, to how much are you looking to make?. Anything can be thrown out there so be prepared.

Your Questions & Answers — This is your time to do the asking, but ask smart, relevant questions that are well thought out and show you have done your research. Do not ask things about salary, benefits or what the hours are on a first interview…those details are for further along in the process.

Questions to ask – Why is the position open? What has made someone successful in this role in the past? What areas could the last person in the position have improved upon?  What are the day to day job duties of this position?

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW – This can be the most important part of the meeting. If you are interested in the opportunity, express interest. Just as much as you want to hear from them they want you – they want to hire someone who wants them.

Read from the beginning: Job Hunting Tips – Part 1