Prepare for Your Interview

Do you continuously go to interview after interview just to be denied? Do you feel like you may have to settle for less? Do you think there is something wrong with you? If so, I want to inform you that you don’t have to settle for less and there is nothing wrong with you. However, there may be something wrong with the way you prepare for the interview. I have interviewed hundreds of potential candidates over my 10 years of management, and I have been able to recognize if someone is going to work out or not. There are certain things I look for and I can tell if someone has come prepared. These things will not guarantee you will be hired but they could dramatically increase your chances.

One of the first questions I ask is, “What do you know about our company?” This question lets me gauge if the candidate is just looking for a job or if they are looking for a career. This is important. If I get an answer stating, “not much” or “only what was in the job posting”, I already determine that this individual is looking for a job and will more likely be showing up for a paycheck and doing the minimal to get by. If I get a response stating the year the company was founded, where it was started, all the locations we have, the services we provide and so on, I immediately think the candidate is looking for a career. Anyone who takes the time to do their research shows me this individual will be more likely to study to improve their skillsets for the position they applied for.

Where do you start?

Most companies have a website with their information available for anyone to review. Head over to the “about” page and you should be able to find some good information on what the companies do and possibly when they were founded and by whom. If you can’t find a website for the company look for them on social media platforms, Yelp, Yellow pages, Better Business Bureau just to name a few. What do you do if you are having trouble finding information about them?

Call them. Just call and tell them you are interested in what they do and more about the company’s founding. You may be surprised by the positive response you receive. If the response is not positive, then it may not be a place you should work for.

Study their dress code. You may not be able to find their dress code posted anywhere, and if you do, it may be vague and state “professional” or “business casual” etcetera. Although you may think what these terms mean, each company or region of the nation may have a different definition. The definition of these dress codes for corporate America will differ from rural America. You certainly would not wear a suit, tie, slacks, dress shoes under the definition of professional for an upper management position at a corporate ranch. They may be wearing a bolo and a nice pair of cowboy boots with jeans, a dress shirt and a jacket and possibly accented with a cowboy hat. You wouldn’t want to wear the corporate ranch definition of professional to go work on Wall Street. Be you but put a touch of them on it. The best way to see what you should wear to an interview is to ask what the dress code is when they reach out to you to schedule the interview. You could also look through social media photos of the company to get an idea. You may be thinking that it is a lot of work just for a job, and you are right, it is a lot of work for just a job but if you want a career, you will do what it takes to land your dream job.

Now you know about the company, and you know how to expect to dress. It is time to prepare for the interview questions. First thing you should do is memorize what you wrote on your resume and cover letter if you submitted one. Once you did that, ask yourself what questions they would ask based off the information you provided. Be prepared to have answers to any gaps in your resume or short durations of work. Also be ready to give examples of your skills you have listed. Don’t focus too much on questions about your personal life like “what are your hobbies?” or “what do you do for fun?”. These questions are close to irrelevant and in the work force today, we really don’t care about those things. We want to know what value you will be able to bring to the company. Have an answer for the following questions:

1. What are your weaknesses?

2. When faced with a difficult situation how did you react and handle the situation?

3. Why should we hire you?

These three questions are common and if I am honest, I really dislike the first and second question. Why you ask? I find them a distraction and waste of time. I don’t ask these questions anymore when hiring. The first question will be found out in the duration of employment and the company team should work with you to improve these weaknesses along the way. The second question, each situation is different, and you really can’t gauge anyone’s talent off these questions. These are things that a leader can help others overcome and recognize. The third question is important.

With the third question, ‘why should we hire you?’, you want to talk about your achievements. Not that you won a hot dog eating contest but how you helped companies solve problems, save money, developed procedures, trained employees that excelled in their work and so on. This is where you can hit it out of the ballpark.

Be confident but don’t be cocky. There is a big difference between the two. I once turned down an applicant because they were too cocky, and I knew that they wouldn’t fit in with our culture. They were qualified but the problem was that this individual had the idea that they were the best in everything. When the interview ended, they stated that it is going to be great to work for us, that they are going to do great things for the company, and they wouldn’t let us down. They acted as if they already had the position. DON’T DO THAT!

Next, have a rate of pay in mind and be prepared to negotiate. Most will ask what wage or salary you are looking for. Do not hesitate and do not repeat whatever that salary may have been in the job posting. This is bad! Have an exact amount in your answer and do not use a range of salary. Then be prepared for the reaction you may receive. Be ready to read the interviewer’s body language. If the wage you have presented is something that looks like they can deal with based off their body language, then you will be fine. If they look concerned about the wage you stated, let them know it is negotiable but don’t state a range or a different wage. It is their turn to make an offer based off your interview. Have a bottom line in the wage you will accept and DO NOT go below that.

In the world today some interviews may be a phone interview or a virtual interview. If you have a phone interview practice smiling when talking to anyone over the phone. This way you will be acclimated to doing this. It has been studied that smiling over the phone is recognizable by the person on the other end because of the way your voice sounds while smiling. If you have a virtual interview, follow all the previous steps but make sure the setup behind you will say something about you. Keep it clean and simple. Don’t try to clutter everything about you in the background. Find 3 to 5 things to have in your background. It would be best if they were certificates, awards, or other items that project your professionalism and your personality. Avoid an even number of items. Odd numbers feel more natural and less staged. Avoid the virtual backgrounds. They can be distracting the way they overlay some of your features as you move around. Unless you have a good program that can recognize you and keep your full silhouette, I would avoid virtual backgrounds. If using a virtual background, a green screen will help with the quality. Choose something subtle that won’t take the attention away from you. Don’t use the blur background either. If you use a blurred background, make sure it is a light blur that slightly brings things out of focus.

Once you have done your homework and have everything prepared, from your answers to your outfit, the most important part is left. The interview! Don’t be nervous. The best thing to do in an interview is to be relaxed and be yourself. Use one of the best sales methods by speaking to your interviewer(s) as if they are your friends and you have known them for a very long time. After all, you are trying to sell your talents to them in exchange for compensation. So yes, sell yourself! I have hired more people based on the energy they bring into the room, coupled with their experience, more than I have just solely based on someone with more experience. With the workforce environment leaning more towards culture, it would be wise to express who you are and how you would fit in with their culture by staying relaxed.

Some of these things may seem stalkerish but how much does this job mean to you? Is this your dream job? Are you willing to do what it takes to get it? The best thing you can do is be ready to change into the person you want to be. If you are not the person you want to be, then the person you are needs to change. Hopefully these tips will help you on your search for your dream job. You may have to adjust them to the expectations of the company you are applying for. Good luck!