The interview is one of the most important aspects of acquiring a new job or career.
Resumes, cover letters, and networking are all important job seeking skills, but the skills most closely connected to getting a job offer are interviewing skills. That’s the opportunity for you and the employer to meet eyeball to eyeball to determine whether you are able to do what they need done and perhaps, more importantly, whether you and they are a good “fit”; i.e., whether your personality and work style are a good match for the people and the department where you would be working. It is also an opportunity for you to determine whether the position, compensation etc. meet your needs.
Preparation for the interview will greatly contribute to your success. Research the company, the goals of the department and the person(s) with whom you’ll be meeting. The company website and LinkedIn can be very useful for this. Prepare also to articulate the skills and qualities you offer which will be most relevant to them. Realize that you must show what you can contribute and ask intelligent questions to succeed in the interview.
Expect that they will ask about your background, your interest in the position, your skills. In addition, it is likely that you will be asked “behavioral questions”; i.e., how you’ve handled past professional challenges and how you would handle hypothetical situations that might arise in the future. Depending on the position and level, you may need to meet with several people in the company.
When you sense that the interview is winding down, ask if they have further questions and what the next step is. Be sure to get their business card so you can send them a follow-up communication in which you thank them for their time and reiterate the most relevant skills and qualities you bring that will help them reach their goals. If there’s anything you forgot to mention in the meeting, include that in the follow up. If you don’t hear from them on the time table they laid out, be sure to call or email to reiterate your interest and ask where they are in their decision-making process.
