The Art of the Job Interview – Part 2

In a previous post I began a three part series around interviewing successfully. In this post I’ll be covering what to do during an interview to ensure you leave a great impression.

Before I begin, I do want to state that this isn’t meant to be some exhaustive checklist of do’s and don’ts for someone stepping into an interview. There are tons of those available all over the internet. Instead, I’ll focus on some key things that can’t be ignored (based on my past experience in HR/Recruiting).

In the lobby

1. Show up early: How early? Generally five to ten minutes will do. DON’T be the person who shows up super early to an interview. Nothing makes it more awkward for the hiring manager when a candidate shows up thirty minutes before their appointed time (yes, someone has done this to me before). And of course, don’t be the person who shows up late because “you got lost” or “stuck in traffic.” Those are poor excuses…you might as well tell the company “I don’t value your time that much.”
   
2. Chat with the gate-keepers: Another reason to show up early is to spend a few minutes speaking/getting to know the front desk person (who also happen to act as gate-keepers of the office). Why, you ask? Because I’ve seen first hand how HR personnel or recruiters rely on these gate-keepers to learn more about candidates before they even speak with interviewers. Everyone knows you’ll be on the your best behavior when you’re chatting up the VP of Sales. But how do you treat and interact with other people? Southwest Airlines is famous for tactics like this.
   

When you’re in the interview room

1. Observe your surroundings: Remember, even though you’re getting interviewed for the position, you’re also interviewing the company at the same time. Observe everything you can while you’re there. How do they dress? Do the employees you see in the hallways seem genuinely happy? Do they mind the details (for instance, is the interview room in neat order or is it in disarray from a previous meeting)? Picking up on these types of things are small clues to the overall culture of the firm.
   
2. Turn on the charm, but be yourself: Trust me…everyone’s tempted to put on their charm full blast when interviewing for a good position. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you’re still being authentic. Just don’t fool yourself or the company interviewing you into believing that you’re a good match. You’re only hurting yourself in the long run.
   
3. Don’t get fancy: Another thing I’ve seen from candidates is their use of industry jargon or business “buzz” words when they have no clue what they really mean. In other words, it’s clear that the person only has a very superficial understanding of the industry but no deep knowledge. This is a deal killer for many specialized fields (such as IT development). I’ve actually seen this mostly from people who have just graduated college and are trying to land their first job. Resist the temptation and stick with what you do know. You never know when you’ll get that one hiring manager who’ll call your bluff and ask you about the intelligent-sounding buzz word you just used but have no true understanding of. In other words, don’t act like you know it all. Instead, exercise humbition throughout the interview.
   
4. Close strong: Nothing helps a face-to-face interview more than closing strong. What does this mean? Have strong questions for each interviewer. Make sure each person understands you want this position (but at the same time, you’re not smacking of desperation). Thank everyone you meet after your time with them, and make sure to get their business card so you can follow up with them later. Your job is to make sure each interviewer walks away feeling like you were engaged throughout the conversation, asked intelligent and insightful questions, and genuinely interested in the position.

On your way out

1. Wrap it up: Whoever set up the interview with you will probably walk you out. Again, make sure you close strong with this person (whether they’re HR, a recruiter, or a middle manager). Get any contact information you need if some of the interviewers you met with didn’t have business cards on them.
2. Follow up: Make sure you ask them when they might follow up if no one has mentioned anything to this effect. This will also tell you how much time you have to follow up with each person in the coming days after the interview.
   

So there you have it. Again, this isn’t supposed to be an exhaustive check list –– these are just a few of the major things that I’ve seen work best in my own experience in my HR/Recruiting past life (as well as experience as a hiring manager).