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Before and After Your Job Interview
Job-hunting in a recession is difficult, but not impossible. With so many people competing for so few available positions, how can you ensure you will be one of the chosen few? Obviously the resume matters, since it is often the first thing that a potential employer will see, and you only get one chance to make a first impression. But a resume alone, no matter how well written, cannot gain you a position by itself. In order to secure a job, you must then be able to impress your future employer in your job interview.
What must you do?
Before the interview:
Know the company you are applying for. In addition to using a Google search to find materials on the Internet, you will want to visit your local library and look up materials that are not available online. The reference librarian can steer you to the best sources for company research. You will want to be able to sound knowlegable about the key aspects of the company, as well as any jargon or specialized terminology that is common in the field.
Anticipate the most likely questions an interviewer may ask and be prepared to answer them. Equally, be prepared to ask questions of your own that will show that you have done your homework about your potential employer. You may want to write out questions and answers and practice with a friend so that you can deliver them smoothly when the time comes. Hesitation on key questions can make you look incompetent or worse, dishonest. You never want to look as though you are having to think about what the other person wants to hear.
Make sure your appearance is as professional as you can make it. Your clothes should be clean and appropriate to the type of work you will be doing. You should be neither overdressed nor underdressed, because both indicate that you do not really comprehend the job for which you are applying. Your grooming should be impeccable but not excessively fussy.
During the interview:
Be certain to be on time for the interview. You will want to allow some extra time for traffic or other problems that may delay you. Barring a complete catastrophe beyond your control, arriving late gives e potential employer a negative impression of you. However, do not show up extremely early either. If things go more smoothly than you had expected, be sure to have an out-of-the-way place planned where you can wait until the time of the interview is reasonably close.
Be courteous to every person you encounter at the interview site. Interviewers will often ask receptionists and other service personnel their impression of you. Be sure that they will give the best possible report.
Be sure to make eye contact with the interviewer, but do not lock gazes until it becomes a staring contest. If you are interviewed by multiple people, shift your gaze naturally to each person in turn, and be sure to look at the person who is speaking or to whom you are speaking at any given time. Lean forward slightly to appear attentive, but not so much as to appear to slouch.
After the interview:
Be sure to thank your interviewer. An oral expression of gratitude accompanied by a firm handshake will go a long way to impress your interviewer. A written thank you note, posted the next day, will go even further.
Relax and wait for the results. You may want to make a followup call if you do not hear back within a few days, but you do not want to appear to be pestering the interviewer.
By following these principles and using your common sense, you will be able to distinguish yourself from the competition in a positive way, and will stand a much better chance of gaining the position.
