The interview is the payoff of all the actions taken thus far in your campaign. Very few job candidates receive a job offer or get hired without an interview, especially for executive and professional jobs. If you get such an offer without an interview, I would be highly suspicious.
I would do some serious checking before accepting. In this chapter I will show you how to interview successfully, how to control the interview so that it goes your way, and how to come out with a high percentage of job offers.
Two Important Principles of Interviewing
There are two principles of interviewing that you must obey throughout your campaign. I say must obey because if you do not you will lose job offers and prolong your campaign. The first principle is never to turn down an interview (except for screening out obvious courtesy interviews, as described previously). At the interview you may learn additional facts that make the job more attractive to you. Further, your interviewing techniques and overall performance will improve with each interview. The more time you spend interviewing, the better you will perform in the interview situation.
The second principle is to try to get the PE to extend you a job offer, even if you do not want the job. Why? First, you can always turn an offer down after it has been made. But if you don't make an honest effort to get an offer during an interview, you usually cannot get the PE to extend the offer later. Second, if you make a practice of not trying for a job during the interview, you will be developing the wrong attitude. You will learn how to command all the interviewing skills you need. Practice getting the PE to offer you the job. Then when you find the great job you really want, you will have the skills you need to get the offer.
How Richard C. Got a Great Job He Could Have Lost
Richard C. was an out-of-work accountant. About three weeks into his job campaign he had an outstanding interview for a job as senior accountant. In the meantime Richard was invited in for an interview with another company. It too was for a good job. Richard was so certain of being offered the first job that he considered telling company number two that he really wasn't interested.
Fortunately, Richard remembered both principles of interviewing. He went into the second interview pretending that the first interview had never taken place, and he went after the second job offer in earnest. It was a good thing that Richard did. Not only did he discover some facts that made the second offer better than the first, but the first job offer failed to materialize. Richard had an immediate backup offer that he accepted. Today, five years later, he is a vice president with company number two.
Additional Hints for Meeting with Your PE
It goes without saying that you should not be late for an interview. On the other hand, it is unwise to be too early. If you are, you may give your PE the impression that you are too eager for the position. You want the PE to know that you are enthusiastic and interested in the job. You do not want the PE to feel that you are desperate. I recommend that you arrive no more than five minutes early.
Psychologists have discovered that the most critical period of the interview is the first few minutes. It is during this time that the PE decides whether to offer you a job. The remainder of the interview merely reinforces the original decision.
If first impressions really count that much (and they do), then personal appearance is extremely important. Follow these guidelines: Always be well groomed. Dress fashionably, but conservatively. Men should wear a suit and tie. Women should also wear a suit, or a conservative skirt and blouse. Do not wear frayed shirts, old shoes, or any other worn clothing. Do not wear bowties, mod watches, or sunglasses. A man's chances of being offered a position will be reduced if he has exceptionally long hair, a beard, or a crew-cut, unless his PE has the same. I recommend you read Your Executive Image by Victoria A. Seitz (Bob Adams, Inc., 1992). This book explains the art of self-packaging for both men and women.
Act relaxed, friendly, and enthusiastic. Call the interviewer by name. If you have established a first-name relationship, as covered in the TTP, call your PE by his first name. If you have not, introduce yourself thus: "Mr. Smith, I'm Jim Jones. It's good to meet you." State both your first and last name. If the PE gives his first name, you may use it during the interview.
Generally it is advantageous to get on a first-name basis with your PE as soon as possible. However, some executive job hunters find this unnatural and uncomfortable. Some PEs are more formal. If you feel better about being more formal with the PE, do so. And whether you use first names or not, always treat the PE with respect, but not fear or awe.
In general, it is better not to smoke during the interview. If the interviewer doesn't smoke, he could take offense. If he just quit or is trying to quit, your smoking will not make for a very relaxed meeting. Finally, even if the PE smokes, he could interpret your smoking as a sign of nervousness.
As in any presentation (and an interview is a type of presentation), one key to success is your enthusiasm. You must be enthusiastic. If you are not enthusiastic about yourself, you cannot expect a PE to be very enthusiastic about you.
What to Do if You Come Up Against an Expert Interviewer
On rare occasions you will come up against an expert interviewer. Such an interviewer will not put you under stress but will do everything possible to put you completely at ease and off guard. He will agree to everything you say and encourage you to say more. He will try to get you to do most of the talking. He will give you the impression that you are continually scoring points during the interview. This is the most dangerous type of interviewer to have. If you are not careful, he will get you to expose all your weaknesses, which he will coldly evaluate after the interview.
When you encounter the expert interviewer, stay calm and relaxed, but watch what you say and do not lower your guard. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into a discussion of a controversial nature, be it religion, politics, or something closer to the job. No matter how friendly or stimulating your PE, do not discuss beliefs that you know to be held by only a few people and are considered strange by others. Do not state any strong opinions on how your PE should change his operations. If you have a unique product that would be a fine addition to your PE's line, don't discuss it until you are hired. Do not exchange any confidences.
Stay away from controversial subjects or causes or even award-winning ideas until you are safely on board with a company. You will have a much better idea of what your new company can do and what ideas can be politically sold. Your task at this time is to sell one product; yourself. Do not make it twice as difficult by trying to sell something else at the same time.
Remember, everything you say to a PE will either boost or lower your chances of receiving a job offer. Stick to information that you know will boost your chances.
How Boyd T. Lost a Job Offer Because of a Pet Belief
Boyd T.'s interview went quite well until he discovered that both he and the PE were avid readers of science fiction. This common interest should have built empathy with the PE. However, Boyd had a pet belief that is generally considered a bit eccentric, even though many famous people share it. Boyd believed that the earth was being visited by beings from another galaxy. Boyd went into some depth on this topic, and the PE appeared both interested and enthusiastic. He encouraged Boyd to go on. Boy did. By the end of the interview Boyd felt that he "had it made." His PE had been most friendly and agreeable. Boyd never heard from the PE again.
What went wrong? True, the hiring executive was a science fiction buff; he even thought that extraterrestrial surveillance was an interesting topic and that Boyd's arguments had merit. But the PE's company was a very conservative one, and interest in science fiction was limited to the individual who interviewed Boyd. The interviewer knew that if he hired Boyd, Boyd would be dealing on a daily basis with people who not only didn't read science fiction but would think of anyone with Boyd's beliefs was a crackpot He reasoned that if Boyd could expose such private beliefs to a complete stranger, what might he say to his associates after joining the company? Even though the PE had a great deal of empathy with Boyd, he decided not to extend an offer, Joe B. was interviewing smoothly. Suddenly, he saw the answer to a problem his PE mentioned. It was a product that would exactly into his PE's product line. Moreover, this was Joe's pet project, one he had almost finished years previously. He launched into the presentation of a detailed business plan. What Joe didn't know was that someone else in the PE's company had the same idea previously. It had turned into a political battle that the interviewer himself had barely survived. In fact, the interviewer to whom Joe so enthusiastically explained his plan was the very one who was instrumental in killing the idea. Although in many ways Joe was the ideal candidate, he didn't get an offer either.
How to Gauge the Progress of the Interview
Sometimes you will get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you are going to be rejected. Conceal your feelings and continue with the interview as if nothing had happened. It may be only the personality or mood of your interviewer. Perhaps he had a bad day or has other things on his mind. Keep your enthusiasm and positive mental attitude throughout the interview.
How can you tell whether the interview is going well? There are three definite signs, in addition to the body language cues mentioned earlier:
- if the interviewer does more talking than you
- if the interviewer brings up salary or fringe benefits toward the end of the interview and
- if the interviewer speaks of bringing you in again to meet other members of his staff
