How to Get an Interview

All your research, resume writing, and networking are useless unless you set up an interview.

To get an interview, you need three things:

1. Clarity about the kind of job or jobs you want.
   
   
   
   
2. A list of companies that interest you and the people within those companies whom you want to meet.
   
   
3. Something valuable to say to arouse an employer's interest in seeing you.
   

Once you know the companies that interest you, you'll need contacts. The best way to get an interview is to find someone who has influence in the organization to recommend you. Even if you don't know anyone to call directly, you may know someone who knows someone who can reach a decision maker in the company. Make a list of people you know and people you'd like to know. Get these contacts to open doors to other people in the organizations you want to reach.

• If you know someone who works for the company, ask him to find out to whom you should speak. See if he can set up a meeting for you.
  
  
• Ask a trade or professional association in your field for potential contacts. If you don't belong to a trade association, apply for provisional membership, attend meetings, or join as a full member.
  

Your network will expand enormously

• Attend trade shows and business-sponsored events. Strangers can become fast friends.
  
  
• Contact the editors of trade journals or writers who cover your field and ask them for referrals.
  
  
• Contact the local chamber of commerce, business clubs, and associations. Attend their meetings.
  
  
• If you're a college graduate, contact your alumni association and members of your graduating class or fraternity. Check yearbooks and directories.
  
  
• Look up a college professor in your field or a former boss or colleague.
  
  
• Speak with a management consultant or placement counselor in your field.
  
  
• Contact a banker or lawyer with a professional connection to the company.
  
  
• Confer with a customer or client of your targeted employer.
  

Keep accurate and up-to-date records of these network contacts. Include each name, organization, title, phone number, how you were introduced, etc.

Gatekeepers

Most organizations have a tight system to make sure that people coming for interviews "belong there." Secretaries, personnel staff, and voice mail all work to screen out unknown visitors and callers.

• Know the name of the person you want to reach and ask directly and informally for that person: "Is he in" instead of "May I please speak to Mrs. Perry?"
  
  
• In order to keep the initiative in your hands, leave as few messages as possible. Avoid repeated messages. If the person isn't in, simply ask, "When do you expect her?" then "Thank you. I'll call her back." If asked, "Would you like to leave your name and number?" you might say, "I’m going to be away from my phone for a while. Will call back."
  
  
• Avoid being defensive about the purpose of the call. Never say you are looking for a job. Identify yourself and speak as someone already working in the field in question. For example: If asked what your call is about, "Jane Altschuler suggested I call about a movie script that is being considered." If the secretary says, "May I help you with that?" you can respond, "I need to discuss this matter with her personally. When do you expect her? Will call back."
  
  
• If the secretary wants to pass you on to the personnel department, don't resist, but continue to pursue a meeting with your initial contact. Try this: "Yes, I do plan to meet with the personnel department; however, there are some important questions I’d like to ask Mr. Grijns before I approach them. When do you expect him?"
  
  
• When you call the company's switchboard, get the direct number of the person you want to speak with so you can reach him or her early or late in the working day. This is the best time to avoid the gatekeepers.

Here are some suggestions in dealing with voice-mail systems:

• In general, avoid leaving messages. Keep trying until you reach the person.
  
  
• Prior to calling for an interview, work out your clear, concise, self-promoting opening statement and write out your key points. Have a shorter message ready to leave on voice mail if necessary, such as: "Mr. Black, Jane Farley suggested I call you to talk about your new project. I'd appreciate a return call. You can reach me for the next day or two at the following number.
  

Safety in numbers: It's a big psychological boost to have a number of people to call at any one time. Keep all names and phone numbers well organized on a computer or 3" x 5" index cards. Start calling when you have a list of twenty-five to thirty people. At least some of them will respond favorably. A little success will encourage you to continue.

Influencers are people who can make introductions, pull strings, say good things about you, and provide valuable feedback. You can also gain influence through articles you have written, published reports, and other data you can provide before, during, or after your interview.
If you have a friend who knows someone in the organization who could be an influencer try to meet with that person so he or she can get to know you first hand. Thank the people who have been helpful and keep them informed.


You may have several interviews with someone you think has the power to make the final decision only to find out her boss has the final word. As you engage in the interview process, find out how and by whom the final decision will be made. Usually a senior level person makes a recommendation that is then approved by a department head. Your personnel contact can give you accurate information about how this process will work.

The steps of even the best job search proceed something like this:

No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, YES!

Don't let a "no" distract you or slow you down; it's one step closer to yes.

The purpose of the telephone interview is to create sufficient interest for a face-to-face interview. Try not to let the telephone contact replace the face-to-face interview. When you call someone to request a meeting, have a statement ready about the value you can produce. Also, you should have a specific reason for requesting the meeting, such as: "I’ve been doing some research about the XYZ account and have some ideas I’d like to share with you. Could we meet toward the middle of this coming week?"

Making Your Point on a Cold Call

Here are seven ways to give your cold call maximum impact:

1. Organize. Prepare notes and rehearse your phone presentation in advance.
   
   
2. Request a meeting rather than an interview. Have your calendar at hand and suggest one or two possible dates.
   
   
3. Describe your intention as wanting to discuss ways you can contribute value to the organization rather than looking for a job. The latter makes you sound needy, whereas the discussion of real possibilities suggests mutual benefit.
   
   
4. Get to the point quickly: "I'm calling to see if we can set up a short meeting next week while I'm in your area." Or "I'd like to show you some examples of my work and find out more about what's happening with your new products,"
   
   
5. Expect resistance. People aren't inherently interested in setting up meetings with strangers.
   
   
6. Listen to the employer's resistance and objections and acknowledge them.
   
   
7. Continue to press for a meeting in a way that suggests it could be valuable to the employer. For example: "I know you are a pro in this field, and so am I. It might be useful to both of us to discuss where the business is going. Would you be willing to meet for a half hour?"

Employer Insight

"Many people call to ask if I have any job openings. When I say no (which is usually the case) they thank me and sign off. Even if there are no openings I am generally willing to meet people who sound like they have true potential. I never know what talent I will need in the future."

Information Interview versus the Job Interview

People in the field will often grant a twenty-minute information-only interview to someone who expresses sincere interest in the field. Information interviews can be conducted by telephone, although they are better in person.

Don't use an information interview to get your foot in the door for a real job interview. Employers would consider this exploitative. It is acceptable to contact the employer again after several weeks to remind her of the previous meeting, and ask if she is willing to discuss real job possibilities.

Prepare a list of questions to ask in your information interviews. Take notes and ask for the names of other people you can contact. Thank the people who give you the information and add them to your network contacts.

Your quest to work for a company need not be based on a particular job opening. In the rapidly changing work world, a job can be created if you present yourself as a possible solution to current or future problems that have yet to be translated into job openings. In your message, talk about trends, strategies, and new directions in your meetings rather than job slots that need filling.