Preparing for the Interview

Before you start beavering away at researching the company or matching your CV to what you know about the job, sit back and ask yourself the following questions.

• What is your objective - what do you want out of the interview?
  
• Whom are you going to be interviewed by?
  
• What do they want out of the interview?

The answer to the first one may seem obvious: you want to be offered a job. However, you also need to find out enough about the company, the person who will be your boss, the responsibilities involved in the job and the performance measures by which you will be judged to be able to decide whether you will accept the offer if you get it.

Some career advisers say this does not matter. Concentrate on getting the offer. You can always turn it down - or arrange a further meeting to obtain the additional information you need to make your decision. In practice there is more to it than that. If you do not show enough interest at interview, you are unlikely to get the offer to begin with. Many interviewers 'mark' candidates, even if only subconsciously, on the number and relevance of the questions they ask. They also respond, again often without necessarily being conscious of it, to the amount of enthusiasm the candidate displays.

What interviewers are actually looking for are the answers to three questions.

• Are you capable of doing the job? In other words, do you have the technical ability, the experience and so on?
  
  
• Will you fit, both in terms of organizational culture, and in terms of getting on with your boss, peers and staff?
  
  
• Will you be motivated by the job? Does it make sense in terms of career progression and does it match with what you say you enjoy doing?

Unless you score highly on all three counts, you are unlikely to get the offer.

But who are they?

We have, however, skipped one of the original questions. Who is the interviewer? It could be:

• your potential boss, who may be the owner of a business, its chief executive, a director heading up a function or a senior line manager;
  
  
• the person to whom your potential boss reports, who is vetting the appointment;
  
  
• another line manager, who is giving a second opinion;
  
  
• the organization's banker, auditor or lawyer, or a non-executive director, being used either for a second opinion or for their 'approval' of an appointment on which things like provision of finance may depend;
  
  
• a personnel or HR manager;
  
  
• a headhunter;
  
  
• an executive selection consultant, who is handling an advertised recruitment campaign on the company's behalf;
  
  
• an agency recruiter.

Depending on whom you are seeing you will find, and therefore need to be prepared for, significant differences in style, expertise and the emphasis which is put on different areas of the interview agenda.

Line managers often lack training in interview techniques and tend to be less skilled at eliciting information from candidates. Often egocentric, especially if they own or run the business, they frequently do more of the talking than they should and may be more aggressive in their questioning. They will, however, usually be the best people from whom to obtain the information you need about the company and the job. They may well ask questions with a greater technical bias and will certainly be particularly concerned with personal chemistry.

Professional advisers - bankers, auditors and lawyers - tend, both by their training and their relationship with the company, to be cautious, concerned primarily with avoiding a mistake being made rather than with the more personal or positive aspects of the selection process.

HR managers are normally skilled and structured interviewers, who often give little away about their own feelings. They are the people who will provide you with the best run-down on company policies and benefits, areas about which line managers are often vague and out of date.

Headhunters tend to be more affable than other outside recruiters. Used to having to seduce people away from existing secure jobs into the arms of the search firm's client, they often start an interview with a relaxed chat about your present situation and your aspirations, then, having established what you are looking for; embark on a soft sell of their client and the job they are trying to fill.

Selection consultants have the task of reducing the vast response to an advertisement down to a short-list of probably about four to submit to their client. Although they need to ensure that you are sufficiently interested in the job to attend an interview with the company, if short-listed, they will be concerned mainly with whether you match the specification, and whether you are likely to fit in with the personalities and culture. If in doubt, they tend to err on the side of caution rather than taking chances.

Agencies, being paid only if they succeed in making a placement, may in some cases be more willing to bend a specification. You may also find that, if they have not met you before, they may kill two birds with one stone, combining an interview for a specific Job with a more general chat about the kinds of opportunity you would consider.

If you have been networking or making speculative applications, you may have identified an organization which is interested in what you have to offer but which does not have a vacancy as such. The object of the interview may be to discuss and enlarge on the needs and benefits you identified in your approach to the company. You may then find yourself, either at that meeting or a subsequent one, participating in the preparation of your own job specification.

A variation on this theme is when you identify one of those windows of opportunity, a vacancy which has been approved but not yet advertised or put out to consultants. Depending on the stage things have reached, there may be a well-defined specification or they may still be knocking ideas around, in which case the initial interview may still have an element of writing the spec about it.

Even when there is an apparently clear specification, things are not always set in stone. A company may already have tried one recruitment campaign and failed to find the right person, in which case they may be considering amendments to either the job responsibilities or the candidate requirements. Or they may be trying to fill a vacancy where, by its very nature, it is unlikely that they will find someone who can do all aspects of the job equally well. They may know that they will have to compromise somewhere, but be adopting a suck it and see approach, waiting until they meet some suitable candidates before deciding exactly where that compromise will be.

Doing Your Homework

Only by being aware of what stage things are at (preliminary screening interview, short-list etc.), whom you are meeting, and what both you and they want out of the interview, can you focus your preparation to maximum effect.

The first and most vital stage of that preparation is research. Never skimp this stage. Comprehensive research gives you at least four major advantages:

• it enables you to ask pertinent questions;
  
  
• it puts you one step ahead of the competition by demonstrating to the interviewer that you have done your homework;
  
  
• it gives you much greater confidence;
  
  
• it helps you to be more certain that you are making the right choice of your next job and employer.

So, what do you already know about the company and job? What do you need to know? What ought you to check out prior to interview and what should be left for that moment in the inter-view when you are given the opportunity to ask questions? And how can you find out what you need to know in advance?

Begin by gathering the information you have already: the advertisement, what the headhunter told you over the telephone, the information your network contact gave you, the research you did before making a speculative approach. Compare it with what you need to know.

Here is a checklist of things to find out about the organization.

• How long has it been in existence?
  
• How has it changed and developed from its inception tthe present day?
  
• What is its current situation?
  
• What are its future plans?
  
• Whowns it?
  
• If owner managed what about succession or likelihood of a sell-off?
  
• What is its legal status - quoted PLC, private company, partnership etc.?
  
• If unquoted, any plans for a flotation?
  
• How many locations, and where?
  
• Range of products/services.
  
• Markets - split by level (e.g. quality or cut-price) and geography (percentage exported, and where).
  
• Market share and details of main competitors.
  
• Financial details: sales turnover, profitability, return on capital employed, order book.
  
• Number of staff employed.
  
• Funding: analysis of borrowings (from whom, on what terms) and gearing.
  
• Where will future funding come from, especially for any expansion plans?
  
• Assets, e.g. are buildings owned, leased or rented?
  
• Liquidity and solvency.
  
• Organization structure.
  
• If part of a larger group, similar details above for rest of group, plus information on how autonomous or otherwise the part you are being interviewed for is in terms of decision making, funds etc.
  
• Details of operations, e.g. depending on the type of job you are going for, you may need information on production processes, distribution networks and methods, customers, suppliers, sales /marketing policies, credit terms.
  
• Major risk factors, for example vulnerability foreign exchange rate fluctuations, changes in government policies, the weather, and fashion swings.
  
• Key people in the organization.
  
• Any recent news items about either the organization itself or the business sector in which it operates.
  

As far as the job is concerned, you need to know the following.

• Job title.
  
• Reason for vacancy.
  
• Urgency of filling it.
  
• How many incumbents over, say, last five years and reasons for leaving.
  
• Whom it reports t- position, name and personality.
  
• Where it fits intthe structure.
  
• Where it is based geographically, and how much travel.
  
• Main purpose of job.
  
• How performance will be measured.
  
• Detailed responsibilities.
  
• Budgets controlled.
  
• Limits of authority.
  
• Reporting methods and frequency.
  
• Staff supervised: how many, their quality, staff turnover etc.
  
• Systems and equipment in use.
  
• Opportunities for future career development.

Filling the Gaps

The length of these lists may look daunting, but in reality the task need not be too onerous. Put it into perspective.

• Some of the information you have already, from research you have already carried out, or from what you have learned from an advertisement or a headhunter.
  
  
• Quite a lot may be provided automatically by the company or the recruitment consultants they are using. It is becoming increasingly common for job applicants to be supplied with an information pack, including details on both the organization and the job.
  
  
• Where this is not the case, or where you need more, you can get a lot just by asking. Company reports and accounts are freely available. So too are sales brochures and catalogues. In some ways it is better when organizations do not send this kind of information out to everyone, because those who display the initiative to ask for it get ahead of the competition.
  
  
• You can get a further step ahead by ringing up the person you will be meeting, or their secretary, and asking a few pertinent questions - which will provide you with the ammunition to get yourself better prepared for the interview itself.
  
  
• Some of the questions you have, like those about the company's plans for future development, or questions about your boss, peers and staff, are actually better left to be asked at the actual interview. When you are given the opportunity to put your own questions, you want to make sure that you have some good ones, so that you score maximum brownie points. For instance, always ask at least one question that shows that you have read the company's annual report and accounts.
  
  
• At executive level, another key area for scoring, or losing, points is business awareness. If the interviewer makes a reference to recent press coverage of the company or the industry in which it operates and you do not have a clue what this was about, your credibility will immediately plummet. Keeping abreast of business news should in any case be part of your regular routine on networking and speculative applications.
  
  
• You can also double up on your time utilization by combining research with networking. Although some of your research will be of the 'desk' variety, either at home or in the library, calls to people who might know the company in question are a vital part of the process. The facts come from reference books like KBE, Kompass, and Who Owns Whom? And Who's Who? The gossip and opinions come from people who know the industry, from the company's customers and suppliers, from its competitors, from headhunters and recruitment consultants.
  
  
• You may even know, or be able to network a contact with, someone who works for the organization itself. Do, however, be discreet, and do not be tempted by the more outrageous suggestions made by some job hunting articles, like hanging around the pubs near the company's premises in the hope of striking up conversations with its employees!

The Glass Slipper

Once you have gathered as much information as possible, you can set about ensuring that your foot is the one that will fit snugly into the glass slipper. Keep constantly in mind the three things that the interviewer will be looking for.

• Can you do the Job?
  
  
• Will you fit into the organization?
  
  
• Will you want to do the job?

Remember, too, the 'added value' test. What problems and needs does the company have? What benefits can you bring to the party?

Go back to your asset register. Select from each section -qualifications and training, interests, experience, skills, strengths, achievements - those assets which are going to make you someone the organization cannot afford not to hire. Tattoo these points onto your mind so that, when you are at the actual interview, you can mentally tick them off as the opportunities arise to get them across. If there are any which you do not get the chance to mention in response to the interviewer's questions, make sure you take the initiative. You normally get an invitation to raise any further points or questions towards the end of an interview. On the rare occasions when you do not, create one rather than risking underselling yourself.

It is also useful to encapsulate your USPs in a carefully prepared, succinct presentation since it is not uncommon for an interviewer to ask something like, 'What do you think you could contribute to our organization?' or Tell me why we should hire you for this job'.

Watching your Back

Scoring goals, though, is only half the battle. You also have to avoid conceding them. Put yourself into the interviewer's shoes. Take a careful look at your own CV. What would you home in on? Get someone else, a friend or network contact, to provide a second opinion. Give some thought to any Achilles' heels. How are you going to defend against them?

Areas which interviewers commonly pick upon include the following.

• Speed of career progression. Why did you stay so long in that job? Valid reasons could include the interesting projects which provided the icing on the gingerbread of the same core duties, loyalty (staying with the company to see it through a tough patch even though the recession meant a lack of personal progress), or the fact that, although the job title remained unchanged, the job content was in fact developing all the time.
  
  
• Logic of career progression. People expect to see a rational development. Be ready to demonstrate the reasons for any apparently sideways moves. For example, they may have plugged a gap in your experience which would enhance your long-term prospects.
  
  
• Reasons for leaving jobs. Be sure to have explanations which are both credible and positive. Do not bend the truth -this is an area which will be checked out when references are taken up, so be aware of what your former employers will say. If you did have a bust up with your boss, discuss it objectively, e.g. 'We simply had diametrically opposed views on the way the company should develop'. Be particularly on your guard if you feel yourself getting angry or displaying any other negative emotions when you discuss such matters.
  
  
• Gaps between jobs. Be prepared both to explain why they arose and to show that you made positive use of them.
  
  
• Gaps between what they want and what you have. Provided that you meet the bulk of the requirements, do not worry about the odd shortfall, so long as it is not in a vital area. After all, if you could do the whole job standing on your head, where would the challenge be in it? Whatever you do, avoid getting defensive and making claims you cannot justify.

That will damage your credibility not just on the item in question, but in every other respect as well. Instead, be prepared to show how you could readily acquire the necessary skills, experience etc. to plug the gap.

Tour strengths and weaknesses. Although this question may be asked in exactly these general terms, you should obviously gear your reply to the specific situation under discussion. The strengths aspect gives you the opportunity to summarize that list of reasons, which you have committed to memory, why you are the ideal candidate for the position. Being asked about your weaknesses is a bit trickier. Try to come up with one or two which are really the reverse side of strengths, like 'I sometimes get impatient with people who aren't pulling their weight* and do be sure to avoid any that might prejudice your suitability for the post in question.

Some people find it useful to practice an interview by getting a suitably qualified friend to role play the recruiter or potential employer, while others feel that this is too artificial to be of real value. Whether you actually act it out or not, there certainly can be mileage, if you have the opportunity, in getting someone else to give a second opinion on your preparation, and particularly on the areas of potential difficulty, like those listed above, which you need to be prepared to deal with. Another person will always spot one or two things you have missed, and that could make all the difference between success and failure.

Looking to the Future

Although interviews inevitably concentrate largely on the past -your education, career history and so on - a powerful method of setting yourself apart from the other candidates is by being prepared to talk about the future. The more astute interviewer will in any case raise questions like these.

• How would you go about this job?
  
  
• What do you see as the major challenges (or opportunities) in this role?
  
  
• What is the first thing you would do if you were appointed?

If questions such as these do get raised, you may well be the only candidate who has thought about them in advance and prepared answers to them. If the interviewer fails to ask them, you can lead into these topics yourself. A particularly appropriate point to do this is when you are being quizzed on one of the potentially difficult areas listed above, like your career progression. Switching the discussion away from what you should have done, but failed to do, in the past, and moving on to what you intend to do in the future, has a double benefit.

Do also, by the way, be ready for a question about your own future, as well as any about how you would do the Job. 'Where do you see yourself in five years' time?' is a popular one. If the interviewer is your potential boss, be wary of responding with the pat answer, 'I'd like to be sitting where you are now*. The individual who is occupying that seat may still be ten years off retirement with no obvious promotion prospects.

And other Gaffes

That gaffe is by no means the only one you have to watch out for. Having taken all the time and trouble to prepare yourself so carefully, take care not to wreck it all by slipping up on what may appear to be minor details. Here are some examples.

• If you do not get a letter confirming the interview details, send one yourself. A small but steady percentage of candidates insist on turning up either on the wrong day or at the wrong time.
  
  
• Likewise, make sure you have the right address, especially when an organization has more than one office building.
  
  
• Unless you know an area well, check your route out carefully.
  
  
• Make sure you have plenty of change for parking and, if you are on a pre-payment meter, buy plenty of time. You do not want to be sitting in an interview worrying about whether you have been wheel-clamped.
  
  
• Allow for Murphy's Law. Road works, wide loads and accidents always occur when you have a vital appointment. And do not feel smug if you are using public transport: when did the trains ever run on time when it really mattered?
  
  
• Give yourself plenty of time at the other end of the interview, too. You are not going to be thanked for cutting a meeting short because you have another appointment. If in doubt, call the company and ask approximately how long the interview is likely to last.
  
  
• Avoid going into an interview on either an empty stomach or an over-full one (you do not want to feel sleepy) and avoid alcohol. For obvious comfort reasons, it is best not to have too much tea or coffee either, even if you have arrived early and need to find somewhere to kill a bit of time.
  
  
• Arrive about five minutes before the appointed time and, even if you do not need a comfort break, makes use of the cloakroom - to check your appearance. First impressions are crucial.

"Interviewers are human. They cannot help picking up signals any more than anyone else."