If your appointment is with an executive, his background might be described in one of the following publications; Dun & Bradstreet's Reference Book of Corporate Managements; Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives-Volume 2; Who's Who in Business; or Who's Who in America.
The vast majority of the time, however, interviewers will not have been written up nor will you be able to learn anything about them before the meeting. Therefore, upon entering someone's office, make a point of noticing the pictures on the walls and personal objects on the desk. They might reveal interests you have in common. Throughout the interview, you'll have opportunities to build rapport by initiating discussions along these lines.
Also, many job-seekers have a false impression of their relationship with interviewers. They consider the interviewer to be in the position of strength and see themselves in a subordinate role. This causes feelings of intimidation and apprehension and makes the interview situation a difficult one.
The fact of the matter is that interviewers have qualms about these sessions as well, especially when they're the hiring manager. First of all, a manager is under greater pressure to hire someone than you're probably aware of. In fact, the only reason he's conducting interviews is because there's something lacking in his department: He has work that must be done and no one with the required experience to do it. Until he hires the right person, his optimum performance is being held back. On top of this, his manager is constantly evaluating how well he's doing his job. Second, most managers aren't skilled interviewers. They have Enhancing Your Interviewing Skills little training in this area, and their expertise lies in performing their functional specialty, not in interviewing.
Third, most managers don't enjoy interviewing. They regard it as an intrusion on their time that prevents them from attending to their primary responsibilities. They see interviewing as down time.
As a result, a manager hopes you're the person to hire. If you are, he'll be able to fill his opening and bring this burdensome and unwelcome process to an immediate and successful conclusion.
Instead of being apprehensive about being interviewed, think about all the experience you have, how well-qualified you are for the position, and how vital your background is to an employer. You're on much stronger ground than you imagine.
