The pace accelerates when the interviewer changes the tone of the meeting. Maybe it's through a gesture-the simple folding of hands-or an adjustment in tone of voice. "I could talk politics all day, Betty, but we'd better get down to the work at hand and learn more about you." At that moment, the curtain flies up and the inter rogation officially begins. Get ready to sell your little heart out and prove you're the only applicant for the job.
Remember, take your cues from the interviewer. He or she has a lot of questions to ask. Your job is to return quick, terse, and articulate answers. Long, rambling answers are to be avoided at all costs.
So think before you speak. Milo O, Frank, author of How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds-Or Less, advises thinking in sound bites. According to Frank, the average person's attention span is 30 seconds. Now you know why the average time of all TV news stories is one and a half minutes. That's 30 seconds to set up the story, 30 more to spill the guts of the story, and another 30 to wrap it up.
Don't get bent out of shape over these numbers. The important message is not to waste time when making your point.
No matter how difficult or off the wall the question, don't ever forget why you're there. Your job is to convince the interviewer you're the perfect candidate for the job. Every sentence must drive home your value. The goal is to meet a need. Burton Kaplan, author of Everything You Need to Know to Talk Your Way to Success, said the five most powerful words in the English language are, "What's in it for me?" Whether you're asking for a raise, bigger projects, or a job, focus on addressing the what's-in-it-for-me state of mind. Says Kaplan;
Everybody-you, your preacher, the boss, the company, friends, children, clerks, even your cat!-acts out of self-interest. We filter the world through our secret needs. If what you happen to want somehow fulfills their most pressing need at the moment, bingo-you are certain to get it. And if it doesn't, you can be just as certain you won't.
The clearer you are about what the employer wants, the easier it will be to sell yourself appropriately.
Uppermost, never promote yourself in the abstract. Never lose sight of the what's-in-it-for-me attitude. Rather than asking for a job, you're bringing the employer a gift-yourself. You're the super star who's going to create miracles-increase productivity, capture new customers and design new services. Relentlessly address employers' needs and you've got them in the palm of your hands. If they care about the growth and health of their company, they have no choice but to hire you. Infuse all that with energy and passion and you're well on your way. Remember this advice when searching for right answers.
YOUR TURN AT BAT
Getting up to leave after the interviewer has asked the last question is a big mistake that could cost you the job. To make a lasting, positive impression, ask some intelligent questions. The lead-in should sound something like, "Well, that's about it, Mr. Dahmer. Is there anything you'd like to know about Tasty Bones, Inc.?"
Absolutely. And you have no intention of letting the interviewer off the hook either. You just happen to have a number of questions you'd like to fire away.
Thoughtful questions present you as a serious candidate who's not about to settle for any job that comes along. Instead, you intend to find one that meets your criteria. Here are 11 questions you might ask:
- What is the principal job of this department?
- Could you describe my job in detail? (A five-line job description never fully explains a job. Make no assumptions about what you're going to be doing. Ask. When it's laid out in front of you, you may not like it.)
- What is the most important responsibility?
- What kind of person do you want? (Nothing like a little surprise honesty. I doubt if they've prepared for this one.)
- Where are the last couple of people who held this job? (If they're in prison or a psycho ward, make a speedy exit.)
- To whom would I report?
- Who are the other people I will work with?
- Where will I work? (Don't assume you'll get a posh carpeted corner office complete with open bar and stereo. Ask. You may be very disappointed.)
- What is the work schedule? How flexible is it?
- What about bonuses, profit sharing, health insurance, vacations, perks?
- Are there any learning opportunities? (Many small companies have incredible learning opportunities, including affiliations with local universities or colleges.)
When it's all over, it wouldn't hurt to take an objective look at your interview performance to see how you did.
EVALUATE YOUR INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE
If you screwed up, don't feel sorry for yourself. Rather than see it as a lost opportunity, look at what you've learned. The idea is not to make the same mistakes-if indeed you made any-again.
The best time to scrutinize your performance is within 10 hours of the interview. Don't wait until the next day. Go over the event while it's fresh in your mind. Take the following evaluation questionnaire and write down your answers. Be brutally honest with yourself. No one is going to see this but you.
Evaluation Questionnaire
- Did you answer questions directly and tersely?
- Did you include too many extraneous details?
- Did you wander from the subject?
- What kind of tone did you use? Was it authoritative? hesitant? inconsistent? confident?
- What about the speed at which you spoke? Was it too slow? too fast? just right?
- Did you maintain eye contact with the interviewer?
- Did you fidget with your hands or were they still in your lap?
- Did you sit upright in your chair, as opposed to slouching?
