APICS Atlanta - Interviewing Skills

Once the interview is secured, it is up to you to sell yourself to the prospective employer. As a result of your diligent preparation and rehearsal, you should feel confident and prepared for your interview presentation.

Here are things to keep in mind before and during the interview:

• Your physical appearance is as important as your interviewing skills and credentials. Dress attractively, but conservatively, even if you tend to be more flamboyant normally. Men should wear well-tailored suits, preferably dark blue or gray; solid neutral shirts, striped or solid-colored ties; dark, well-polished shoes solid black or navy socks. And, don't forget to get a good haircut. Women should wear business suits or tailored dresses with jackets; medium-heeled closed pumps; and have your hair done in a conservative style. Remember, first impressions count.
• Be punctual. Arriving five minutes early is fine, but no earlier. It appears to be putting pressure on the interviewer. If it seems you'll be late, even if only five or ten minutes, be sure to call with an explanation. If it is feasible, make a test run to the interview location before your meeting. Check out the parking facilities, correct entrance to the office, etc. And, if your interview is during rush hour, allow for extra travel time.
• If you complete an application before the interview, remember that expected salary shouldn't be discussed until after an offer is made or is imminent. Leave that section blank or marked as negotiable.
• When the interviewer greets you offer a smile, a firm handshake (not a knuckle breaker, of course) and look him/her straight in the eye. Making good eye contact establishes your confidence.
• Elaborate. Your resume is the "sales tool" that got you the interview. The interview is your opportunity to expand upon your resume information and to sell yourself. Say enough to get your point across without over-answering.
• Don't inquire about benefits (vacation time, insurance plans, bonuses, etc.) during the first interview. You should concentrate your discussion on the position's responsibilities and future growth potential. The interviewer will mention benefits when he/she feels it is appropriate.
• If you're offered the position and it meets with your expectations, accept it! If you're ambivalent, don't refuse the offer outright. Thank the interviewer(s) enthusiastically and ask for some time to consider. This will give you some time to think about it and to discuss some of your concerns with any council you may use.
• If you're not offered the position at the interview, be realistic. Frequently, other people must be consulted before the offer is extended. Or, the hiring official may want to discuss your candidacy with his/her council. Also, other candidates may be scheduled for interviews, and the hiring official may want to complete that process before a decision.

Before the interview:

• Research the company, the facility, the job description and even the hiring official, if you can. Know what your own resume says.
• Brainstorm a list of all the accomplishments, throughout your life, of which you are particularly proud. Pick from this list those items you feel have strong bearing on this particular job. And, for each of these, put together a short story describing the situation, the action taken and the positive results - in quantitative terms. Rehearse these short stories to become brief and concise and to enable you to intertwine each one into the interview, even if only obliquely related to a question asked. Sometimes, to be most subconsciously effective, the more oblique the relationship the better.
• Practice answering all the anticipated questions, particularly those that may tend to be difficult or uncomfortable for you, such as, "Why did you leave XYZ Company after only a year?" "Why is there a gap in employment form '96 to '98?" or "Why did you not complete college?" Have a friend evaluate your ease and effectiveness defusing a potentially difficult subject.

During the Interview:

• In my opinion, 85% of the interview takes place in the first 10 seconds with each person, including the receptionist. Interviewers tend to form subconscious opinions about everything during that period and spend the remainder of the interview verifying or correcting those first impressions. Bring yourself to peak performance for maximum positive impact during that initial period. Show your enthusiasm and high energy level with your posture and way you walk. Show your warmth and people skills with the smile, good eye contact and firm but comfortable handshake. The expression on your face will convey your preparedness and self-confidence.
• Be prepared to ask questions, but only those that move you toward a job offer. Ask questions that show your interest in the position and guide the conversation toward your own strengths. No obviously self-serving questions. After you have a job offer, then you can gain any additional information necessary to make you're decision. If you try to learn all that you can during the interview, but fail to get the offer by doing so, the additional information is moot.

After the Interview:

• Leave each interviewer with the strong impression that you want the job, if there is any possibility that an offer could be acceptable to you. If two candidates are near equals technically and similar "chemistry" factor, the offer will go to the candidate the hiring official judges to be most likely to accept.
• Send a prompt thank you note to the person(s) you judge to be appropriate, covering three items:
  1. Thank them for their time spent interviewing you. Mention each person interviewed, if you correctly have his or her name.
  2. This is your opportunity to remind and sell the hiring official on your qualifications. Aim your points particularly at the items he/she seemed to get most favorably excited about during the interview.
  3. Let them know you want the job.

Make follow up contact with the hiring official, without becoming a nuisance, but allowing for the possibility he/she is not necessarily in total control of any delays. (If we assume a reason for delays in the process we are usually wrong). Stay positive until you have the job or you confirm the position has been filled.

Additional inquiries should be made to:
Jon Harvill, CPC, APICS Atlanta Career Center Director, careercenter@apicsatlanta.org
c/o Professional Search of Atlanta, Phone: (770) 952-0009, Fax: (770) 952-9422,
E-mail: JHarvill@professionalsearchatlanta.com, Website: professionalsearchatlanta.com