Congratulations!  You've been invited to an interview!  If you're like most people you're both excited and nervous.  This is normal and to be expected!

Your nervousness probably stems from the fact that you're not sure what to expect, nor are you sure what you should say or do at the interview, and, obviously, some fear at the prospect of being rejected. Therefore, the objective of this step is to help you prepare for your interview to increase your chances of a successful outcome.

First and foremost, please understand that the interview is an opportunity for both parties to evaluate the merits of the other party.  The interview is as much about you evaluating the employer as it is the employer evaluating you.

Preparation checklist

Listed below are a number of items that you should review and, if appropriate in your case, complete prior to your interview.

• Confirm your interview date, time and location.  If necessary, contact the employer to make sure you know the correct date, time and location of your interview.  If notified of an interview by mail or email, make sure you call the employer to confirm your interview.

• Make necessary travel plans.  If your interview is to be held outside of your local community, make all necessary hotel, car rental, plane, etc. reservations well in advance of your interview date.  Yes, it is acceptable to first call the employer and try to negotiate an agreement whereby the employer will pay all or part of these expenses.

• Dress appropriately.  If you are unsure as to how you should dress for your interview, contact the employer and ask to speak to the Human Resources department, or the person who will be conducting the interview.  When in doubt, always dress in a style similar to people who work at the company.

• Prepare all necessary documentation.  Bring with you copies of the following:

  • Resume

  • Letters of recommendation

  • Degrees, diplomas, certifications

  • Occupational licenses

  • School and college transcripts

  • Awards and citations

  • Professional and professional accomplishments

• Understand the company's mission.  Gather as much information as possible about the company.  Understand what they do as a business, where they operate, who their customers are and what kind of services and/or products they market.  This information can be gathered from:

  • Company brochures

  • Company website

  • Company catalogs

  • Newspaper and magazine articles about the company (contact any public library for assistance gathering this information)

• Understand the nature of the job.  Make sure you can discuss the nature of the job, such as:

  • The overall objective of the position.

  • The typical duties and responsibilities of the position.

  • The methods used by most people working in the position to carry out the duties and responsibilities.

  • Typical problems encountered in attempting to carry out the duties and responsibilities, and the solutions that you would use to overcome such problems.

• Be prepared to discuss any relevant experience.  The employer will be interested in learning about any experience that you've had that has given you knowledge and skills that can help you carry out the job you now wish to secure.  Be prepared to discuss such activities as those listed below and how they have prepared you for the job:

  • Educational history

  • Work history

  • Military history

  • Community or volunteer service

• Be ready to ask questions.  Prepare a list of questions that you want to ask and bring the list with you to the interview.  Typical questions include:

  • What type of person are you looking for in this position?

  • What is the ultimate mission of the position, and what are the primary objectives of the position?

  • What obstacles do you believe the person in the position will have to deal with?

  • What criteria will you use to judge the person's work performance?

  • Who does the person filling the position work with, and who does he or she report to?

  • What are the work days and hours for the position?

  • Where will my office be located?

  • Will I be required to travel?  If so, how much and how often?

   

  Note: It is considered unprofessional to bring up the subject of salary and benefits until the employer has first offered you the position!

• Know what you're worth!  If the employer should offer you a position, or bring up the subject of salary, you should have an idea as to what salary range (low to high) would be acceptable.  To determine how much you're worth, please see our article called How to determine my salary.

• Be prepared to ask for the job!  Don't assume that it's the employer's right or responsibility to offer you the job.  Obviously, some employers will offer you the position during the interview if they believe you're the best candidate.  However, others may not make an offer even though they believe you are the right candidate.  In such cases, the employer may be "testing" you to determine how committed you are to the position and company. If by the end of the interview you have not been offered the position, and if you want the job, make sure you indicate that you are very interested in the job, believe you can do it well, and then ask the employer if he or she is interested in offering you the position.

• Practice answering common questions.  The list of possible questions that the employer might ask you is long - too long for review here.  However, here's a few typical questions that you should be prepared to answer:
   

  • Why should I hire you?

  • Why are you leaving your current employer?

  • Why do you believe you're the best person for the job?

  • How would you describe yourself?

  • What are your main strengths and weaknesses?

  • How would your current employer describe your work behavior?

  • How would you describe your work behavior?

  • What value can you bring to the company?

  • Where do you see your career going in five years?

  • What's your greatest personal accomplishment?

  • What's your greatest professional accomplishment?

  If you'd like to review other questions, check your public or school library or local bookstores for books on this subject - there are many of them out there!

Perhaps the most important advice that we can give you is "be yourself!"  Don't try to present yourself as someone you are not.  How you present yourself in the interview is how people will expect you to behave and act when hired. Get plenty of sleep the night before and arrive early.  Be positive, honest and professional and you'll do just fine!

And remember the key to a successful interview is your ability to demonstrate how you can use your talent to help the employer prosper.  Make sure you have a clear answer for this question!

After the interview

Your post-interview behavior is equally important as your behavior during the interview.  Make sure you write a "thank you" letter and mail (not email) it to the employer within a few days of your interview.  If you were not offered the position (and not rejected from it either) and still want the position, stress in your letter how you can be of value to the employer.  Also, use the letter to address any issues that were brought up in the interview, but were not answered in the interview.

If at your interview you were informed that you were not going to be selected for the position, then use your letter to thank the employer for his or her time and wish them well in their future business activities.

Topic List     Step 8