Handling the Job Interview

by Kate Wendleton




Dear Five O'Clock Clubber,



Let's put your job hunt in perspective: 

There are four ways to get interviews 

in your target area:
  • Search Firms
  • Answering ads
  • Networking and
  • Direct Contact.
You are not using these techniques to 

get jobs in your target area;  you are 

using these techniques to get 

interviews. It is very rare for 

a single interview to turn into a job 

offer--especially a good job offer. 

Generally, you must use "follow-up" 

techniques to later turn those 

interviews into job offers.



Therefore, get the most out of your 

interviews: plant the seeds for your 

next step in the process. Think about 

who your competition may be, and how 

you are different. Think about the needs 

of your prospective employer, and fill 

those needs. Most importantly, always 

have a number of things in the works. 



Good luck.



Cordially, Kate
"Just know your lines
and don't bump into the furniture."
Spencer Tracy's Advice on Acting

An interview is not simply a "conversation." It's show time, folks. You will be competing against people who are well-rehearsed and who know their lines.

Develop your lines
In an interview, an inability to express yourself clearly is worse than a lack of experience. Refine your sales pitch by listing on a 3 X 5 card:
  • The main reason the employer would want to hire you .
  • Your Two-Minute Pitch: what you have to offer in the way of experience, credentials and personality.
  • two key accomplishments to support your interest in this position.
  • an answer to what you think might be the employer's main objection to you, if any.
  • a statement of why you would want to work for this company.
Keep this card in your pocket and review it just before going in for the interview, so you will know your lines.

Look and act the part
This is show biz, folks. Even if you don't feel self-confident, act "as if" you do. If you come in looking defeated and you look like a loser, why would anyone want to hire you? Act "as if" you are successful and feel good about yourself, and you will increase your chances of actually feeling that way.

Enthusiasm counts. Every manager is more interested in someone who is sincerely interested in the company and the position.

During the interview --play the part of a consultant
Pretend for a minute that you own a small consulting company. When you first meet a prospective "client," you want to probe to better understand the problems this person is facing.

If the interviewer has
no problems, or if you
cannot solve them,
there is no place for you.

You are also there to sell your company. Therefore, as the manager talks about company problems, you reveal your own company's experience and credentials by asking questions or by telling how you have handled similar situations. You are trying to see how your company fits in with this company.

If the conversation goes astray, gently lead it back to the main topic--the work you would do for them and your abilities. That way, you can make your points in context. Your 3 X 5 card is a summary of the main points you want to make.

It is your responsibilty to reassure the hiring manager. The manager does not want to be embarassed later by making a hiring mistake. If you want the job, it is your responsibility to reassure the manager that everything will work out. It is almost as if you are patting the manager on the arm and saying: "There, there. Everything will be just fine. You can count on me."

You must display self-confidence in your ability to handle the position. If you are not confident, why should the hiring manager take a chance on you? If you want the job, take a stand and say that you believe it will work.

If you are asked how you would handle a situation, reassure the manager that even though you do not know specifically what you would do (because, after all, you are not on the job yet), you know you can figure it out because . . .

  • . . . It won't be a problem. I'm good at these things.
  • . . . I'm very resourceful. Let me tell you what I did as company controller.
  • . . . I've been in that situation before. I can handle your situation even though I don't know the specifics.
Let the manager air his or her doubts about you. If you are told what his or her hesitations are, then you can reassure the manager right there, or you can mull it over later, and reassure the manager in writing.

It is very important to follow up on your meetings. This is your chance to thank the manager for the time you spent together, clear up any points, stress your interest and enthusiasm for the job, and state your major selling points--especially since you now know what is of interest to the interviewer.

Follow-up
will dramatically increase the
number of job offers you get.
It is one of the most powerful
tools you have to
influence the situation.

Do your best and then let it go
You are trying to find a match between yourself and a company. You are not going to click with everyone any more than everyone is going to click with you. Don't expect every interview to turn into a job offer. The more interviews you have, the better you will do at each one.

And don't punish yourself later. Do your best, and then do your best again.

Hang in there. Get a lot of interviews. Know your lines. And don't bump into the furniture. You will find the right job for you. As M. H. Anderson said: "If at first you don't succeed, you are running about average."

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common
than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan 'press on' has solved
and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge

The preceding is an excerpt from The Five O'Clock Club Book Series by Kate Wendleton. The Five O'Clock Club, Forty-Year Vision and Seven Stories Exercise are registered trademarks of The Five O'Clock Club, Inc.