SDWorkPlace.com

Original article link: http://www.sdworkplace.com/pages/cs_smartinterviewing/index.html

A guide to mastering the interview and scoring that job

So, you have constructed a good, customized resume and have been asked in for an interview. Great, you've got your foot in the door. By the end of this article, you will be familiar with how to push yourself through your OWN office door to your new, expensive Bavarian oak desk.

Remember that your recruiter was in your position too. They once had to impress a hiring manager to get to where they are, so most recruiters are understanding of the typical nervousness of candidates. Good recruiters make their candidates feel comfortable interviewing, so nothing needs to be feared in this process. Keep yourself cool, calm and collected, and you will do fine.

Do your research

Research is a basic requirement to a successful interview. Know who owns the company, previous company projects and have a good idea at what the company excels at. Lunge into the company's web site; know every word. Read their press releases and their service offerings. In short, know everything you possibly can; you can use this information to cleverly impress your recruiter with comments that lesser job candidates did not take the time to know.

Questions to prepare for

A good job candidate will prepare for some typical questions that may be thrown their way, and will understand that they may be unorthodox. If you are interviewing for a web design job (opposed to programming), the recruiter may ask about usability. Or, he or she may bring up a web site listed on your resume, will point to an element, and ask, "Now, why did you do it this way?" Or, "Have you ever considered this way?" The recruiter is not attempting to change your mind; rather, he is judging you based on the answers you provide. He or she wants to hear a confident, reasoned answer.

If you are interviewing for a programming job, be prepared for logic questions that may not relate to any particular programming language. A popular question that many recruiters ask is "Why is a manhole cover round?" Pretend you were asked that question right now. What would your answer be? If you don't know, think about it and know it before your interview. I might answer "Manhole covers are heavy. Because round objects roll, they are more easily transportable". Remember, the recruiter is not looking for the 'correct' answer. He's looking at your logic and your reasoning used to support your answer. Remember your high school math classes?

What are some other questions? Well, Microsoft has published a book on interviewing called "Moving Mount Fuji". So, how would you move Mount Fuji? What if you were asked, "How would you design a microwave?" or, "What if your microwave failed? How would you fix it?" Remember, if you can demonstrate sound, clear logic when answering these questions, your answer could come from the moon; in fact, most do.

Be prepared to ask questions at the end of the interview. This will leave the recruiter with a pleasant impression of your interest in the company. For example, you may wish to ask, "I understand that {RECRUITER'S COMPANY} won a new contract with {COMPANY NAME HERE}. I understand that you are using PHP as your server-side language; do you know which database management system will be holding the data?" Even if you don't actually have any interest in the answer, listen to the recruiter intensely. Nod and appear interested.

The phone interview

When applying remotely (or sometimes locally), the phone interview is usually the first contact you will have with the company and is often the most important. If you bomb the phone interview, you can bet that they won't be flying you to their location for another interview. The following paragraphs will give you a good idea on how to impress the recruiter and help to score you the job.

First, learn some etiquette and check to make sure your answering machine reflects a professional person. Don't include smart remarks and 30 seconds of your favorite song. Remember that recruiters are busy and don't have time to listen to unnecessarily long telephone answering machine recordings. Also, be sure to provide your name on your answering machine, or at least your phone number. This gives a good sense of security to the recruiter and encourages them to leave a detailed message about the call.

Don't be fooled. The recruiter may state that "I'll give you a call, just for a friendly conversation." Make no mistake; this is a type of interview. You might not be asked how to build a bridge in one day, but you will be judged on the conversation and it might affect your future employment with the company. In fact, it is best to assume that all contact with a recruiter is an interview. This means keep yourself formal and professional at all times.

Here are a few tips to master your phone interview. First, it is usually best to stand up and walk around a bit. This means you are more attentive to the recruiter, posture is straight and reflexes are improved. And be sure to have confidence each time you speak with your recruiter. If you are having a bad day, don't initiate contact. If the recruiter initiates contact, grab yourself your favorite soft drink to help improve your mood (never make noises when drinking or eating over the phone with a recruiter!).

Another technique good applicants use when phone interviewing is a 'cheat sheet'. If you are in front of a computer, open the company's web site and browse through portions that you may want to ask about later in the interview. Keep your resume open and any accomplishments you may want to discuss available. Since this technique cannot be used in a face-to-face interview, take advantage of this when using the phone. A notepad and pen/pencil is also nice to have right by your phone to take notes.

Let's look at some typical phone interview questions. Using Microsoft as an example, you will likely be asked, "In your life, what makes you most proud?" and, "What makes you want to work for Microsoft?". If you are looking for a programming job, you may need to answer very straightforward questions, like "What is the benefit of object-oriented programming languages?". Simply, they are weeding out the applicants who buckle under the pressure and can't overcome obstacles.

The face-to-face interview

Many of the phone interview techniques can be applied here to face-to-face interviews. You need to be prepared for the same types of questions and should always appear confident in yourself and in your answers, and always research the company as much as you can.

Remembering that the first impression is the most important impression, always dress nicely; understand that it is far better to dress too formal than not formal enough. Get yourself a nice suit and tie and look at yourself in a mirror right before an interview. If you just ate lunch, be sure your teeth are clean and your breath is like a baby's.

The minute you walk through the door, you establish a relationship with the recruiter. The second that the recruiter offers his or her hand, immediately return the shake. Shake it firmly, but don't crack bones, here. A solid handshake establishes your confidence and power with the recruiter. It is also helpful to mimic the actions of the recruiter. For example, if he or she speaks slowly, try to speak slowly yourself.

One advantage to a face-to-face interview, opposed to a telephone interview, is they are never spontaneous. This means that you must prepare and practice...a lot. Once you practice, practice some more. You may wish to practice in front of a mirror to make sure you are looking yourself in the eye, have straight posture and appear confident. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be. Next, let's take a look at the types of interviews you may experience.

Types of interviews

If this is your first interview, it is likely a screening interview. Recruiters often hire only those applicants who advance to higher stages in the interviewing process. These interviews confirm that you have been honest on your resume and that you meet the minimum qualifications for the job. A telephone interview may satisfy this requirement.

If you are invited to another interview, this means that you meet the requirements for the job and are being considered for employment. This interview ensures that you will fit in with the company; it confirms that you work well with people and cooperate nicely. If you impress your recruiter early on in the interview, you'll be a good candidate for further interviews.

At times, your recruiter may interview a number of applicants at once. This is a technique used to determine who the leaders are in a group setting. Confidence in your abilities and willingness to speak are absolutely paramount in these types of interviews. You may also get interviewed by a number of recruiters, which can be quite intimidating. Staying attentive to each recruiter is essential here, and be sure to make eye contact with each.

This article was designed to help you find that perfect job by interviewing well. As always, research is important, and that research should be used to ask questions at the end of either a telephone or face-to-face interview. Be sure to prepare for likely questions you may receive and be ready for bizarre queries.

Good luck!

Author: Steve
Date written: August, 2003