Pam is a job-hunting Professionelle
member from Nelson
Those famous words that can spark fear into the heart of the
brave:
Pam, we would like you to come in for an interview...
The last time I heard those words, they sent me into a tailspin
of gigantic proportions. I wanted the job but didn't realise
how nervous I was about the interview until the time was
approaching.
A job interview is widely regarded as being a pretty stressful
time.
While we all have many varied reasons for looking for work, it
is worth remembering the reason for the interview itself. It
is an opportunity for both parties to exchange information
and to secure the right person for the team and the job.
I have sometimes felt it is like a firing squad and they are there
to interrogate you and to give you a hard time. It is much
better for both parties to view this as an information -gathering
opportunity rather than the death squad.
My situation
Like many of you, I have been in all sorts of interview
situations: as a first time interviewee, an experienced
interviewee, an employee fighting for her job in a restructuring
interview, and I have also been an interviewer. Right now I
am an interviewee again, being out of work in the current recession
which is a stressful time. I am also trying to change career
and many times I have felt like just giving up.
Career coaches, friends, books, and online networking have been
saving graces and I haven't given up yet.
Training
I recently completed some professional interview training with a
local recruitment firm. This was the best thing I ever
did: you can get blasé about your knowledge and sometimes
it's good just to brush up your skills and it gave me a much-needed
confidence boost. There is often free interview training if
you look around, or recruitment firms will do this for a fee.
Interview training can just give you a little bit of
impartiality and they can be more honest with you than well-meaning
friends. You may have nervous tics you are not aware of! Mine
is that I constantly flick my hair, something I was never aware of
and that my friends never told me!
Useful tips
Possibly like you, I have been bombarded with a lot of
information over the years - books; websites; friends and experts
etc. My tips come from my experience and some have also been
borrowed from experts.
When you're job hunting, and you haven't been in for an
interview for a while, the appointment can suddenly appear and you
find you have two days' notice. For those urgent situations,
I have compiled 21 tips which are easy to read and to
remember, especially when you are spinning out in a nervous
haze!
Pam's 21 tips
1. Once you have secured the interview, print out the job
application, the position description; and information from the
company's website - anything which will be of use. Read this
first before you do anything else; highlight key points and
words. This will help keep you calm and will help you
remember why you applied for the job in the first place. You
may also be able to pick up hidden messages about what the employer
is actually looking for.
2. If you are anything like me and you talk yourself into
and out of the job several times ahead of the interview, make sure
you have someone you can talk it through with beforehand.
This can be a coach or a friend. Just make sure it is someone
you can trust and someone who doesn't have his or her own
agenda. This worked for me recently in that I had completely
talked myself out of a role, thinking 'there is no way I can do
this'. My coach helped me realise that I have in fact
always done quite a lot of selling in all my roles and I felt much
more comfortable about this aspect.
3. Get excited about the job! If you really want
it, it will show in the interview. Enthusiasm goes a long
way and it can compensate in part if you don't have quite the
right skill set. Visualise yourself in the role and doing the
role well. This will show through.
4. Don't pretend that you know something that you don't, or
try to be something other than yourself. This will always
show. Just be yourself; act professionally but be
natural. You never really know what the interviewer is
looking for so don't try and second guess them.
5. A lot of people say maintain good eye
contact. This just means when you are answering the
question look at the person or persons who have asked it, don't
look at the desk. You don't want to get into staring at the
person; again just be natural but if you find yourself with
eyes fixed on the desk, look up.
6. I tend to do a bit of a robot dance when I am nervous. I
swing in the chair, my hands are all over the place, including in
my hair. This is where it helps if someone else observes you
beforehand. A good tip (which can be quite funny as well) is
to ask in the interview if the chair locks; or change chairs.
Animated hand action is fine if this is part of your
personality, but don't scratch yourself or pull up your socks; and
most importantly keep your hands out of your hair. Wear your
hair up if necessary, this is something I have to do.
7. Never, ever, come to a job interview unkempt or
hung-over. Without a doubt, the worst person I ever
interviewed was clearly hung-over and probably hadn't been to bed.
He certainly hadn't looked in the mirror when he got dressed: his
tie was askew. To cap it all off, he came in and put a big greasy
brown paper bag on the table when he sat down. Needless to
say he had lost the interview in the first two seconds! It is
very true that first impressions count so be respectful of the
process.
8. Try and suss out what the style of clothing is at the
workplace, and the level of formality. You should wear the
same or similar style but up your game a little bit. This
will show you will fit into the workplace and you are aware of
first impressions.
9. Make sure you know who is interviewing you. When I
was an interviewer, I would ask questions and find the
interviewee answering my male colleague instead of me! Some never
held eye contact with me - not realising that it was me that was
making the employment decision. Always look at the person who
asked the question in the first instance. Don't be fooled by
the person that is seemingly directing the interview; this doesn't
always mean they will be the decision maker.
10. Don't interrupt the interviewer, talk over them or act
as if you know more than the interviewer.
11. Say your piece and stop; don't rush to fill gaps.
12. In the first interview if they ask about salary
expectations it is often wise to say you have some flexibility
about salary, rather than talk about numbers where you may back
yourself into a corner. If they press the point a good
comeback line is "I am happy to talk through salary if we get to
the point when we both decide that I am a good fit for this
position".
13. If the interview has gone well and you feel that
absolutely everything has been covered; there may be no need to ask
questions. If there are things that are really important to
you - ask - this shows you are interested and engaged with the
position. I often ask questions about the team dynamics and
the management style - these are important to me.
14. The weakness question is one I have personally
struggled with. An excellent tip is to look for something
that will be fairly obvious and use this as a limitation. For
example, "I feel that a limitation I will have in this role is that
whilst I have a great understanding of financial services and I
have a lot of experience, I would need to come up to speed with the
specific financial products and services that your organisation
offer". Look for something relatively simple and if you can't
think of a limitation above, look for something which isn't going
to be a big part of the job; i.e., I only drive an automatic car
(short and sweet and true in my case).
15. Avoid using the word "just" if you can, for example in
phrases like, "Well, I just ..." This diminishes everything you are
saying. Using qualifying words (rather, quite) and minimising
words (just, only) can be a habit, so, again, if you have someone
who can listen to you beforehand, this is a great way to spot
it.
16. A lot of people ask questions in the behavioural
situational format. For example, "Tell me about a time you
worked with a difficult colleague. How did you handle this?"
They are looking for a brief synopsis of the situation: what
happened and how you resolved it. It is important to come
prepared with examples that show you have managed situations well
and achieved results and good outcomes.
17. Do your research for standard interview questions.
There are websites and agencies that can help with this.
Typical questions will often cover negotiation skills, team work
skills, ability to work with difficult people, time management,
what are your strengths, limitations and why you want to work with
this employer. Be prepared with examples or work and don't
make these up. If you don't have an example simply say that
has never happened to me, however, if it did this is what I would
do ...
18. Remember: be prepared to talk about yourself and your
achievements. Modesty does not belong in a job interview but
don't oversell yourself or sound desperate. This is pretty
hard but it is something you have to do. Prepare a sales
pitch (usually three to five points) about yourself and if these
are not all covered in the interview bring them up in the question
time at the end of the interview.
19. Never, ever, complain about a previous employer or the
weather or personal situations. The interview is neither the time
nor the place.
20. One I always struggle with is when you first sit down
and they immediately invite you to tell them about yourself.
A good approach is to briefly explain your background; i.e., as per
my CV you can see I have a background in finance; and then go a bit
softer and explain what you are looking for in the future and why
you want to work for them. No need to bore them with the
details of your personal life unless they specifically
ask. If you have an example of dealings with the
company in the past, use it.
21. If you missed out on a job, do try not to take it as a
personal insult and try to learn from it. If possible, ring
the employer and ask why you missed out. This can be a bit
painful but helps a lot and often the employer will not mind at
all. It is also worth thinking that you missed out on the job
because it wasn't right and the team wasn't right. In fact, you
have saved yourself hassle and heartache by not getting it.
And when it's over...
Best of all, remember to reward yourself after an interview.
Also, take time to write down what didn't go so well and what
you would do differently next time. Don't give up if it
didn't go well because the next one is bound to go better.
Lastly, remember you are never alone and most people have
experience in job interviews and can assist you even if it is just
to download. Good luck out there!
Acknowledgement
Pam has had a 20 year corporate banking career, obtaining her
finance degree extramurally. Her career
has included corporate and commercial
lending together with management of a team, being
responsible for training, recruitment and career
guidance. Currently job hunting in Nelson, Pam is hoping
to use her finance skills while she works towards becoming an
occupational psychologist and establishing her own career
coach business, She has an avid passion for writing.