Be Interview
Savvy
By
Randy Quarin
Being
career-minded means you know when and how to seize an
opportunity to impress a potential employer. Usually
your best chance comes during an interview, and you
certainly don't want to blow it. If you're serious about
your career, here are three things you've got to do
when being interviewed:
1.
Be formal.
There's
no such thing as an "informal interview,"
even if the interviewer says there aren't any positions
currently available at their firm. Companies are always
looking out for their best interests, so there must
have been something that made them want to take a closer
look at you. Be sure to dress appropriately, bring a
hard copy of your resume, and speak positively about
yourself as if they're going to hire you. Also, you
should send a follow-up "thank-you" e-mail
or hand-written card to the interviewer. It will be
kept and your courtesy duly noted. It may also give
you the edge you need to get a job offer over other
applicants.
2.
Be achievement-oriented.
Whenever
you answer a question about yourself or your resume,
always case your response in your career achievements,
referencing milestones that the interviewer would care
about. Remember, this isn't your opportunity to rattle
off a laundry list of accomplishments - speak to achievements
that clearly illustrate how you would be an asset to
the interviewer's firm. In other words, think not what
the company can do for you, but what you can do for
the company.
3.
Be assertive.
Ask
smart questions to show you're not only savvy about
the interviewer's business, but also smart when it comes
to managing your own career. It's good to have a cache
of hard questions that will keep the interviewer on
their toes. For example, get the interviewer to give
you one reason why an employee would choose to leave
their company. Other questions can be more business-oriented
and gloss over issues, trends and looming problems related
to the business or its industry.
At
the end of the interview don't wait for the interviewer
to suggest "next steps" - take the initiative
and do it yourself. People want to be sold on your skills
and assertive persuasion. It's well within your prerogative
to ask for a follow-up meeting with the interviewer
or someone else at the firm. Even if your request is
turned down, at least you know where you stand when
you walk out the door.
The
interview is your best chance to make a good first impression
with a potential employer. Your best professional self
is projected in the way you phrase your questions and
answers, and the definitive tone of your voice, and
the confidence you project as someone who thoroughly
understands your interviewer's business. Also - look
for common ground with the interviewer to ensure a common
understanding of their needs and how they relate to
the challenges of their business.
Remember,
headhunters can help you find opportunities for employment,
but it's up to you to get the job.
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IQ
Insight is published by IQ
PARTNERS Inc.
IQ
PARTNERS helps intelligent companies hire better,
hire less and retain more. Our services include
Executive Search, Qualification & Assessment,
Employee Development & Retention, Career
Management, and Contract HR Services. We specialize
in Marketing, Communications, Media, Technology
and Financial Services, and operate at the mid-to-senior
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