A Simple Recipe for Job Interview Success

Here's some good advice from Yahoo Jobs on how to make the most of a job interview. It starts with the following:

1. Begin your answer by listing the top three to five requirements of the job as you understand them, based on your research and what you've learned in the interview.

2. Summarize how your skills and experience will enable you to make a significant impact in those areas.

3. Finish by stating your interest in the organization. Keep it short and sweet.

The piece then offers these suggestions:

Prepare your best "story" to answer the question by showing how you will go the "extra mile."

Good advice -- at least in the business world -- based on my 20 years of work experience.

I'd also add the following:

1. Be sure you have several quantifiable accomplishments you can refer to in your interview. Don't simply say you "save the company some money" but that you "led a multi-functional team that delivered over $300,000 in cost savings in four months." The more statements you can make like this last one, the better chance for success (getting an offer.)

2. PRACTICE telling about your accomplishments. Rehearse them over and over until you know them inside and out and can work them seamlessly into the conversation. Some say that practicing your responses makes you sound canned, but I've found the opposite is true. Knowing what you want to say and how to say it gives you a certain feel of confidence and relaxes you during the interview -- thus making you appear more calm, cool and collected.

Any other suggestions for making the most of an interview?

Comments

[Mrs. Micah]

Well, based on the one I had yesterday, I think it's important to be able to come up with parallel sitations as examples. For instance, the interviewer told me that they needed someone organized so that each baby's records are complete. I told her that I maintain tenant and contractor files, make sure the appropriate copies of proposals, agreements, and correspondance are in the proper files, etc. I didn't rehearse that particular question, but I was able to come up with a quick comparison.

Maybe sitting down and making a list of all the things you do at work and how the skills could translate to other jobs would work for the less spontaneous. :)

[Curtis]

Relax and be yourself. If you have to act like someone you aren't in order to get the job, you won't be happy once you get the job and have to be that way all the time (Learned from experience). Be confident in your abilities and what you can and can't do.

I once left a 3 hour interview after 30 minutes. The interviewer and myself got to know each other a bit and talked about what I can do and what the job was. We knew right away it wasn't a good match and we exchanged cards and parted ways.

[shadox]

One more thing I can add: do your research. Nothing is more impressive to an interviewer than a candidate who comes to the interview prepared and can show that he understands the company, it's products, the industry and the challenges that the company faces. As a hiring manager, meeting a candidate that has done his homework tells me that I would be hiring an organized, thorough and well prepared individual. It also tells me that this person will be able to hit the ground running.

[Pamela]

As head of recruiting for a large company (over 33K employees) I can't tell you how many people - executives as well - come in totally unprepared for an interview. They haven't researched the company, they have no questions for us and seem to have not thought through their answers. Curtis is also right in that you should be yourself - otherwise you may take a job that doesn't suit you & that doesn't benefit you or the company. We try very hard at my company to make sure the persons skills are what we need and equally as hard to discover if the person is a culture fit.

What you have outlined as critical steps are indeed the critical steps - be prepared & quantify your achievements.