Job Seekers

How to prepare for the interview

• Research your prospective employer
• Prepare your success stories, accomplishments, answers and questions
• Practice

How to determine if the position is a good cultural fit

• Make sure it is a job you want, not just a job
• Make sure your prospective boss looks you in the eye when they speak to you
• Ask questions about the culture to ensure it matches your style

Body Language

• Lean forward toward your interviewer to stay engaged
• Do not lean back in the chair
• Never cross your arms
• Allow your interviewer to open doors and push buttons on an elevator as they are the host

Attire

• First impressions can totally make the difference
• Chooses solids over patterns
• Navy, Dark Gray and Black suits and dresses are most professional
• When in doubt, over dress!

How to answer questions

• Always try to answer with an achievement
• Answer only the question that was asked
• Don’t give examples, make the interviewer ask their question of interest
• When interviewing with multiple interviewers, share different stories of success to give them breadth to discuss when they discuss your interview as a group
• Give multiple strengths and only give one weakness
• When asked “What was a problem situation” put distance to an earlier job in your career.

Questions to ask

• Try to ask questions that are public knowledge (from website, annual report, etc.) as to not put your interviewer in an awkward position
• Ask what would be a typical day
• How would they describe the culture
• What are growth opportunities
• What was the interviewer’s career path to get where they are
• What does the next year look like for their business

Salary Discussion

• Never bring up the salary topic. Allow the prospective employer to bring it up
• Know what the job is worth and know what you are worth
• If asked what are your salary requirements, ask the interviewer what is the range? Tell them this is something that you can work with

How to develop success stories

• Develop 15 to 20 success stories prior to your interview so you are prepared with multiple answers to any question
• Develop stories that are most relevant to the prospective job
• Pull stories from your most recent positions

Researching your prospective employer

• Speak with any contacts that you know that have knowledge about your prospective employer
• Read the first pages of their annual report if available to understand their language and direction
• Study their website
• Look at professional networking websites to know who the key people are
• If applicable, look at their products at retail, stores, etc. to gain a better understanding of their product
• Gain an understanding of who their competition is and where they stand compared to them.