5 Tips to Nail the Job Interview
By Britt-Angela Williams
Candidates oftentimes ask me this question: “What can I do to increase my chances of getting this job?” Well, there are several things you can do. Here are my top 5 points:
Do your due diligence. Prior to the face-to-face or phone interview take some time to research the company, hiring manager (s) etc. Thoroughly review the company’s website and ask for a copy of the job description before you have the interview. Review the job description and prepare yourself to relate the job duties to your own work experience.
Arrive on time. In fact arrive 10-15 minutes early to the interview. You never know what you may encounter on the day of your interview. If you’re driving you need navigate through traffic-be sure to give yourself time to find a parking space. If you’re taking public transportation factor in some time for traffic and the possibility of the transportation running late.
Ask questions. An interview is not only a time for the company to learn about you. This is also a time for you to learn more about the company. Mentally prepare questions ahead of time. Some examples of effective questions are: “Why is this position open?” “What are some of the challenges in this position?” “What are the 30-60 & 90 day priorities in this position?” “How soon do you expect to fill the position?” Questions not only display your interest in the position but also give you greater insight into the role.
Send a thank you note. At the close of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time and ask for a business card. You will need the business card for the interviewer’s contact information. A “thank you” email is a great way to communicate to the prospective employer that you are really interested in working for their company. An effective “thank you” e-mail should include 3 things: Thank the interviewer for his/her time, briefly connect prior experience to the current opportunity, and reconfirm interest in the position offered. Clearly a well-written e-mail should be spell checked and free from grammatical errors (this is also a time to showcase your effective communication skills).
Follow-up. Now that you’ve completed the interview, sent the thank you email it’s not time to sit back and relax. It is always a good idea to follow up. E-mail follow up is great. Just don’t email the hiring manager more than once a week. There is a fine line between persistence and pestering-you want to do the former not the latter.
About the Author:
Britt-Angela Williams is President and Principal Recruiter at Britt-Angela Williams & Consultants, a boutique recruiting firm that specializes in Administrative & Legal placements.
Image credit: Quozio
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