Aug

3

Job Interview Planning

Posted by Dan

August 3, 2007 |

I often here people talk about how excited they are to be scheduled for a job interview, especially with a company they’ve been pining after.  But, when I ask how they are planning to handle the interview the response is usually “I’ll just take it as it comes and let things evolve”.  Ouch… this is like screeching your fingernails down a blackboard to me.  Why would anyone expect to land their dream job when they are on cloud nine about their interview?   

People tend to do better planning for a dinner party or camping trip than they do for a job interview.  Really – let’s say you’re going to have a dinner party, you will think ahead about what you’re going to cook, make sure you’ve got all the ingredients (you’re not typically heading out to the store when your guests arrive…right?).  Then you’ll take time to be sure that the table is set, perhaps have some music playing and as a minimum a clean house.  In other words, my point is that there is a lot of thought that goes into ensuring that your dinner party is a success.  So, why is it that people will take almost no time in planning for their job interview?

What should be planned?  Here are just a few things for you to start with: 

  • How will you respond during the first phone call from the employer?  This is a time to set an initial impression.
  • What will you wear for your interview?  Have you done any research on the company culture?
  • How will you introduce yourself? 
  • What will you take with you?
  • How will you answer that nerve racking ‘first’ query “Tell me about yourself”.  Are you prepared with a strong, encapsulated response that will lead the interviewer to the next question you would like them to ask?
  • And what about taking care of the questions on ‘weaknesses’?Not to mention, how will you set yourself apart from the competition?

Remember, this is more than a dinner party (in fact your career is what will fund your dinner parties)!  You must plan and practice for your job interview if you truly want to get the offer.  So, if you’re in job search mode and expecting to interview – get a plan together and upstage the rest of your competition.

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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