Critical Commonsense Interview Preparation
“Not to go back is somewhat to advance,
and men must walk, at least, before they dance.”
—Alexander Pope
Before we get into the specifics of the eight-part REAPRICH plan that you’ll use to guide your actions to ultimate success in your interview, it’s important to review a few fundamentals. These are principles that apply to every job applicant, in every industry, at every level. It’s all about preparation and presentation.
Before the Interview
Know the names and backgrounds of the people who will be interviewing you. Many executives from top consulting companies like to begin an interview with the question, “So what do you know about me?” If that’s the case, you’d better have an answer. They want to know you’ll prepare for meetings with billion-dollar clients if they hire you. Information about personnel can often be found on the LinkedIn website or by calling the person who scheduled your interview, who may be able to supply a bio or give you a brief summary.
The interviewer may also ask, “Why do you want to come to work for this company?” Again, you need an answer that’s based on specifics; show that you’ve done your homework. So research the company’s products and results, both current and past, along with its product segments and services.
Know who the company’s competitors are. It’s all a part of coming prepared to show that you know the business and the market environment in which it operates.
Just as you would research the hiring manager or interviewer, find out as much as possible about the backgrounds of the people you will be working for, as well as the senior executives of the company. Once again, LinkedIn is a good place to start. Most companies list the bios of their vice presidents, senior vice presidents, and C-level executives on their websites.
People love to be recognized. Find out if anyone you are meeting with has won awards, published articles, or done other things that have somehow distinguished them. If you have friends or contacts at the company, ask them to fill in the blanks or gather some information on these people for you.
All of this preparation has a dual purpose. It will make you shine in the interview, but it will also tell managers that you’ve done your homework and have come prepared.
Polish up your résumé. Details on formatting this all-important tool appear in chapter 13.
Update your profiles on LinkedIn and any job search websites specific to your industry. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account with a detailed profile, get one! LinkedIn is actually being substituted for résumés at many companies. You’re not considered a player in the executive job search game if you’re not current there—in fact, you may as well be invisible. As I write this, Indeed.com, Jobcase.com, and SimplyHired.com are good sites for those looking for blue-collar jobs and those that don’t require a degree, but keep in mind that new sites are coming online all the time. Many recruiters do multiple searches on job sites daily to find top talent. Staying active on LinkedIn will also connect you with people in your field; you may even encounter the person who’ll become your next boss.
Be tenacious. Once you’ve identified a position or company you want to work for, be persistent in pursuing an interview, then show up ready to perform. Don’t stop trying after the first (or the second or the twentieth) “no.” Stay in contact and keep reiterating your interest in the position, but do it in a respectful way.
I remember when I got into recruiting. I called the man who would eventually hire me almost every day for six months. I met with him several times during that period, and every time I was polished, wearing my nicest suit and tie. Although I was deeply inexperienced, he began to notice my polish and tenacity. After six months he called me and gave me a chance. Once there, I outworked all of the senior recruiters and within six months was his number one employee. When I would thank him for the opportunity, he’d always say to me, “It’s not that I gave you the opportunity, it’s what you did with it.”
The Day of the Interview
Dress neatly and professionally. This means shining your shoes every time. I know a senior vice president in New York who wouldn’t hire or do business with anyone who hadn’t shined their shoes. He said, “If they show up to see me looking that way, that’s how they’ll look when they visit our clients!” You might be wearing an expensive suit, impeccably tailored, but if your shoes are scuffed, you’ll look like a slob. I worked with another man who was well-dressed but came to our first meeting with white paint on his watch. (He’d been painting over the weekend and hadn’t thoroughly cleaned up afterwards). These grooming mistakes show a lack of preparation and attention to detail. If you want a job that’s a “ten,” show up looking the part! If you have fitness issues that are addressable, get busy. Not only do hiring managers make judgments about your fitness for the job based on your physical fitness, being in shape is just a good life practice. There’s no excuse for not maximizing your potential on all levels.
You absolutely need to be on time, and for our purposes, that means early. There is no acceptable reason to arrive later than ten minutes prior to your scheduled start time. Not only does that give you extra coverage for any delays you could experience due to traffic or unforeseen events, but you’ll also arrive looking—and feeling—calm, fresh, and in control. Arriving early will also give you ten or fifteen minutes to spend in the parking lot meditating on the positive outcome of your interview.
Furthermore, most hiring managers will severely penalize or even discharge you from the interview process for tardiness. I don’t care if you’re interviewing or already have the job: if you have an issue with tardiness, fix it fast. Senior executives frown on people who walk in after a meeting has started, causing a disruption. I discussed defiance in the last chapter. Defiance is often a predecessor to lateness. If you can’t leave old habits behind, you may not be successful in any career that calls for professional excellence.
Offer a firm handshake when greeting people, and look them in the eye. A weak handshake instantly takes away your credibility. Show you are intense, ready, and here to succeed!
Have hard copies of your résumé for every person you meet during your interview. Carry them in a black binder, not in a purse or anyplace they would need to be folded. Make sure the résumé matches the version you initially sent to them.
While waiting for the interview, smile at the administrative assistant or receptionist in the lobby, and make sure you are especially polite to him or her. Make small talk if the situation arises, keeping to positive subjects. Many hiring managers ask the people at the front desk whether interviewees were pleasant upon arrival. Companies want to make sure you treat people with respect.
I once saw a top salesperson lose a chance at a great job because he was mean to an administrative assistant who was scheduling his travel. Word got to the senior vice president of sales who simply said, “We wouldn’t want anyone acting that way to our customers. Don’t hire him.”
Check your appearance in the bathroom once you enter the lobby of the building. I’ve seen people spill coffee or breakfast on their clothes, or come into an interview not knowing their hair had picked up leaves on a windy day. I once had an applicant come in with food on his tie. The people interviewing you will shy away from pointing out things like that because they don’t want to insult you. However, it will still affect their perception of you in a negative way.
Don’t be overly flashy in your dress or appearance. Be neat and properly dressed—power-dressed, if you will. Also make sure your clothes are ironed. Don’t imagine that dressing “creatively” is the way to stand out in an interview. Your differentiation will be in your results and interview skills, not in some funky outfit.
Insider Secret #2:
Hiring managers will judge you on a whole host of factors that have nothing to do with job performance or experience. Proper preparation will help you avoid missteps that can sabotage your chances.
Employers are looking for polish and conformity with a sense of class. Always dress one level up from the environment the company requires for its employees. (If you’ve done your homework as suggested before, you should know what the dress codes and work environment dictate.) I believe both men and women should wear a business suit to every interview. You’re there to show that you exemplify excellence in all you do, to go above and beyond, and to show commitment to the employer. Honor the fact that they brought you there today. That doesn’t mean you should wear a suit on a golf outing if that’s your first meeting. If the setting is more casual, choose a button-down shirt and pressed khakis or linen trousers for men; a skirt or dress (appropriate for day wear—not cocktail or club attire) or a blouse and tailored pants for women.
Your accessories should match the way you’re dressed. Don’t bring your dad’s briefcase from his first job in 1965, no matter how proud you are of the fact that he ended up CEO of the company. Don’t bring grandmother’s pocketbook either. You may be able to deviate from best practices once you have become an expert in your field but not when you’re selling yourself at the outset.
Do not discuss personal problems, family, or bad experiences with past employers. Don’t discuss your personal life at all, except if asked. (More on the proper way to talk about outside interests and hobbies in chapter 8.)
Smile, show warmth and kindness, and behave respectfully even if you have a sharp-edged business personality. The arrogant person rarely gets the job by acting that way during an interview.
Ask for business cards from the people you encounter throughout the interview process, from the receptionist who greets you at the front desk to the hiring manager who performs the interview, so that you can send follow-up notes to each person in the mail afterward.
After the Interview
Send thank-you notes. Send them to everyone who was involved in getting you the interview at the company, including any inside contacts or friends who helped set it up, the receptionist or scheduler who set your meeting, and of course everyone who participated in the interview itself. See chapter 8 for more detailed information on writing thank-you notes.
If you and the manager didn’t discuss next steps, and you haven’t heard anything in the two business days following your interview, place a follow-up phone call. This should be to the hiring manager who interviewed you only. If you can’t get him or her on the phone, leave a voice message expressing your interest in one sentence, and ask about next steps.
Now that we’ve built a foundation, we’ll move on to the eight-step REAPRICH process, the way to turn yourself into a powerful and successful candidate.
Interview Preparation Worksheet
Find a job listing you might be interested in and do some research as though you are preparing for an interview. Jot down some responses to the following questions: