Interviewing

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I'm dedicating this part of my blog to information and free resources to improve interviewing skills. This is Step Three in my Employment blog.

Note that this content is fluid, as I research to add new, improve existing, and remove outdated information. Because of this, if you reference my blog, please be sure to include the update date in your source. If your document is important, it's recommended to print out the blog as it is at the moment you access it, and keep in handy in case it is needed for your sources.

Before Interviewing, find out the following:

1. Who will be conducting the interview?
   Write down his or her name and say it aloud a few times to memorize it. If you're unsure of pronunciation, ask the receptionist.
2. How will the interview be conducted?
   This is very important: interviews can be one-on-one, with  more than one interviewer, or group interviews, like round-table interviews. You need to know what type of interview you'll be in so you can prepare.
3. What is the interview schedule?
   Do they limit their interviews to half an hour? Can it go for an hour or longer? Some of the team interviews, like round-table interviews, can go for hours. I've heard of some being series of interviews that last all day.
4. Where will the interview be conducted?
   Google-maps the drive and practice driving there, if possible, at the same time of day the interview will be conducted. I had an interview in downtown Framingham with an estimated 12 minute drive. At the time I went there, the train came through and added another 10 minutes just sitting still. Fortunately, I always leave a minimum of 15 minutes earlier than my estimated commute requires, so I still made it on time.
1. Restaurant interviews:
   A particularly tricky form of interview is restaurant interviews. Unless you already are extremely familiar with the restaurant, I recommend looking up their menu online or, if no online menu is available, stopping by to decide what you'll eat in advance.
   
   This is especially important if, like me, you have dietary restrictions. I've gone in and spent 20 minutes talking with the head chef, writing up my options, thanking them profusely, and using the information to make the best choice.
   
   Regardless of what you can eat, what you should not eat is: salad, any dish with spinach, pesto, or any other leafy vegetables that could get caught in your teeth, or anything with a sauce (which could splatter and get on your nice interview clothes). Don't order the most expensive thing on the menu, and never drink alcohol or a carbonated beverage. Usually I will eat a small snack at home before the interview so I can order something smaller. Bring travel toothpaste and toothbrush just in case you end up continuing the interview at the office after lunch.
   
   These guidelines are also good to follow after employed for work meetings, board meetings, and so on.
5. Your Self-Marketing Pitch: it's very important to prepare your self-marketing pitch, not just for interviews, but also to have it ready in case you run into someone who is looking for someone with your job skills. Some people call this the "elevator pitch."
1. Length: Your pitch should be a concise description of "who you are, what you do, perhaps how you do it, but most important, what your skills, expertise and accomplishments can offer an employer" (Pyne).
2. Content: Your self-marketing pitch should focus on transferable skills. Memorize a version to use with happenstance meetings, but when you have an interview, tailor it to focus on the skills you have that you know the organization specifically is looking for.
3. Presentation: Practice your pitch in front of a mirror or video camera: your pitch is not just what you say, but also how you say it. You want to look confident and make eye contact.

Last updated: 21 Feb. 2012.

Reference

• Pyne, Mike. Self Marketing Pitch 101. Presented at ETRC One-Stop Career Center, 201 Boston Post Road West, Suite 200, Marlborough, MA 01752.