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Interview bounty wasted if you don't do the homework
If you've been struggling to get interviews, you might be surprised to learn that some people get them fairly easily. They might be in a "hot" industry or have a strong network, or they might just be lucky.
I've talked with two women lately for whom this is the case. Both are busy and powerful with full agendas, and both want to make a change in their careers. The problem? They haven't been taking their interviews as seriously as they should.
Of course they're not arriving late or wearing mismatched shoes. Nor are they skipping the niceties, such as post-interview thank-you letters. They're just not diving into each opportunity as if it were the only one they were going to get.
Their reasons for the relaxed approach are myriad. Their timelines are not strict, so they don't feel pressured to take the first job that comes along. They are skilled in their fields, so they have confidence in their marketability. And each has a packed calendar, full of meetings and conferences.
As one woman noted, that may be the problem: She's been scheduling the interviews and then approaching them as if they were regular business meetings on her calendar. In her case, that means there is very little time to prepare for the sessions and almost no advance analysis of the company or position.
The result is a certain shallowness in the meeting. Without adequate information at her fingertips, the candidate is not able to bring the conversation to more interesting places. And without the spark that kind of give-and-take creates, the interviewer doesn't get to see the job-seeker's breadth and depth.
I've seen similar patterns with other job-seekers. Sometimes the lack of preparation can be traced to inexperience; when that happens, it's easily corrected. Low self-esteem or even depression also could be the culprit. Without question, if the job-seeker isn't committed to the job change or isn't excited about the opportunity, those feelings will play out in actions related to the interview.
Whatever the cause, the result is one you want to avoid: interviews in which no one in the room is excited about the job-seeker's candidacy. To avoid this unfortunate circumstance, break your interview preparation into three steps: research, analyze and anticipate.
Research
Time is often your enemy when it comes to researching adequately before an interview. Do what you can, but never skip this step. Use the Internet, the library, newspaper articles, directories and your contacts to look into any or all of the following angles:
* the company and its background;
* the company's products or services;
* competitors to this company and their products or services;
* the overall industry and the direction it's taking;
* the professional background of key people in the company; and
* the position or job title for which you are interviewing, both in this company and in other companies.
Track what you find and the sources of the information so that you can dig deeper, if needed.
Analyze
Now that you know something about the field, the company, its products and its competitors, start putting the pieces together. Is this firm growing in its market niche? Declining? Does it even have a market niche? Where has it been putting its energies in the last few years? And what role do you think you could play in its future?
If this step is difficult for you, enlist the help of someone you know with strong analytical skills or a background in this industry. Your goal is to create some reasonable conclusions about the company's role in its industry and your likely contributions to the company.
As you work on this, note the questions that come up. Some of them will turn into good conversation points in the interview.
Anticipate
Now you're coming to the point of the exercise. Based on what you've been learning, why do you think they're interested in talking with you? And why are you interested in them? Practice answering the questions you anticipate they'll ask, and prepare some of your own.
You should be able to discuss not only your background and current skills but also your potential skills. In most interviews, this will elevate you past the other candidates. You will be the one with an eye to the company's future, and they'll want to keep an eye on your future as well.
- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice. com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.
