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Psssst... Do You Really Want That Job Or Contract?
| Learn,what you should do to maximise your chances for success in the interview. The interview is a persuasive process and the interviewee should use all available ethical ways of influencing people. |
Professor Manie Spoelstra - Being interviewed is negotiation
What happens in the interview room will have the most impact on your prospects for landing a potential job or contract. Time and again top contenders fade and underdogs emerge victoriously.
So what should you do to maximise your chances for success? Although the interview is also an opportunity for you to collect information and consider whether you can work with the hiring parties, your main job is to impress upon them the merit of your proposal and the superiority of your talents and skills.
This isn't just about presenting what you plan to do if you are selected. The interview is a persuasive process and the interviewee should use all available ethical ways of influencing people. The interview should be a deliberate, polished attempt to overcome obstacles with a specific audience, towards a particular goal.
How should one handle being interviewed?
Typically, and unfortunately, it is like a sales meeting between two parties, one with little concept of what they are selling and the other with only a vague understanding of what they need to buy. Small wonders, then, that these exercises in communication often end in tears - largely through the inability of both parties to listen, understand and evaluate.
The elation you may feel at having been selected for an interview should be tempered by the question: "What's missing?" If you snooze you lose. Two questions need to be asked:
- What are they telling me?
- What are they not telling me?
You have a place, a date, a starting time and a name. The bare minimum information required to attend an interview. What pieces in the jigsaw are missing?
Assume nothing. You could be facing a panel, or one or two people. Not knowing who these individuals are can send you into shock.
You will of course always be given a starting time but rarely an indication of the scheduled duration, and how many others will be interviewed, unless you request it. If you clarify that only thirty minutes have been allocated and that you are number four on a list of seven, then at least you will be psychologically prepared. You can also request that you be interviewed earlier, e.g. second, since research has shown that you will have a better chance than number four or six.
Is there any written information about their 'problem' - sometimes called a 'Job Description'? These 'descriptions' rarely describe the job accurately. Nevertheless, if there is one and you can encourage the interviewer to send it to you prior to the meeting then you have more information to assess than your competitors, which must be an advantage
What do you know about the buyer's organisation? Using directories and websites is fine, but why not get them to send you something, e.g. the last annual report? Be as prepared as possible.
Communication during the interview
Selling yourself is no more than an exercise in communication. Having received an invitation to a meeting, it would be courteous and businesslike to return it by communicating that you would be pleased to attend. The snoozers' thought process rarely gets this far, so this is an opportunity for you to score a few points and "make a friend at court".
This can be achieved by a simple telephone call, e.g. " I am ringing to confirm that I will be pleased to attend at 2 p.m. on 13 May - there are a few things that I need to clarify but if it's not convenient, I can ring back later." If you sense that you are really hitting it of with the other person you can sometimes get down to the small talk. "I guess you had a lot of applications for the position?" The crucial questions are those regarding whom you will be seeing and the timing of the meeting - anything else is a bonus.
However, don't relax yet. Communicate in writing that you will be pleased to attend. For example: "Further to your letter dated 25 April and my subsequent discussion with your secretary, I am writing to confirm that I will indeed be pleased to meet both yourself and Mrs Brown at 2 pm on 13 May. Thank you for agreeing to send me a copy of the Job Description and an Annual Report in the interim period, witch I look forward to receiving."
Letter writing has gone out of fashion but do not under estimate the value of the letter as a means of communication when selling yourself. It retains the benefits of being more personal, intimate and more classy. This is tiresome but could already move you up the ladder compared to those who did not bother.
Four important Tips:
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. To ensure that your mental attitude is positive you can have your own four-point plan based on the following.
- Never forget your objective and stay honest and confident about it. Never assume that interviewers know what they are looking for.
- Beware of the well-meaning advice to "be yourself". This is the worst advice anyone can give you before the meeting. We wear different "hats" for different occasions. Whether you like it or not, you are going into a sales meeting and you say whatever it takes to achieve your objective.
- At the first meeting all sellers are equal.
On paper, someone may have a higher credibility rating. At the meeting this can be turned on its head within the first thirty seconds. - Don't feel vulnerable about your lack of qualifications or experience. Those who achieve the offer are not always the best equipped for the task - but they are always the ones who have sold themselves best.
- 4. You should feel a little 'nervous' before the meeting, but about the right things.
Let your competitors rather be too busy being overly anxious so that you can think about winning.
After Care
If you do not get the job, it does not mean that it is necessarily the end of the interview. Consider sending them a letter such as:
"I am naturally disappointed to have been unsuccessful on this occasion. However, I would like to thank you for your courtesy in seeing me. I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions and as I retain my strong interest in working with your company please do not hesitate to contact me in the event that the opportunity presents itself for us to further explore common interests."
Some Tips on Responses to Possible Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself?
This is a great question to get, but only if you are prepared for it! It sets the standard for the rest of the meeting. Respond well and you have laid a solid foundation upon which to build. It also sets the standard for your competitors, as the chances are high that they too will be faced with it.
If you are unprepared, you may be nervous and start talking for minutes on end, not knowing when to stop. Always ensure that you have thought about this question. A useful tool here is to make some notes on the points that you would like to position in answering this and other anticipated questions.
Questions regarding your Vision
Here is a blank cheque - complete it! Look carefully at your understanding of their need. Ask yourself. "Well - why should they hire me? Indicate added value and vision that you can bring to their party?"
Two minutes is about right - you can sell a lot of good things in two minutes provided you are focused and you show enthusiasm. Ask yourself, if I say these things, what supplementary questions might they come up with?" With sound preparation you can actually make the buyer ask you the questions you would rather get.
What is your greatest strength?
This is a gift, so grab it with both hands. Interpret the question as: Give me one reason why I should hire you?" In preparing your response to this you may want to ask yourself, "Based on my understanding of their problem, what would they want my greatest strength to be?" Ensure that you have at least two examples to back it up.
What is your greatest weakness?
This is a monster and they are really asking: "Tell my why I shouldn't hire you." Admit to a weakness of a practical nature that will not be damaging, e.g. "Sometimes my wife/husband/partner accuses me of not getting the balance right between work and play and I guess I should build more leisure time into my schedule but I enjoy my work."
Or:
"If you had asked me that question only a year ago I would definitely have said that my presentational skills were not good. It was an essential part of the role and I was very fortunate because my boss was good at giving presentations and he gave me a lot of help. Now I really enjoy it. I don't think weaknesses are a problem if we know what they are and do something about it."<
Questions for you to ask:
So, what questions might you legitimately ask? You will be able to think of several of your own but you may wish to add some of the following to your armoury:
Having studied your website and your latest available annual report.......
Why has this vacancy arisen?
What would you see as my main priority in this role?
If I should be selected for this role and after six months my performance review reads, "this candidate has excelled in this position and has met or exceeded all requirements of the job" - what would it be that I would have done?
I've enjoyed our discussion and I'm very confident that I can take on this role and do it very well, but do you have any reservations about my suitability to this role?
When will I hear from you?
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Calum Coburn Associates is a negotiation training consultancy - www.calumcoburn.co.uk
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