Top Job Interview Tips

It is job hunting season for most new college graduates. And with so many graduates as against available jobs (most notably, matched jobs), it is quite tough competition out there.

A job interview, apart from crafting a good-looking resume, is probably one of the most difficult challenges a job seeker faces during the job application process, regardless whether one is a fresh graduate or a job ‘hopper’ for sometime. I must admit that I do enjoy this part, but there’s no secret formula than just being yourself (don’t pretend to be someone else, worse an expert) and just great amount of self-confidence. With some mix of humility and straightforwardness, you are ready to face any job interview challenge, even the much dreaded panel interviews.

At a young age, I had the opportunity to actually went through an interview intensive job application. My first job application (I was a new graduate then) for a consulting position in an IBM Business Consulting partner was 10% written (just an IQ exam) and 90% interview. It was a 3-stage job interview process where the last phase was a panel interview.

still remember that panel interview, which I always share with my colleagues mostly in an anecdotal way. I was a new graduate, fresh from an Industrial Engineering degree in a university. Traditional jobs did not really enticed me. Could not imagine myself sitting for 8-hours doing some production planning, or inventory control, or doing some purchasing stuff. So I applied for a job with this announcement:

Business Consultant needed -
2-3 years experience in a Manufacturing setting;
Must have knowledge in IBM AS/400 system operations;
Experience with BPCS or any MRPII software is preferred;
Knowledge with MRPII is a must;
Must be hardworking and,
Must be a fast learner.

During the panel interview (which means, miraculously, I went past the IQ exam and hurdled through 2 interview stages), this Boss-looking guy asked me with a straight faced question, “So, what do you have that you think will make us consider your application?“.

For a moment, I paused, and with a straight face, I answered back, “Sirs and Madam, I am a new graduate, I don’t have any experience in a manufacturing company, except as an OJT; I don’t know anything about IBM AS/400 - haven’t seen one; BPCS and MRPII software are new to me, but, I am proud to say I know MRPII (we studied it in school), I am hardworking and most of all, I am a fast learner.”

After 3 days, somebody called me up to inform me I was hired. LOL.

Based on experience, the following is my personal guide to pass a job interview with confidence and ease:

1. Know the trade. Learn how to conduct a job interview yourself. While this is mostly applicable to experienced job seekers, but fresh graduates will also find this very useful. There are a lot of publications about how to conduct an interview. Read. Google it. (Check out this great job interview reference).
2. Prepare for it. Get enough sleep and be sure to look fresh and good during the job interview. It is always wise to have focus during the job interview and have that great state of mind and health.
3. Dress smart. I usually wear a smart but simple business attire (in the Philippines, it is okay to wear long-sleeved polo and slacks - neck tie is optional). I choose pastel colors, or color combinations that looks cool and pleasant to the eyes.
4. Wear your smile. I meant be natural with your smile. You can perfect this in front of the mirror. I could easily spot a natural smile and a fake one, worse, a nervous smile.
5. Be straight to the point. Do not give answers to questions that were not directly asked. If you were asked how long you have been working, answer 5 years instead of answering you worked for 3 years, then stopped to study masters, then worked again for 2 years.
6. Focus on your strength. You have to know (if you read and learn how to conduct a job interview yourself - you should already get this point) that job interviewers do not expect for a perfect match or a perfect employee. It is all about right attitude and your ability to recognize your strengths and weaknesses that really matter to most employers. If you are a fresh graduate, perhaps you can find my panel interview answer as a tip. Lastly, you have to successfully assure your prospect employer that you are trainable, and that you have the drive to learn new things.
7. Do not lie. This is obviously a no-no in a job interview. Most job interviewers can distinguish a false answer. They study those things. It’s their job. So don’t be too smart to think you’re smarter than them.
8. Ask the right questions. Most job interviewers may ask you if you have questions - but just limit your questions to the scope of the job, some clarifications about the nature of the job if some information were not clear to you, and what will be the next stage after the interview. While others suggest that you ask about the compensation package, I strongly suggest to defer this question until you are invited back to discuss about it. Avoid asking too much questions - only relevant ones as suggested above.
9. End with a smile and a handshake. Most people smile after the job interview process - again, give that natural smile. But some don’t bother to approach the job interviewer and give a warm ‘thank you’ and a handshake. Make the job interviewer feel that you mean business, and most business deals end with a nice handshake. Just do it.

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Job Interview Tips

Many years ago when I hated what I was doing for a living I was encouraged by my career coach to write several short stories about times and events in my life where I influenced the outcome. I was stumped at first, but after a few days, I came up with over 15 pages of stories of times in my life where I influenced the outcome and either grew myself and/or bettered the existence of either myself or others around me.

So what does this have to do with a job interview?

If you read other books on job interviews, you'll notice they feed you a ton of interview questions to learn answers to. The big problem with this is that an interview is not an interrogation. It's a conversation. To make it that way you need to come armed. Arm yourself with a multitude of small stories about both your business life and your personal life.

When you go into an interview, you need to leave your nerves at the door. The best way to prepare is to be yourself. The best way to be yourself is to tell your own story (or stories). So have your stories rehearsed and ready to go.

This is especially great for the competency-based interview that's being used more today. In a traditional interview, the interviewer will ask you questions focused on whether you have the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. A competency-based interview goes further by asking you additional questions about your character and personal attributes that can better determine whether you fit their corporate culture. These are called "behavioral competencies".

Half of a competency-based interview will focus on your job skills. The other half on your behavioral competencies. The interviewer will be looking for evidence of how you have acted in real situations in the past. So having your stories ready to go plays very well for this type of interview.

Here is What a Company Wants to Find Out About You:

1. Are you an asset or liability, in other words, will you either make money or save money for the company.

2. Are you a team player? (will you fit into the corporate hierarchy or be like sand in the gears?) Can you take and give (if appropriate) orders?

3. Will you fit into the company culture? (they don't want loners or prima donnas)

The best way to do that is to take the initiative and have several personal stories that you can tell. Spend maybe a half minute to 90 seconds on each.

You may want to start by developing your stories around these areas:

Several times where you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company.

Focus on a crisis or two in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

A time where you functioned as a part of a team and what that contribution was.

A time in your career or job where you had to deal with stress.

A time in your job where you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.

The failures you faced in your job and how you overcame them.

The seminal events that happened during your career that caused you to change direction and how that worked out for you.

I want to emphasize that an interview should not be an interrogation. It should be a conversation between two equals. When you accomplish this, you come away a step closer to your goal of landing the job you really want, because…

It’s the conversation that wins an interview, and
It’s the conversation that wins the job!