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Are Interviews Effective?

Cynthia Stringer | Thursday 19th November 2009

Think back to the worst interview you've ever had. What was happening inside yourself? From the interviewer or the situation? What were you doing that didn't work well? What did you do very well? I recommend you explore the interview for all positions whether full, part-time or contract work in three separate phases. Your interview will either secure your offer or not. I recommend that you hold in context the interview as two things: to explore whether working at that company is a good fit for you and second to have fun and clarify your offerings and your professional value and contribution.

The three phases of interviewing:

1. Research 2. Reality 3. Respond

Before embarking on any interviews the first step is clarity your value, what you can do for them: your accomplishments, your unique offering, and what you are looking for. Take the time to get yourself clear and focused and apply for positions which you know you have a high probability for. This increases your confidence and saves time. Find out about the company and people interviewing you. Take the time to do thorough research on the company in the paper, on Linkedin, on Facebook, Twitter and by your informational interviews. The more you know what is current the more creditable and professional you are. Remember that interviews are a process of observing, sharing, responding, and impressing. The most comprehensive way to do all of this is to do your research.

The reality of an interview is that you are nervous, uncertain and may speak faster and with less clarity than you usually do. Given this it?s important that you approach the interview with a simple system and recall mechanism. I recommend my favorite, which is that you image yourself being interviewed by the media. Identify 3-5 key points with examples that you can share with them in a comprehensive longer version and a shortened sound bite to convey the items mentioned above. The key components of these accomplishments are accessed by remembering what was the situation or problem that you are sharing about, what solution did you identify, what was the response , what was the result and what feedback did you receive. When you organize your thoughts in this manner you are sure to impress.

What have been your personal secrets to interviewing? I have many more tips I can share so let me know your specific problem areas or questions.The final stage is that of responding. You do this by responding to your questions, how to take action during the interview and what you choose to do after the interview. It has been demonstrated over and over the importance of doing a form of debrief or summary with yourself after an interview to evaluate what worked and didn't work. This allows you to let the interview go and learn from it. When we don't do this we have a tendency to consistently analyze and over think our interviews. Better to learn from it and let it go.After an interview it is crucial to follow up with thanks and summary of who you are and why you want the position. You want to remind them about why you are the best person for the job. Don't assume the interview by itself did it. It's the research; actual interview and responding in follow up that makes a difference.

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David Conti 4 December 2009

Great advice. A delicate balance needs to be found between selling our capabilities, building rapport, and truly listening to the interviewer. Experience builds confidence.

Christopher Shea 1 December 2009

As a recruiter, I've been interviewing people for a living for 25 years. It may sound counter intuitive but my advice is to remember that it is the interviewer who is under the greatest stress. Yes, it is critical to do your homework and be prepared but it is most important to understand and address the interviewer's concerns during an interview.

Rather than "selling" the interviewer, I would focus on learning what the interviewer wants to "buy". What are the skills necessary to succeed? What are the greatest challenges? Once you understand what the interviewer is looking for, you can describe how you fit the requirements. Remember, if the hiring authority hires a great person they have only done what was expected by their superiors. They are the ones at the greatest risk during the hiring process and under the greatest stress.

Sandeep Channa 20 November 2009

Juan - good idea of abbreviation: ResReeRes

Juan Carlo Pascua 19 November 2009

Thanks Cynthia! Great Post. I've decided to memorize your tip with abbreviation:
ResReeRes - Research, Reality, Respond. Now I'll never forget!

My favorite quote from this post:
"I recommend my favorite, which is that you image yourself being interviewed by the media. Identify 3-5 key points with examples that you can share with them in a comprehensive longer version and a shortened sound bite to convey the items mentioned above."

What have been your personal secrets to interviewing?
The couple times that I've been hired on the spot I did what was recommended by Gerry Spence in one of his argument books: the Magical Argument. Basically you let flow takeover and live in the moment, not relying on your cue cards like a crutch, but letting them pour out of you with all your passion for the position - in a semi-formal tone of course.