How to Ace the Job Interview

Companies in many industries may have their pick of job candidates. Recruiters and hiring managers are finding creative ways in interviews to weed out candidates who have survived the resume and application screening. Some methods are old and some are quite recent, but all of them are meant to find ways to eliminate misfits and come by the legal person for the job.

The methods may not always be magnificent or accurate. Nevertheless, as the job candidate, you should be prepared with the appropriate response. In the process, you may get out whether the company is fair for you, as well. The process works both ways.

Interview screening methods include both legitimate and tricky ploys that an experienced candidate can glimpse right through, providing the candidate is not so nervous that he or she cannot think clearly. The dirty little secrets are listed below. Keep in mind that the list is growing and that some of these methods may go out of Style while others are just coming in vogue. The profitable methods, which involve an assessment of knowledge, skills, abilities, and character, are listed last.

They may derive a whiff of you.
That’s honest! The interviewer gets close to you or even bumps up against you to smell you. If you did not attend to proper hygiene on that day, you are in trouble. If you had to run in the heat from your remote parking place to the building, this can be a problem. Watch for the unforgivable faux pas, bad breath. In a world of toothpaste, mouthwash, breath mints, and smart eating habits, this one at least can be avoided. Don’t eat garlic, onions or spice even two days before that interview! Scour your mouth if you have had coffee. Do not smoke.

They may contemplate you eat or drink.
Your table manners will be dissected for etiquette. If you do not know what table manners entail, google table manners or find the subject in a good etiquette book. To give only one example, some otherwise professional people suddenly appear lost in the wilderness at a party when they snack on the hors d’oeuvres, eating them with their begin mouths upright over the food. It is amazing what offensive manners some educated people can display without even realizing it.

They may ask you to ask questions.
This one is both legitimate and sly. It seems natural for the interviewer to examine you to ask a question. In a structured interview, it is generally the final seek information from asked of you and seems normal enough. However, a candidate may be caught off guard if he or she thinks the interview is essentially over. By the end of the interview, unless the interviewers have been too strict in the process, the candidate should have already posed some appropriate questions. If you have not asked questions, then be prepared to ask something appropriate when prompted. A kindly example may be, “What would the most important priority once I am on the job? ”

Common sense and thinking on one’s feet play a big role in asking the right questions. Some questions are downright stupid and will nail you. (Yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question.) If you should have known the answer, the question proves you did not do your homework. If the seek information from shows you weren’t paying attention, it also comes off as a plain request.

They may inspect your car.
An assistant may be sent down to look over your vehicle to check for neatness and cleanliness, inside and out. It is another screening technique. Who knows whether it is a fair predictor of a person’s worth to a company?

They may watch you in the waiting room.
If you pace the floor, yawn, tap on the furniture, play games on your cell phone, talk loudly on the cell phone, or even take calls at all, mediate again. Do not flirt with the receptionist. Chances are you are being watched—definitely by the receptionist, and probably by others. While waiting to interview, consider going over your resume, reading literature about the company, or otherwise looking studious, focused and professional.

They may ask for your salary requirements in the first interview.
The old rule that says to avoid discussing salary in the first interview still applies to the candidate. However, the interviewer may cut right to the chase to test you. Do not consume the bait. Instead, be coy at first and suggest that you are sure that the salary will be appropriate based on your impression of the company. If the interviewer pushes you, indicate a range that you know is appropriate. Your knowledge of the company can achieve face for you because you name a range that fits the status and your qualifications. Do not get more specific than a range, and do not say too much.

They may send you to an employee “good old boy.”
The interview is over, when suddenly the interviewer calls in a “good old boy,” an associate whom he claims is one of the worker bees who simply loves his job. The recent person, bursting with enthusiasm, pulls you aside and chats with you in an informal manner. This is the true grilling and the test of your ability to remain professional! The ploy is to get you to let your guard down and reveal more about yourself. How mighty do you know about the job and the business? Can you be drawn into war stories and gossip? Do you have a hidden bone to recall with a previous employer or associate? What is your temperament when you think you are not being evaluated?

They may throw out some nonsensical jargon.
The “good old boy” may say something nonsensical to see if you question the vocabulary or let it slide. If you pretend you understand something nonsensical, you have been burned. On occasion this tactic may even be outmoded in the formal interview, but it is harder to disguise.

They may attempt to entice you into office gossip.
This is generally the province of the informal interview on the side, when your guard is likely to be lowered. The enticing statement may be about someone that you met during introductions, or even a previous interviewer. You may be asked for your view of that person. Do not be drawn into the gossip, even if your understanding is requested. Instead, say that you cannot say. You will be credited with professional neutrality and avoidance of gossip.

They may watch your reaction to the opposite sex.
Do you ogle the opposite sex? Do you openly flirt, or worse, do you make sexist remarks? If you do you will be burned. Any such offense is an unforgiveable faux pas in an interview situation. For your own good, consider it to be inappropriate in any office situation.

They may test your opinion of the opposite sex in the work place.
The interviewer may not only watch how you behave with the opposite sex, but may even ask your opinion of the opposite sex in a hypothetical situation. He or she may even offer a specific example that seems to be about someone in the company that may pose a problem in the work status. Do not take the bait. You are being tested for appropriate attitudes about a potentially volatile explain. Keep your speech neutral and professional and choose the side of fairness and equity without sounding like a prude. It is best not to say too distinguished.

They may check your age.
This is illegal, but age discrimination is rampant and difficult to contest. If you are over 40, and especially if you are over 50, your chances of finding a job go down drastically. If you are competing against candidates young enough to be your children, you are in serious trouble. You may attempt to sight younger and leave your age off of your resume. The candidate should not go back more than ten or fifteen years on the resume, and should also demonstrate familiarity with recent technology. Employers, however, can tell your age by checking the application for the school graduation, a dead giveaway. By the time the aging candidate has reached the interview, his or her age is already known, and the candidate must try to appear technically savvy. Salary becomes an issue because of the concept that seniors have high salary expectations—if not now, then in the long hasten.

The older candidate must present vigor, intelligence, competence, technical flexibility, a long-range attitude toward the prospective job, and realistic expectations of salary. People skills could also help the older candidate. A big factor would be to show some comfort with and respect for a potential boss who may be a generation younger. Unfortunately, the older candidate must be a virtual chameleon or a social pretzel to win out in a contest with younger candidates in America, the land that worships youth. The candidate can do certain things in the interview to focus on abilities and what he or she has to offer the company, rather than one’s age. Do not talk about your grown children and what they do, because this dates you. Definitely do not mention your grandchildren. Talk about what you are doing now and what you can offer the company.

One step toward job interviewing success would be to land the interview with companies that are age reliable. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) were created by the federal government, which may be the best situation to look for an age-friendly job. Unfortunately, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is in decline due to reduced demand for physical mail. Judge other branches of the US federal government that have need of your skills. These include the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but there are many other branches.

The official website of the US federal government is www.jobsearch.usajobs.gov, and would be an excellent place to begin your search. Consider also the US Office of Personnel Management, which seeks civilian personnel. The website is www.opm.gov.

The following items are the legitimate methods that test one’s knowledge, skills, abilities and character.

They may interview you by panel.
This is the nerve-wracking interview that makes most candidates sweat. You are seated in the hot seat at the end of the conference table while surrounded on three sides by a panel of interviewers, each with a situation of questions. It helps to be prepared and truly qualified for the job, because you will be tested and found either helpful or wanting. You will know soon enough if things are going well for you. If you answer appropriately, without sounding too wooden, you have a good chance for success.

It helps to demonstrate a runt bit of appropriate humor to get some smiles without trying to be silly or overly funny. Relax and smile yourself, and try to mirror the attitude of those around the table. If they are hostile, perhaps you would not want to work at that company, after all. Usually, however, the interviewers are not out to eliminate the candidate: they are honestly trying to evaluate and compose the right decision. You as a candidate can help them to relax and feel confident that you are the right person for the job.

They may interview you by gamut.
The candidate gets passed from interview to interview. A week or two goes by without word, until the candidate calls to ask how the process is going. Next, he or she is scheduled for a second round of interviews. This process may be repeated many times. The higher the executive level, the longer the process may take. The strategy for surviving the interview gamut is to be patient and professional without showing a hint of frustration. Executive positions require decorum under pressure, and the gamut is one such test; however, a company’s use of the method may simply be caused by internal politics or nervousness about making a decision. Extremes in the process may be a red flag for the candidate. If the process becomes too bizarre, perhaps you should reconsider your desire to work there.

They may give a structured interview.
This is one of the best interviewing methods because it tests your qualifications through legitimate questions in hypothetical or test scenarios. There is no pretense, and both sides understand that the candidate is being tested for the knowledge, skills and abilities required of the place. The same questions are asked of all candidates and responses are recorded for evaluation and comparison. Hypothetical scenarios might include the candidate being asked to describe an incident when he or she led a project well, including the challenges and the results. The capable candidate who prepares and anticipates such questions and scenarios should do well.

They may ask situational questions.
Structured interviews often ask situational questions, but such questions may arise in any interview. Such questions might include how the candidate has related to fellow workers or employees in the past, particularly in a specific problem station.

They may check the candidate’s knowledge of the company.
It is best for the candidate to indicate at least some basic knowledge of the company based on public information, such as the company financial statements, the company web site, and news about the company. The candidate should know the specifics about the position being offered, and know how he or she can contribute to that space and the firm’s future success. This knowledge requires some research and rehearsal to prepare for the interview. Some interviewers net specific in the questioning process in order to probe the candidate’s understanding. Vague ideas at this stage are frowned upon, but too great insider knowledge may also be questionable.

They may test your knowledge, skills and abilities.
It is fantastic how many job candidates are surprised that they will be tested for basic skills. If the job posting calls for specific knowledge or skills on the computer, for example, count on being tested. If you Wonder how you would fare on such a test, accept a temporary agency or educational organization to test you in a specific space. Brush up with a manual or get some specific instruction. The time and expense to improve your skill could pay off with a job offer.

They may test your IQ.
Some firms give some form of IQ test. The purpose of the test is usually not to find a genius but to test one’s general capacity to learn and adapt. Although IQ testing can be a controversial way to test for intelligence because of clear biases built into the test, at least a general education should rule out most biases and allow for a reasonably fair assessment. IQ tests mostly assess logical, verbal and mathematical ability. If your educational background qualifies you for the job, you should not be too worried. Some positions require at least an average basic intelligence based on generally accepted literacy acquired from a high school or college education. However, some positions are indeed IQ-intensive. The state requires the brain power and pays accordingly.

You cannot truly prepare for an IQ test on short leer. A candidate may improve IQ scores over time by making up for a lack of education—taking more courses in liberal arts and math, for instance. This would help dampen some biases in the test. However, education can only improve basic IQ scores by a minute amount. Another factor in helping to improve the IQ score may be experience in the taking of standardized tests. Test-taking practice may assist if the candidate has very little experience at taking standardized tests. Most adults in the United States with a minimum high school education are already familiar with such tests of various kinds. Only if one lacks this testing experience would practice improve one’s chances on an IQ test.

They may test your honesty.
This psychological test should be expected in firms that involve the direct handling of funds or valued goods. However, the need for honesty and integrity in a company has no vocational boundaries. For a long time to come, the late Ken Lay, the convicted former CEO of Enron in Houston, will be the prime example of the need for honesty at the highest professional level. The recent Ponze scheme also comes to mind. The candidate should be honest with himself, first of all. Without integrity, true success is only fleeting.

They may test your communication skills.
It is amazing how many candidates are screened out because of grammar and spelling errors on resumes and applications. Even after the interview, the thank you letter can be another screening tool due to poor grammar, bad spelling, or poor writing. What is said in the letter, whether email or physical mail, is also reviewed with care. It matters what you write!

If the position requires good communication skills, the interviewer may also check for your ability to articulate well. This involves not only the content of your verbal responses, but your spoken grammar. Some people with college degrees have difficulty conjugating verbs or using the correct case in standard English. If you, the candidate, do not know what “case” and “conjugation” mean and how they apply to standard English, you probably need to consult a good grammar text.

They will look for your gratitude and interest in the job.
When the interview process and associated screening and testing are over, the candidate should follow the etiquette expected by asking for the job. This demonstrates one’s interest in the dwelling and separates oneself from the candidate who is either not interested or does not have the initiative to ask! The expected etiquette involves two steps: verbally expressing interest in the job at the end of the interview, and asking for the job in the thank you letter. The thank you letter should be addressed to the chief interviewer or hiring manager and postmarked within 24 hours of the interview. Some companies allow an email letter, but it would be appropriate to employ email only if the interviewer offers his email address and signals that email would be an appropriate response.

If the candidate has been interviewed by several people, it is advisable to name the key members of the interview team. “Please speak my thanks to Judy A and John B for their time and interest in our interview.” In the main, without the candidate’s expression of gratitude and interest, a second interview or offer will not be made.

Sources:

Dorio, Marc, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Perfect Interview, New York, NY: Alpha Books, 2000.

Camden, Thomas M. and Sanborn, Robert, How to Glean a Job in Houston, Chicago, IL: Surrey Books, 1993.

Sanborn, Robert and Lederman, Eva, How to Win a Job in New York City and the Metropolitan Area, Chicago, IL: Surrey Books, 1998.

www.opm.gov.

www.jobsearch.usajobs.gov