“I have a face-to-face interview…am I ready?”

By Stacie Garlieb, President of Successful Impressions, LLC

With the complexity of interview processes these days, you probably already ‘passed’ a phone interview – congratulations!  Now it’s time to meet with your potential new boss, possibly another manager, or someone from human resources.  Here are some ways to make sure you are prepared to make a successful impression:

1)       Wear your interview clothes around the house (shoes included)

-          No matter how comfortable that suit was in the store, it will be uncomfortable for the interview, so get used to it.  Put on any jewelry (less is better…) too.  Shoes should be close-toed and comfortable.

2)      Research the company AND who you will be interviewing with

-          Use social media (LinkedIn^® and Facebook^®) to find out current trends in the company, events, and information about the person you will be meeting with.  Personal information doesn’t matter, just information about their role in the company and career path.

-          Check local or national websites for business journal and news articles about the company and their competition – the more you know about the industry in general, the more valuable you will appear in the interview.

3)      Plan  your route to the interview location and drive there

-          The best time to do this is when you will need to go the next day if possible – plan where to park and give yourself plenty of time to be there at least 15 minutes early to be ready when you walk in.

4)      Practice interview answers – in writing, then with someone else

-          Depending on the industry/job there will be specific questions to expect on the interview.  Looking at the job description will give you several hints as well.  For example, if the posting says ‘Excellent communication skills’ as the first “Qualification”, then be ready to give examples of specifically how you have used your communication skills – verbal and written – and received positive results.

-          Most interviewers are expecting answers that ‘tell a story’ and are behavioral-based.  Don’t give a laundry list for ‘What are your strengths?’, but tell a story about a specific time you used the skill in a work or organization (KD!) setting and what you achieved by using the skill effectively.

-          The person you practice with should look for your eye contact, voice intonation and volume, details of your content – they should be able to ‘feel like they were there’ – and results you achieved.

5)      Prepare ‘Questions to Ask’ and write them down to take into the interview

-          EVERY interviewer will ask ‘What questions do you have for me?’ at the end of asking the questions they have for you as the candidate.  The wrong answer is ‘I don’t really have any questions at this time.’ 

-          There is no way you can know everything about the company/position, even if you work in the same department.  Ask about expectations for the first 3 months, annual goals for the position, communication style and preference (email, voicemail, cell phone etc.), or questions about the general organization that would be relevant to whether you would be interested in working in that role.

6)      Print out multiple copies of your resume on white resume paper

-          Remember the first time you met someone new and couldn’t wait to introduce them to your other friends?  If the interviewer feels that you are qualified, there is a chance that you may get to interview with someone else that same appointment.  Being prepared with multiple copies of your resume will show your confidence in being ready to meet with everyone in the organization to share your skills!

Using these steps as a general checklist for face-to-face interviews will allow you to meet with your next prospective manager with confidence to accurately represent your skills and background.  Additional career resources for Kappa Delta sisters are available at www.successfulimpressions.net.