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Be Prepared
The Straits Times, Career Guide 2014
Larry arrived at a local deli for a meal interview. He ordered turkey and cheese on rye. When the sandwich arrived, he realised there were two additional layers of ingredients, cottage cheese and grape jelly, and it came up to quite a stack, which would be difficult to cope with during a formal interview. He could either eat it or return it.
Larry acknowledged the additional layers of ingredients and managed well. At the end of the interview, the interviewer told Larry that he knew the owner of the restaurant, and asked him to make the massive sandwich as a test for Larry. The interviewer wanted to see how Larry could stomach a potentially stressful situation.
Develop story telling skills
Increasingly, behavioural questions, such as “Tell me a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer and how you turned things around”, are posed by interviewers where they require you to relate specific experiences. Interviewers are trying to get a grasp how you reacted in the past to understand how you would behave in the future. Generic responses to such questions will not do.
To “sell” yourself and connect better with the interviewer, develop the art of telling coherent stories that are relevant to the job. Like the Larry sandwich story, storytelling can bring a point across in an appealing and illuminating manner. Identify stories about your career, extra-curricular activities and life experiences, which showcase your talents and skills, and master the art of telling those stories.
Preparation is key
Interviewees tend to be concerned about how they will perform in an interview, especially when they have just graduated and do not have much experience. They ask themselves: How do I control my nerves? How can I be ready for the interview?
The answer is simple: Prepare, prepare and prepare.
Start by knowing your audience. Human resource professionals tend to emphasise more on your personality to assess if you fit into the company’s culture. Line managers are more concerned about your technical expertise.
Find out what type of interview has been arranged. If it is a telephone interview, be sure your phone has sufficient battery life to last the conversation, and be in a quiet and conducive environment to take that call. If it is a meal interview, like the one Larry had, doing some homework on the type of food available might help you order something easy to manage.
Be appropriately attired. Organise your portfolio, including your resume, testimonials, transcripts and any other relevant documents, so you can easily access the information.
Mental dressing is as important as your physical getup. Run through in your mind how you can best position yourself. Think through and devise your responses to some common questions often asked such as:
— Tell me about yourself.
— Why are you applying for this position and this organisation?
— What are your unique selling points?
— What are your salary expectations?
While you can prepare, you can never be 100 per cent ready. Larry never expected the “sandwich test” at the deli. Hence the ability to think on your feet and react appropriately is critical.
Show interest and build rapport
Go into the interview room with a positive attitude and a winning mentality. If Larry had been discouraged by the minor challenge he had, it would have negatively impacted his performance.
Try to create rapport with the interviewer quickly. Even icebreaker questions such as “How’s your day?” or “Would you like to have a drink?” can be great opportunities to connect. Do not brush off these questions too quickly, to get on to the interview proper. Common responses such as “Fine, thank you” or “No, thanks” might make you seem uninterested. Instead, share a little about your day, focusing on the positives and do accept the drink offer.
Avoid scheduling too many interviews in the same day, as this will result in your mind already thinking about the next interview even when the current one is still in progress.
Make sufficient eye contact (80 to 90 per cent) to convey your interest and confidence. Sit upright and lean forward a little to show enthusiasm. Work on your body language, which is known to speak volumes in any communication. And remember to smile.
A typical question asked towards the end of the interview is “Do you have any questions?” Responding in the negative can be construed as lack of interest. Do come prepared with some good questions to ask and make your interview more a two-way conversation. Remember to be yourself and to be sincere.
Summary
To ace your interview:
• Be a good storyteller.
• Come prepared.
• Show interest.
• Be yourself and be sincere.
Clement Ong is the deputy managing director of NeXT Career Consulting Group, Asia, a professional HR services organisation specialising in the delivery of quality and effective career management/transition and executive/leadership coaching programmes.
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