The Interview. I've got the Skills and Brains. The Job is Mine! ... Not so Fast!

                         The Interview Matters - Part II

by Brian Connors

Last issue, we explored what to do, and what not to do, in a job interview. Again, these aren't book, theoretical suggestions; they come directly from my horror of watching, over and over again, a 10 year expreienced, Master's educated, well spoken, well tenured software engineer with a stable job history, high IQ, and perfect references ... absolutely blow an interview out of the water and destroy their chances at that perfect job. Perhaps they got over-confident with the whole process and forgot to do some of the simplest things. Grandma's old cliches prove to be right again: just keep it simple, be honest, look someone in the eyes, give 'em a hearty handshake, and be a real and genuine person. These factors are hugely important during each and every interview you take part in! More specifics:

• Be cautious what you say about former employers. Even if you had a bad experience with a former employer, try to turn it into a situation where you learned something from it, answering questions without speaking negatively about former bosses or coworkers. Stay positive, positive, positive, and energetic!
• Spend some time before the interview thinking about eht types of questions they are likely to ask and how you should answer them. For instance: your experience that relates to this position, how you will answer why you left a past job, why you want the job, why you feel you would be a good fit in this position, your strength and weaknesses, what motivates you, and again, specific examples related to your abilities.
• Be prepared with 2 or 3 job or company-related questions that you can ask them. Don't focus too much on money, or what they can do for you; focus on how your strong efforts will benefit the company and help your career grow. Focus on how much you like to learn and grow, and how ambitious you are, but be careful not to take that too far ... if they feel like you are going to get bored in the role you are shooting for, because you are so focused on advancing, that can scare a hiring manager ... they need you in the role they are hiring for, at least for a little while, before you progress to the next level.
• If the question of money does come up, be very candid about where you are at a base, what types of things you can expect on top of that with your current employer, and let them know that you are looking for a modest increase, but reassure that money is not your driving factor. (Um, if it is, you'd better take a good look again at why you are considering a move. If you are only moving for money, that should raise a huge red flag for you.) Perhaps your main reason for looking is that you want to be with a strong, growing firm that will appreciate and maximize the contributions you intend to make. Perhaps you've done the start-up thing and you are looking for amore family friendly lifestyle. Whatever it is, this is where you'll want to reiterate the core reason why you are looking, and again, that's not money.
• Within 24 hours of the in-person interview, follow up with a personal Thank You note, at least by email. But come on, do you know how many emails your interviewer will receive tomorrow, versus hand-written thank you cards?

If you have any specific questions about any interview scenario you've had in the past or have upcoming, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at the email address below. I'd be happy to share my experiences and advice with you, a reader of LoyolaComputes, any time for free! I'd welcome the opportunity to share and help you.

About the Author

Brian Connors is I.T. Division Manager at AllSearch Professional Staffing. He can be reached at brianc@allsearchinc.com, (410) 560-1702, or at his LinkedIn page.