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Before your job interview

You have been offered a job interview! Congratulations! Here's how to stack the deck in your favor.

October 2, 2000

Nothing is more impressive or expresses your interest more dramatically than being knowledgeable about a prospective employer. By doing your homework, you will arrive at the interview with a great sense of "being prepared." This gets rid of a whole lot of butterflies! If you are working with a recruiter/search professional, ask him to fill you in, as well.

What should you know about the company

• Key players

• Products

• Reputation

• Growth record

• Size

• Profits

• The company's industry in general

This information may be gathered through one or more of the following sources:  

• Spend an hour at the library reviewing their statistics in Standard & Poor's, Moody's Manuals, Dunn & Bradstreet, or other financial reference books.

• Review trade journals or special annual periodicals.

• Get a copy of the company's annual report through a brokerage house.

• Ask friends and acquaintances who may be knowledgeable about the firm.

• And of course, the Internet is a wonderful source of information. Many companieshave detailed company literature, and financials on the web. You can usually find this information by accessing any of the popular search engines. HotBot is a good one, because you can search for a company by its domain name. The search engine will come back with a list of all sites registered to the particular company, plus many, many others.

All of this research will not only create a stronger image of you in the interview, but likewise it can provide you with a better basis for evaluating the opportunity if an offer is made.

Getting there

If you are driving, make sure you have good directions and allow extra time. The only thing worse than arriving to an interview late, is being so sweaty and stressed that you are thrown off your game for the rest of the day.

• Therefore -- numero ono -- be punctual (preferably ten to 15 minutes early). Allow plenty of time for parking and finding your way around the facility. Keep in mind you may have to fill out a job application beforehand.

• Bring a road map along, just in case.

• If you have traveled by plane to the interview, carry your bags on the plane instead of checking them. You would hate to show up for an interview unshaven and disheveled because your bags were lost by the airline.

• Give yourself some time to get ready. Try to arrange to come in the night before so that you are fresh and rested for the interview.

• If you are picking up a rental car, make sure that you have a credit card. Most major car rental agencies will not rent to you if you do not have a major credit card in your name. A debit card will not do. If you are fresh out of college, make sure you are old enough to rent a car… before you get to the rental counter. 

Your personal demeanor and grooming

As a starting point, it is critical to understand that the impression you make in the first few minutes of the interview generally sets the tone for your success or failure for the entire interview – and if you are hired, maybe even your future with the company

• Maintain eye contact as you speak.

• Greet people with a firm, friendly handshake.

• Never smoke or chew gum.

Dressing appropriately for the interview

• Men should wear a conservative suit and tie with a white shirt. 

• Women should wear a skirted suit or dress with matching jacket. 

• Be sure your hair is recently cut with beards or moustaches well-trimmed and groomed. Tie back any long hair. 

• Women – conservative, but attractive hairstyles are the best choice. Save the mousse for date nights! Men – if you have long hair, please alert your recruiter so they can prepare the company (while long hair is certainly more common these days, it can still shock the older manager).

Recruiters say a full beard on men (even one that is well trimmed and groomed) has killed many employment opportunities. This is a decision only you can make.

• Shoes don't have to be new, but they definitely should be well-polished.

• Women – avoid overly bright colors, heavy make-up and wear a minimum of jewelry.

Although some positions – especially technical jobs -- will not require you to be quite so dressed up once you get the job, you are there to make a serious impression, so it's okay to "dress up" a little. If you are interviewing on a Friday, be sure to find out (from your recruiter) if the company observes "casual day" so that you don't feel awkward. If that is the case, the above list still holds true.

Obviously, individualism is great, but when you are making career decisions, it's best to play by general business rules.

Polish your commercial

You won't have much time to convey a raft of information about yourself. So, you need to have it ready at the tip of your tongue.

At least two days before your interview, review your accomplishments and skills. Practice your commercial to yourself, the mirror and to friends. Be succinct and describe your employment assets in quantifiable terms that relate to the job for which you are interviewing.

Engineers, technical personnel, production managers should be able to discuss such accomplishments as production improvements, reduced quality problems, new product development, manpower reductions. Salesmen should be able to describe specific sales figures or percentage of sales improvements, salesmanship awards and significant new product introductions. In both cases, put concrete numbers (dollars saved, percentage gained/reduced, sales totals increased) on your achievements.

Good luck, and remember: Knowledge is power! And, the more knowledge you have about the company and yourself the more powerful and successful you will be in the interview.