garyslinger.com Blog

When You Go To The Interview February 9, 2006

Posted by Gary Slinger in : Uncategorized , 8comments

I already pointed out Doug’s post “10 things to make sure you don’t get a job offer“, and it’s receiving favorable attention – one of those “been there, done that” things, I suspect.

In any event, I think Doug could just as easily have titled it “… don’t get invited to an interview”. It happens that I’ve been helping counsel someone over the last couple weeks, for an interview he had this week. Given that the interview went pretty well, I thought I’d offer up my thoughts on what to take with you to the interview, and a little bit of the interview prep. Maybe Doug can pick it apart in the comments

I wrote all of this down in summary on a 3″x5″ card for the person in question, but I get to go into a little more detail here.

1. Two or three extra resumes. One of them is for yourself, to read before you go into the interview. Interviews are “high-stress” environments for most folks, and while there’s no doubt that you know everything that you’ve put on your resume (unless you’ve been really creative!), it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself of not just what you’ve written, but how you’ve written it – that’s the only exposure the interviewer has had to you so far, remember. Additionally, you may find that the interviewer brings one or more of their colleagues into the meeting with them – now you’ve got a resume ready and waiting for them, without having to mess around getting copies made then and there, if the interviewer hasn’t already done so.

On the subjects of resumes, there’s a great podcast over at the Manager Tools site, which is worth listening to. They have a sample resume up as well. They sell the idea of the one-page resume, and it’s definitely a good idea. I can see some folks not getting along with the idea though, so – if you’ve sent in a two- or three-page resume, you may find mileage in taking along a one-page version. You can always leave it as a “leave behind” after the meeting, can’t you? Conversely, if you sent in the one-pager, you could have a more detailed resume available. It’s not always appropriate to do this, I think, but you’re not going to know until you get there. Having options is always a bonus.

2. A list of your training, conferences attended, speaking engagements, etc. etc. Anything you think appropriate that you might want to reference, that you didn’t include in your resume. It’s there for you, if you need to refer to it; it’s there to leave behind if it becomes appropriate. Not appropriate for all positions, certainly, but isn’t it nice to be prepared?

3. Your 90 or 100 day plan. I “stole” this idea from Bren’s Slacker Manager site. He originally wrote about it here, , and followed up on it here, along with the observation that he’d got the job he’d interviewed for. . This is the only thing that I’m writing about here that I haven’t done personally in earlier interviews in my career. I can say quite definitely that I’ll be doing this for my next interview, whenever that may be. I think it’s a great idea. I’m going to also observe that for the last few years, I’ve been a hiring manager, and sat in on more interviews than I can remember, either as the primary interviewer, as part of the technical screen, or as part of an overall interview panel, and no-one has ever offered up one of these plans in a session I was in. It would have stood out, quite definitely. I want that when I go interviewing again. So, read Bren’s posts – and read the comments on them as well, and then have a think, and try it yourself.

4. A list of interview questions. Actually, there’s two lists you need to have, I think. First, either or both of the lists at these two links:

http://purana.csa.iisc.ernet.in/~gkumar/Questions.html
http://spaces.msn.com/chiefskipper/Blog/cns!A59D550BCED8263B!780.entry

The first link has some sample answers. The second, just a list of questions. You’re going to get asked some of those questions. Absolutely, without a doubt. Not all of them, I certainly hope, but some of them. Print them out, think about them, maybe come up with some sample answers on paper yourself – whatever works best for your own style. I am certainly not advising that you take these lists out at the interview and read from them! But it’s all part of the preparation – things you can read the morning of the interview, en route to the interview if you’re not driving, in the office lobby while you wait, and so forth.

The other list of questions you should take is one you’re going to have to make up yourself. You’re almost certainly going to be asked at the end of the interview “and do you have any questions for me?”, or some variant thereof. Have some ready. Preferably not about the pay and vacation policy, at least not yet! But, tied in to items five and six below, there’s going to be something you’re going to want to know about. If there’s any risk at all of you feeling the stress of the interview and answering “errr, no… thanks…”, then why not have the questions listed out ready? In this instance, I think it is OK to bring the list out, and refer to it. It’s vaguely possible all your questions will have been answered in the interview, but at least you’re going to show that you put the time into thinking about it. You can probably expand on one or more of them anyway.

5. Anything and everything relevant to the position you’re applying for. The job advert, if there was one, a copy of your application letter (and form, if there was one), copies of any additional correspondence, everything. Getting a job is a job in itself, and this is the kind of detailed preparation and planning that will show out – and stand out – to your advantage.

6. Finally, whatever research you’ve done on the company. Reports on it from the internet, or from your local newspaper. A copy of their annual report, maybe. This is the stuff I leave showing at the top of my binder, folder, whatever I’m carrying it all in, when I set it down on the desk. Sometimes garners a question, sometimes not. If they ask, “so, what do you know about [company name]?”, don’t you want to be the candidate that doesn’t answer “er, not a lot, actually”?

Put all the above in a binder, portfolio, padfolio – whatever you’re comfortable carrying that doesn’t look like it had last night’s groceries in it. Take a pad and a pen as well. Sure, you might not need it, and they might provide some when you get there, but like I said – getting a job IS a job. I don’t doubt for a minute that there’s a number of folks reading this going “well, DUH!”. But I don’t exaggerate when I say that I’ve seen dozens of folks go through interviews completely under-prepared. And you know what? An interview is a meeting. If you’re not prepared, and not capable of handling that, then that is the impression that I’m going to get of how you’re going to handle meetings when you’re at work. Not the impression you’re going to want to give really, is it?

Anyway, all the above is, as they say, just my two-penn’orth. Hopefully the links at least are worth the price of admission.

Good luck.