THE INTERVIEW. What I Learned About Interviews As A VP of HR

Whether it is your first interview during corporate recruitment days at your college’s placement department or you are a seasoned corporate professional, knowing the mechanics and techniques of the interview process is vital.  The interviewing process begins with your resume.  I will not review how to prepare an effective resume at this time.  There are many resources available online and at your local library.  You do though need to be conscious that your resume begins the first step of the interview process.    Your resume answers very specific questions they have about the type of candidate they are looking for.  Therefore, weather you are interviewing for the first time or looking at an upper level management move refresh your resume to reflect the new position and the culture of the company you are interviewing with.    The interview should be looked at similar to how you prepare for a presentation.  Most people do not have the skills to wait until you get to the podium and wing it.   Equally when it comes to an interview the amount of preparation a candidate does becomes very evident throughout the interview.   Culturally for many first-generation white collar applicants to be humble and not draw attention to yourself is considered a very positive trait.  In today’s corporate interviewing process this will be misinterpreted as a lack of confidence!   

Take the following steps to prepare for your interview:

1.  Research, find out as much about the position, the company, and industry as you can.   Utilize the internet, to look through annual reports, position descriptions, industry news

2.  Research, find out as much as you can about yourself.  Review previous performance reviews.  Recent college grads can review report cards or comments on term papers.  What you are looking for is anywhere anything where you have been given feedback about your performance professionally or scholastically.   Take the time to review your resume.  Know your resume, dates, companies, accomplishments, majors, hobbies, interest.   It is easy to forget during the pressure of the moment.   There are few things which makes someone look as bad as the candidate not remembering the very information which they put on their resume and is in the hands of the person interviewing you.  It gives the interviewer the feeling that you are being less than forthright.

3.  Rehearse, make a list of the possible questions you may be asked.  If there are any gaps or possible sensitive areas in your resume develop the most direct, transparent, and succinct response possible.  Do not sound defensive or apologetic.   If you were terminated this is not the time to go into any long explanation, with details and graphs.  Keep it direct and succinct.  “It was not a good fit”, while a cliché I have found it is usually truly the case the majority of the time.  Whether lack of fit was as a result of a new boss, a change in company direction, or no longer feeling challenged by the position, it is not important.  No need to assign blame.  Put it behind you and move on.  Stay focused on your positive attributes!  Constantly keep in the forefront the answer to the number one question, how can your skills, talents, creativity, energy, help the company make money.  Remember every company is trying to hire or promote individuals who will help them make more money!  Whether it is by finding solutions, improving processes, increasing sales, it always comes down to how can this candidate help us make more money.

4.  Look The Part, even if you are an existing employee wear your best business suit.  I worked in the high-tech arena for some time, which is by far one of the most casual dress environments in the corporate world.  However, when it came to an interview even if it was an in-house candidate a good business suit made a difference.  This applies equally to males and females.  If they can visualize you in the part it is more likely you will get the part.

5.  Visualize,  now that you have completed the 4 previous steps, researched the company, researched yourself, rehearsed, and look the part. I want you to find a quiet place and a comfortable chair.  I want you to close your eyes and visualize yourself entering the conference room for your interview.  Visualize yourself calm, confident and prepared.  I want you look around the room the interviewer is coming towards you shake her hand, make eye contact, and smile.  If it is a panel interview make eye contact with everyone on the panel and smile.   Wait to be introduced and shake every one’s hand if possible and appropriate.  Always say yes if offered something to drink.  A glass of water always gives you time.  When needing a little time to think before a response, simply take a small drink.  No one will ever notice the pause.  Visualize them asking and you responding to the questions you prepared earlier.  After you respond to the last question thank everyone for their time, shake everyone’s hand, and smile.  Visualize yourself walking out of the interview knowing you wowed them!