Interviewing

By Lochlann Boyle
Graduate Student Internship Advisor
School of International Service
Career Center , American University

Every interview is different and there are many factors in any interview that you cannot control. The mood of the person(s) interviewing you, the level of experience of the interviewer(s) and the strength of the other candidates are all beyond your control. Many people waste their time worrying about factors like these that are beyond their control. The trick is to know what you can control and spend your time working on these things. In this chapter we will show you step by step how to use the factors that you can control in order to give you the best chance possible in what is usually the most stressful part of the job search process.

A good interview begins long before you walk through the doors of a potential employer. If you have not correctly prepared for the interview before you show up you can pretty much kiss your chances of getting the job goodbye. But preparing for an interview is more than just doing a little research…

Setting up the Interview

Usually an employer will contact you directly to set up an interview, hence the importance of having a reasonable sounding answering machine and email address. Put yourself in the employers' shoes and imagine typing in partyguy@hotmail.com or getting an answering machine that begins - “WAAAzzup!” First impressions go along way and even though most employers will give you the benefit of the doubt there is no point in risking a bad first impression because you were too lazy to get an adult sounding email address or too chicken to tell your roommate Biff that “WAAAzzup” may sound classy to him but the grown-up world may not find it so cool. Armed with reliable and professional contact information you are now ready to proceed to the next stage.

Scheduling your interview is relatively easy but there are a couple of things you can do to give yourself a small advantage. When an employer calls and leaves a message make sure you respond to them promptly and politely. When arranging an interview time pick a time that is good for you. For example, if you are not a morning person do not pick 8:00 a.m. as your interview time. The only time that you should avoid is directly after lunch - around 1:00 p.m. No one is at their best after lunch and listening to a candidate ramble on about their strengths sounds a lot less exciting when you have a couple of Big Macs in your stomach and are dreaming of being in a hammock under a palm tree.

Employers will realize that you have other commitments so they will not frown upon your attempts to chedule a mutually convenient time. However, do make every attempt to find a time that does fit in with an employer's schedule. If a candidate says no to more than three possible times than an employer can legitimately begin to question whether or not they really want the job. The time of your interview can give you a small advantage but it is never going to win you the job. However the next piece of advice will separate those who get the job from those who don't.

Before the Interview

· Research.

Research is the single most important thing you can do to increase your chances of a successful interview. It is remarkable how many employers complain that candidates enter an interview without a solid understanding of what exactly the company does. Your knowledge of a company and the position they are hiring for is one area where you have control over. If you do your homework you will be ahead of two thirds of the other candidates.

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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