CollegeRecruiter.com Blog

This post is part of the Recruiting.com Blogswap. Your HR Guy writes today about interviewing effectively with bad hiring managers.

Part one of my post runs with the assumption that most in-person interviews aren't going to be ideal for determining what your skills are and whether or not you are the best fit for a company and/or position. So while you are preparing to do a job search, here are some helpful steps to get past even the worst of interviewers (the type that thinks he is the greatest interviewer in the world):

1.) Be a great interviewee. Take that part out of the question. Some hiring managers will hire based on interview alone so practice, practice practice. College career centers do a good job of setting up mock interviews and at the least, they can get you comfortable talking about yourself.

2.) Be prepared for any interview style. Some might give you a behavioral interview. Some might give you a conversational interview. Some may be reading off of notes in a cramped office and some may be walking you through the warehouse floor. Be prepared for anything to happen and know how to best react.

3.) Showcase your knowledge. Both your own knowledge and your knowledge about the company and the position. If your interviewer doesn't ask you a question that you feel helps establish a job fit, ask a leading question during the appropriate time such as: "Would it be useful in this position to have general accounting knowledge with specific A/P expertise?" If you've done your research, this question will rarely backfire.

Those three things will help you overcome a bad interviewer or a good interviewer on a bad day. And even if it doesn't ultimately win you the job in the end, it will help you become a better interviewee.