Preparing for the interview

During this recent bout of unemployment, I don't really get a lot of interview experience (I have only interviewed for two positions since being laid off).  This topic was suggested to me by a friend- and it's a good one.  I'm sure everyone has their own method of preparing for an interview.  Here's mine...

Research, research, research.  I research the daylights out of the company.  I go to their website, I look through their product line making notes of things I like and things I think could be added to make improvements to their line.  If possible, I go to their store and check out their product in person.  I google the company name and look at recent news articles.  If I know the names of people I'm interviewing with, I look at their profiles on LinkedIn.  I think this is where my technical side comes in- if I learned anything as a chemist, it's how to research.

Prepare interview questions.  I used to HATE that part of the interview when they ask, "Do you have any questions for us?"  I would try to wing it and then blank out when the question was asked.  "Uh... not right now..." was a common response.  Not cool.  Now, I know how to prepare for it. 

A good place to start is about.com.  I highly recommend going through the entire job searching section from this site.  I will go to this site for advice before each and every interview because every position is going to require a different approach depending on who is interviewing you, what information is readily available in the job description, or given to you ahead of time.  As I see a question I think is relevant, I write it down.

Next, I go to my "Job Search Notes" file.  You see, I save all these notes I take.  Every interview I have had I can tell you who was there, which position I was applying for, what questions I had asked, and what I wrote in the thank you note(s).  I reference this file A LOT.  I get good ideas for new questions to ask based on what I have asked other interviewers.  Any question I think is relevant I add onto my list.

Other references I use to prepare interview questions are the notes I have saved from various unemployment workshops.  Believe it or not, the unemployment office offers some very useful workshops to help the job seeker. 

I'll share with you some of my favorite questions to ask during the interview:

• Where do you see {Company X} growing in the upcoming years?  How might that equate to personal growth within the company?
• How do people at {Company X} interact and work together?
• What individual qualities and traits are most important for this position?
• Is there anything that I have not clearly explained, which you would like me to readdress?
• What would you say are the most challenging aspects of this position?
• How do you celebrate successes?  When is the last time the department celebrated and what was the occasion?
• How do you set goals at {Company X} and how are these goals evaluated?
• Describe the work culture at {Company X}?

Prepare the interview outfit.  I spend WAY too much time on this one.  They say the goal is to dress one step above the people who will be interviewing you.  But how can you portent that information?  Common sense and intuition come into play- I would follow that simple advice more than I would most of the "expert" advice out there.  For example, here's the advice for a woman from about.com: 

Women's Interview Attire

• Solid color, conservative suit
• Coordinated blouse
• Moderate shoes
• Limited jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Tan or light hosiery
• Sparse make-up & perfume
• Manicured nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

I know that here in the Pacific Northwest, if I were to show up for an interview at a creative company, I would be labeled as stodgy and old-fashioned if I showed up to an interview wearing a conservative suit with hose.  And I would NEVER wear perfume to an interview- you never know who is going to have a sensitivity to your favorite scent. 

No matter what I ALWAYS run my outfit by a trusted loved one before I leave the house.

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned anything about preparing for the questions that may be asked to you.  That is another important step in this process, but that is a whole topic in and of itself. 

To be continued...