Job Interview Advice & Tips

Twenty Pointers to a Better Interview
By Chaz Kyser

You only get one chance to convince an employer to hire you. Avoid playing the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” game by following these 20 interviewing rules on all of your interviews.

1. Arrive Ahead of Time: Get good directions and plan to arrive at the place you’re being interviewed at least 20 minutes early so you won’t be 20 minutes late.

2. Give Your Appearance a Double Check: Take time to straighten yourself up before greeting the interviewer. Check your clothes, hair, make-up, breath and odor.

3. Be Cordial to Everyone You Meet at the Company: Briefly greet and be nice to everyone at the company because you never know just who has a say in your hiring.

4. Make a Good First Impression: Consider it showtime when employers first spot you. From that very moment they are sizing you up. Try to feel their vibe so you can make them feel at ease with you before the interview begins.

5. Be Respectful of the Employer: Don’t forget whom you’re talking to. Greet the people interviewing you with their last name until they tell you otherwise. Leave the slang at home and turn the cell phone or pager off—not on vibrate.

6. Watch Your Body Language: Your demeanor should exude confidence and enthusiasm, which can be shown in various ways, including a firm handshake, eye-to-eye contact, good posture, and a sincere smile. Definite don’ts include excessive note-taking, watching the clock, fiddling your hands or feet, and looking at everything else in the room but the interviewer while talking.

7. Have Extra Copies of Your Resume: You may be required to interview with more than one person. Being able to hand them a crisp resume demonstrates your professionalism and thoughtfulness.

8. Listen Thoughtfully to All Questions and Think Before You Speak: Always make sure you understand a question before you go about answering it. People can tell when you’re running off at the mouth while trying to remember what you were asked. Ask for clarification if you don’t completely understand a question.

9. Answer Questions Completely: Try not to give simple yes or no answers. One of your goals is to show how well you communicate with others.

10. Stress the Skills You Can Offer the Company: Know the exact skills an employer is looking for and stress that you have these skills and enjoy using them. Also talk about any other skills you have that are not required for your position, but that you feel will make you more attractive to an employer.

11. Stress Your Ability To Learn New Skills Fast: If there’s a skill you lack that an employer asks about then stress your ability to quickly learn that skill, possibly giving examples of how you’ve learned fast in other situations.

12. Stress Your Positive Personality: Communicate with the interviewer how easy you are to work with, how positive you are, and how you’re so very flexible, etc. The employer is looking for someone who current employees will get along with.

13. Talk With Pride About Your Accomplishments: Most employers believe that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. Make them realize how valuable you are by talking about accomplishments you’re proud of.

14. Be Prepared for Tough Questions: While most interview questions are to be expected, some interviewers may surprise you with a curve ball. An employer knows when they’ve asked a hard question and probably just wants to see how you’ll react. Impress them. When asked a question that makes you say “hmmmm,” stay calm, take time to think of a good response, and try your best to answer the question as if it didn’t faze you.

15. Tell Them Why You Want The Job: Don’t let the interview come to an end without telling the person interviewing you why you want the job and what it is that you like so much about the position. This further demonstrates your enthusiasm and that you aren’t just applying for the paycheck.

16. Have Any Work Samples Ready To Show: Be ready to whip out work samples you’ve brought for the employer to review. Don’t let the interview end without showing the employer your work samples, even if he or she didn’t ask to see them.

17. Give Examples of How You’ve Handled Tough or Sticky Situations: Show the employer that you can handle any job and how resourceful you are by relating stories of how you’ve handled sticky situations very well.

18. Don’t Undermine Yourself: Never talk negatively about yourself or talk about what you can’t or won’t do, no matter how insignificant you think what you’re saying is.

19. Don’t Badmouth Anyone: Never badmouth a past employer or your former co-workers no matter how comfortable you feel while talking to someone interviewing you.

20. Leave a Great Lasting Impression: No matter how good or bad you think the interview went, the show isn’t over until you’re out of the employer’s sight. Be as cordial and enthusiastic at the end of the interview as you were at the beginning. Communicate with the employer that you are genuinely interested in the position and that you’d very much like to work for the company. Make sure you shake the hand of everyone you’ve interviewed with. Take time to tell them how much you appreciate being interviewed, to find out when you should hear from them, and to wish them a great day.
 

Chaz Kyser is the author of “Embracing the Real World: The Black Woman’s Guide to Life After College” ($14.99). Purchase the book online at www.embracingtherealworld.com. Send comments about this article to column@embracingtherealworld.com.