May 15, 2009 
By Janet Farley
This is a three part-series designed to give you the skills you need to land your next job. In part one, we discuss what you should do before the interview while in part two, we address what generally happens on the big day itself. In part three, we will go over the all-important business you should take care of after the interview is over.
Like millions of Americans, you’ve been working hard to land an interview for a job. Good fortune and a killer resume have worked for you so far and now you find yourself anticipating the actual interview itself.
Congratulations on your success to date; however, now is not the time to rest on your job search laurels. Instead, it’s time to kick it into overdrive and polish your prowess so that you can proudly call yourself gainfully employed.
There is an overused, much abused cliché that fits here nicely. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. You may not be fond of clichés, but this one is here for the ages. The sooner you make up your mind to make the best impression on the employer, the better your chances of being offered the job.
How can you make the best impression? The answer can be found in two little words: research and prepare.
Research
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to learn all you possibly can about the upcoming interview, the employer and the job itself before you ever grace the doorstep. To do this, you’ll have to be an inquisitive and perhaps creative soul.
You know some of the minor details already such as when the interview is and where it is going to be located.
• Do you, however, know how to get there? Don’t wait until the day of your interview to trust your GPS alone. Plan to go on a dry run the day before just to be sure you know how to get there and where to park if you’re driving. If you are GPS-less, revert to Mapquest as a backup. After all, it’s the little details that can throw your game off and cause the day to turn into a professional train wreck of untold proportions.
• Do you know who will be interviewing you and what the basic structure will be? For example, will it be a one-on-one affair or a panel inquisition? Will you be visiting with one person and then spirited off to a host of others throughout the day? Do you get a sense that this will be the only interview in the process or might you be subject to a callback with other finalists? Will it be an office visit or an interview conducted during a meal?
You may not be able to answer all of those questions and that’s ok. Even if you did have all the answers, things often change without warning. What you can do, however, is get as much information ahead of time as you possibly can so you not only have a good feel for what is to come, but also so you can prepare accordingly.
To get some of these answers, ask the person who contacted you for the interview in the first place. He or she may be willing and able to give you a better idea of what is to come. Or, if you have an inside source at the company consult with that person about it.
Researching information on the company is usually easier. You may already know what you need to know, but do you know how the company sees itself to the outside world? An Internet search on the company is also a must-do before the interview.
However, don’t limit your search to their company website. Find out what other sources are saying about them. Get the big picture, not just the one they pay their PR department to manufacture.
You may be able to get valuable information from the business pages of local or national publications. Sites such as Career OneStop Employer Locator offer you free information about many companies while other sites such as Dun and Bradstreet charge you for detailed reports.
Finally, what do know about the job itself? Review the job announcement and try to dissect what it is exactly that the job entails. The Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook will be able to give you a generic description but if you have an inside source at the company, that would be best. You can also research salary ranges in the handbook as well as Salary.Com.
Prepare
Research the employer is only one side of the equation; preparing yourself for the interview is the other.
Regardless of how an interview is formatted, you can bet that questions and answers will be a part of it. The employer will be asking questions and you, too, will have an opportunity to ask yours as well.
To best prepare for the interview, review the resume that landed it for you in the first place. If that is how you got the employer’s attention and he will most likely base his questions off of it.
In addition to reviewing your resume, think about concrete examples of professional accomplishments you’ve experienced and difficult work situations that you have survived successfully. When you’re asked questions, you’ll want provide more than “yes” or “no” answers. You’ll want to provide examples, so get them prepared before you’re asked.
Types of questions you may encounter include:
• Tell me about yourself.
• What do you know about the job? Our company?
• What can you bring to the job?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• Tell me about a time you failed on the job.
• What are your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
• What salary are you seeking?
• Why should I hire you?
Types of questions that you may wan to ask include:
• Where does this job fit within the organization?
• Is there advancement potential?
• What does the job involve?
• Who would be my immediate supervisor?
• Describe a typical day on the job.
• Do employees like working here?
• Is this a new position? If so, why?
• What would be the hours I would be expected to work?
• How would my performance be evaluated?
• Why did the last person in this job leave it?
Finally, visuals count. Your research and preparation will all be for nothing if the employer can’t get past your outfit or the smell of your perfume. Plan to dress for success, not distress, according to industry specific expectations.
Janet Farley, Ed.M Freelance writer specializing in Careers & Workplace Issues Author, The Military Spouse's Complete Guide to Career Success (Impact Publications, Jan 2008) and The Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide (Jist Inc). Visit my website at www.janetfarley.com