Rehearsing For The Big Show

Copyright 2003 CareerBuilder.com

There's more to preparing for a job interview than copying your resume and buying a great outfit. How you act during an interview and your ability to answer questions well will dramatically increase your chance of landing the job. So where do you begin? Career coaches suggest spending at least three hours preparing for the interview.

The first step in preparing for your interview is to head to your local library or log on to the Internet to research the company with whom you’ll be interviewing. Using a popular search engine will lead you to a variety of sites that contain information about the company. The best place to start is the company’s own web site. There you’ll find information about the company’s products, services, subsidiaries and parent company. One of the most helpful areas to visit on any company’s web site is its public relations area – or press room. Here you can read recent press releases to find out what’s going on within the company, important company facts such as its size, number of employees, annual sales, market share and top executives.

If the company is publicly held, the investor relations section will provide important financial information about the company and its subsidiaries. Be sure to scan through the company’s 10Ks, 10Qs and annual reports. These documents contain important and detailed information about the company. Nearly all annual reports will include an “Industry Overview and Background” section. You’ll also find vital information about the company in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” section. There you’ll find results of operations and risks to the company and the industry in which it operates. Don’t overlook the notes following the financial statements. Here you’ll find information about acquisitions and sales of subsidiaries, restructurings and any major staff reductions.

Check other sources identified by the search engine to obtain information about the company’s competitors and its industry. At the library, look for trade publications that will likely contain news articles about the company and industry trends.

As you work through your research, think about how your skills and past experience would benefit the company. You’ll need this information to complete the second step in your preparation – rehearsing the right answers.

You should spend some of your preparation time on developing answers to the most commonly asked interview questions. Write them down. Practice your responses. At the very least, most interviewers will want to know:

• Why this candidate wants to work in the company;
• What this candidate can do for the company;
• What types of challenges and responsibilities has this person had that are similar to those he or she might face in this position;
• How the candidate managed and prioritized day-to-day responsibilities;
• What are his or her strengths and weaknesses;
• What jobs this candidate liked the most and the least, and why.

Prepare truthful, concise answers to these questions. Be sure to include actual accomplishments and results of your work. These examples will be most memorable to the interviewer.

Now that you’re ready for their questions, it’s a good idea to think up some of your own. Asking questions helps demonstrate your interest in the company and your enthusiasm for the position for which you are interviewing. Here are a few examples of questions you may want to ask:

• Can you describe the ideal employee for this position?
• Can you tell me about the competencies necessary to perform this job?
• Can you describe a typical day in this job?
• How many employees are in this department?
• Where does this position fit in the organization?
• Why is the position open?
• What is the company’s vision?
• How is the company positioned for growth?

Stay away from questions about salary and benefits in the initial interview. Save these questions for follow-up calls and discussions.

Your final step before “show time” is to hold a rehearsal. Ask a friend or family member to role play with you and provide feedback. Sometimes, even though you know what you should say, what actually comes out of your mouth may surprise you! Practicing your responses out loud and rehearsing your “sales message” will ensure you are ready for the real thing.

The day before the interview, make sure to take care of last minutes odds and ends. Make fresh copies of your resume and, if you have one, put the finishing touches on customizing your portfolio for the prospective job. Grab the iron and ensure your interview outfit is neat and clean. Print out driving directions and consider taking a test drive to the office if you will be traveling during peak commuting times or are uncertain of the location.

On the day of the interview, plan to arrive approximately 10 minutes early so that you have time to relax and gather your thoughts and give a stellar performance.