Section 3: Preparing for a Job Interview
Learning Objective 3: List six tasks you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview.
Preparation for interviewing will help you feel more confident and perform better under pressure, and
preparation starts with learning about the organization.
Learning About the Organization and Your Interviewers
Employers expect serious candidates to demonstrate an understanding of the company’s operations,
its markets, and its strategic and tactical challenges.
In addition to learning about the company and the job opening, learn as much as you can about the
managers who will be interviewing you:
This will help you build rapport and might reveal vital insights into the career path you are
considering.
Just make sure your questions are sincere and not uncomfortably personal.
Thinking Ahead About Questions
Planning ahead for the interviewer’s questions will help you handle them more confidently and
successfully. In addition, you will want to prepare insightful questions of your own.
Planning for the Employer’s Questions
Many general interview questions are “stock” queries that you can expect to hear again and again
during your interviews. Get ready to face these five at the very least:
What is the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Be prepared with a good example
(that isn’t too personal), explaining why the decision was difficult, how you made the
choice you made, and what you learned from the experience.
What is your greatest weakness? One good strategy is to mention a skill or attribute you
haven’t had the opportunity to develop yet but would like to in your next position.
Where do you want to be five years from now? This question tests (1) whether you’re
merely using this job as a stopover until something better comes along and (2) whether
you’ve given thought to your long-term goals.
What didn’t you like about previous jobs you’ve held? Answer this one carefully: the
interviewer is trying to predict whether you’ll be an unhappy or difficult employee. Avoid
making negative comments about former employers or colleagues.
Tell me something about yourself. Briefly share the “story of you” in a way that aligns
your interests with the company’s. Focus on a specific skill that you know is valuable to
the company, share something business-relevant that you are passionate about, or offer a
short summary of what others think about you.
Try to frame your responses as brief stories rather than simple declarative answers. Cohesive
stories tend to stick in the listener’s mind more effectively than disconnected facts and statements.
Planning Questions of Your Own
An interview is a two-way conversation. The questions you ask are just as important as the
answers you provide. Interviewers expect you to ask questions and tend to look negatively on
candidates who don’t.
Bolstering Your Confidence
You can take steps to feel more confident in the interviewing process by following these steps:
Remind yourself that you have value to offer the employer.
Remember the employer already thinks highly enough of you to invite you to an interview.
Emphasize positive traits such as warmth, wit, intelligence, or charm.
Focus on your strengths.
Focus on how you can help the organization succeed.
Remind yourself that the more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll be.
Polishing Your Interview Style
Competence and confidence are the foundation of your interviewing style, and you can enhance them
by giving the interviewer a positive impression by showing these attributes:
Poise
Good manners
Good judgment
Stage mock interviews and review your answers. Pay close attention to your speaking voice and
evaluate your nonverbal behavior, including:
Posture
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Hand gestures and movements
Presenting a Professional Image
Clothing and grooming are important elements of preparation because they reveal something about a
candidate’s sense of self, including:
Personality
Professionalism
Ability to sense the unspoken “rules” of a situation
Inappropriate dress is a common criticism leveled at interviewees, so stand out by looking
professional.
The following conservative look will serve you well in most business interview situations:
Neat, “adult” hairstyle
Conservative business suit in a dark solid color or a subtle pattern such as pinstripes
Solid color shirt for men; coordinated blouse for women
Conservative tie (classic stripes or subtle patterns) for men
Limited jewelry (men, especially, should wear very little jewelry)
No visible piercings other than one or two earrings (for women only)
No visible tattoos, although this varies some by profession
Stylish but professional-looking shoes (no extreme high heels or casual shoes)
Clean hands and nicely trimmed fingernails
Little or no perfume or cologne
Subtle makeup (for women)
Exemplary personal hygiene
Send a clear signal that you understand the business world and know how to adapt to it. You won’t be
taken seriously otherwise.
Being Ready When You Arrive
When you go to your interview, consider taking the following items:
A small notebook and pen
A list of the questions you want to ask
Several copies of your résumé (protected in a folder)
An outline of what you have learned about the organization
Any past correspondence about the position
A small calendar
A transcript of your college grades
A list of references
A portfolio containing work samples, performance reviews, and certificates of achievement
Be sure to avoid these awkward situations:
If planning to use a tablet computer or other device for note taking, don’t waste the
interviewer’s time fumbling with it.
Turn off your mobile phone so it doesn’t interrupt.
Know when and where the interview will be held so there is no chance of being late.
Check the route you will take, to ensure adequate travel time.
When you arrive, remind yourself that anything you do or say while you wait may well get back to
the interviewer, so make sure your best qualities show from the moment you enter the premises.
Class discussion question: Is appearing nervous in a job interview necessarily a bad sign? Why or why
not? What might a seasoned interviewer conclude about candidates who appear to be nervous?
Section 4: Interviewing for Success
Learning Objective 4: Explain how to succeed in all three stages of an interview.
It’s now time to become familiar with the three stages that occur in some form in all interviews:
The warm-up
The question-and-answer session
The close
The Warm-Up
Of the three stages, the warm-up is the most important, even though it may account for only a small
fraction of the time you spend in the interview.
Don’t let your guard down if it appears that the interviewer wants to engage in what feels like small
talk; these exchanges are every bit as important as structured questions.
Body language is crucial at this point. Remember these tips:
Stand or sit up straight.
Maintain regular but natural eye contact.
Don’t fidget.
Offer a firm but not overpowering handshake.
Repeat the interviewer’s name when you’re introduced.
Wait until you’re asked to be seated or the interviewer has taken a seat.
Let the interviewer start the discussion.
Be ready to answer one or two substantial questions right away.
The following are some common opening questions:
Why do you want to work here?
What do you know about us?
Tell me a little about yourself.
The Question-And-Answer Stage
Questions and answers usually consume the greatest part of the interview. Depending on the type of
interview, the interviewer will likely ask you to discuss the following:
Your qualifications
Some of the points mentioned in your résumé
How you have handled particular situations in the past or would handle them in the future
You’ll also be asking questions of your own.
Answering and Asking Questions
Handling questions effectively takes skill. These tips will make for a smooth interview:
Let the interviewer lead the conversation.
Never answer a question before the interviewer has finished asking it.
Use the opportunity to expand on a positive response or explain a negative response.
Think through the implications before responding to a difficult question.
Ask a question from the list you’ve prepared if it fits naturally into the conversation.
Probe for what the company is looking for in its new employees.
Zero in on any reservations the interviewer might have about you so that you can dispel
them.
Listening to the Interviewer
Paying attention when the interviewer speaks can be as important as giving good answers or
asking good questions.
Take close notice of these nonverbal messages:
Facial expressions
Eye movements
Gestures
Posture
Nods in agreement to your answers
Smiles to show approval
Handling Potentially Discriminatory Questions
A variety of federal, state, and local laws prohibit employment discrimination in these critical
areas:
Race
Ethnicity
Gender
Age
Marital status
Religion
National origin
Disability
Interview questions designed to elicit information on these topics are potentially illegal. If an
interviewer asks a potentially unlawful question, consider your options carefully before you
respond:
Answer the question as it was asked.
Ask tactfully whether the question might be prohibited.
Simply refuse to answer the question.
Try to answer “the question behind the question.”
Even if you do answer the question as it was asked, think hard before accepting a job offer from
this company if you have alternatives—would you want to work for an organization that
condones illegal or discriminatory questions or that doesn’t train its employees to avoid them?
The Close
The end of the interview is more important than its brief duration would indicate.
These last few minutes are your last opportunity to emphasize your value to the organization and to
correct any misconceptions the interviewer might have.
Be aware that many interviewers will ask whether you have any more questions at this point, so ask
one or two from the list you brought or ask a question related to something that came up during the
interview.
Concluding Gracefully
You can usually tell when the interviewer is trying to conclude the session. He or she may:
Ask whether you have any more questions
Check the time
Summarize the discussion
Simply tell you that the allotted time for the interview is up
When you get the signal, be sure to thank the interviewer for the opportunity and express your
interest in the organization.
If you can do so comfortably, try to pin down what will happen next, but don’t press for an
immediate decision.
Discussing Salary
If you receive an offer during the interview, you’ll naturally want to discuss salary.
Let the interviewer raise the subject.
If asked your salary requirements, you can say that your requirements are open or
negotiable or that you would expect a competitive compensation package.
If salary isn’t negotiable, look at the overall compensation and benefits package. You may find
flexibility in these areas:
A signing bonus
Profit sharing
Retirement benefits
Health coverage
Vacation time
Other valuable elements
Interview Notes
Maintain a notebook or simple database with information about each company, interviewers’ answers
to your questions, contact information for each interviewer, the status of thank-you notes and other
follow-up communication, and upcoming interview appointments.
Section 5: Following Up After the Interview
Learning Objective 5: Identify the most common employment messages that follow an interview, and
explain when you would use each one.
Following up brings your name to the interviewer’s attention once again and reminds him or her that
you’re actively looking and waiting for the decision.
Any time you hear from a company during the application or interview process, be sure to respond
quickly.
Follow-Up Message
Write a follow-up message within two days of the interview, even if you feel you have little chance of
getting the job.
In addition to demonstrating good etiquette, the message gives you two important opportunities:
To reinforce the reasons you are a good choice for the position
To respond to any negatives that might’ve arisen in the interview
Message of Inquiry
If you’re not advised of the interviewer’s decision by the promised date or within two weeks, you
might make an inquiry.
A message of inquiry is particularly appropriate if you’ve received a job offer from a second firm and
don’t want to accept it before you are notified by the first about their decision.
Request for a Time Extension
If you receive a job offer while other interviews are still pending, you can ask the employer for a time
extension:
Open with a strong statement of your continued interest in the job
Ask for more time to consider the offer
Provide specific reasons for the request
Assure the reader that you will respond by a specific date
Letter of Acceptance
When you receive a job offer that you want to accept, reply within five days:
Begin by accepting the position and expressing thanks
Identify the job that you’re accepting and whatever terms have been offered
Conclude enthusiastically by saying that you look forward to reporting for work
Letter Declining a Job Offer
After all your interviews, you may find that you need to write a letter declining a job offer:
Open warmly
State the reasons for refusing the offer
Decline the offer explicitly
Close on a pleasant note, expressing gratitude
Letter of Resignation
If you get a job offer and are currently employed, you can maintain good relations with your current
employer by writing a letter of resignation to your immediate supervisor.
Follow the approach for negative messages:
Make the letter as positive as possible, regardless of how you feel
Say something favorable and then state your intention to leave
Give the date of your last day on the job; give at least two weeks’ notice or more if required
by your employment contract
HIGHLIGHT BOX: COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES
Successfully Interviewing Across Borders
1. Searching online for the phrase “interviewing South Africa” should yield enough basic information to
get through most interviewing situations. Creative job seekers might also want to track down news
footage, stock photography, websites, or periodicals that cover business in South Africa; these
resources could yield more clues about how people dress at work.
2. Most interviewers would probably interpret this as a sign that the applicant doesn’t know much about
the country—and hasn’t done any research to learn more. A better approach would be to ask several
specific questions that are based on previous study, such as “I understand from my research that
employees in [name of country] are expected to be quite punctual. What time does [name of
company] expect employees to report for work every morning?” The answer to such questions could
provide much more than a simple a time of day; they can provide insight into how the company
thinks and what it expects of its employees.
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT VMWARE
Individual Challenge
Here are three slightly off-the-wall questions that could conceivably elicit useful responses by showing
how candidates approach problem solving:
1. Why do telephone numbers in American movies and TV shows always start with 555?
(Candidates might not know that the no telephones exchanges in the U.S. use the numbers 555, so
film and TV producers don’t have to worry about inciting a flood of crank calls, but they should
be able to at least consider why all these films and movies use the same string of numbers—there
must be something special about it.)
2. How old do you think I am? (This could test how observant a candidate is, not only about the
interviewer’s appearance but perhaps references made to popular culture or other nonvisual
clues.)
3. How many jetpacks would you need to take everyone in this office on a picnic? (This could test
the candidates ability to make numerical estimates; even if they don’t know the population of the
office, they could make a rough estimate based on the approximate size of the building. The
jetpack angle is just a red herring.)
Team Challenge
Student answers will vary, but the interview questions they come up with should acknowledge the
difficulty of evaluating soft skills in an interview. They should focus on behavioral questions to judge
how well candidates have handled situations that require these skills. Situational questions might be of
some value, but because they don’t cover actual episodes in which candidates performed a specific task,
they won’t be as helpful as behavioral questions. A working interview that has candidates try to solve real
customer support questions could be extremely useful, if it is practical to set up and manage such an
interview.