Interviewing Resources - The Art of Interviewing

By: Suzanne Fairlie, CPC, ProSearch Article written in 1991 for the NWCT newsletter (July 1991). (NWCT is the Network of Women in Computer Technology.)

No matter what opportunities or limitations the job market may offer you in a recession or a boom, there has always been one skill that has consistently guided successful candidates through the door of opportunity - the art of interviewing. Without this skill, the idea of interviewing can be so intimidating that some people will experience "career paralysis" - the fear of looking for more significant opportunities. Even if there is a flood of job openings, either in their own organization or elsewhere, a person who is ripe for change will hesitate because he or she fears the unknown and simply does not know how to interview.

In our careers, we have had extensive training in analytical methods, in project management techniques, in normalization of data, but where are we taught how to interview? Especially if we have been with the same company since entering the job market, we have had very little experience in developing what could be one of the most important parts of landing the next position.

Actually, the "art of interviewing" is not difficult, and can be broken down into a life cycle of four phases - preparation, practice, implementation, and close. The preparation phase begins first with knowing and understanding your own background. If YOU don't know what you've accomplished, why you left each position, and what basic skills you picked up in each assignment, it will be difficult to communicate this to the person interviewing you. Read through your own career history, and carefully think back to each role - what made you most excited and disappointed in each position, and with each manager? In doing this, you will have a better "handle" on your own priorities - what you are willing, or NOT willing, to sacrifice in the next position. For example, if you want a leading-edge technology, but live where no such company exists nearby, are you willing to commute long distances or relocate? Overtime, salary, people interface, physical environment, stability, and travel, are just a few of the other priorities that should come to mind as you are reviewing your own career history.

A second part of preparation concerns the potential new company. Investigate the company's business, its organizational structure, its growth potential. The library and the Internet are good sources, as well as the company itself - if time allows, call the main phone number to obtain an annual report. For the specific job, find out what technologies and duties are expected, to minimize the chance of taking time from work to interview for a job two levels above or below your current role. Even worse, if the position is the wrong one and you end up with a "poor interview", you run the risk of burning bridges for the next position that may open up in that company, which could be exactly the level you want. Obviously, detailed directions to the company are part of the preparation phase, so that you minimize the risk of arriving frazzled and late.

Preparation also includes what you will bring and wear to the interview. First impressions last a long time, and will color the rest of your interview. Bring a clean, neat copy of your resume, preferably in a portfolio or manilla folder. References, neatly typed, should be on a plain piece of paper with your name at the top, so that they are available IF asked for. Keep a pen handy, so if you need to write down information or questions, you won't have to fumble through a briefcase or a purse. Equally important is how you are groomed - shoes should be well-shined, hands neatly groomed, hair clean, and clothes spotless and fresh. Remember that fragrance sprayed in the car just before the interview is overpowering in a small, closed door interview room. Surprisingly, people that dress well for major occasions will arrive at an important interview looking like they just mowed the lawn "because they don't want their peers to notice anything unusual." If you work in a dress-down environment, schedule the interview at a time where you can change appropriately. Even if you are at your own company, dress better than you normally would - a typical judgement is that how you are dressed is indicative of how serious you are about the job opportunity.

The practice phase of interviewing is exactly that - once you know the company's background and your own, you can put the two together and practice answering questions that you feel will be asked during the interview. If you have not interviewed in several years, invest in an inexpensive book that lists potential interview questions - there are many books available, and most have the same questions. Know how to describe your own strengths and weaknesses, be able to explain your worst and best projects, and know why you are looking for a different job. If you state that you are underpaid, and that you are working with outdated technologies, in the interviewer's mind you may be saying, "I have been passed up for promotions because I am not that good, and my company wants me to look outside." Instead, discussing that your company has not given raises to anyone in two years and has not invested in any new technologies in five years because their revenues have been down, gives a very different picture. If you are leaving because you consistently have been required to put in 15 hours a week overtime for the last 8 months, and you say you are leaving because of "heavy overtime", the hiring manager may think that you would be uncomfortable with this firm's policy of 3 hours overtime every month-end - "heavy overtime" to this manager but a breeze to you. Be specific, not judgmental, in your answers, and practice saying the answers out loud to a spouse or close friend. Most important, remember that what you say is heard from that person's frame of reference, not yours. "Poor raises" to you of 2% may be 10% to the hiring manager. "Heavy travel" of 90% may be 15% to the hiring manager. Always give specific amounts, not judgments.

The implementation phase begins with the arrival to the interview site. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early, and sit in the parking lot or someplace nearby if possible. During this time, put all your current problems and worries out of your mind. This new job will occupy at least 30% of your life as long as you're there - isn't 30% of your life worth an extra 30 minutes of planning time? Concentrate on reviewing your own background and the job at hand. If there are key points you want to emphasize in the interview, jot them down on a 3x5 card. Tell yourself how much you want this job, and see yourself already working in this environment. Five minutes before the interview time, arrive at the lobby, and politely announce yourself to the receptionist, giving both the time of the interview and the hiring manager's name - receptionists have a lot to do with that first impression in the way they tell the manager you are here!! Politely stand, smile, and give a firm handshake when you are introduced to the manager, and LOOK at the manager - not at the floor, the window, or your hands. Spend the first few minutes getting acquainted - use the weather, Super Bowl, anything non-emotional as an "ice-breaker". If the manager doesn't start the ball rolling, ask about the position and what skills are needed.

During the course of the interview, tie in your own experience with the traits necessary. Answer all questions directly, maintain good eye contact, and if you are not sure of each question, request clarification. If you can give a good 20 minute dissertation on a question, first give a 3 minute synopsis, and ask if the manager wants more information. If you are asked technical questions you have no experience with, be honest, but then relate it to something else similar in your background - frequently interviewers will ask something they KNOW you are not familiar with, to see if you bluff, what your level of self confidence is, or how you handle yourself under pressure. Not fair? Well, there is a lot to know about you in a relatively short period of time before an offer for long-term employment is made, and your impact can have a lot to do with the manager's whole team, not just your own position.

Similarly, you need to learn a lot about a company before you will accept an offer, but certain questions should never be asked in the first interview. Salary and benefits generally are left for last. If asked, "qualify" yourself by giving a general range of your salary needs, but don't try to be specific until the company has had more of an opportunity to know how valuable you can be to them, and until you have had more opportunity to know the long term potential of this job to you. Benefits can always be reviewed later, but you want to show that you are more interested in what you can bring to the company than in the material value they can give to you.

"Closing" the interview is the most fun- at this point, you know what the manager is looking for, and should be able to tell him or her that you are interested, know you can handle the position, and are anxious to hear what the next step is. If the manager has any objections or concerns, you will then be able to address them right then and there, not three weeks later when you are still waiting to hear from this company. If for some reason you are not interested in the position or the company, still close the interview gracefully - you never know when this same manager will be in a position of authority in another job - maybe even in your own company!! If the position is truly one you are interested in, a short note to the manager is appropriate. However, have someone else proofread the note for you - misspellings and typos's can lose the opportunity you almost secured. The letter should be brief, mention one or two key things discussed in the interview so it doesn't sound like a form letter, and be mailed within 24 hours.

All in all, the art of interviewing is like anything else - the more time that is spent in preparation, the fewer loose ends will develop in the end. While not every interview will result in an accepted job offer, each situation should be viewed as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, to expand your own network, and to grow in your professional career. The art of interviewing is a critical skill, necessary to career growth, no matter what the economy, and is a skill that demands and warrants conscious effort.

About the Author

Suzanne Fairlie, CPC, ProSearch

• President of ProSearch, a major MIS placement firm in the Philadelphia area.
• She has personally generated revenues between $350K and $450K every year for the last eight years.
• Has testified before Congress.
• Membership in the PINNACLE Society, the National honorary society for top-producing recruiters.
• Identified as one of the Top 25 search firms in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
• Has been elected to the Pennsylvania Honor Roll of Women.
• Is a member in good standing with the National Association of Personnel Services, which adheres to very stringent codes of conduct and representation.

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