Finally, the time has come for the job interview - the face-to-face
meeting with the
potential buyer. The Interview Techniques sheet contains some
suggestions for
managing the interview. These will help you keep to your agenda
and avoid forgetting
crucial information that you hear or want to convey. As with
any business meeting, bring
a small note pad to the interview. If the interviewer is startled,
simply state that this
meeting is important and you want to remember what you hear.
Then ask permission to
take notes. Rarely will an employer refuse. The note pad
should have already been
prepared. At the top of each page (where they will not be noticed)
jot down some notes,
reminders of things you want to do or say. Comments can be about
achievements,
training, making eye contact, etc. Every time you look down to
write you have access to
these reminders. This should prevent your leaving the interview
having forgotten to
mention an important topic. One caution: don't be too obvious
about this, for example
smiling after each time you look down.
As you participate in the interview, keep notes of important points.
You will want
this later when writing the thank you letter or when considering if
you want to work for
this company. If, while the employer is speaking, you hear something
to which you want
to respond later, put it on the pad in brackets. This will be
a clue that you want to address
this issue. On a more practical matter, the note pad will occupy
your hands and avoid
those distracting nervous gestures of playing with your jewelry or
clothes. Finally, at the
back of the pad write out some questions you would like to ask.
When the interviewer
asks if you have any questions, you can reply, “As I researched your
company I wrote
down some comments. You’ve answered most of my questions but
I do have a few left.”
Then read your prepared questions, as well as any new ones.
Many people feel uncomfortable bragging about themselves. The
praise that you
heap upon yourself seems hollow. How do you convince the employer
that you are
indeed conscientious, creative and organized? I have listed 49
desired employee traits.
Select the ones you feel are your strongest assets. As you are
asked about your work
experience, add your accomplishments to a desired trait (Trait + answer).
For example,I
am highly organized and this has enabled me to revise the filing system,
making the files
more accessible. The achievement validates your claim to organization.
Try reversing roles. Imagine you are already an employee of this
company. How
should you act, what skills would you want an employee to exhibit.
Even speak as if you
are already on the job. As Medical Records Manager I will strive
to reduce time lags in
information gathering and data entry, as I did at XYZ Company.
The last technique is answer + one. This is the term for introducing
your agenda into
the discussion. If you want to talk about your computer skills
and the interviewer doesn’t
bring up the topic, don’t despair. At a relevant time add this
information onto the end of
another answer. Example: “I maintain over 40,000 medical records
AND, because I have
solid computer skills, I have created a data base with retrieval in
eight different fields.”
Most employers will next ask you about this database.
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