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Ask Ella: Creating An Interviewing Strategy


	Ella Kallish is a nationally syndicated columnist with 17 years experience marketing candidates directly to decision-makers inside business organizations throughout the United States. Her "Ask Ella" column now offers you personal, strategic and tactical advice on all your workplace questions. E-mail Your Question To Ella

The best interviewing strategy is preparedness. You become prepared through academic certification, developing and fine-tuning marketable skills and identifying commercial applications for these skills through common sense, career counseling, company research, interviewing and intuition.

Before The Interview

Springboard into the process.

Eat high-energy foods. Interviews can sometimes run in multiples with limited breaks.
Dress for success. Forget that it's a casual Friday and everyone else will be in khakis; they already have the job -- you don't. What's dress for success? Grey, dark blue or black suit or skirt; button down or other conservative, plain cotton, long-sleeved shirt. (You can start wearing paisleys once they assign you a desk.)
Make sure you are well manicured. From the tip of your toe to the top of your head. "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
Bring five more copies of your resume with you — just in case one of your interviewers is with out it. Also bring about the same number of business cards with your name, telephone and cell phone number, and e-mail address.
Be on time. Make sure that you have proper directions to the interview location.
Have an itinerary of the people you will be meeting — including their titles and their departments. Think about how your skill set can benefit each of them.

Beginning The Interview

How an interview begins is very important; it sets the tone for the entire meeting.

Make sure you begin upbeat and with high energy -- not forced or awkward.
Thrust out your right hand and enthusiastically, while looking them directly in the eyes, shake their hand and introduce yourself with your full name. Speak clearly. Say what a pleasure it is to be meeting with them and find your seat.
Be sensitive to the fact that many of the professionals you will be meeting with do not interview for a living, but are only assisting human resources in identifying suitable candidates for their departments. Through your preparedness, interest, enthusiasm and generosity, you make the interview process easier and you more likable.
Balance is important. Ego is always in play when an interview takes place. You want to be liked and they want to be respected. Know your audience and assist in moving the interview forward — not leading it.
If an interviewer begins with a vague question like, "Tell me about yourself," you should already have a succinct reply ready that briefly describes: your company; years at company; current title and brief job description; the way you came to find and interview with the company; and the position for which you are applying. Delivery should come "trippingly off your tongue" and take no more than one minute — so practice!
Ask the interviewer to describe the skill set for which they are looking in order to fill the position. This information is critical to the next phase of the interview and will let you know what part of your experience is most important to them and to your getting the job. Make sure you lead with your listening skills and match your experience to the set of requirements — most important to least important.
Stay away from requirements in which you don't have any experience. Don't draw attention to what you don't know but rather look at these areas as the learning curve that will make your career there more challenging and you more marketable over time.

Middle Of An Interview

This is the question-and-answer volley.

Always answer a question directly and then if you want to clarify, add or put your strategic twist on the subject briefly, you can. The worst mistake a candidate can make in the interview process is to not answer a question directly. The harder you make it for the interviewer to assess your skills, the less likely you will be hired.
Listen carefully and make sure you understand a question before you answer it. If you don't understand a question or are not sure, ask for more information. Don't be afraid ask for help in an interview.
Do not fidget. Have a pad of paper and pen out and available to you in case you need to write something down or, if you don't know what to do with your hands, you can use these things to ground you. Don't take notes during this part of the interview process — concentrate on listening.
Repeat questions out loud to yourself when you need more time to answer them.
Always look directly at the person with whom you are speaking. This gives your statements impact, ensures that you are being heard and establishes level of interest and understanding of the receiver.
Pay attention to the other persons physical responses too — these will also tell you if, and how; your message is being received.
Do not slouch — sitting up straight or slightly forward in your seat conveys enthusiasm, respect and an interest in being there.
Never bring up the subject of money unless you are asked about it and then be brief and say, "My current compensation is X, but I am open to a competitive offer depending on the opportunity, and I think this is a great opportunity." Don't say any more; just let that sit out there and allow them to take the lead. If they require more specific information they'll ask you — otherwise, let it go.

At some point, this question-and-answer format should segue into a discussion — the body of the interview. This part is difficult to coach as its fuel is chemistry and like knowledge. However:

Be yourself. Allow your personality to show through.
Remain energetic and invested.
Be interesting and interested.
Listen and then respond.
Seek and exploit shared ideologies.
Have fun.

Wrapping Up An Interview

At this point, you will be asked if you have any more questions — make sure that you do. This is your opportunity to gain more personal insight into the person interviewing you and the company.

Questions you may want to ask:

How long they have been with the company?
What was it about this company that made them want to work here?
Choose three words that best describe the corporate culture.
What major projects could you expect to work on in your first six months?

Ending An Interview

Depending on how well you thought the interview went, there are several actions you might take.

If you believe it has gone well you may want to ask to be shown around the office. Take a careful look around. Notice how the employees are dressed; if they're working in cubicles or offices; their demeanor toward each other and toward the person with whom you just interviewed; the condition of the workplace environment and even the energy of the room. And then ask yourself, "Could I be happy working here every day?"
Leave the interviewer with a clear message. If you are interested in the position, you need let them know that you are "interested and want to continue the process — what's the next step?" You need to ask what the next step is because this information will tell you if, when and how to follow up.
Make sure you have the cards of everyone with whom you have interviewed so that you can e-mail them a thank-you letter in a timely fashion. All data, where possible, should be transferred electronically; it is expedient, and expediency is considerate to the process.
Stand up, smile, shake hands and then exit — stage right.

Good luck to all of you, and please continue to send me your terrific comments and questions. I read all your mail personally and select questions for publication based on their broadest viewer application.

Note: Special thanks to Hal Marshall, Area Director/Staffing East Coast for Cambridge Technology Partners, for his contribution to this article.