When I say “interview skills” I’m not just talking about answering different types of questions and handling yourself during interviews. It’s about that extra special something that helps you stand out in an interview from the rest of the well-practiced, well-prepared candidates. And helps you connect to that person on the other side of the table — as well as to their image of the “right” candidate.

Basically, you want to connect the dots for them, rather than letting them simply read between the lines … er dots. Leaving this totally to the interviewer and assuming they’ll get who you are is a risky choice. So make it your job in an interview to help them see how something you did or know or can do connects well to THIS job and company.

The art of interview skills

The main “hire me” interview dots you want to help connect to give them a full picture of you and how you meet THEIR needs are: your work skills, your personality (including attitude toward work), any extras you bring to the job, and your overall fit with the job and company.

So, as best as you can, try to get very comfortable with these five techniques and bring them into your interview: [Read more…]

We’ve all had bad interviews. Or at least ones where we remember things we could have said or done better. And while I am not here to give you false hope, the good news is a bad interview doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get the job.

Why is that you ask? Good question.

First, you are the worst judge of how you actually did. Or what they’re looking for. Now sometimes you can get a pretty good idea of how you did, based on how they’re treating you or responding / not responding to you while you’re in the room.

But a lot of the time you’re focusing on the small picture (perhaps an individual answer), while they’re looking at you in the larger sense of whether you might fit in well. And so any one answer or awkwardness or nerves that you can’t control or whatever else you think was “bad” might not be enough for them to eliminate you.

Clues of a truly bad interview

[Read more…]

Job interview brain freeze. We’ve pretty much all had it at some point. You know what I mean … your mind goes blank. Or you’re getting thoughts, but they come out jumbled. Or they don’t come out at all!

But the good news is that a little brain freeze and interview nerves in general doesn’t mean you won’t get the job. Still, you want to do all you can to put your best foot forward. So it’s wise to prepare in advance to help keep those nerves at a minimum!

Why we get interview brain freeze

[Read more…]

So you’re probably wondering why anyone would want to thank a company for rejecting them. That’s certainly NOT your first reaction. Well, since you didn’t get the job anyway, what could it hurt to try once more to connect? This sample rejection thank you note may just help you plant a seed that grows!

In my own career, more than once I wound up getting a job that I was not the first candidate for. Well, it was usually because I was trying to talk my way into a job where I didn’t have direct experience. (Will talk about that later on in this post.)

While not always successful, on occasion persistence can pay off. And so can networking and relationship building over time. You never know when an impression you leave after an interview leads to a job in the future. Now for that sample…

SAMPLE REJECTION THANK YOU NOTE [Read more…]

After your interview. you may wonder whether to send a post-interview thank you note or letter. And if so, what should the note say? Or NOT say. (That’s right. You can still screw things up. But I’ll say more about that later.)

Just remember that your interview process does not start or end at the interview itself. Every contact you have with the company — or even people somehow connected to the company — can wind up being communicated to the hiring team.

And so whatever you do, you want to add positively to the picture of yourself you’re painting. And that even applies to thank you notes!

⇒  MORE:  10 Impressions You Leave After a Job Interview

Does post-interview thank you matter?

Thank you notes are a nice extra. They won’t on their own get you the job — except in rare cases. And not if you aren’t qualified for the job. But they shouldn’t lose you the job either. (Again, there are exceptions, so check for spelling and grammar too.)

Although I never ruled someone out for not sending one, some hiring managers may use the lack of one to help eliminate people. Not my idea of smart hiring, but everyone is different — especially if the job requires relationship building and interpersonal communication. Still, odds are it won’t cost you the job if you’re highly qualified in their eyes.

But why risk it? A short, polite, well-written post-interview thank you can add a positive note to the impression you leave behind. It can help you stand out (and be remembered) as someone thoughtful and professional who they’d enjoy working with. Especially if you take the time to make it a good one! [Read more…]

If you’re worrying about a job interview, I have some good news. You’re not alone. Most people worry about interviews. But there’s more good news. A lot of things you’re worrying about may not be all that important to your eventual success.

Now I’m not saying you don’t need to prepare — and a key part of that is actually feeling prepared. But it’s also good to know some things about the interview process itself. And about the mental framework of the folks who interview you.

Remember:  Interviewers have their own worries … will they find someone who fits well with the job and company. Hiring the wrong person is both costly and disruptive.

⇒  MORE:  How To Prepare for a Job Interview

Worrying about a job interview…

I spent many years helping hire people. Besides overseeing the process, I screened resumes, worked with HR, spoke with potential candidates on the phone, and then helped conduct interviews.

But you learn the most by listening to comments from the hiring team. Seeing what things matter to them, what’s easily overlooked, and what impressions stick. In the end, the things you might worry about — and kick yourself for afterward — may not hurt you at all.

Five things you may not know:

1. 1.  They brought you in because they are hoping you’re the right one. So unless they’re the kind of nasty people you wouldn’t want to work for anyway, they’re basically rooting for you. And will listen carefully to find things you can contribute to the job / team.
   2.  Connecting with the interviewer(s) is as important as any of your answers. People want to hire people they would enjoy working with. And people they can trust to support them — as well as get the work done. Folks they believe can help them find answers, rather than just problems and complaints.
      • Conversational is way better than sitting stiff and looking like you’re being grilled — even if you are!
      • Lean in, take an extra breath if needed, and just talk to your interviewer like someone who just asked for your help. In a way they did — they want you to help them see how well you fit their company and the job.
   3.  It’s not so much any one answer, but how you leave them feeling. And one answer won’t do you in — unless it’s so horrible even you wouldn’t hire you.
      • Question: “What’s you’re greatest strength?”
      • Bad answer: “I’m creative. I look for creative ways to get out of doing my own work.”
   4.  An interview begins before you arrive and continues after you leave. Impressions you leave at any point matter big time. How you treat a receptionist. Or any person who answers the phone. Or even someone you think isn’t anyone. The word gets around — especially if you are rude or seem to be high maintenance!
      • Treat everyone even remotely related to the company with respect. (Not a bad policy in general.)
      • And show a positive, flexible, solutions-oriented attitude to all, as if each one can decide your fate. Because you might be surprised who can.
   5. Nerves alone won’t lose you the interview — unless it’s a job like brain surgeon. Interviewers expect some nerves. And your best defense against nerves is preparing.  (See How To Prepare post mentioned above.)

Still worrying about that interview?

It’s totally normal. Until it’s over, there’s no way to shake off every single interview nerve. And a little bit of nerves can actually help with your energy. Maybe tell yourself that when you do start to worry.  🙂

But knowledge and familiarity with a process helps, too. So here are some more posts to help — both before, during, and after!

Job Interviews: 10 Impressions You Leave After an Interview

18 Practical Tips to Help You Ace Your Job Interview

15 Things I Look for When I Interview People

Job Interview Nerves? Tips for Before, During & After

After the Job Interview: Why Haven’t They Called Me Yet?

Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview

What Is Being Overqualified for a Job?

So What Really Happens After a Job Interview?

12 Ways to Stay Sane After a Job Interview

Why Does It Take So Long After Your Interview?

If you’re stressing over how to give a perfect job interview, here’s some good news: there’s no such thing. Too many things go into an interview, including interview chemistry. So your real job is simply to give the best interview YOU can give. That’s all anyone can do.

You can let go of any pressure to be perfect. The interview process is about finding the right match. But since there is no perfect job or perfect interviewer, a “perfect” interview would be wasted. Whatever perfect is anyway. Mostly it’s about the overall impression you leave.

But there are things you can do to help your chances. Ways to reduce nerves and increase how “present” you are — meaning you can be yourself while having a conversation. Of course, you still want to make sure you aim the interview in a way that shows how well you match.

Some “best interview” tips to help

[Read more…]

Before a job interview there are a few things that would help for you to know. I recently wrote a much a longer version of this, but for simplicity sake, here is the handy-dandy condensed version — with a few extra tips.

Hopefully this will help you review your pre-interview “must dos” quickly. And feel free to add your own suggestions, ones that will help add to your feelings of confidence and interview readiness.

12 things before a job interview:

[Read more…]

While you want to come off as natural as possible, please don’t think that means you shouldn’t prepare for a job interview. During the interview itself, mindset and familiarity with the job and company — as well as what YOU bring to the specific job — will help you relax enough to be yourself.

I remember well my first interview where I relied on “quick thinking and natural charm” to win the day. And I also remember how nervous I got — and not getting the job. While I can’t guarantee that prepping for an interview will always land you the offer, feeling well-prepared can help ease your nerves enough to at least show interviewers who you really are. And that’s a big part of getting any job.

Prepare for job interview nerves

[Read more…]

As a former hiring manager, I get lots of questions from readers asking for all kinds of job interview tips. So I decided to provide a handy-dandy guide to what I actually look for when I sit down and interview candidates for a job.

Obviously each interviewer and industry is different. But I think these tips offer general advice that should work for most people in most cases. With that in mind, this is what I would be looking for if you walked into my office for an interview:

15 job interview tips

[Read more…]