Chapter 31: Interviewing Skills for Success
Graciela Martinez and Elizabeth Shaker
Interviewing for Success
If your résumé and cover letter have served their purposes well, you will be invited to participate in an interview with the company or organization you’re interested in. Congratulations! It’s an exciting time, and your prospects for employment are very strong if you put in the time to be well prepared.
In this section we look at how to get ready for an interview, what types of interviews you might need to engage in, and what kinds of questions you might be asked.
First, let’s define the interview. What is an interview? An interview may be defined as a conversation between two or more people in which the interviewer asks questions to obtain information from the interviewee. A better definition might be an exchange of information between the interviewer and interviewee to assess if a match exists between a job’s requirements and a person’s skills and abilities.
The second definition is much more proactive in the case of the interviewee. As an interviewee, you should not passively answer questions, but should employ strategies so you are presented in the best possible light. As an interviewee, you also are responsible for highlighting your strengths in the interview and giving answers that are detailed and results oriented.
As you prepare for your interview, it is important to focus on three things:
- Know yourself and be able to articulate how you are a good fit for the position.
- Know your resume well enough to enthusiastically speak about every minute detail.
- Know the company, the position, and the industry for which you are interviewing.
The interview is your time to shine in person and demonstrate how you are a good fit for the position. The interview process involves three phases: preparation, the actual interview, and the follow up. Preparing for each of these phases will help build your confidence for the big day!
Phase I – Preparation
This phase takes place before the interview and involves knowing yourself. Assessing your strengths, weaknesses, interests, values, personality, skills and abilities. In Unit 2 – Self-Exploration, you addressed this in detail through the different career assessments you completed. As you prepare for your interview, you will want to link the information you have gained from your career assessments and articulate them to the employer so you can illustrate how you are a good fit for the job!
The preparation phase includes research and practice. Preparation is key to succeeding in the interview process. The following strategies will help you get a second round of interviews:
Research the industry, the company, the competitors, and the interviewer (if possible):
Completing the research step ensures that you have fully researched the company, the industry, and the competition. Knowing how to interview well within the industry and company will help you get a second interview. You also might be able to resea