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Prepare
Research the company - find out as much
about the company's history, current situation, competitors,
culture and future. Find out with whom you will be interviewing,
their styles and backgrounds.
Research the position - develop a thorough
understanding of the position, duties, responsibilities and
expectations. Ask:
1. Who was successful and why?
2. Who failed and why?
3. How will the position parameters change or evolve and how?
4. What challenges face this position short-term? Mid-term?
Long-term?
5. What solutions will this position provide for the company?
6. What needs to be accomplished during the first year?
Review your experience - review your career
development (companies, positions) prior to the interview.
Be prepared to articulate your abilities, experiences, and
accomplishments as related to the position requirements and
be able to cite examples and statistics to support your strengths
and weaknesses.
During the interview
Understand and interpret what the interviewers
are asking. If they ask why you chose your field, they may
want to know how you make decisions. If they want to know
your strengths and weaknesses, they may be interested in how
you evaluate yourself. The interviewer could have other reasons
for asking these questions, so listen carefully. An open-ended
question ("Tell me about…", "Give me an example of….") may
indicate that the interviewer is looking for specific qualities,
such as flexibility, leadership, vision. Be prepared to cite
specific examples emphasizing your abilities and experience
pertaining to the position, as well as any "soft" qualities
(i.e. diligent, fair, dedicated).
Be prepared for different interviewing
styles and agendas. Anticipate both specific and vague questions.
In either case, clearly communicate your abilities and talents
and how they directly apply to the position and company. Know
why you want the position, why you want to work for the company,
and why you should be hired. Avoid "pat" answers; instead,
refer to your research on the position and company to substantiate
your point. State the impact you would have on the company,
and support your point with specific accomplishments.
Be prepared to detail your compensation
package. Should the interviewer ask, clearly address each
component of your compensation package, include base salary,
bonus, stock options, benefits, and other specific components.
Do not mislead or "pad" numbers, because you may need to provide
documentation, such as a W2, to verify your compensation.
Show interest and summarize why you are
the top candidate for the position. Conclude with a short
summary relating your abilities and accomplishments to the
topics discussed throughout the interviewing process. Be sure
to indicate your interest in the position.
Indicate interest in pursuing the opportunity
further. Find out the next step in the interviewing process
and when you should be hearing back from the company. Ask
the interviewer what actions you should take during the interim
period. Offer references.
Questions you may want to ask
- Define for me the specific challenges
that I will need to overcome in this position?
- What are the company's plans for growth
in the next 1, 2, 5 years? What is the company doing towards
realizing these plans?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- What are the priorities for this position
that will need to be my focus in the first 3 - 6 months?
- After I prove my abilities here -
what are my opportunities?
- Why did you join the organization?
- How has your career progressed?
- What surprises might I find in the
1st 6 months?
- If you were me at this stage in my
career and an opportunity like this were offered to you,
would you take it and why?
- What is your background? Style and
philosophy of management? What are the backgrounds and style/philosophy
of your peers in the organization? Of my peers?
- Describe for me a typical day in this
role? A typical week?
- What kind of individual are you looking
for?
- What type of background did the last
person have that held this position?
- What happened to the person who held
this position - were they promoted? Why? What did the company
like about them? What did the company not like?
- What have other candidates lacked?
- Based on my background and skills,
where might my biggest challenge be in this position?
- Do you have any reservations about
my ability to do the job?
- Describe the interviewing process in
your organization (i.e. who will I meet with and when)?
After the interview
Send notes to each person whom you interviewed
with, thanking them for their time, confirming your interest
and briefly restating your qualifications and emphasizing
those that differentiate you for the position.
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