How to Survive the Job Interview Process

In looking back at my professional career, I'm sometimes amazed I've ever landed a job. My resume still needs work to make it amazing. In fact, I recently updated it for the first time in a couple of years, and that was long over-due. In the age where statistics tell us the average job lasts 3.2 years, it's mandatory to be up on job search skills -- both with a great resume and interviewing skills.

Resumes are the easy part, to a certain degree. There are templates, books, experts, etc. that can help a professional look even more amazing on paper. Resume writing is also the more objective skill to learn, it's tangible and physical. Interviewing is not. Even the most confident professional can have uncertainties about interviewing since the outcome is subjective.

After spending a portion of my career as a staffing recruiter, I've been thrown into almost every kind of interview situation and have learned quite a bit about what it means to be on both sides of the table. The role of interviewer is not necessarily easier for being the one to ask the questions. Here are some of the things I have encountered and learned.

Showing up

Some might think this is a no-brainer, but it's not. Countless times while I was part of a staffing firm, I scheduled people to come in for interviews - either for specific positions or preemptive interviews for future submissions to clients - and they never showed up, never called, never got back in touch. As someone who represented candidates to clients, this was never a good start to a professional relationship. If a person doesn't show up for an initial interview, what else are they going to blow off when it matters?

Timing.

It's just as bad to be too early as it is to be late. Shocking but true. Check out where your interview is going to be. Don't assume the company you're interviewing with will have a reception or waiting area, or a receptionist. If you're dealing with a smaller, independent company or a creative one, they may have chosen style over corporate structure and not have any extra space. Be prepared to wait either in your car or a coffee shop if you've allowed yourself extra time to get lost.

Why is this important? The person you're interviewing with may have d phirts, etc. that can help a professional look evenanother appointment before yours, or be in the middle of a task. By having someone waiting where the interview - or even the receptionist - can see them can, but not necessarily does, cause the interviewer to feel pressured into dealing with the interviewee right away whether their schedule permits it or not. And as the person being interviewed, do you really want to start your professional relationship off with someone who's not prepared to deal with you or is harried?

Walk the 'Right Amount' of Talking Talk.

This is a tough one. There's a fine line between talking too much and not talking enough. And sometimes it's hard to tell where that line is. Some things are obvious. Don't give short, closed off answers. We've all seen the bad celebrity interviews where the person being interviewed doesn't want to talk or has had a bad day. The pain on the interviewer's face is visible. Don't be that person.

Conversely, you don't want to be the person dominating the conversation. Most interviewers have questions they have to ask, schedules to keep, and certain points to hit. If you don't let the interviewer get a word in edgewise, that's equally off-putting as someone who doesn't say a word.

So walk the line. Be charming, informed, and flexible. It's okay to get off on tangents of shared interests. Most interviewers enjoy finding commonalities between themselves and the people they interview. It gives them an insight into the person being interviewed as a person.

Don't be negative, even if the circumstances behind leaving the last position were awful, don't go into details. Griping and complaining can be detrimental to the next stage of employment. Given a choice between someone who was part of "corporate restructure" or someone who "was fired by idiots who didn't know a good thing when they had it", a majority of the time the person hired isn't going to be the one who calls their former employers idiots.

Hide the desperate.

This is the hardest one. It's been pointed out to me as well as a failing. The job market is volatile. Sometimes it's hard to find a new position, especially if you've been with a company for longer than the statistical 3.2 years. However, temper eagerness or desperation for a job. It's okay to let the interviewer know immediate availability, but don't let on that you need a job today or you're going to lose your house, car, kids, spouse, and dog. It could very well be that necessary to find a job, but tell your interviewer that won't do any good. But, as with amount of talking, be careful of swinging too far the other direction, and acting like you don't need the job. Indifference can work much to the same detriment. If you don't want the job, then why should the interviewer give it to you? Interviewers want candidates to want the job, just not want it so much that giving up a kidney right there on the spot wouldn't be too much to ask.

Dress for the part.

This is the last point. Dress for the part. Whether it's a first job or a fifty-first job, take care with your appearance. Appearance matters more than anyone cares to admit. In a day and age of business casual, casual, and work-at-home environments, take care with your appearance for any and all interviews. Bathe, shave, hide the more cutting edge of your personal expressions, and take a care with the colognes and perfumes.

Professional and business dress have changed over the years. Men no longer have to wear suits and ties, and women no longer are required to wear pantyhose, but that doesn't mean jeans and flip-flops are okay either. Nor is an interview the equivalent of a blind date or the club scene, be careful of excessive cleavage. All can work for or against a potential candidate, as can excessive smells.

Allergies are a major issue with many people, take that into account when preparing for an interview. Scents can trigger all kinds of reactions, and opinions. Hold off on smoking right before entering the interview, since tobacco smoke permeates everything, that alone could affect the outcome of the interview. If a favorite perfume is a strong floral scent that sends the interviewer into sneezing fits and makes their eyes water, they're going to think twice before being in close quarters.

Clean is the best policy. Simple soap and deodorant is key. Neat, well-fitting clothes which are business-appropriate speak volumes toward respect to the company and interviewer. If you have tattoos or multiple piercings, cover them up or take them out until the type of business environment is determined. A hip interactive ad agency might not mind a psudo-gothic look, where a conservative law firm would be scandalized.

Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions. It's okay. It's part of the give an take portion of the interview. Interaction is a good thing. Ask about the work environment, the company, anything that will give a good feel for the fit between you. Address any potential issues up front, and how they're dealt with in the new company, don't wait until after the offer's been made or accepted.

Many of these points seem like common sense, but when it comes to interviewing for jobs, many things fly right out the window in the desire to impress. Don't forget to have a good handshake and decent eye contact, as well, but with the major points taken care of, all that remains is practice. Take a deep breath, relax, and be honest, be yourself, and be ready to blow them away in the interview. Good luck.