Employment Interviewing - The Winning Strategy!

by John Groth

Be assured of the winning Job Interview through preparation, practice and persistence.

"People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it." - Brian Tracy

You've spent a great deal of time drafting and developing your resume and cover letter. You've written enough information so you can tailor you resume and cover letter submissions to closely match the employer's requirements in the job announcement. What's next?

Normally the employer will receive 50, 100 or more resumes for a job opening. The resumes are reviewed and those that closely match the job requirements are set aside for a pre-screening telephone interview. The phone interview will be short, ten minutes or so, and maybe 20-25 people will be called. The employer's goal is the cut the list down to 5 to 8 of the most qualified for one or more face-to-face interviews.

So to win the job interview you have to prepare for two interviews. Win the telephone interview and you move to the next and final step in the hiring process. First here are some tips to prepare for and win the telephone interview.

When called if not convenient to talk, set a mutually convenient time.

It's an open book test so have the following handy: paper and pen; a folder with your research on the company and the industry; a copy of your resume and cover letter (since you tailor each job submission you've saved each package on you computer-so now we print them out); your 3x5 cards with a list of tough questions on one side and your answers on the other side; and a short list of your relevant skills and achievements and how they match the job requirements.

Be concise; keep your voice positive and energetic. (If concerned about this, have a friend call you with a list of possible questions and tape the conversation. Be critical of your responses.) Do it again and again until you're satisfied you come across as positive and easy to understand.

Thank the caller and immediately write out the answers to the questions you were asked and the answers to the questions you asked the caller. Send the caller a thank you note and amplify any answers that need improvement.

You've made the cut and are now asked to come in for a face-to-face interview. In the preparation for the telephone interview we've introduced you to important items of research to get you to stand out from your competition. Here are the steps required:

Build a list of 50, 70 or more tough questions you may be asked at the interviews. Use 3x5 cards write the question on one side and your answer on the other side. You are to prepare your answers but not to the point of memorizing them. If you have a problem building your "good question" list there are numerous books at the library that you can pull the questions from. Keep your answers positive, concise and which show you in the best light.