Here’s a sad truth:  you are just one of many, many people looking for a job today.

Here’s another: If your job interview prep involves Doritos, beer, and G4tv or MTV, you’re going to be looking for a long time.

There are some basic things you need to understand about the process and if you don’t, you’ll be at a disadvantage.

The good news? None of this is particularly difficult.  It just requires some thought and yes, work.

Even better?  Make these basic things part of your job interview routine, and you’ll be more confident and better prepared as you approach each interview…

1. Timing is everything

Simply put:  interview later in the process.  I’d liken this to American Idol – the contestants who perform later in the show will be fresher in the viewers’ memory, and as a result will have an advantage.  Same thing applies here.  Plus, as companies interview to fill a position, as the process wears on, the hiring manager will become more and more eager to make a decision.  Being later gives you an advantage.

How to do this?  When an HR rep calls and asks if you could come in “early next week”, say you’re tied up and can’t make it, even if the only thing you have to do is play video games and inventory your collection of exotic beer bottles.  Before she has a chance to respond, casually ask, “Where are you guys/folks in the process?”  She’ll likely tell you.  Try to be one of the last interviewees.

2. Do your homework

I’ve written about this elsewhere on Practical Hacks.  Please take an hour or so to do some basic research on the company and its competitors; you’ll be better equipped for the interview and more confident.  Better yet:  see this post and put this practice to work.  With a little bit of effort you can put yourself head and shoulders above all the other candidates.   Under no circumstances should you simply show up, knowing nothing other than the company is hiring and you think you might be a fit for the position.  Anyone can do that.  Set yourself apart from the other applicants!!

3. Conduct a personal inventory

Hey, face it:  the interviewing company wants to buy something (a capable employee), and you’re selling something (you).   If you were selling a used car, you’d probably give some thought to what’s good about the car and why someone would want to buy it.  Do the same for this sales job!

Sit down, take a piece of paper and a pen, and list your best attributes.  Add a list of your biggest achievements. (If you’re a recent graduate, use examples from school.)   Also, if something went sideways in the past (a project which failed, etc.) think about it and how you responded and learned from the experience.  Showing personal growth and having an interest in improving your performance is a good thing.  If you blew up the chem lab at college, probably best to not mention it, however.

Most important:  think about what characteristics would be desirable for this job.  If an accountant, attention to detail and an understanding of accounting principles and practices.  If a retail sales person, an ability to establish rapport with people, some sense of human behavior and why people buy stuff, and a reasonable degree of assertiveness.   You get the idea.  Write up a list for the job in question.  Then think about your background and make a list of specific cases where you’ve demonstrated these qualities.  And be prepared to sell the interviewers with these examples!

4. Ask questions

An interview is a two way conversation.  Go to the interview prepared with a list of questions you’d like answered.  DO NOT ask about benefits, salary, and the like; save that for when the company makes it clear they’re interested in you.  Instead, consider asking about some of the following things, depending upon the job and the type of company:

• What would someone have to do in their first 6 months in this job to be a success? (A GREAT question, ask it early, and tailor your pitch accordingly)
• What’s a big decision the company made recently, and what was the process like?  (You want to get a sense of the company’s management style)
• What’s the company’s strategy?  (Ask everyone who interviews you.  See if the answers are consistent.  If not, a small red flag should pop up.)
• What’s the company’s culture?  What’s it like to work here?  (You want to gain some insight into how the hiring manager feels about the company.)

5. Be unfailingly polite

Be polite and friendly with everyone you meet.  The administrative assistant may have way more influence than you’d ever imagine.  One of your interviewers or an HR rep may ask the receptionist about your behavior while you waited in the reception area.  Everyone you encounter is important, not just the interviewers.

6. Understand the job

If at all possible, get a copy of the Position Description emailed to you when you’re first contacted.  You’ll want to read it carefully and understand the key responsibilities.  Go back and read #3 above.

Obviously, you want to go to the interview equipped to show how you’re a good fit with the position.  Pointing to accomplishments, positive internship experiences, and initiative you’ve displayed that’s relevant to what they’re seeking, is huge.  Be prepared to do just that.

7. Nervous on interview day?  Keep things in perspective

25 years ago, I was very interested in working for a certain company.  I finally landed an interview, but when I showed up, the hiring manager wasn’t there yet.  So I was handed off to someone else for a brief interview which lasted about 20 minutes.  I didn’t get the job.  About three years later, I interviewed with the same company, was hired and went on to work there for 15 years, with a good deal of success.  The guy I’d been handed off to?  He became one of my best friends; although we’ve both left the firm and have both made several moves, we’re still great friends, talk often, and get together at least once a year.  What’s the point?  When I started with the company, he had no recollection whatsoever of our 15-20 minute interview a few years earlier.

Keep things in perspective.  Five years after your interview, no one will remember it, with the possible exception of yourself.  So, as much as possible, relax.  Life goes on.  You’ll change jobs at least several times during your career.  Think of your interviewer as a potential coworker, not some sort of monster who’s going to waterboard you.  Your interview is ultimately a conversation which gives both parties a chance to figure out if they want to dance with one another, and nothing else. Sometimes the girl says “yes,” and sometimes she says “no.”  Life will go on.  Relax, keep things in perspective, and try to enjoy the process.

8 . Ask for feedback

Not everyone is comfortable with this, and whether you are or not depends upon a lot of factors.  I’ll mention it because it’s worked for me and in the right situation, it’s a powerful tool.

Toward the end of the interview, consider asking the hiring manager for some feedback.  Ask, “I wonder if you could give me a little feedback – do my education and qualifications fit this position?” or, a bit more direct:  “What do you think about my candidacy for this position?”

What’s powerful about this is not the question itself, but the fact that you’d ask it. You are conveying that you’re an open and honest communicator, and would be that type of employee and coworker.  I don’t see a lot of downside to asking this, but you need to feel completely comfortable asking it.  Also, it provides you an opportunity to restate why you are qualified for the job.

9 . Send a thank you note

You’d think this is a no-brainer, but not everyone has been told to do this or understands that this is a good idea.  Get a business card from each person you meet.  When you get home, or later that evening, send an email thanking the interviewer for her time, and restating very briefly why you think you’re a good fit for the position.  Conveying some excitement is a good thing as well.

Cardinal rule:  send this within 24 hours of your interview. It’s a thoughtful, common sense thing to do, but not everyone who interviews will bother doing it.  Do it and you’ll stand apart from some of the other applicants.

10. If you don’t get the job…

Two things:

• Whether the hiring manager or an HR rep delivers the news, it doesn’t matter:  thank him for the opportunity, and ask if there was anything that hurt your candidacy or that you might have handled a bit better.  Try to be as positive as you can. Mumbling “thanks” and hanging up gets you nothing.  Try this approach; you may get some feedback that’ll help you in the future.

• Send a follow-up note.  Thank the hiring manager for the opportunity to interview, express your disappointment as you were genuinely excited about the opportunity, and mention that you’d like to be considered if any similar opportunities open up in the future.   Who knows? – maybe the person hired won’t work out – if so, you very well may end up on the top of their short list.

A few don’ts…

• Don’t chew gum; it’s way too informal and inappropriate
• Don’t bring up oddball subjects or politics, religion, sex, etc.
• Don’t lie about your experience
• Don’t lie on your resume
• Don’t get overly chummy or familiar with an interviewer who seems way down to earth and accessible; a little humor is fine, – just don’t overdo it

Don’t ignore the advice here.  I’ve been interviewing – as a candidate and hiring manager – for decades.  Prepare thoroughly, keep things in perspective, and do a good job of selling your skills and fit for the job.  And please don’t mention the beer bottle collection.  Good luck!

Email me or comment if you have questions or have some other “basics” you feel are important.

Face it:  the job market sucks.  Interviewing and not getting the job sucks, too.  The good news?  There are a few simple things you can do to make yourself stand out from other applicants and greatly increase your odds of landing the job. Doing these things will require a little bit of effort and time, but they’re well worth it.

Why does anyone get hired?

When you cut through all the noise, there are only a few reasons why anyone gets hired:

• You possess the technical skills – you can do the job
• You seem likable and a “good fit” – you can get along with others
• You display energy and initiative – you have passion and energy

I can’t help you with the first at all.  Hopefully you have the requisite skill set for the job.  If not, go back to school or look for another job.  If you can’t do it, you aren’t going to get the job.  And you do somehow manage to bullshit your way into a job you’re unqualified for, you may very well be headed to an unhappy place.

As for fit and people skills, I would simply encourage you to be upbeat and friendly with everyone you meet at the interviewing company without going overboard and seeming phony.  Basically, if ya got it, ya got it.  If you don’t, it’s hard to fake.  If you’re by nature an introvert, you’ll have to do the best you can; with time and a bit more perspective and maturity, this will get easier, and you’ll get better.

What one thing will set you apart from every other applicant?

This leaves us with the third factor listed above.  A simple truth, from someone who’s interviewed people for 30+ years:  most people – sorry, there’s no more effective way to express it – do a really shitty job of preparing for interviews.

For you, that’s fantastic news. The bar is set pretty low.

I’ve interviewed executive level candidates who’ve done little more than spend a few minutes on our website prior to their interview.  To me, that conveys that they don’t care about the job, they’re lazy or complacent, and aren’t the kind of people I want to have working at our company.  If they don’t care enough to do a thorough job of prepping for an interview, how will they approach their job?

The very same principle applies to you, even if you’re applying for your first or second job.

What can you do?  What’s that one thing which will set you apart?  One word:  research.

If you immediately have visions of slaving away in a dark corner in a library, surrounded by piles of books and scholarly journals,  relax.  It’s not nearly as terrifying as that.  It may even be a little fun.

A practical example

A young relative, 26, is seeking a job as a management trainee with a large, well known chain of sporting goods stores.  Prior to his initial interview, he gave me a call.

We talked about the position, and some of the basics – dress appropriately, bring some resumes, be able to clearly convey why you want the job and what you believe you’d bring to the company, how it relates to your education, and so forth.  Pretty much standard stuff.

“What else can I do? Anything?,” he asked.

“Absolutely”, I replied.  I suggested he visit another store in the chain – not the one he’d be interviewing at, and approach several employees.  “They’ll all be about your age, and they’ll all have gone through the interview process.  Tell them who you are, and that you’ll be interviewing for a job at the “X” store.  Ask them about the interview process, how the company approached it, what sort of questions they asked, how many people interviewed them, and what they feel the company is looking for.  That’ll help you prepare, and feel more prepared when you interview.”

“Hmm.  Yeah, good idea.  Anything else?”

“Yeah.  Tell the interviewer that you did this.”

“What?!  Tell him??”

“Yes.  Without a doubt.  Tell him.  No one else he interviews will have done this.  Subtly mention that you spoke to a few people at the “Z” location, that you wanted to get a sense of the company, and how it approaches interviews.  What you’ll really be communicating is this:  you care, you want the job and are motivated, and you took the initiative to do something extra.”

My logic is simple:  if you display energy and initiative when it comes to the interview and preparing for it, it’s only natural for the interviewer to conclude that you’ll be energetic on the job. (By the way:  you need to deliver on this promise, should you get the job!)

A second interview

As it turns out, the initial interview went well; his second interview is this week.

He called over the holiday weekend.  We chatted about the first interview, what he learned, how many are being called back for a second time (four), and when he was interviewing. Eventually the conversation turned to any extras he could do to prepare.

I thought for a few seconds…   “What other major sporting goods stores are there in your area?”  He listed a few.  “Take your day off, and get yourself a little notebook.  Visit every one of those stores.  Take notes on how the products are merchandised, the staff, how the store is laid out, how attractive the displays are, how broad the product selection is – anything that’s important from a consumer’s standpoint.”  I thought for a few more seconds, “And then go back to the the interviewing company’s  store, and do the very same thing.  See if you can pick out two or three things that the company does better than the competition.  And…  see if you notice anything where they’re not doing as good a job.”

“And find a way to tell the interviewer during the interview, right?” he ventured.

“Of course.  No one else will have done this.  I can practically guarantee it.  Doing this will set you apart from every other candidate.”

“Uh, I don’t know if I want to tell him something negative about their store.”

“Then don’t.  But…  if he asks if you saw anything that could use some improvement, mention it as diplomatically as you can.  You don’t need to be negative, and you can temper it a bit, but if he asks, it’s ok to mention it.”

By now you know my reasoning.  Anything that distinguishes you from the other interviewees, that conveys your passion, interest, and initiative, is priceless when it comes to interviewing.

Applicable to any type of position

I’ve used a retail example, but this same approach is valid for nearly any position.

If interviewing at a manufacturing firm, check out its products and competitive products at retail stores.  If the interviewing firm’s products are sold at distributors, visit a few; ask some questions; visit distributors who carry competing lines.  If applying for a job at a bank, visit a couple of branches; do some online research in trends in banking; talk to someone who works at that bank.

It’s simple.  You want to convey passion, energy, and initiative.  The simplest way to do this is to do some basic pre-interview research, field or otherwise, and then mention that fact when you interview.  It works.

If you liked this post, please consider subscribing to Practical Hacks.

…and if you have some surefire interview techniques you’d like to share, please comment.

In late August of 2008 I first wrote about my “90 day ‘Action Plan’” and made a simple, bare bones version available to readers.   If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a great “seal the deal” tool to bring with you to a second interview:  an outline of how you plan to approach your first three months on the job, should you be hired.  I’ve used this approach several times, and it works. Someone is selling a similar document on the web for $79!

About a dozen readers have either commented or emailed me that it was instrumental in their landing new jobs.

But the file was simplicity itself:  a bare bones, no-frills template, the most basic of Word documents, and nothing else.  And that’s always bothered me:  I want this to be as effective a tool for my readers as possible.

That’s why I recently worked with a talented graphic designer to upgrade the appearance and professionalism of the document.  In addition, I developed a complete set of instructions on how to use the Plan, including a series of questions to ask during your first interview – the answers to which will help you craft your 90 Day Plan.

While I was at it, I began thinking about how to bundle the 90 day plan with other, related material to make it even more valuable and useful.  The result is The Practical Hacks Job Seeker’s Handbook.  It’s chock-full of tips and techniques to help you research companies, prepare for interviews, and land the job you want.

The upgraded 90 Day Action Plan is now available, along with the Job Seeker’s Handbook.  Click here for details on a special offer:

90 Day Plan / Job Seeker’s Handbook

Most people – even those who’ve been working for 10-15+ years – haven’t a clue on how to properly prepare for a job interview.  Do you?

Does this sound your interview prep routine?

• Check the interviewing company’s website and gather some basic info
• Prep for key questions and formulate responses
• Prepare several questions of your own for your interviewers
• Bring extra resumes to the interview

If this is similar to your routine, it’s practically a certainty that you will NOT do better than your competitors. Other candidates are without a doubt leveraging several tools to more effectively prepare for their interviews.  The good news?  All of these weapons are free and are available to you…

As you prepare for your interview, your objectives are clear.  As far as the interviewing company is concerned, you need to understand:

• the interview process
• who will be interviewing you
• the job
• and of course, the company and at least to some extent, its products

…but how to get a handle on these issues?

Understanding the interview process & company

If you haven’t created a profile on LinkedIn and are interested in seeking employment – or will be in the future – create one.  Today! LinkedIn offers job seekers very powerful tools.

When you create your LinkedIn profile, you’ll be asked to summarize your employment history.  LinkedIn also enables you to build a network – with former colleagues, coworkers, recruiters, customers, and vendors.  So what’s the big deal?  Two things:

• 43 million people have LinkedIn profiles; some of them may very well work at – or used to work at – the company you’re interviewing with
• As you build your network, you’ll develop – in “Six Degrees of Separation” fashion – connections with people who will be able to assist in your job search

A simple example:  let’s say I have an interview for a sales position at Avery Dennison.  I in fact don’t know a soul at that company.  But when I go to the LinkedIn homepage and click on “Companies,” I can search for Avery Dennison.  That search returns a list of current and former employees, and notes how any of these people connect to my network (I’ve purposely distorted the names):

What’s immediately clear is that among the former employees, one, a former Regional VP, and another, an HR Generalist, are connected to someone in my network (the “2nd” next to their names refers to the fact that they are 2 degrees or 2 levels from me):  I connect to someone (in these cases, Gerald and Deborah), who directly connect to those individuals.  This is how LinkedIn shows this relationship:

This is huge! All I need to do is call Deborah and Gerald and say something like, “I think you may know “Name” at Avery Dennison.  Would you mind if I were to get in touch with them in order to network with them about the company?  I’m interviewing there in a couple of weeks and would love to get some insights from someone who used to work there.”  (And then ask for their contact info; LinkedIn discourages adding or trying to add people you don’t know to your network.)

Once you make contact with former employees, you can gain a tremendous amount of useful information: what was the hiring process like?  What’s the company’s biggest issues?  What can you tell me about the particular function I’d be joining?  Who’s the VP and what’s she like?  and so on…  the chance to gain some genuine insight into the company and players is fantastic!!

Another neat feature is that Company Searches on LinkedIn also return lists of recent hires and promotions.  This is a great prospecting tool – if you’re looking for a Director of Marketing position, you can search for newly hired Vice Presidents of Marketing – to get in touch with them OR their former employers:

Another idea:  if someone’s been promoted in your area of expertise, make contact with them – they could turn out to be a terrific resource in the future.   It’s much easier to do this if they connect with someone in your network; as mentioned above, LinkedIn in fact strongly discourages adding people to your network who you don’t know.  But it certainly may be worth a cold call or email.

Finding out who you’ll interview with

This one is easy, but it’s astonishing how few people take a few minutes to do this.  You found out you had the interview either from an HR manager or a recruiter.  If the recruiter’s really doing her job, she’ll find out who you’re interviewing with – names and titles.

If you were contacted by someone from the company’s HR department, call him or her about a week before your interview and ask – in the context of preparing for the interview – who you’ll be meeting with.  They should be willing to give you this information,- again, you want names and titles.

What to do with it?  Check LinkedIn and Google.  If any of your interviewers have given a speech, written an article for a trade journal, run a marathon, it will probably show up in a Google search.  When you set up your profile in LinkedIn you can indicate what your hobbies are and I’ve found that most people do this.  Anything which will give you insight into who you’ll be meeting with gives you an advantage.

And, of course, with their names in hand,  you can ask your new networking contacts (from LinkedIn) about these individuals:  what makes them tick, how they approach interviews, key accomplishments, and so forth.  This information is indispensable to anyone about to interview with a firm.

Understanding the job itself

If you’re working with a recruiter, the first thing they did after getting in touch with you and confirming your interest was to send you the position description, so this doesn’t apply to you.

If working with an HR rep, when you first are contacted by them to set up the interview, ask them to email you the job description. You really need to do this – for two reasons:  a) you need to thoroughly understand the responsibilities this job entails, and b) you need to determine if the company has its act together.  If the hiring company can’t provide a PD, it should raise a red flag. In my mind this certainly isn’t a show stopper, but it’s worth noting.  If other little oddities crop up during the process, you’ve been warned.

Conducting basic company and product research

Conducting research into a company is straightforward.  I’ve mentioned before how poorly many interviewees prep for interviews; many just show up having spent 15 minutes on our website.  In a competitive job market, that simply just won’t cut it. For pointers on where to gather information on companies, see this post:  21 Great Resources for Researching Companies & Competitors

Another way to get a leg up on your competitors and wow your interviewers is to do some basic product research. If the interviewing company’s product is sold at retail and you’ve never used it, go buy one.  If its price is prohibitive, at least visit a couple of retailers:  look at product displays, how the product is merchandised, and check out its pricing.  Look at its key competitors and note the same things.

If sold through dealers, visit a dealer.  See if you can chat up a salesperson at the dealership; ask about the company (tell him or her that you’re about to interview with the firm).  Ask how they are to deal with; ask about how their products stack up against competitive products; how their products are positioned in the market, and so forth.

If the company sells through distributors, by all means visit a couple of local distributors.   Ask the same types of questions as above.  Anything you can gain will help you.

And when you interview, dropping the fact that you took the initiative to go out and do this sort of basic research will definitely impress those you interview with.

A final tip to help with your search

Back to LinkedIn for a moment.  If you scroll up and look at the initial search results for Avery Dennison, you’ll note that the very first employee listed is a Human Resources Generalist.  Also of note that this person also connects with my friend Deborah.

This represents a great way to connect with the HR managers or other key executives.  All I need to do is call my contact (Deborah) and request an intro or perhaps just his contact information.

If you’ve developed a list of companies you want to target in your search, utilize Company Search on LinkedIn to see if your network connects you with anyone at the company.

Oh, did I mention?  You can also search for jobs on LinkedIn.  The search function works much as those with other job boards, but with LinkedIn you of course immediately see whether your network connects with anyone at the hiring company…   very handy, very powerful!

Wrapping up…

Job searches – particularly during a nasty recession – rank right up there with root canals and IRS audits on the funometer.  But it’s a jungle out there and you need to do everything you possibly can to distinguish yourself from other candidates.

The best way to do this is to go to the interview substantially better equipped than anyone else.  Follow the strategies outlined here and you can do just that – you might even have a little fun doing it!

One last, redundant but important point:  get on LinkedIn and build your network.  It’s a great weapon when it comes to job searches.  Do it today!

The Fine Print:  I have no connection to LinkedIn, other than being an avid user.

A few days ago Practical Hacks reader Tracy wrote in to report that she’d landed a job the same day she interviewed, thanks in part to her use of the “90 Day Action Plan” template which is available here.

Congratulations, Tracy – best of luck in your new position!

If you’ve used the 90 Day Action Plan, I’d love to hear about your experiences with it – please comment!