|
The interview is an exciting challenge for the Candidate and Employer alike. It is a journey with an end known only when it arrives. It is a discovery of the self and unending human potential. At SpencerSource, there is deep hope that we aid both the Candidate and Employer on this road to locate the right person for the position. Our company slogan, "Where excellence and opportunity meet", is a part of all that we do. Please make use of the information provided here. Purpose Of The Interview - The only purpose of the interview is to determine your suitability as a Candidate for consideration. If you are in fact deemed so, then an offer is the logical end to the process. In the determination of your acceptability many factors are considered: employment history, education, accomplishments, personality, core value system, motivation and prevalent attitudes. With all that in the balance, the interviewer will ultimately decide if you are the excellent Candidate to fill their outstanding opportunity. Be ready. It is a competitive job market. Your contemporaries are likely to be as talented and eager as you. Often times, the decision on who to chose from a bank Candidates comes down to the presentation of your interview and conduct. Statistically, it has been demonstrated that often times the Candidate provided the offer isn't always the most qualified. Interviewing skills are paramount for your success. So, practice, practice, practice. One other important idea to remind yourself of is this: This an interview for both parties. You are just as interested to know if this Employer is a good fit for you. Don't let the opportunity to discover this pass you by. Ask as many questions as you feel are relevant. Preparation - Understand your position. Know how you truly feel about yourself, accomplishments, work history and taking on this new position. Take stock of your strengths, weaknesses, life goals and whether you fit in the Client Company's culture. Be ready to heartily discuss why you are the right Candidate for the job. Know what you are getting into. An imperative task to accomplish before interviewing with a company is to know the company. Fully research the firm you are about to take the plunge with. Be prepared to explain why you are so attracted to the company. There are enormous resources at your disposal from which much of a company's inner-workings and culture can be ascertained. A timely arrival to the interview is imperative. It is the preface to your show stopping first interview. Fifteen minutes prior to your scheduled interview is a sufficient period of time to arrive early. Make certain you allow traffic travel time. You may even drive the route a day prior to the interview. Ensure you check your appearance one final time before the interview. Perform a final check of your outfit, grooming and facial expression. If it is winter time, run warm water over your hands just prior to the meeting ensuring your hands do not sweat from the drastic change in temperature of the cold walk from your car to the warm office where the interview will be conducted. You are ready to walk in the door and dazzle them with your brilliance. Confidence! Remember, you were offered this interview based on your credentials and work experience. They want to talk to you. This is your time to shine. Body language is also something to be keenly aware of. The message your body is sending is just as important as what you have to say. You don't want to be sending the wrong signal to the interviewer. Keep eye contact when speaking or listening to the interviewer. Maintain good posture and don't shuffle around in your chair. When speaking, annunciate clearly and succinctly. There are a few important items you should bring to the interview: three (3) References (full name, work and home phone numbers), Drivers License, Resume, Completed Application (If required), Pad and Pen (to take notes during the interview). A cell phone is not on this list. It is considered extremely rude to receive a phone call during the interview. Leave your cellular phone in the car. Appearance - There are a few suggestions which may beg your consideration: For male Candidates, we suggest:
For female Candidates, we suggest:
The Interview - You are there. Your confidence is high. You are excited to learn more about this fantastic job opportunity with an incredible employer. Don't forget your sole purpose for being there: Acquire a job offer. You may be in an interview process with another company. It is good that you have choices. It is important that you not attempt to pit the company you are currently interviewing against another interested company. This would likely leave a bad impression of your commitment in pursuing the position. Show some enthusiasm and excitement about their company. Engage the interviewer with thought provoking questions which bring to light the position as a whole and the opportunity it provides. Attitude is everything at this point. Sell them on your greatest assets and why you are the right person for the job. The door does swing both ways. Let them sell you on their company as well. So, be sure to pose poignant questions about the company, culture and position that will help you arrive to a position where you will know if you want the company to make an offer. Typically, the interview process proceeds in a logical way. Dependent upon the company culture, how many interviews, who will interview you and the types of questions you will encounter can differ from company to company. However, for the sake of continuity and general understanding of the process as it will likely unfold, we provide an Interview Model Archetype below so that you will be more at ease with the interview process before it begins.
At the conclusion of the interview: Now that the interview is over, it is time to make a decision. Are you interested in an offer? If you are still unsure and/or uncertain about some part of the Client Company, then now is the time to pose any questions to gain clarity. If there are none and you wish to proceed, then it is time to make your intentions known. Tell them you want the job. Explain to the interviewer with complete understanding of what the job entails that you are enthusiastically eager to take on the position. Ask when you will receive an answer. Q & A: What To Expect - When the questions begin, remember to keep eye contact, good posture and not fidget in your chair. Interviews can be unnerving for some. If you focus on what the interviewer is asking and not on yourself, then you'll likely find the anxiety will disappear or diminished to a large degree. You are there to sell yourself. Ensure your answers are complete and delivered with confidence and enthusiasm. Some questions will call on more information than others. Try to be mindful of what is called for. Please cover our example Interview Questions. They cover an ample range of the types of questions you will likely be posed. Suggested responses and directions you may take your responses are also provided. While the interview proceeds, the interviewer will likely continually take notes of your responses. Don't be distracted if this is necessary. The interviewer is listening to every word. It is important that you are honest with your responses throughout the entire interview. Those notes which are taken tend to be checked when the response is a bit too incredible. It would be a shame to lose a great opportunity based on an exaggeration to appear more knowledgeable on a topic than you may be. What You Should Ask - You are also in an interview to ask questions. You are interviewing the company as much the company is interviewing you. Take an active role in seeking out answers to questions you have about working with them. After all, you are giving them your best and certainly deserve to completely understand what the position entails as well the finer nuances of the Client Company's inner workings. The questions should develop naturally from the research you have done on the Client Company. Most successful companies have a web site. Researching a company to determine its strengths and what it has to offer is quickly becoming a rudimentary task. Asking questions also provides you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the industry. It tends to aid in relaxing the interview because both parties are actively engaged. This is also a great way to build rapport with the Client Company early on in the process. It is important to remember:
A few suggested questions you might make are listed below:
Follow Through - Call your Associate with SpencerSource immediately after the interview. We want your feedback on the experience with the Client Company, thoughts on the position available, and how interested you are in the position. If there are still questions you didn't feel were adequately addressed or need more information about, then let us know. After you have debriefed us, we will then contact the Client Company and request the same feedback of their experience with you. We will then contact you regarding the information gathered from the Client Company debrief. Thank You Letter - It is good form to tender a short letter of appreciation to the Employer for their time and consideration. Take the opportunity to once again express your interest in the position, enthusiasm with joining their team and ability to perform the job beautifully. Your interviewer will be more likely to remember you when it comes down to making the final decision. Ensure you mail the Thank You letter the following day. Please see an example by choosing the "Thank You Letter" selection from "Letters" on tools menu. |