April is bringing me a very unique adventure — more to follow on that soon! Part of my adventure includes spending fun time with amazing people and, as such, I asked a few of them to guest post on this blog and share their thoughts on interviewing, building great teams and other relevant topics.
The April guest posts focus on “The B’s of Interviewing” — tried and true tips to ace your interview.
So, you have an interview set up – great! Now what? Uncertain what to do next? Most people are. As a job seeker and as an employer, I’ve always found interviews challenging. As a job seeker, you have one shot to make a good impression, to relate all the good things you bring to the table, why you are the perfect solution for the employer’s problem, and how your experience is worth tons of their money! As an interviewer, you have a limited amount of time with each candidate and you’re talking to several. You have to get to the good stuff quickly because time is money and bad hiring decisions are expensive! Hmmmm . . . it looks like both sides have something in common, doesn’t it?
Let’s get at some tips to help you prepare for a knockout performance in your interview. The tips are compiled from my experience on both sides of the table. I do want to confess that I’ve never particularly liked interviews, but once I began to view them as simple conversations the whole process changed for me.
Let’s prepare you for your conversations. My first “B” tip is:
Be on time. I know, I know. Still happens, though — candidates fail to account for weather, traffic, poor directions, etc. My conversations with late candidates are very brief. I confirm the time of our appointment, then tell them that being on time is a non-negotiable expectation on my team. I tell them it’s not a fit as I escort them to the door. If you aren’t able to get to the interview on time, what makes me think you’ll show up to work on time? Besides, being early has its advantages. You have an opportunity to talk to the receptionist, the administrative assistant or the VP you met in the elevator. You have time to mentally go over last minute preparations or fine tune your questions. There’s zero downside to being early.
So, “B” on time next week when I share with you the next B of Interviewing!
-Mark Key is a retail professional known for driving results in diverse and challenging retail segments. Mark’s interviewing insights come from companies big and small — having worked with organizations with just a few employees to Fortune 100 companies.
no comment until now