INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES & TIPS
There are numerous approaches that might work... but, over the years, we have identified and refined techniques that consistently work. Our approach involves understanding how to best represent your skills, abilities and personality to position you for an offer.
The primary purpose of an interview is for an employer to determine if you have the necessary skills and experience to perform the job function and also measure how well you will fit into the organization. An interview provides the interviewer an opportunity to see how well he or she can work with the candidate. We often see candidates, perfectly qualified for an opportunity, not receive an offer because the chemistry between the candidate and the manager or his/her team does not feel right.
Many candidates make a strategic error on the first interview of interrogating the people conducting the interview to determine if the opportunity and/or company are right for them. Instead of selling themselves to the potential employer, they turn the interview table and ask several questions to determine if the position is right for them. This almost always discourages the management team from continuing your candidacy. The correct time to decide if the opportunity and/or employer are right for you is after you have sold yourself and you have received an actual offer. If you have properly sold yourself to the new employer, they will be forthright with the details necessary for you to make a well informed decision.
It is a reasonable assumption that if you are called in for an interview, the employer already has good reason to believe that you have the necessary skills and experience to perform the job. While good questions will arise during the interview to clarify your experience, the nonverbal communication that occurs and rapport that is established is also very important. Since you have so little time to make a good impression, there are a few things that you should always do when interviewing for a new position.
We have broken the interview up into five parts. You must remember...
the objective of the interview is to receive an offer, not to determine if the opportunity is right for you. Enthusiasm counts - Sell Yourself!
Part I: Interview Preparation
Nothing impresses a manager more than candidates who have done their homework. Prior to the interview, take the time to research in detail the company that you are meeting with as well as each person on your interview schedule. Understand the company's business, clients and strategies. Review the available information on the people you are meeting with as well as papers, transactions and personal information. Simple Google Boolean searches can generate significant amounts of valuable information for you about the company and the people you are meeting with. These searches may alert you to new business dealings of the company as well as information about the people you are meeting with. A candidate recently discovered that he and the manager had run in the same marathon and the manager finished slightly better. Needless to say, this was an excellent topic of conversation. Finding common ground will help you bond in an interview. Other positive scenarios include alumni connections, conferences, papers, hobbies, previous employers, business experiences, etc.
Following is a checklist to complete prior to your meeting:
Part II: Opening of the Interview
Your primary objective is to understand what the interviewer is looking for in the person they will hire. Take the time (at the beginning of the interview) to determine what specific skills are required for the position... and be sure to describe your skills and experiences that show how you are qualified for the position that you are interviewing for.
Also, be aware the job specification may be a "cookie cutter" template the employer uses for similar positions. Use the job specification as a guide as the hiring manager and others on the interview team will have their own perspective of what the position entails.
In order to be successful, you want to extract as much information as possible from the interviewer, and address issues they consider important. In the beginning of the interview, it is best if you ask the interviewer, "Please share with me some information about the responsibilities and objectives for this position."
The interviewer will answer your question... and tell you everything you'll need to sell yourself. At this point, the key is to listen and carefully evaluate the response. Although uncovering the details of the position is extremely important, there is one element that is often overlooked... personality. It is frequently more important than any other single factor. Interviewing is selling, and the candidate that interviews (sells) best receives the offer. Period. Many candidates have received offers when they were under qualified because their attitude and personality meshed with the hiring manager.
Part III: Sell Yourself
Now that you understand what's important to the interviewer, you are ready to proceed to the next stage... describing how your skills and experience will allow you to be successful in the role. When you talk about your experiences, talk in terms of what you did (not just what your firm/group did) and be specific about your contributions to your employer. This may include specific cases or deals where your contributions made a significant difference to the outcome for the company or the firm.
Other key points to remember:
Part IV: Closing the Interview
If at the end of the interview you like what you heard about the opportunity and are interested to move forward in the process, it's important to communicate this to the interviewer. Hiring managers like to hire people who are interested and motivated to join their team.
Closing the interview can be difficult because you are ultimately asking a direct question:
"I am extremely interested in the opportunity and I believe I would be successful. Based on our meeting, do you feel I would be successful here?"
The reason this question seems difficult to ask is that it invites criticism. Your natural instinct will be to avoid rather than encourage criticism. It is critical to ask this question, because if the interviewer has any lingering concerns, you will never know unless you probe for it. When you ask the question, he or she will probably respond with: "I feel you are strong in most areas, but I'm really concerned about..." You now have an excellent opening to address these concerns, targeting specific areas for clarification.
If his/her concern is valid, draw parallels to demonstrate your ability to adapt to their needs. Never attempt to exaggerate experiences - it is better to reply by admitting that you don't have "that" specific experience, but have gained experience in areas of a similar nature or of equal complexity (use examples), and feel comfortable in coming up to speed quickly. Managers agree that no single individual will have every attribute they seek, and they default to the candidate who they believe can make the transition successfully with the shortest learning curve.
Everything up to this point is straight forward and uncomplicated. Determine what attributes will make you successful. Explain your background emphasizing the skills he/she told you were necessary. Finally, at the conclusion of the interview, ask the interviewer if they feel you would be successful.
Now the real secret...
You can do everything right up to this point... and destroy your efforts if you mishandle the subject of money. The key to this is simple: You don't want to become attached to a specific amount because once you do, it can't be retracted. It's analogous to the judge instructing the jury to "strike that last remark."
If you volunteer a number that is low, you will talk yourself out of some money. If you select a number that is too high (or out of their salary guidelines), you may not receive an offer at all.
The last thing you want to do is provide them with a range, because you will be aiming at the top and they will migrate straight to the bottom. Instead, encourage the manager to prepare the best offer they possibly can. To accomplish this, you articulate the following:
"Extend the best offer you feel comfortable with, and I will give it serious consideration."
If the interviewer asks what your current compensation is, let them know. Be sure to include base compensation, bonus, and any expected increases. Not sharing your current compensation when asked by a hiring manager raises an immediate red flag.
Be sure to let the interviewer know that you are interested in the opportunity. Don't leave the interview with the interviewer guessing if you are interested or not. If you are interested, make it known that you are.
Warning
Some managers assume an adversarial role during the interviewing process - to identify the uncommitted or squeamish, people with low self confidence - or individuals who will never be significant contributors on a standalone basis. Questions like: "Does it intimidate you to know that we have had 8 attorneys come and go in the past five years?", "You seem to be working in a low pressure environment... with not much personal accountability. Do you think you could really fit in here?" or "You don't seem to have the depth of experience we need, wouldn't you agree?" These are worst cases... but be prepared to have someone become deliberately adversarial.
Managers put people on the spot because they want to determine if they have convictions, can be easily intimidated, and to test their willingness to defend their past decisions and accomplishments. They believe that this type of interview identifies the best and the brightest. They are asking to be convinced that you are the person who will positively impact their immediate and future plans.
A General Counsel at a large client company summed it up recently: "You either believe in yourself or you don't. Successful attorneys believe in themselves... and will not be intimidated. They understand internal and external business issues... they know what drives their company. They are astute."
Have a spouse or friend interview you (with a list of anticipated questions), and critique your responses for content, sincerity and overall presentation. Instruct them to provide both positive and negative feedback, so that you can fine tune your presentation. Ask them to watch for uncomfortable body language.
An objective that you must never lose sight of...
you are there to receive an offer.
Even if the description doesn't sound that appealing, you should sell yourself thoroughly, because total scope and responsibilities can (and usually do) change after you have convinced them that you're the benchmark candidate.
Important
Before you leave, find out what the next step is in their hiring cycle. When can you expect to hear from them? Do they need anything from you? Make it clear that you are interested in the opportunity. Never assume that they think you are. A manager is not going to use his time preparing an offer if he thinks it will be declined. You don't get another chance - reconfirm your interest and availability.
You can't retract anything you do or say in the interview... it is absolutely cast in stone. You want them to remember significant positive information that will result in an offer.
Part V: Interview Follow-up
There are two items which need to occur immediately after the interview:
Riding the Roller Coaster...
The interview process can be compared to riding an emotional roller coaster. There will be peaks when everything looks great and valleys when you haven't heard anything for sometimes weeks at a time. The best way to deal with this is to understand that landing an opportunity can be an exhaustive, but rewarding process.
Recognize that the hiring manager has their own peaks and valleys during this process. It can be difficult to coordinate everyone's calendar, the manager may encounter internal personnel issues, or pressing matters may arise which require their dedicated attention. The manager has a desire to fill the position as quickly as possible, but sometimes the process can be slower than desired.
The primary purpose of an interview is for an employer to determine if you have the necessary skills and experience to perform the job function and also measure how well you will fit into the organization. An interview provides the interviewer an opportunity to see how well he or she can work with the candidate. We often see candidates, perfectly qualified for an opportunity, not receive an offer because the chemistry between the candidate and the manager or his/her team does not feel right.
Many candidates make a strategic error on the first interview of interrogating the people conducting the interview to determine if the opportunity and/or company are right for them. Instead of selling themselves to the potential employer, they turn the interview table and ask several questions to determine if the position is right for them. This almost always discourages the management team from continuing your candidacy. The correct time to decide if the opportunity and/or employer are right for you is after you have sold yourself and you have received an actual offer. If you have properly sold yourself to the new employer, they will be forthright with the details necessary for you to make a well informed decision.
It is a reasonable assumption that if you are called in for an interview, the employer already has good reason to believe that you have the necessary skills and experience to perform the job. While good questions will arise during the interview to clarify your experience, the nonverbal communication that occurs and rapport that is established is also very important. Since you have so little time to make a good impression, there are a few things that you should always do when interviewing for a new position.
We have broken the interview up into five parts. You must remember...
the objective of the interview is to receive an offer, not to determine if the opportunity is right for you. Enthusiasm counts - Sell Yourself!
Part I: Interview Preparation
Nothing impresses a manager more than candidates who have done their homework. Prior to the interview, take the time to research in detail the company that you are meeting with as well as each person on your interview schedule. Understand the company's business, clients and strategies. Review the available information on the people you are meeting with as well as papers, transactions and personal information. Simple Google Boolean searches can generate significant amounts of valuable information for you about the company and the people you are meeting with. These searches may alert you to new business dealings of the company as well as information about the people you are meeting with. A candidate recently discovered that he and the manager had run in the same marathon and the manager finished slightly better. Needless to say, this was an excellent topic of conversation. Finding common ground will help you bond in an interview. Other positive scenarios include alumni connections, conferences, papers, hobbies, previous employers, business experiences, etc.
Following is a checklist to complete prior to your meeting:
1.
Know your resume. Review your resume and be thoroughly familiar with the contents. Some managers will critique everything on the resume and ask for justification for each career move and details about every career experience.
2.
Prepare extra copies of your resume and have business cards ready to exchange with the people you meet. Obtaining business cards is important to send thank you letters and correspondences following the meeting.
3.
Research the company, business unit and people you are meeting. Be as thorough as possible.
4.
Review the job specification and prepare a list of transactions that you have completed that demonstrate that you have the necessary background for the opportunity. Be prepared to discuss your role with these transactions.
5.
Decide ahead of time what are the two to three points that you would like to communicate during the interview. Have one or two specific examples showing how you excelled and impacted your present employer.
6.
Have a few questions prepared. These can be about the opportunity, the department and/or the direction of the company. It is best to keep your questions strategic in nature. Stay away from compensation and benefits questions.
7.
Have a well thought out answer for "why are you looking" and/or "why are you interested in this company/opportunity." Your answer should be focused around the company's business and the nature of the opportunity and why it fits into your career plans. Answers that focus on the location of the position and the number of hours required for the position are not acceptable.
8.
Know where you are going and who to ask for upon arriving at the interview. Understand how long it is going to take and arrive early. Being caught in traffic is an unacceptable excuse for being late for an interview.
9.
Dress to impress - we always recommend formal business attire, regardless of the company dress code policy.
Part II: Opening of the Interview
Your primary objective is to understand what the interviewer is looking for in the person they will hire. Take the time (at the beginning of the interview) to determine what specific skills are required for the position... and be sure to describe your skills and experiences that show how you are qualified for the position that you are interviewing for.
Also, be aware the job specification may be a "cookie cutter" template the employer uses for similar positions. Use the job specification as a guide as the hiring manager and others on the interview team will have their own perspective of what the position entails.
In order to be successful, you want to extract as much information as possible from the interviewer, and address issues they consider important. In the beginning of the interview, it is best if you ask the interviewer, "Please share with me some information about the responsibilities and objectives for this position."
The interviewer will answer your question... and tell you everything you'll need to sell yourself. At this point, the key is to listen and carefully evaluate the response. Although uncovering the details of the position is extremely important, there is one element that is often overlooked... personality. It is frequently more important than any other single factor. Interviewing is selling, and the candidate that interviews (sells) best receives the offer. Period. Many candidates have received offers when they were under qualified because their attitude and personality meshed with the hiring manager.
Part III: Sell Yourself
Now that you understand what's important to the interviewer, you are ready to proceed to the next stage... describing how your skills and experience will allow you to be successful in the role. When you talk about your experiences, talk in terms of what you did (not just what your firm/group did) and be specific about your contributions to your employer. This may include specific cases or deals where your contributions made a significant difference to the outcome for the company or the firm.
Other key points to remember:
-
Be confident and enthusiastic at all times (never drop your guard).
-
Maintain eye contact, smile and show expression.
-
Speak briefly, answering questions directly and positively...
don't ramble or digress.
don't ramble or digress.
-
Don't be opinionated. Repeat. Don't be opinionated.
-
Listen, listen, listen...
understand his/her thoughts completely before responding.
understand his/her thoughts completely before responding.
-
Dress in a conservative manner (white shirt, business suit)...
even if you know they don't require it.
even if you know they don't require it.
-
Don't ever slam your current or previous employer...
even if they deserve it!
even if they deserve it!
-
Show interest in the position, ask relevant questions. Probe.
-
Don't dwell on peripheral issues like vacation and benefits...
once an offer is generated, it is time to address these issues.
once an offer is generated, it is time to address these issues.
Part IV: Closing the Interview
If at the end of the interview you like what you heard about the opportunity and are interested to move forward in the process, it's important to communicate this to the interviewer. Hiring managers like to hire people who are interested and motivated to join their team.
Closing the interview can be difficult because you are ultimately asking a direct question:
"I am extremely interested in the opportunity and I believe I would be successful. Based on our meeting, do you feel I would be successful here?"
The reason this question seems difficult to ask is that it invites criticism. Your natural instinct will be to avoid rather than encourage criticism. It is critical to ask this question, because if the interviewer has any lingering concerns, you will never know unless you probe for it. When you ask the question, he or she will probably respond with: "I feel you are strong in most areas, but I'm really concerned about..." You now have an excellent opening to address these concerns, targeting specific areas for clarification.
If his/her concern is valid, draw parallels to demonstrate your ability to adapt to their needs. Never attempt to exaggerate experiences - it is better to reply by admitting that you don't have "that" specific experience, but have gained experience in areas of a similar nature or of equal complexity (use examples), and feel comfortable in coming up to speed quickly. Managers agree that no single individual will have every attribute they seek, and they default to the candidate who they believe can make the transition successfully with the shortest learning curve.
Everything up to this point is straight forward and uncomplicated. Determine what attributes will make you successful. Explain your background emphasizing the skills he/she told you were necessary. Finally, at the conclusion of the interview, ask the interviewer if they feel you would be successful.
Now the real secret...
You can do everything right up to this point... and destroy your efforts if you mishandle the subject of money. The key to this is simple: You don't want to become attached to a specific amount because once you do, it can't be retracted. It's analogous to the judge instructing the jury to "strike that last remark."
If you volunteer a number that is low, you will talk yourself out of some money. If you select a number that is too high (or out of their salary guidelines), you may not receive an offer at all.
The last thing you want to do is provide them with a range, because you will be aiming at the top and they will migrate straight to the bottom. Instead, encourage the manager to prepare the best offer they possibly can. To accomplish this, you articulate the following:
"Extend the best offer you feel comfortable with, and I will give it serious consideration."
If the interviewer asks what your current compensation is, let them know. Be sure to include base compensation, bonus, and any expected increases. Not sharing your current compensation when asked by a hiring manager raises an immediate red flag.
Be sure to let the interviewer know that you are interested in the opportunity. Don't leave the interview with the interviewer guessing if you are interested or not. If you are interested, make it known that you are.
Warning
Some managers assume an adversarial role during the interviewing process - to identify the uncommitted or squeamish, people with low self confidence - or individuals who will never be significant contributors on a standalone basis. Questions like: "Does it intimidate you to know that we have had 8 attorneys come and go in the past five years?", "You seem to be working in a low pressure environment... with not much personal accountability. Do you think you could really fit in here?" or "You don't seem to have the depth of experience we need, wouldn't you agree?" These are worst cases... but be prepared to have someone become deliberately adversarial.
Managers put people on the spot because they want to determine if they have convictions, can be easily intimidated, and to test their willingness to defend their past decisions and accomplishments. They believe that this type of interview identifies the best and the brightest. They are asking to be convinced that you are the person who will positively impact their immediate and future plans.
A General Counsel at a large client company summed it up recently: "You either believe in yourself or you don't. Successful attorneys believe in themselves... and will not be intimidated. They understand internal and external business issues... they know what drives their company. They are astute."
Have a spouse or friend interview you (with a list of anticipated questions), and critique your responses for content, sincerity and overall presentation. Instruct them to provide both positive and negative feedback, so that you can fine tune your presentation. Ask them to watch for uncomfortable body language.
An objective that you must never lose sight of...
you are there to receive an offer.
Even if the description doesn't sound that appealing, you should sell yourself thoroughly, because total scope and responsibilities can (and usually do) change after you have convinced them that you're the benchmark candidate.
Important
Before you leave, find out what the next step is in their hiring cycle. When can you expect to hear from them? Do they need anything from you? Make it clear that you are interested in the opportunity. Never assume that they think you are. A manager is not going to use his time preparing an offer if he thinks it will be declined. You don't get another chance - reconfirm your interest and availability.
You can't retract anything you do or say in the interview... it is absolutely cast in stone. You want them to remember significant positive information that will result in an offer.
Part V: Interview Follow-up
There are two items which need to occur immediately after the interview:
1.
Contact your Search Consultant at BarkerGilmore as soon as possible following the interview with your feedback. We will take your feedback and follow-up with the hiring manager to determine next steps.
2.
Send a thank you email to the hiring manager and anyone else on the interview team who you view as a key decision maker. Keep the message short and express your desire to move forward in the interview process, and highlight your best selling points.
Riding the Roller Coaster...
The interview process can be compared to riding an emotional roller coaster. There will be peaks when everything looks great and valleys when you haven't heard anything for sometimes weeks at a time. The best way to deal with this is to understand that landing an opportunity can be an exhaustive, but rewarding process.
Recognize that the hiring manager has their own peaks and valleys during this process. It can be difficult to coordinate everyone's calendar, the manager may encounter internal personnel issues, or pressing matters may arise which require their dedicated attention. The manager has a desire to fill the position as quickly as possible, but sometimes the process can be slower than desired.
