Come to the interview working, not looking for work
January 10, 2009 
24 Comments
Okay, if you made it as far as the interview, you don’t want to blow it. (Agreed?) In my many years in HR I have been a silent observer on several interviews. Let me tell you some subtle, but definite “no-no’s” you may not be aware of.
1. Dressed up to the nines for an interview. Ask in advance what the attire is for the interview. If it is business casual and you arrive in a suit or vice-versa, you send a subconscious signal to the interviewer that you do not fit in with the culture of the company.
2. Do not say that I am ready to start immediately. Everybody says that! (Believe me I know.) You have to give the impression that you have already started and you just need them to acknowledge it. How do you do that?
- Research the company from top to bottom; know who the key players are and call out a few of their names in passing.
- Mention what the company is doing now and how you think they will succeed or fail in what they are doing.
- Suggest a strategy of how they could proceed and detail how you would facilitate that change.
- Listen carefully to what they want and be sure you can give it to them.
Let me give you an example of this…
Once upon a time, I worked for MCI in a newly formed startup division within Human Resources focused on Internet Research. (For the record, MCI was way ahead of the curve with using the Internet to recruit, but I digress…)
My resume was one of several to be considered for the position and I knew it, so I did something to put the odds in my favor. As the position itself was a newly created position, the requirements were not wholly stated but I did know that I would be used to source talent for their various facilities nationwide.
So what did I do?
I looked on their webpage, saw their openings, found some resumes on the Internet and sent them into my future boss. She was impressed and I got the job. (Hey Rachel Platt!) You see? The difference between the others and myself was that they came ready to work and arrived already working.
Want to go a step further and really impress them? Create a plan detailing what you plan on accomplishing in the first 100 days of employment! Make sure that you hit every immediate need that touches your position, forecast what will be required beyond that and address those issues in your strategy. Then, ask what additional milestones would have to be met to earn a promotion or performance bonus. The probable reaction? How soon can you start? (NOTE: This technique is used after you have completed a couple of interviews and the final decision is between you and the next guy. I recommend that it be you.)
3. Remember that until you land the job you want, looking for a job IS your job and you should treat it as such. Set your hours of operation, follow-up on your leads, maintain your contacts and be diligent in your pursuit. Create a mentality that you are not per se out of work, just operating in a new temporary position.
Good luck in your job search!
ABOUT THE WRITER
Jim Stroud is a Social Media Development Manager for EnglishCafe, the premier English learning community for global professionals. Prior to EnglishCafe, Jim Stroud amassed a decade of recruiting experience consulting for such companies as Microsoft, Google, MCI and Siemens. Jim Stroud also produces iLiveOnline, a how-to blog on all things internet.
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Really very good and useful tips for cracking the interview..
The tips which are given here really useful to prepare myself for the interview as well as for making resume.I will use these tips whenever I get the opportunity.
“Come to the Interview Working, Not looking for Work” – Great article man, the title itself speaks much. This article will prove to be a jackpot for those looing for helpful resume tips.
This article is indeed worth bookmarking by everyone looking for resume tips that really work. Great work indeed.
Great reminder to do your homework and research before you show up for the interview.
Thanks for these great resume tips!!! Point # 2 in the article is by far the best I’ve ever read in my life. It’s thoroughly mind-blowing, something that have never occured to me as yet. All-in-all, a great, refreshing article. Obviously, I look forward to reading more in the future.
This is some great tips that I am happily taking notes of, as I am presently unemployed (due to our economy right now, I live in the Bahamas), I love the part about coming in to work, and not looking for it. That’s probably why a lot of persons do not get hired, because you seem so needy. No matter that you have a professional resume, it’s all about how you conduct yourself. I’ll know better now, when I’m called in for an interview, thanks for the advice.
These are some great tips that I am happily taking notes of, as I am presently unemployed (due to our economy right now, I live in the Bahamas), I love the part about coming in to work, and not looking for it. That’s probably why a lot of persons do not get hired, because you seem so needy. No matter that you have a professional resume, it’s all about how you conduct yourself. I’ll know better now, when I’m called in for an interview, thanks for the advice.
Amazing article. This is surely gonna be very helpful to those going for interview. Great going ResumeBear, keep it up.
Great piece of work to remind us to do your work. Great work. Good knowledge. Thanks
Good useful tips. Homework is definetly very important before an interview when you are applying for any job for that matter.
Thanks for the useful tips.I have to admit one of the best articles i have across.
One of the things that I like about the suggestion to give the impression that you have already started is it pushes candidates to do the things that they should be doing anyway: Researching the company, figuring out what the company’s challenges are, figuring out how they can help, putting a solution together, and selling the solution.
You’ve given a practical sound bite that gives focus to those important, but often too-general suggestions.
Steve
I can only wish that the candidates that I see, have read this informative guide. Great tips.
This blog is really amazing. Great information. I would definitely use the advise stated here for my upcoming interviews.
Great article — very practical and solid advice. May I put this article in the Resources for Interviewers listing we have on our site (with your name as author of course)? We have an online interview-building tool called Interview Generator at http://www.BuildAnInterview.com that has hundreds of free resources for Interviewers and Interviewees (job seekers). Thanks, Anne
This is great information, but I have one question. If I’m applying for a secretarial position how do I appear as though I already work there? How can I apply this excellent advice to that sort of a job hunt?
Very good suggestions! I have seen many individuals not get a job offer because of a weak presentation or lack of knowledge about the company’s protocol.
DeAnna, The author of the article is saying that a job applicant must do as much research as possible prior to your interview so that when you do interview for that position, you know the weaknesses, problems, strengths of that particular company. The more you know about the comapny, the more you can interface on a high knowledge level. I hope this answers your question.
Great article
It should help adjust the mindset of many who walk into an interview thinking they are there to get the job when they should be owning it!
I often tell my clients to start acting the part from the resume and cover letter to the actual interview. You’ve just hit the nail on the head with this and I’m glad I’m not alone in this concept.
Looking forward to reading more posts from you.
Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter for your questions, comments or violent reactions)
Great article, especially dressing appropriately for the interview.
Great article, and excellent point regarding “Research”. I believe that is a tremendous advantage Resumebear offers, the ability to track individuals reviewing your resume enabling you to not only perform company research, but leaders as well.
Just out of curiosity, when you were still in the hiring stage and sent a bunch of other people’s resumes to your future boss, how many of them were hired??
Witty! I’m bookmarking you site for future use.