With the economic climate lately, and job loyalty forever changed, more and more people are in a job-hunting position. Those that are able to line up interviews need to be as prepared as possible, since there is likely more than the usual number of people vying for that one opening. Not to mention, hiring managers still being very particular as to who they hire.

Below are some pointers that hopefully will be of help. I won’t go into the basics - such as arriving early enough, dress properly, understand what the role requires, etc. Some of that is common sense, and I’m sure you understand the others (if not, I’d be happy to answer any specific questions). These are items that can hopefully help you stand out from the pack.

Positive attitude - a firm, solid handshake, warm smile, "pleasure to meet you" – and it starts there. Unless you are interviewing for an accounting position (no offense to those that do!), a personality helps make the difference.

Understand how important it is to "mirror" the person who is interviewing you – ie., if they are very rushed and quick-speaking, you should keep your answers clear and crisp. If they are more "chatty" - then it's fine to be more relaxed in your reply - HOWEVER, always addressing the question and being clear. In general, people like people who are "like" them. That's why it's important to pick up on an interviewer's style and presence.

Don’t forget about “me” - when asked about your role, responsibilities, contribution etc…  it’s best not to mainly refer to what your department does; instead, try to focus on what YOU do, what you have contributed. Too often people make the mistake of saying “WE are responsible for business requirements and WE work with the development team” – ultimately the interviewer might think you don’t handle tasks on your own and pass off a lot of responsibilities to others. You should not sound “arrogant” by saying “I” but just naturally express what you, personally, contribute.

Confidence-building before heading in – think of 5 attributes on paper that makes you special. Don’t have 5? Keep trying – I bet you probably have more than that number. Those are your strengths, and where you will stand out from others competing for the same role. The idea is to focus on staying positive and work on building your confidence-level.

What makes you nervous? The best time to think about that is beforehand and address it, so if it does arise during an interview – you will be ready to answer the tough question with greater ease. For example – if an prospective employer asks what are your strengths and weaknesses? This is probably one of the most basic questions, HOWEVER, many people have lost job opportunities by saying a "weakness" that truly reflects badly on their character or skills (eg, not organized, or have a bad temper).

It is possible to mention a “weakness” that you have had trouble with in the past, but have been working on to improve – you can say that it was an issue and are always continuing to improve yourself in this area (eg, delegating,  multitasking priorities). You are mentioning a weakness, but going back a bit in your career and showing how you have improved – if needed, this can be a good way to express a weakness but showing strength and growth.

Another type of weakness can be something mentioned that is NOT needed for the role. For example, if the position is a business analyst role, you can mention you are light at development (in other words, it’s not a skill needed for the position).

Listening - also consider that how you LISTEN is just as vital as the answers you give. Doing everything correctly will be negated if you are not a good listener. Listening properly also gives the interviewer insight into your interpersonal skills. To be a good listener you must let them finish their sentences and thoughts completely. You may be excited to jump in and add to what they are saying, but instead of showing your intelligence, it actually makes people uncomfortable when they don't get a chance to finish. It's best to LISTEN and NOD your head APPROVINGLY. When they finish their sentence, it's best to reply with a smile and if appropriate, ask another question or add some of your thoughts. The main point is to be a good listener in addition to asking good questions. Good conversation is a give and take.

A large number of our clients do a BEHAVIORIAL-TYPE of interview. Some questions might be:

What challenges have you faced?  How did you overcome them? 

Be prepared to talk about key projects/accomplishments and how you addressed tough issues.

What did you learn from your challenges?  What might you have done DIFFERENTLY if faced with similar situation?

Managers seek to hear that you are smart and learn from your experiences… that there are different ways to do thing, many things to learn… different ways to work. A sign of intelligence and analysis skills is the ability to view situations in different ways and LEARN from it.

Now, it’s your turn - good questions to ask to interviewer:

"What are the greatest challenges that you are facing, and that I could help you with?"

Unless the position has been explained in complete detail, this is an excellent question. It shows that the firm's success is of value to you, and not just your personal success.

When talking about your responsibilities and projects –give a good overview (be careful not to go on too long), and then ask “are my skills or environment similar to your needs or environment?” – in other words, you want to be sure that you are matching your skills to their needs.  If the manager says that the environments are different, then direct more questions to find out what their needs are and express back examples that you have done that are similar. Overall, any manager will want to hear that you have skills and experiences that relate to what they are doing and what their environment needs!  Good to make sure that you are on the “same page” or close enough.

"What are the short term and long term goals or objectives you are looking to reach?"

This shows that you are interested in career and the long term, not just a job

"What are the characteristics of successful employees in this organization?" 

Exemplifies to the employer that you want to do a good job and want to learn what best works in their environment.

At the end of the interview – let them know you are interested.

Since there are many people applying for the same job, it’s critical to separate yourself from everyone else! To do this, I suggest you say something like “I am very excited by this opportunity and hope you feel I am appropriate for the position”

Also, you can ask “Are there any concerns or questions you have about my background – I’d like to address any questions for you”. Hopefully everything went smoothly; however – it could make up for a misunderstanding or eliminate a concern.  It’s not an easy question to ask; be prepared to respond to a concern or negative without being “defensive”. Worth adding in, to eradicate any concerns before the next candidate walks into the manager’s office.

Follow-up etiquette:

1.       Ask politely, not anxiously, what the next steps in the process might be. Don't be afraid to let them know that you like what you have seen so far, and want to continue the process. You can say – “I have a sincere intent in moving forward; what would be the next steps?"

2.       Always get a business card from the person(s) you are meeting. You should send a “thank you” email that night. (But ALWAYS spell check your message, and correct any grammar before hitting the send button!)

3.       If using one, be sure to contact your recruiter shortly after an interview. The sooner you give your feedback, the sooner the recruiter can move the process forward. They are your champion, and can be more responsive with detailed information.

Good luck!