When you show up for your interview, do you exhibit confidence, knowing that you will make a good impression? CEO Résumé prepares you for that first impression from the time you leave your car until the time you leave the building and get back into your car.
CEO Résumé will coach you in the do's and don'ts of a good interview. How you should talk to people that you are interacting with from the receptionist to the hiring authority.
Companies are now asking behavioral questions such as "You are asked to work with someone who is continually late to work and has excessive absences. Once that person gets to the office, her work is performed extremely well. How would you handle this situation?" Or, "Sales have been steadily declining in a certain market. Have you ever been faced with similar situations?" "What were some of the solutions that didn't work?"
CEO Résumé believes that by role playing ahead of time you will be aware of some of the questions that may be asked so that you come across as being self‑confident and well informed.
Some general interview tips include:
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Men
- No holes in your socks; shoes are clean and polished with no worn heels or scuffs.
- Go light on the aftershave.
- Shower and wear a deodorant.
- Hair professionally cut and clean shaved.
- Teeth brushed and mouth freshener used.
- Clean and trim fingernails.
- Clean handkerchief and tie
- Conservative, pressed, clean suit
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Women
- No runs in your clean hosiery.
- Shoes are clean and polished, no broken or missing heel tips.
- Go light on the perfume.
- Shower and wear a deodorant.
- Teeth brushed and mouth freshener used.
- Hair professionally groomed and stylish.
- Clean fingernails--no chipped or annoying polish.
- Clean conservative suit or tailored dress..
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General Interview Tips
- No cell phones or pagers, magazines, or newspapers. Carry your extra resume, job proposal salary history or references in a folder.
- Be on time, 5 minutes early at the receptionist's desk and well prepared. You should look prepared from the time you walk out of your car. Many times hiring authorities have their offices look out on the parking lot to see whether you are prepared or still dressing on the way in.
- Know the company's history and its culture. Find out all you can about the job. It's very sad when you don't know anything about the company or what the job entails. Why are you there?
- Know your resume from top to bottom. After all it is talking about you.
- Always be courteous to everyone from the receptionist to the person sitting next to you. Who knows, the person sitting next to you could actually be a client who someday you will be dealing with. The receptionist may be asked for feedback by the interviewer.
- Wait to be told when and were to sit and never, ever put your belongings on the interviewer's desk. This is his space and when you start spreading your belongings on his desk, it signals that you are moving in although you have not been invited.
- Relax, but don't light up a cigarette.
- If you are nervous, breathe deeply as you walk from your car or bus stop to the interview. Be sure you have had breakfast or lunch. You don't want to sit there with your stomach growling. However, go easy on the meal. Don't have any garlic‑based or other foods that will affect your breath. If you are concerned about your breath, try this trick. Lick your wrist and then take a whiff. It will let you know if you have bad breath.
- Demonstrate enthusiasm by asking questions. Stay focused on the facts. However, if you find a common interest based on what he has in his office, you can comment on it. This can be a tremendous ice breaker.
- Mirror the interviewer. If he speaks quickly and with enthusiasm, respond in the same way. If he speaks deliberately and carefully, you should also respond in this manner. If he explains things in detail, your answers should be detail oriented. On the other hand, if he is bottom‑line oriented, then he wants to hear concise statements that get right to the point.
- Do not ever bad mouth your previous employers. The interviewer will be wondering what you will be saying about his company. CEO Résumé will assist you in handling concerns where your previous employer and you did not see eye to eye.
- Do not embellish, exaggerate or tell falsehoods. They have a tendency to catch up with you. Know that in today's markets references are being checked.
- Salary and benefits should be discussed in later interviews after you have aroused their interest in the value that you will be bringing to their company. This is where your research can definitely pay off. Before the interview, you should look into what the company and industry pay as a whole and the benefits that are generally provided.
- Be sure and let the interviewer know that you are interested in the job. Many times the interviewer isn't quite sure whether a person wants the job or not because they don't indicate that they are interested.
- Smile and thank the interviewer as you leave.
- Immediately after the interview, review what questions were asked and how you answered. Rate yourself and look at what areas could be improved. Did you have information you needed to follow up on?
- Follow up the interview immediately with a thank‑you note. Here you can highlight things that you feel would make an impact on the company, whether it be your skills or ideas that you got when you spoke to the interviewer. If you had any questions, they could be included in the thank‑you letter. Make sure that this letter, like the cover letter contains no typos and is grammatically correct.
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