INTERVIEW PREPARATION Download PDF Purpose - get an offer The purpose of any interview is to get an offer. Even if you have concerns about the company or job during your interview, make sure you still interview your best. You can always say no to an offer when it arrives. You can rarely overcome a poor first impression if you later decide your initial instincts about the position were mistaken. Research Go online and find out as much information as you can about the company and anyone you will be interviewing with. Companies are very impressed when you can mention press releases, know their revenue numbers, quote statistics, know backgrounds of executives, etc. All of this information should be readily available on company websites and elsewhere on the Internet. Resume Copies Bring extra copies of your resume for interviewers who may not have a copy. Also, make sure you know your resume inside and out. For example, if your resume says you have a 3.4 GPA, don't round up to 3.5 during the interview. And make sure you have someone else PROOFREAD your resume. Typos and mistakes can be a big problem. Rehearse Most successful athletes and performers visualize their craft prior to playing or performing. Try to visualize your interview and how you will present yourself and answer questions prior to interviewing. If you get nervous during interviews, you might even consider having someone you know do a mock interview before you go. The more you practice, the more comfortable you are, and the less nervous you will be when the interview arrives. Cover strengths and weaknesses Where you are in 2 to 5 years Your most difficult work situation Your most stressful job Your favorite job What kind of person you'd like to work for, etc... Sit down and come up with answers to all of the stereotypical questions that get asked in interviews. You don't want to get caught making something up off the cuff, only to think later "I shouldn't have said that!" Make your answers honest, and focus them in a way that can highlight your strengths. Example: What is your biggest weakness? Sometimes I have a difficult time saying "no" to people. When someone asks me to do something, I want to be helpful and can end up taking on more than I probably should. I am aware that this is something I need to improve upon, so I have been working on ways to politely let people know if I am overwhelmed. Or I try to work with them to adjust the timing so as not to get overwhelmed. I'm finding that most people are very accommodating once they know your schedule and availability. Prepare for Behavioral Questions Many companies use an interview technique known as behavioral interviewing. This method of interviewing asks candidates to give specific examples of situations they have encountered. For example, "tell me about a time you didn't meet a deadline and how you handled it." Take time to go through the questions below and write out examples to keep for future interviews. It can be difficult to come up with good examples to behavioral interview questions on the spot, and you will be far better served if you can determine good examples in advance. These are normally used for more experienced candidates, but you should be prepared in case they are asked. The key is to have examples that show how you can maturely deal with situations and demonstrate your successes. Work-related examples of: How you handled not meeting a deadline How you dealt with conflict with a student or professor What you did when someone else's actions caused your project to fail When you have shown initiative What you did when a customer was upset with you A time when a someone blamed you for something that was not your fault How you keep track of your schedule and deadlines The most difficult project you've ever worked on A time when you were disappointed A time when you did not get the recognition you deserved What you do to further educate or train yourself When someone asked you to do something that went against your business or academic ethics Appearance You should look professional on every interview. It is always preferable to over-dress for an interview unless you know the company has a strict casual environment. Make sure you are well-groomed. If you are a coffee drinker, smoker, or have lunch/breakfast prior to an interview, be aware of your breath. Use a mint or brush your teeth prior to your interview. Do NOT chew gum during an interview. Do not wear perfume/cologne or wear little enough that someone cannot smell it unless they are closer than one foot from you. Think about how you appear when you are confident and on top of the world. Head high, standing straight and tall, a slight smile, relaxed. Arrival Arrive for your interview at least 5 minutes early but no more than 10 minutes early. Everyone has their watch set differently, and giving a 5 minute cushion is a good idea. Some interviewers are also very time-sensitive and notice if you're even one minute late. However, arriving more than 10 minutes early will often pressure the first interviewer if they are not ready for you yet. Plan to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early in the parking lot and enter the building about 5 minutes early. If you are running late or think you might be late, call ahead of your arrival to let them know. Introduction When introducing yourself to each interviewer, give your first and last name, make eye contact, and let the interviewer be the person to initiate a handshake. When shaking hands, match the pressure of their handshake. Do not be limp or unusual with the way you shake hands. Wait a moment and smile at the interviewer after meeting them. Write down the interviewer's title, name and the correct pronunciation. Presentation Your body language tells a lot about you in an interview. Sit up straight. Lean slightly forward in your chair. Keep eye contact with your interviewer as much as possible (especially be aware of this when you are the one speaking, as many people make eye contact when listening but not when speaking). Stay alert. When you go through a long interview process, you can sometimes start to show weariness. Mirror your interviewer's demeanor and style. Be yourself, but let them set the tone of the interview. Never swear or use casual words like "yeah" and "uh-huh". Even if your interviewer swears and speaks casually. Take Notes Bring a notepad or portfolio and a pen to take notes during each interview. This is a very effective way to show your interest in the opportunity and your attention to detail. Don't write down every word the interview says, but make short bullet points that may be of interest. Biggest challenges " Where can I contribute " Ask each interviewer what the biggest challenges of the position are at the beginning of the interview. Write down what they tell you and focus on how you can overcome those challenges with your skills and background during each interview. This question basically gets the interviewer to tell you what their hot buttons are, and each person will have different hot buttons for the same position. Also, focus on how you can help them, not on what the company has to offer you. Where can you contribute to their company, team or project? Forbidden topics - money, benefits, office tour, overtime Never bring up money on your first interview. If they ask what want to make, it's okay to give a general range if you know what the market is already. Let them know that you're confident that you both can work out a fair offer if you are both interested in moving forward and that salary is only a part of your decision making process. Don't ask about benefits info or to take an office tour if they don't offer. Those things will come at a later time. And don't bring up overtime; even in a positive way. The interviewer will almost always remember that overtime was discussed during the interview, and they will often perceive it negatively, regardless of how you positioned it. So let them bring it up if they want to discuss it. If you want to express that you work hard and long hours, let them know that you do whatever it takes to get the job done. Express that you understand the unique work environment in public accounting and that you have no problem applying yourself to be successful. Want, not Need Companies don't like to hire people who seem desperate. Interview with a confident style that shows you want the job, but don't give the impression that you need the job. If you have been interviewing for awhile and have been getting a lot rejections, inevitably an interviewer will ask you what your interviewing experience has been the past few months. Let them know you are having a very positive experience evaluating companies and opportunities. Tell them you are being selective in your interviewing process to find the right opportunity for yourself. Close - Any concerns about ability to do job " Next step " These are the two MOST important questions in each interview you have. You should ask them of each individual interviewer. 1. Do you have any concerns about my ability to do this job? - This is your last chance to make sure you didn't leave out anything in your background or incorrectly communicate anything during the interview. Once you leave the interview, it's almost impossible to change someone's incorrect impression. 2. I'm very excited about this opportunity. What's our next step? - This might very well be the deciding factor in getting an offer. Even if you have some initial reservations, express to each interviewer that you are definitely interested in the position and want to know what you need to do next to keep the process moving. And make sure that you actually SAY it in words at the end of the interview. Don't assume that they should have noticed your enthusiasm and interest level from the rest of your comments during the interviewing process. If a firm senses a lack of interest, this will likely be used as a tie-breaker to make the offer to someone else who really wants to work there. Follow up Always follow up with a firm after you interview within 24 hours. In this electronic age, it is appropriate to send an email to each person who interviewed you if you have their email address. If you do not have everyone's email address, you can ask for their email addresses from someone whose email you do have. If you really want to impress someone, send a written thank you card. It is rare that people send written thank you cards today, and it will make you stand out as someone who took the extra time to do it. Thank the interviewer for his or her time, re-iterate your interest in the opportunity, and mention one area from your notes that answers the interviewer's hot button area (you did ask them what the biggest challenges of this position are during the interview, right?). Finally, remember that you are not writing to one of your friends. Be professional. The following excerpt from a recent Wall Street Journal article says it all: An increasing number of job hunters are just too casual when it comes to communicating about career opportunities in cyberspace and on mobile devices. Thank yous on paper aren't necessary, but some applicants are writing emails that contain shorthand language and decorative symbols, while others are sending hasty and poorly thought-out messages to and from mobile devices. Job hunters are also using social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to try to befriend less-than-willing interviewers. These incidents typically involve college students and recent graduates, and recruiters say such faux pas can be instant candidacy killers because they hint at immaturity and questionable judgment. (WSJ, July 29, 2008)