Preparing for the Interview

I have worked in management and sales for 20+ years. Recently I started conducting interviews to hire new representatives for my department. Now that I started this blog with the career piece, I look at things differently. I realized how much help people need to make it through the interview process and land the job.

To give you a little background, I am a manager in a fortune 500 company’s Call Center. I have been doing this with my current company for over 10 years. During that time I have interviewed 500 or more people for sales, retention, coaches, supervisors, and managers. I have hired some really hardworking, talented individuals. Some of them have worked for me for years, others have moved on to other opportunities and some I have mentored and are now in higher positions with the company.

Now, let’s get started on how to get hired for the perfect job. The most important this is to be prepared for the interview. During your job search if you find a position you are interested in applying for, do your research about the company. Check Linkedin to see if anyone you are connected with work for the company. Reach out to them! Ask them questions like “What is the company culture like?” Do they like working there? Are their opportunities for advancement there? Most importantly ask if they have a referral program. Many companies pay their employees for referring someone to their company. If the person they referred, you, is hired they pay their employee a Referral Bonus for bringing in a great hire. Ask if you can put their name down for referring you to the company. They may ask you some questions before they agree to using their name. That’s OK. They just want to make sure they are referring a quality person. Once you get their permission you know you can use their name in your application. If you are using them as the referral than don’t apply through any job search site but go directly to the company’s website to apply. Most applications will have a section to put where or how you heard about the company or position. This is where you would put your referrals name. It may help give your a leg up on the competition because one the their own employees referred you. It can be the difference of getting the call for the interview or not. If they tell you they left the company, ask why. You can decide based on what they tell you whether you still want to apply. You may have multiple people you are connected with that work for the same company so if one person is no longer working there, ask someone else. Go through the same process with them.

Now that you have decided to apply, it’s time to do some research. Follow the company on LinkedIn and Glass Door. Check out the employee reviews and company rating on Glass Door. Review the employee feedback for the position you are applying for first. For example if you are applying to work in the Call Center as a representative don’t worry about feedback from someone in accounting or marketing. This is important because employee feedback from a department you won’t be working in could be a completely different culture than the actual department you will be working in.

It’s important to take a look at the company’s website. Review the product or service they represent and/or are selling. You don’t need to know everything about the company but you should have a general understanding of what the company has to offer their customers. This way you can use this information to incorporate into your answers during the interview. For example: “What interested me most about your company was the great XYZ product you have to help those with medical issues.”

Now that you have found a job you are interested in, you did some networking, and did your research on the company, if you haven’t already, apply for the job. Are you hesitating? Why shouldn’t you apply? What’s holding you back? Are you concerned because you don’t think you have all the qualifications they are asking for? You don’t need to have 100% of the qualifications listed. Apply for the job. Someone else will apply even if they only have 60% of the qualifications. They have the confidence to apply anyway. I meet with people all the time that don’t have all the qualifications we list and many times I hire them anyway because I know I can teach them. Have confidence in yourself and apply for the job!

Congratulations! You got the call for the interview! Be prepared for the recruiter to do a mini phone interview before they schedule a face to face interview.

A few important things you must do to prepare for the interview. Make sure your resume is up to date. This is crucial. Even if the recruiter tells you the company is relaxed and has a casual dress code, do not come to the interview dressed casually. Business dress is always best for an interview. You only have one chance to make a great first impression! Confidently shake the hand of anyone that you meet. Most company’s hiring decisions are done collaboratively so anyone you meet with may be decision maker.

This can be difficult for some people, but make sure you make eye contact with the person interviewing you. When you don’t make eye contact it can give the impression that you are not self confident or possibly not telling the truth. I’m sure this is not what you want to convey in an interview!

Do not have your cell phone out during the interview. Make sure your phone is on silent. There is nothing more embarrassing than having your phone ring or notifications going off in the middle of an interview. Obviously, you shouldn’t be answering that call or text if it comes in anytime during the interview, including when you are waiting to meet with someone. Believe it or not, we recently had a person take a call while waiting for the next interview. The manager walked in the room to conduct the interview and the person made them wait until they finished their call to start the interview. I personally would not have hired this person. If they don’t respect your time in the interview, what makes you think they will be a good employee. At that moment, nothing is more important than the interview, your focus should only be on landing this job.

One final thing, be prepared to answer why you left any company you worked for or why you are looking to leave your current job. It could be you were laid off, the company closed, you’re looking for a change or more growth opportunity. Only you can answer this as everyone’s situation is different. Be as honest as you can without talking negatively about your previous employer.

I’ve given you some tools to do well in your next interview. I wish you great success in your job search. Most importantly, stand tall and be proud of your accomplishments! This is your time to shine, so be prepared to brag about all you have done and all the great things you can do for them. Be confident in who you are and know that they would be lucky to have you as dedicated employee. You got this!

If you would be interested in hearing about new posts or opportunities than please subscribe to my blog. I have also included a great resume writing training below if you need to update yours.

Please come back and comment below when you land the job so we can celebrate together! I look forward to hearing from you!

Pam