Jeff Smith & Associates, Inc.

General Interview Preparation

 

Who:  Know with whom you will be speaking/meeting and their position/role in the company.  Does the position report directly to them?

When:      Be sure you know when the interview is taking place and be ready 15 minutes ahead of time.

Where:     If a Telephone Interview, the call should take place on a Land-line rather than a Cell phone in order to eliminate the possibility of the cell connection interfering with the flow of the discussion.

If a Face-to-Face Interview, know the exact location, how long it will take you to get there, and who it is that you will ask for upon arrival.  You should plan to be at the location 15 minutes ahead of time in order to fill out any paperwork that might be required in advance.

The Job:  Know as much about the position as possible. 

Have you reviewed a job description? 

Where does the position fit within the division/company?

Do you know what impact this position can have on the company?  Its profitability?  Overall company performance?

The Company:  Do your research up front.  You should be able to answer the following questions before your interview:

Public or Private?

Number of years in business?

Sales volume and growth rate? (if a private company, this may not be easily obtainable)

What products to they develop, manufacture, sell, and to what industries/markets?

Prepare your Questions in advance:  Prepare at least 10 to 15 questions in advance of an interview.  Write them down.  These questions should center around:

The company & its history – how long in business, growth rate, etc.

The industries and the marketplace in which the company is involved.

Where the company stands among it’s competitors and its future.

Where does this particular career opportunity fit and its impact on the company’s growth and bottom line.

The reason I suggest this many questions is that, during the normal course of any interview, a lot of the questions you have will be answered.  But typically, at the end of the interview, the interviewer will often ask, "What questions do you have for me?"  You want to be sure that you have a couple that you can pose easily without having to search your brain for them.  You don't want to state, as so many do, that "Well, you've really answered all the questions I had."