Ace Your Interview

DEMYSTIFYING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS GOOD ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS
ACE YOUR INTERVIEW

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Ace Your Interview
Ace Your Interview
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ACE YOUR INTERVIEW
3
rd
Edition
ISBN: 978-1-58207-995-0
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Ace Your Interview
CHAPTER
3
2
1
1 DEMYSTIFYING
THE INTERVIEW
PROCESS
2 Overview
2 What Employers
Want

3 Know the Job
3 Deciphering
the Ad
5 Interview
Essentials
9 GETTING READY
10 Know the Field

12 Know Yourself
17 THE BIG DAY
18 Look the Part

18 Tips from
Head to Toe
21 Bring the
Right Stuff
Ace Your Interview
3
rd
edition
4
23 THE BIG MOMENT
30 dddd

24 Showing Up
24 Building Rapport
26 Showing Your
Strengths
27 Say it with Body
Language
28 Master the Art
of Q&A
35 Special Cases
36 Reach an
Effective Conclusion
37 Your Exit Strategy
38 Follow-Up
5
41 FOR YOUR
REFERENCE
42 Additional
Interviewing
Resources

42 General
Interviewing
Advice
43 Job Search
Resources

43 Background
Research Tools
44 Salary
Negotiation
Tools
contents
Demystifying
the Interview
Process
1
Overview .......................................2
What Employers Want ..................2
Know the Job ................................3
Deciphering the Ad .......................3
Interview Essentials .......................5
Ace Your Interview
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OVERVIEW
DATING, DANCING, WALKING on reinter-
viewing has been compared to all of these, with a
great degree of accuracy. If the interview is going well,
you feel as good as you look. You radiate charm and
intelligence. You can parry the toughest questions
and present yourself as a real pro. If its going badly,
though, its like youre being raked over hot coals
with the sweat to prove it.
But just for a moment, put aside the drama. One
essential fact to recognize: An interview is simply a
conversation about a job. Youve had conversations
before, right? Ten youve already explored ideas
with another person, posed questions, given consid-
ered answers, and kept the exchange rolling until it
reached a natural conclusion. And thats really all you
need to do to succeed in an interview.
But of course you arent simply chewing over a
movie youve just seen or making plans to watch
Sundays game. Youre talking about the future of
your career. Its a conversation that has high stakes
for both participants. Ace Your Interview will guide
you through the preparations necessary to keep that
conversation focused and productive, and help you
keep your wits together even when the stakes seem
alarmingly high. Te steps we outline might seem
like a lot of eort for a half-hour conversation, but
that conversation could be the most important one
of your life.
WHAT
EMPLOYERS WANT
ITS ALL TOO easy to look at an interview as an
adversarial situation. Te interviewer is interrogating
you. Shes posing brainteasers and gotcha questions.
But as tense as the situation might seem, just realize she
has one goal in mind: identifying a plausible candidate
and hiring that person. Shes seeking someone with a
demonstrable capacity for delivering results.
So, give employers what they want and be the can-
didate theyre looking for. Prepare to shine. Know your
strengths and highlight them. Make sure the personal
strengths you plan to emphasize in your interview
match the demands of the position. On the big day,
present yourself as a candidate with the right skills and
temperament for the job. Your condence, enthusiasm,
knowledge, and understanding should conrm what
your interviewer is already predisposed to believe: that
bringing you in for an interview is a wise move and that
hiring you is even wiser.
When interviewing, hiring managers are hoping to
explore some basic areas:
DO WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU?
You might enter an interview prepared to recite a litany
of skills and work experience, but interviewers arent
looking for a walking, talking resume. Teyre already
intrigued by your skillsthats why theyre interview-
ing you in the rst place. Te reason they need to
meet with you in person is to gauge your personal
qualities, to see if youll be an asset to the workplace.
Intangible attributesresourcefulness, initiative, cre-
ativity, adaptability, drive, and integritywill set you
apart from other qualied candidates.
WILL YOU MESH WITH THE TEAM?
Te corporate workplace is increasingly a team-driven
environment. Because of this, organizations are espe-
cially eager to hire people whom they think will t
within a team. Tis might mean a tough adjustment for
If you put aside the drama
for a moment, youll recognize
that an interview is simply
a conversation about a job.
Youve had conversations
before, right?
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academic high achievers who are used to working on
their own. But as much as interviewers might be gaug-
ing your individual strengths, they are also evaluating
your ability to be a team player.
WHATS YOUR EQ?
Interviewers are probably less interested in your IQ
than your EQyour emotional intelligence. You
can have a high IQ and still lack common sense and
empathy. Employers are learning that intelligence
isnt always the most desired attribute for prospective
employees, especially when it comes at the expense
of good senseafter all, perfectly smart people were
responsible for the downfall of Lehman Brothers.
Although youll want to impress your prospective
employer with your smarts, you also must convey you
are a thoughtful, collegial coworker with a sense of per-
sonal responsibility.
KNOW THE JOB
BEFORE YOU HEAD into a job interview, you need
to know what youre applying for. Te interview will
reveal more about the jobs specics, but the following
elements will help you understand its general contours:
POSITION TITLE
Many job seekers use titles as search criteria. But these
can be misleading. Dont be too quick to discount a job
based on the title alone. Te salary might be better than
you expect and the day-to-day responsibilities might be
far more varied, interesting, and important than you
think. Any description of the jobs day-to-day respon-
sibilities will give you a much clearer sense of the jobs
outlines than the title alone.
QUALIFICATIONS
Tis typically includes years of experience, core com-
petencies or areas of specialization, required skill sets
(such as software programs, language skills, other tech-
nical skills), and degrees or certications. In addition to
required qualications, a posting often lists additional
qualications and skills that can help in the job. If you
can demonstrate you meet these criteria, your applica-
tion is likely to rise to the top of the heap.
RESPONSIBILITIES
When looking at a job posting, its natural to pay more
attention to the qualications sought than the respon-
sibilities involved in the job itself. But because those
responsibilities could determine the shape of your daily
life, it pays to take heed. Youll be better able to gauge if
the job suits your career goals and youll be better pre-
pared for the interview itself.
DECIPHERING
THE AD
BECAUSE MANY JOB boards and career sites
charge for classied ads by the word or limit the space
available for employment listings, the job posting
might be short on specicsespecially pertain-
ing to day-to-day responsibilities. If the ad doesnt
give a real sense of the jobs responsibilities, contact
the employer and ask for a more detailed job descrip-
tion. Tis can be a competitive advantage in the
interview process because youll have more informa-
tion than other candidates and a better sense of what
to ask and say.
INSIDER SCOOP
Emotions need to be taken seriously. They can
provide a company with information about what
people really feel and can help predict what kind
of decisions will be made, what kind of behavior
will occur, and what types of relationships will be
formed. - Sigal Barsade, professor of management
at the Wharton School of Business at the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania
Ace Your Interview
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Heres an ad that leaves questions unanswered:
Head O ce Manager (FT)
Fortune 1000 company with 30-year track record
of growth seeks accomplished professional with 8+
years of o ce management experience to man-
age daily operations of headquarters in Chicago.
As Head O ce Manager, you will have autonomy
to make decisions, but also the support sta and
resources needed to advance company goals with
utmost e ciency and excellence.
Requirements:
- 1015 years of experience in administrative roles,
with at least 8 years in increasingly responsible
o ce management position(s)
- Proven experience eectively interacting with all
levels of employees
- Budgeting and scal management capabilities
- Expertise in managing a wide range of vendors
- Prociency with Microsoft project management
utilities
- Meeting planning background a plus
- Consumer packaged goods background an asset
Candidates should be prepared to provide at
least three professional references attesting to profes-
sionalism, sense of humor, multitasking capacity,
and people skills.
Salary: above industry standard, DOE
Full benets package includes excellent health,
vision and dental coverage for employee and family;
prot-sharing after one year; 401(k) with employer
matching contributions; exible spending account;
charitable donation matching program.
Tis posting oers enticing enough details about
the position to encourage an application, then lists
required skillsa tactic for helping employers narrow
the eld. But what does this posting really tell you
about the job? You might deduce there is a fair amount
of interpersonal interaction, budget management, sta
management, project management, and some meet-
ing planning involved, but that leaves a lot of room for
interpretation. Tese questions go unanswered:
What tasks will consume most of your time?
Who will you interact with most on a day-to-day
basis?
Who else will be on your team?
How many people will you be expected to manage?
Will you be able to set your own budget?
Who will you report to?
What kinds of vendors will you have to manage?
How much will you need to learn about consumer
packaged goods to do your job eectively?
How many dierent tasks will you be expected to
juggle at any one time?
What hours will you work each week?
Will you ever have to work weekends or evenings?
Is telecommuting a possibility?
Is there any specialized knowledge that would ben-
et you in this job?
Your questions might yield more complete responses,
ones that answer your initial questions and give a much
clearer sense of what exactly the job entails day in and
day out. Armed with this new knowledge, youll be sig-
nicantly better prepared for your interview.
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Heres what a more complete listing might look like:
Title: Head O ce Manager
Location: HQ
Status: FT (exempt)
Responsibilities include:
Administrative sta management (40%)
- Manage and mentor administrative sta, including front
desk, meeting planners, mailroom, and other sta
- Set quarterly goals for administrative sta, and make
regular progress reports to VP HR on success toward
these goals
- Manage o ce calendar and administrative sta
workow using Microsoft utilities
- Assist HR in hiring administrative sta
Facilities management (35%)
- Research, budget, and implement all major o ce-related
purchasing decisions, from vendor/supplier selection
through nal implementation/installation
- Oversee support sta and vendors responsible for facili-
ties management, including equipment maintenance
- Direct o ce renovations and ensure ADA and ergonomic
compliance throughout o ce
- Maintain central calendar for use by HQ
- Create and manage o ce supply budget
- Be accessible by beeper for facilities emergencies
Meeting/event planning (25%)
- Work directly with senior partners to plan major meet-
ings, o ce events, parties, and trainings
- Hire and manage outside vendors (catering, entertain-
ment, etc.) for all HQ events, including Chicago-based
trainings, product launches, and conferences with other
company divisions
- Coordinate o-site receptions, dinners, and entertainment
for a liates as needed by senior management
- Be on-call during events and launches in case of
emergency
INTERVIEW
ESSENTIALS
THIS BOOK OFFERS a step-by-step guide through
the interview process, describing the preparation youll
need and the tactics you can use to make the interview
a success. But its useful to bear in mind the overall
image you want to project when the big moment
arrives.
ENTHUSIASM
Tis is basic. Enthusiasm alone wont land you the job.
But if you dont seem avid about the prospect, the
employer will quickly pass you overits that simple.
And lip service isnt enough. You may say youre enthu-
siastic about the chance to work for the company,
but if you act apathetic or bored, youre cooked. You
should make your enthusiasm clear through atten-
tive posture, an alert tone of your voice, and a smile
that says youre glad to be there. Greet the inter-
viewer warmly. Make eye contact, smile, and oer a
rm handshake. You should say something like, Im
delighted youre taking the time to meet me, and Im
really excited about this position and eager to learn
more about it. Let him know up front youre glad
to have this opportunity. If youre unenthusiastic at
the start of the process, it bodes ill for your future
demeanor on the job.
CONFIDENCE
You have to demonstrate condence in yourself to
inspire an employers condence in you. During the
nerve-wracking course of a job interview, this might be
easier said than done. But bear in mind the basics of
condent body language: Make frequent eye contact
with your interviewer. Speak up, but not too fast. Dont
dget. Sit upright, but not rigidly.
Most important of all, come prepared to state your
strengths. Give concrete examples of how youve put
them to use. Dont overstate your accomplishments,
but dont downplay them either. Keep self-deprecating
Ace Your Interview
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humor to a minimum: It might be ne when youre
with your friends, but this is neither the time nor place
for it.
If remaining condent is a struggle for you, give
yourself a pep talk before the interview. Better yet,
enlist an enthusiastic friend to give you one. Or, prac-
tice techniques for managing your nerves, such as deep
breathing and visualizing success. If youre at ease, the
interviewer will be too.
FOCUS
No doubt you have a wide range of abilities that might
impress other people, whether its prowess on the soccer
eld or a Broadway-ready singing voice. But these are
not necessarily abilities you want to highlight, unless
they relate to the qualities youll bring to the job. Youll
make a more eective impression if you talk about the
talents you know match the job description. Present
yourself as a specialized professional who has an appeal
to a general audience: Your interviewer wants to know
you have the specic skills and strengths needed to excel
at your job, but also that you are approachable, exible,
and willing to learn.
QUESTIONS
Te interviewer shouldnt be the only party asking ques-
tions. Youre bound to want to know aspects of the job
your research hasnt revealed. Furthermore, you should
be paying close attention to clues the interviewer oers
and following up with questions where appropriate. If
he makes an ohanded remark about work styles or
company culture, get him to elucidate: Im intrigued
to hear thatcan you tell me more? Nonverbal cues
are key too. If you notice the interviewer makes a face or
hesitates before speaking, ask him if theres a reason for
the gesture. Tese details will give you valuable insight
into the job and the culture, and help you adapt your
responses to t.
YOU CANT KNOW EVERYTHING
Some people spend
the night before
an interview bon-
ing up on company
facts and figures as
though cramming
for the test of their
lives. But interviews
arent oral exams;
they are an exchange
between two people,
who might soon be
coworkers, about
shared profes-
sional interests.
You do need to
know something
about the industry
and the organiza-
tion but youre not
expected to know it
alljust enough to
ask your interviewer
informed questions,
to understand the
questions your
interviewer asks, and
to give reasonable
answers. Your com-
mon sense should
prepare you to give
sound answers to any
questions that might
arise about how you
would handle a spe-
cific problem on the
job. The details will
emerge later, when
you become part of
the team.
Like any other
conversation, an
interview requires
give and take, so
dont expect to
dominate it. Give
your interviewer
a chance to
contribute to the
conversation.
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7
Getting Ready
2
Know the Field ............................ 10
Know Yourself ............................. 12
Ace Your Interview
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KNOW THE FIELD
YOUVE JUST HAD your morning coee when you
get the call youve been waiting for: Could you come
in for an interview next week? You schedule a time,
hang up the phone, do your victory danceand then
what? Hold your breath for the next seven days? Not if
you want your interview to live up to its promise. You
might think you can wing it. Maybe that tactic worked
back in school, but theres no grading curve in an inter-
view. If you arent prepared to shine, someone else will
beand only one of you is going to get the job.
Now is the time for preparation. If you do your due
diligence, youll be sleeping like a baby the night before
the interview.
You should think of the preparation for the interview
as a puzzle that needs solving. Te employer has needs;
you have strengths, experience, goals, and interests. How
do they match up? Your answers will come as you prepare.
After you receive the call inviting you in for an inter-
view, the rst thing you should do is consult the original
job posting. (You should make a le of every job posting
you answer.) Youll want to comb it for clues, as detailed
in Deciphering the Ad in Chapter 1. If you havent
done so, this is an ideal time to request additional
details; the company will see it as evidence of your sin-
cere interest in the job.
Tats just the rst step. Now you need to dig deeper.
By the time you get to the interview, you should have a
good idea of what the company does, how it operates,
and how it ts into its industry.
Industry
Every industry reacts to trends and recent developments;
you should know these before you sit down to the inter-
view. If youre interviewing at an investment bank, for
instance, youll want to have a good general knowledge
of the role the nancial sector has played in recent eco-
nomic upturns or downturns. Do an online search to
identify the biggest industry stories during the past year.
Youll need to know the companys main competitors
and what kinds of pressure theyre applying.
Youll also need to understand relevant industry
terms. Tey might come up in the interview. If youre
new to the industry, the interviewer wont expect you
to know every bit of jargon. But your mastery of basic
terms will show youre a quick study, ready and eager to
learn the ropes.
Organization
Researching the organization will help you determine
whether this is the right work environment for you,
which of your skills and strengths might especially ben-
et the organization, and what specic organizational
challenges you might be able to help solve. Tis infor-
mation should give you insight into the organizations
culture, needs, and expectations so youll be better pre-
pared for the interview. And, this will give you a key
advantage over any candidate who hasnt prepared as
thoroughly as you have.
Of course, the news medianewspapers, industry
publications, business magazinesare good sources for
information about the company. You should nd out if
the rm has won any awards or accolades recently; these
are sources of company pride, and your interviewer will
take your mention of them as an implicit compliment.
INSIDER SCOOP
For any interview, you need to be prepared to show
competence and intelligent interest, says licensed
career counselor Rosanne Lurie. Confidence will
only get you so far: No interviewer wants to waste
time on people who just waltz in with no idea of the
organization or industry trends. Their response is,
If you havent bothered to take this position seri-
ously, why should I bother to take you seriously?
TIP
>
You can find a host of invaluable career-
and industry-specific information on www.
wetfeet.com. WetFeet also publishes Insider
Guides on a number of industries.
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Check out the organizations annual report and scan
press reports online to nd out what the department has
accomplished in the past year.
You should go even further. Email friends and
former colleagues and ask them if they know anyone
who works at the rm or look for connections on
LinkedIn. Once you unearth these contacts, explain
your interest in the company and ask if theyd be willing
to answer some questions. Tese people can probably
give you a better sense of the companys priorities than
any news article can hope to.
The Team
In all but the smallest organizations, you wont be
interviewing simply to work at the company, but
to join a specific team. Find out all you can about
the teams recent projects and successes. When you
reach a contact inside the organization, be sure to
ask what she knows about the team and the person
who will be interviewing you. The About Us page
on the companys website also might offer some
vital clues.
If you can nd any personal information about
the intervieweruse it. Perhaps theres a point of
connection, such as a conference you both attended,
a city where you both lived, or a colleague you have
in common.
In general, if you can convey your excite-
ment about the teams accomplishments to your
interviewer, youll be remembered as an enthusi-
astic, enterprising candidate who is likely to be a
great asset.

Industry
I am aware of three key competitive pressures

facing the industry today.
I can think of three competitive opportunities

that make this a promising business to be in.
I can name the top ten news items in the

industry for the past year.
When I read through a trade publication, I do

not come across many terms with which I am
unfamiliar.
Organization
I know the companys website very well.
I am familiar with this organizations business

model and know how it makes its money.
I am aware of the key competitive pressures

facing the organization today.
I have visited the websites of the
organizations three main competitors.
I am able to name the companys three main
competitive advantages.
I can name three of the companys main
accomplishments in its history and three
major accomplishments in the past year.
I can name the top three news items about
this company in the past year.
I can recount the basics of the companys
history, including how the company was
founded.
I know the names of the top executives in the
company.
When I read through the organizations web-
site, I do not stumble over any terms.
Team
I know the names of the team leaders, includ-
ing those who would be my direct supervisors.
I have read all available team member bios on
the website, and know where they are from
and what their qualifications are.
CHECKLIST: BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Make a copy of this checklist for each position you interview for.
Ace Your Interview
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KNOW YOURSELF
YOUR RESUME SAYS a lot about your career, but
it doesnt tell your whole story. Te totality of what
you can oer to a potential employer isnt just a sum
of places worked, tasks performed, and education
received. Its an interesting tale of strengths discovered,
lessons learned, interests pursued, and plans hatched.
Tis is the kind of narrative that can truly engage an
interviewer, so its time to start putting it together.
STRENGTHS
Many job applicants confuse strengths with skills. Skills
are abilities that can be cultivated with a certain amount
of training, such as facility with a software application.
In most cases, these can be acquired. A training course
will get you up to speed on the software program; if the
company is suciently impressed with you, it will invest
the time to get you up to speed.
Strengths, on the other hand, are your best personal
attributes. Some you were born with and others you
have cultivated during the course of your life experience.
Teyll speak as strongly to your interviewer as any spe-
cic skills you bring to the table.
Tese traits cant be acquired through training. Tats
why interviewers tend to be more interested in candi-
dates who have all the strengths needed to do the job
well than those who bring mere skillsno matter how
impressiveto the table. A skill might be something
youll deploy on an as-needed basis. But your strengths
will shine every day you report for work.
You might not be aware of your own strengths. Here
are some exercises that will help you bring them to the fore:
While looking over the job description, make a
list of the personal strengths that will probably be
required for this job. Is this a position that requires
handling large sums of money? Ten the right can-
didate will be someone whos responsible, reliable,
and ethical. If its a customer-care position, theyll
be looking for someone who is personable, patient,
and empathetic. If it looks like youll be working
with customers overseas, your comfort with other
cultures is a denite bonus.
For each of the necessary personal strengths for this
position, think of an anecdote that illustrates your
strength in this regard. Lets say you can recall a
time when you caught an oversight on the annual
report, and from then on were entrusted with
double-checking the nancial numbers on all inves-
tor communications. Tat anecdote will help show
youre thorough and responsible enough to handle
scal responsibilities. Maybe your thriftiness led
you to track down a reliable small accounting rm
in Virginia to handle an audit instead of going with
that expensive Big Four rm that was later charged
with fraudulent accounting methods.
LESSONS LEARNED
Nothing is more suspiciousor less impressivethan
a awless candidate. If you seem to exhibit no human
failings, it could mean youre hiding some terrible aw
that will only come to the fore after youve been hired.
Or, it could mean your abilities have come so easily to
you that you have no idea what its like to really work at
developing a skill.
Rather than working at projecting an image of
perfection, its better to show youve already learned a
few important life lessons. Youll come across as more
experienced, wise, hard-working, and human. Hiring
managers want candidates who have demonstrated an
ability to learn and recover from mistakes. After all,
mistakes are inevitable, but the abilities to bounce back
and not repeat them are crucial.
Because its an interviewers job to probe for pos-
sible shortcomings, hes bound to ask you some ques-
INSIDER SCOOP
Employers look for people who go beyond their
defined job description.
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tion about your blunders. You should come prepared
with a story to tell. But how can you talk about one of
your own mistakes without impugning your credibil-
ity as a candidate? By presenting it as a lesson learned.
Tell the interviewer about your misstepthen tell
how you retraced your path and recovered. Rather
than being an indication of weakness, the lesson
learned will demonstrate your maturity and your abil-
ity to address adversity.
INTERESTS
Ive always found insurance billing so fascinating.
Hold it right there! Before you make such a state-
ment, clearly calculated to please the interviewer, be
aware it might have exactly the opposite eect by mak-
ing you seem disingenuous and sowing the seeds of
doubt in her mind. Statements like these are not only
too broadwhat kind of insurance do you nd so fasci-
nating?but also easily refutable: If this has been a life-
long fascination, why havent you done it before? Te
interviewer is looking for a candidate who can envision
the challenges ahead, not someone who might quit in
disgust when he nds out insurance billing is not, after
all, endlessly fascinating.
Rather than risk sounding insincere, think long and
hard about the job and the elements that do address
your longtime interests. Do you like solving mathemat-
ical problems? Tis could well indicate a propensity for
dealing with the complexities of insurance billing. Your
interviewer is looking to hire someone who is going
to be passionate enough about the work to stick with
it even when it gets challenging or, worse yet, tedious.
Find a way to tell her youre that person, while staying
true to yourself.
Making the Leap
A persuasive explanation of your interests can help
you make a convincing case for switching careers. Lets
say youre trying to make the leap from a career as a
museum curator to a position with a consulting rm
that specializes in educational policy. You might begin
to build a case based on your interests by answering the
following questions:

Why does the position interest you?
As an advocate for the arts and a parent, Ive long been
concerned that public schools are not providing kids
with sucient opportunities to think creatively and
discover their passions. Tis position is just the oppor-
tunity Ive been looking for to have an impact on edu-
cational policy at a broad level.

What evidence do you have of
your interests?
I developed programs for school groups at the museum,
served on the board of my states arts council, and testi-
ed at state hearings about the impact of cuts on school
arts programs.

How are your interests relevant
to the position?
Lobbyists often hire the rm to help them build
an eective case for funding school programs, and
because of my long-standing commitment to the
issue, Id be thorough and passionate in mounting
Ace Your Interview
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campaigns and developing winning grant proposals.
Also, because I have given testimony in state hearings,
I can help coach clients on becoming eective advo-
cates for their programs.
GOALS
To make a successful case for yourself as a candidate,
you have to convince the interviewer you do not look at
the job as, well, a job, but as an important step on your
career path. You might have all the qualications the
job demands, but the interviewer needs to know youre
pursuing the job over all other options rather than just
falling into it by default. You need to be clear on how
the job would t into your life plansfor your own
sake and to present a compelling case in the interview.
Where do you see yourself in ve (or ten) years? is
a standard interview question. Even if the interviewer
doesnt ask it, she will try to gauge your level of interest
in the eld, your potential commitment to the com-
pany, and your long-range planning skills.
If youre aiming for an entry-level position, consider
the skills you might develop in the job. In the interview,
underline your interest in honing them. Figure out what
the next two positions might be in the corporate hierar-
chy and mention these represent goals for you. If youre
a midcareer candidate, focus your answer on potential
career-development areas, such as management skills, or
on areas in your eld youd like to explore.
As youre putting together the career-goals
component of the story, ask yourself questions about
the following areas.
Impact: Will this job oer an opportunity to change
my community, industry, or the world for the better?
Pride: Will the job give me opportunities to shine?
Will I be producing work that will add to my own
sense of self-worth?
Learning: What worthwhile areas of knowledge will
the job help me explore?
Te full rewards of a job might not be clear to you
until youve actually started it. But if you cant think of
any career goals this position will help you attain, its a
sign of trouble ahead. Ideally, your interviewer should
be convinced youre taking this job as a sound career
move, not out of expediency. And that will only happen
if youve convinced yourself.
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The Big Day
3
Look the Part .............................. 18
Tips from Head to Toe................ 18
Bring the Right Stu ................... 21
Ace Your Interview
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LOOK THE PART
YOUVE SPENT THE past week preparing for your
interview; you wake up one morning and its right upon
you. From the time you get up until the moment you
walk through the interviewers door, the choices you
make will be crucial to your chances of landing a job
oer.
Youve worked hard to put your best foot for-
ward. Youve assembled a great resume and written
an attention-grabbing cover letter. Ever since you got
the appointment for an interview, youve assiduously
researched the industry, the company, and the team.
You should pay the same close attention to your outt
and grooming. Remember, when you walk through that
door, its you the employer is going to seenot your
resume. Te way you look should reect the profession-
alism you intend to bring to the job.
Tink of a job interview as a formal social event,
like a wedding, where certain conventions of dress
need to be obeyed. Tese might vary from industry
to industry and company to company. Show you care
about the position by taking the time to look sharp, and
make sure your attire is consistent with the professional
expectations of the position.
One great tactic to guide you in your self-presenta-
tion is to take a look at your resume. Whos the person
described there? Consider your interview attire an out-
ward reection of your inner strengths. What do you
look like?
PLAN AHEAD
Put the same kind of preparation into planning your
self-presentation that youve put into your job research.
If you assemble your outt in a 15-minute mad dash
as you rush out to the interview, you risk showing up
looking disheveled and unprofessional. Pick out your
clothing at least three days before your interview. Tis
will leave you enough time to make any necessary ward-
robe xes if you discover your suit needs dry cleaning
or your stockings have a run. Lay out your clothes, jew-
elry, socks, and shoes the night before the interview and
make sure theyre all clean and free of rips, wrinkles,
lint, loose buttons, and hanging threads.
CONSERVATIVE VALUES
You do want to keep in mind the dress code at the
company youre targeting, but youll still want to dress
more formally than the oce normyoull embarrass
yourself far less doing this than by showing up more
casually dressed than the interviewer sitting across from
you. Established employees might have earned the right
to wear sneakers on the job, but you havent yet. Te
accepted rule of thumb is to make your outt one or
two notches more conservative than what youd wear in
the position if you were to land it.
TIPS FROM
HEAD TO TOE
THE PEOPLE YOULL meet at your interview will
be assessing everything about you, from the hair on
your head to the shoes on your feet. Heres how you can
make sure your look is appropriate.
FOR WOMEN
Hair
You dont need to look as carefully coied as a TV-news
anchorwoman, but you denitely want to make sure
your hair reects the orderliness you intend to bring to
the job. If you have long hair, you can wear it down (as
long as it doesnt look shaggy), pulled back with a bar-
rette, or in a neat updo. If you have dreadlocks, gather
them in a tiny bundle at the nape of your neck. Avoid
TIP
>
Model your entire interview outfit for some-
one whose taste in clothingand honesty
you trust. Ask whether your look seems
appropriate for the job, company, and indus-
try for which youll be interviewing.
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ribbons and glittery hairclipsthose are more appro-
priate to a high-school cheerleading squad than an
oce. If your hair makes a statement, consider toning it
down: Tat wacky 1940s snood has to go. Tink about
how you would t in with the organization; this is an
especially important consideration in conservative cor-
porate settings such as banks.
Makeup
Of course, youll want to make yourself up to look your
best. But, your makeup should be subtleno brightly
colored eye shadow or lipstick and no heavy mascara or
eyeliner. You arent aiming for a career on the stage!
Jewelry
Keep it understated. You dont want interviewers to be
so blinded by your ashy accessories that they overlook
you as a person. Remember the old saw about jewelry:
Put on all you plan to wear, then take one item o.
Avoid any jewelry that makes noise. Te only facial
jewelry you should wear is earrings, and those should
be just a pair of demure studs rather than attention-
grabbing hoops. Get rid of eyebrow hoops, nose rings,
and lip and tongue studs. Even if youre interviewing
for a relatively freewheeling company, there could be
a generational gap between you the interviewer, who
might have come of age before facial piercings became
acceptable.
Nails
Whenever you shake hands with your interviewer,
pass him material, or emphasize a point with a hand
gesture, youre giving him an opportunity to look at
your nails. Tey should be clean and well shaped. You
should keep them short or midlengthoce work
and long nails dont mix. Nail polish should be a neu-
tral shade.
Your Outfit
You can wear a business suit or a well-coordinated out-
t of a jacket with a skirt or pants. If you wear a skirt,
it should not fall more than an inch or two above the
knee; this isnt an opportunity to ash your gams. Your
blouse should be monochrome or in a very discreet
pattern and in nonassertive shades, such as whites or
pastels. Of course, it should be crisply ironed and stain-
free. You may keep the top button unbuttoned to con-
vey an air of relaxation and condence, but under no
circumstances should you expose skin below the clavi-
cle. If you dont shave your legs, be sure to wear pants or
opaque stockings.
Shoes and Stockings
Sensible, low-heeled shoes are a must. Be sure to wear
them a few times before the day of the interview
if your toes or heel are blistered, youll literally have
started the day o on the wrong foot. Te shade can
be brightbut not loudand it should match some
other aspect of your outt; that attention to detail will
be noticed. In conservative industries, nude pantyhose
make the best choice for stockings; in more creative
elds, opaque stockings in subdued tones of black,
brown, or charcoal are widely acceptable. But patterned
stockings are a bad idea, and shnets are out of the
question.
TIP
>
When it comes to fashion, conservative is not
a necessarily a synonym for dowdy or square.
You can dress conservatively, but elegantly
and stylishly as well.
INSIDER SCOOP
A woman arrived for her interview in a faded,
flowered, ruffled shirt; clashing plaid kilt; and knee-
high red rubber wading boots, carrying a battered
manila folder with papers spilling out. We ended
up hiring a guy whose shoes I cant rememberand
perhaps thats as it should be.
Ace Your Interview
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FOR MEN
Hair
Neat, clean and carefully groomed is the way to go. Say
goodbye to your foot-high Mohawk or your rainbow
weave. If you have short hair, its a plus if you had a
haircut less than two weeks before the interview. Long
hair is becoming more acceptable in the workplace
at least in more creative environmentsbut it should
never look unkempt or unclean. Either pull it back or
use grooming products to keep it out of your face dur-
ing the interview.
If you have facial hair, it should be short and well
trimmed. Trim your eyebrows and get rid of any nose
or ear hair.
Jewelry and Accessories
An ear stud might be acceptable but it should be as
understated as possible. In more conservative indus-
tries, consider leaving it at home; youll have a chance
to revisit the issue if you get the job. Get rid of any
other facial jewelry. If your shirt requires cuinks,
make sure they look traditional and dont attract a lot
of attention.
Your Outfit
Even if it isnt the industry norm, youll want to wear
a business suit or a nicely matched outt of pants and
jacket. Te classic gray business suit will usually prevail
in conservative settings such as a bank, law rm, or con-
sulting company. If you choose to wear a jacket, tweeds
and corduroys might work for academic or scientic
jobs, but not in more corporate settings. Neither jacket
nor pants should be made of denim or khakithose
fabrics are too casual for an interview no matter what
the setting. Pants should be at-front instead of pleated,
not too baggy and not too tight.
Your shirt should be in a neutral monochrome or, at
most, discreetly patterned. It shouldnt cling around the
neck, shoulder or arms, but it also shouldnt be baggy.
(Baggy shirts will show more wrinkles than well-tting
ones.) Wear an undershirt to keep chest hair and pec-
toral muscles out of sight and out of the interviewers
mind; you want to impress him with your professional
assets, not your physical ones. Before you put your
shirt on, inspect it to make sure its clean and shows no
obvious signs of wear, such as holes, a yellowed collar,
frayed cus, or pulled threads.
Neckwear
With business casual becoming the norm in many
industries, its possible youll be interviewing at a
company that doesnt require men to wear a tie every
day. In some eldstechnology, social services, the
arts, and mediait might even seem strange to wear
a tie to work. But the interview is a special case, so
its usually best to sport a tie, even if you end up as
the only person in the oce wearing one. In the more
creative professions, you can have fun with bold pat-
terns and bright colors. In more conservative elds,
stick with the classic regimental stripe or the subtly
patterned red power tie.
Shoes and Socks
Your shoes should be dark and polished. You should
wear them at least a few times before the day of the
interview to make sure that theyre a comfortable t.
Socks should be dark and long enough to come up past
your pant cus when sitting.
Whatever you do, dont make the mistake of decid-
ing to wear a shirt that isnt quite right and covering
it up with a sweater or jacket for the duration of the
interview. You cant predict what the climate control
in the interview room will be like, and this solution
will only make you hot and uncomfortable when the
pressure is on.
TIP
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If the weather is cold, youll be wearing a coat
and maybe gloves, a scarf, and a hat. When
you work in the office, this is the first ensem-
ble people will see. Give as much care to your
outerwear as to your business attire.
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BRING THE
RIGHT STUFF
YOU ARE THE main asset youre bringing to the
interview. But youll want to come with the right
accessories in hand.
RESUME, COVER LETTERS,
AND REFERENCES
Your interviewer will probably have a copy of your
resume and cover letter in front of her, but its good to
have some extras to give to her and to anyone on the
team she might introduce you to. Following a better-
safe-than-sorry philosophy, you should bring ve to
ten copies of each document. Tis will show prepared-
ness and it will encourage the interested parties to con-
tinue thinking about your potential as a job candidate.
Before the interview, you should have lined up for-
mer employers and colleagues as job references. When
you enlist someone as a reference, explain the present
job opportunity, and mention aspects of your collabo-
ration that might be pertinent. Dont put anyone on
the spota grudging reference is worse than none at
all. Ideally, your entreaties will yield written references
you can oer to your interviewer and other stakehold-
ers you meet on interview day.
One more thing you might bring along: a cheat
sheet of questions you hope to ask or of points you
want to make. You obviously do not want to have your
head buried in this sheet during the interview, but if
you pull it out to consult it, you will show the inter-
viewer youve prepared for this opportunity.
PORTFOLIO
A portfolio is a standard tool for designers and advertis-
ing professionals. But theres no reason you cant learn
from their example and assemble a sharp-looking port-
folio of work to highlight strengths and accomplish-
ments. If youre a project manager or engineer, you can
include charts and graphs that show the earnings you
generated or the savings you accrued. Create a network-
ing map of the important relationships you developed
on the job, linking your team with key vendors, clients,
investors, and other departments. Any published mate-
rial youve writtena newsletter, an article in an indus-
try magazine, a section of the annual reportis worth
showing. If youve developed websites, put in high-
quality stills of its pages. In the back of the portfolio,
include a narrative bio that sums up your strengths and
work history in one paragraph, and accompany it with
a full curriculum vitae or resume.
Oer to walk your interviewer through your port-
folio. Its probably best not to do this right away; get
a feel for when it might be appropriate and then ask if
shed be interested in looking at it. At the end of the
interview, oer to leave the portfolio behind so she can
peruse it during the next week or two. By giving your
interviewer a chance to see your accomplishments as
well as hear about them, you double your chances that
your strengths will be remembered, and your return
visit will give you an additional point of contact and
an additional possibility of making an impression. Just
remember, even with the best intentions on both sides,
its possible you might never see the portfolio again. So
be sure theres nothing irreplaceable inside.
ARTICLES
If you have received favorable coverage for your work
in magazines, newspapers, trade journals, or websites,
by all means photocopy the articles. Bring the clip-
pings as handouts for your interviewers. Even the most
skeptical, hard-to-please interviewer will be impressed
by independent, third-party validation for your profes-
sional eorts.
TIP
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If you live too far away to return and pick up
the portfolio youve dropped off, leave behind
a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
This shows your consideration for your
interviewers time and budgetand increases
your chances of getting the portfolio back.
The Big
Moment
4
Showing Up ................................24
Building Rapport ........................24
Showing Your Strengths ..............26
Say it with Body Language ..........27
Master the Art of Q&A ...............28
Special Cases ...............................35
Reach an Eective Conclusion ....36
Your Exit Strategy .......................37
Follow-Up ...................................38
Ace Your Interview
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SHOWING UP
THE PATH TO THE INTERVIEW ROOM
Your interview begins long before you meet your inter-
viewer. Every person you meet from the moment you
step through the door to the building might have the
power to inuence the decision to hire you. Te secu-
rity guys at the front desk might be on a rst-name basis
with your prospective colleagues. Te people next to
you on the elevator might work on the team youre tar-
geting. Te receptionist might (probably does) chat up
everybody in the company. If you want to make a good
impression, its important to be polite and friendly with
everyone you meet. Being tense about the upcoming
interview is no excuse for not saying hello or forgetting
to thank the person whos just given you directions to
the oce youre looking for. Treating everybody you
meet with respect is common courtesy and good busi-
ness sense.
MAKING AN ENTRANCE
Te rst moments of the interview will establish the
tone for everything that follows. Here are some tips for
starting on a positive note:
Shake hands with a rm grip. Limp, wet-noodle n-
gers are an immediate turno conveying the percep-
tion of apathy and indecisiveness. If the pressure of
the interview has given you sweaty palms, discreetly
wipe them on your skirt or pants before you extend
your hand. Know your own strengthyou want to
show your eagerness to meet the interviewer, not
crush his ngers. You might even consider rehears-
ing your handshake with a friend beforehand.
Dont quickly glance away the moment youve
metmaintain eye contact for a few seconds. When
you meet people, you might be accustomed to low-
ering your eyes out of reticence, but that will come
across as rudeness in an interview. (Te interviewer
might spend the rest of the session wondering if
theres something caught in her teeth!) Also, be
careful throughout the interview to keep your gaze
strictly above the neck. If a wayward glance seems
like a sexual advance, it might render the interview a
asco.
Smile, and mean it. Tis person was intrigued
enough by you to pick your resume out of a stack
and is dedicating 30 minutes of a busy day just to
talk with you. Tat in itself should give you plenty
to smile about.
If youre in the room before the interviewer gets
there, get to your feet the moment he enters.
Traditional etiquette requires this of men in any
social setting. But in an interview setting, women,
too, can gain from standing up. Its a way of showing
your eagerness to meet the interviewer.
BUILDING RAPPORT
PUT YOURSELF IN the interviewers shoes: Would
you rather hire an engaging candidate whose conver-
sation is lively and interesting, or an equally qualied
job seeker who is stony-faced and tense? You want the
interviewer to understand you have the skills for the
job and that youll be an asset to the team. You have to
present yourself as someone your colleagues will want
to see every day, a person who will make their lives
more enjoyable, not miserable. For this reason, its key
to establish rapport with your interviewer.
SEEK COMMON GROUND
From your background research, you might already
know of one or two things, gardening for example, you
have in common with your interviewer. Find a way to
work these into the conversation if your interviewer
TIP
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If a point of commonality arises, follow it up
with cheerful questions.
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doesnt. Nothing establishes rapport like a shared
passion or experience.
Remember, even if you have a lot in common, you
arent going to agree on everything. But this is not the
forum for a vigorous debate, so be cautious in oering
your opinions. Its possible that the gardening book
that you found pointless is your interviewers bible. If
it comes up, nd something positive to say; if it then
turns out that he shares your opinion, you can modify
your earlier stance. If the situation is reversedyoure
an avid fan of the book and he hates itdont get
defensive. Draw him out on his opinion and show you
value it.
Work experiences are another area where you can
nd commonality with your interviewer. Perhaps youre
a lm professional interviewing with a production
executive. You can tell her about the time, in your rst
production assistant gig, that you put your cell phone
number on a posting for an open casting call and spent
the next week ooded with calls from aspiring actors.
Te story will probably bring a sympathetic groan
from the interviewer. It also might be an opportunity
for a lessons-learned follow-up in which you describe
how you handled the situation, and how you avoided
it thereafter.
TELL A GOOD STORY
Youll want to tout your strengths but you should do
it in a way that will engage the interviewer. If you want
her to know youre attentive to detail, dont just state
the fact point-blank. Tell a story that might pique her
professional interest, such as the time you found a soft-
ware bug that had gone undetected in previous testing
and prevented your company from releasing a faulty
software program. Tat kind of information will be of
interest to any industry professional and it will vividly
illustrate the strength youre hoping to accentuate.
Keep your stories work-related. Your grandmothers
recent death might have taught you something about
the value of family and you might think this illustrates
your sensitive nature. But do you really want your inter-
viewer to remember you as the guy whose grandmother
just died? Better to tell a story about how your sensitiv-
ity to others feelings proved an asset at work.
LIGHTEN THE MOOD
Teres no question an interview is a tense, awkwardly
formal situation. Tats why a bit of humor can be a
welcome relief. An amusing anecdote or a wry com-
ment can break the ice. But be careful when youre
attempting to be humorous. You dont want to be self-
deprecating. Youre there to tout your strengths, not
your weaknesses. Also, an erudite comment that ies
over the interviewers head might make him resent you.
Risqu jokes are out of the question, and ethnic humor
is o-the-charts inappropriate. Dont be afraid to be
funnybut use discretion.
BEWARE OF TMI
Your prospective employer does not need to know
about your romantic history or your drinking hab-
its. Tese fall under the category of TMItoo much
information. Intimate details will not help you build
rapport with your interviewer; theyll only cause her
to question your judgment. Save those stories for
your friends.
INSIDER SCOOP
One of my interviewers mentioned offhandedly
that the company was planning to start using an
outside vendor for all its graphic design needs.
They had never done it before and they were a little
nervous about it. I seized the opportunity to
explain that in my last job I had spent three years
managing the relationship with an outside design
agency, and shared some of the pitfalls Id
encountered and how I overcame them.
TIP
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Dont forget to laughor at least chuckleat
your interviewers jokes!
Ace Your Interview
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SHOWING YOUR
STRENGTHS
BE A TEAM PLAYER
To show prospective employers youre prepared for the
teamwork the job will entail, be sure to highlight your
experiences as part of a successful team as well as your
solo achievements. If youve been a manager, youll have
experience assembling teams, so highlight that fact.
Talk about the teams accomplishments. If youve never
managed a team, you can still talk about your experi-
ence in forming partnerships and collaborating within
your own department and with those outside. If youre
part of a team responsible for a successful new product
launch, talk about it. Even if youre new to the job mar-
ket, your school experiences are bound to show numer-
ous examples of teamwork, such as a collaborative
science project or a school play. And if you played on a
sports team, the connection is a no-brainer.
Wherever possible, replace the rst-person singular
I with the rst-person plural we. If your interviewer
asks you to describe what you would do in a work sce-
nario, be sure your answer involves teamwork, such as
consulting colleagues, group brainstorming, or making
use of expertise in other departments. In other words,
your response should not only include an explanation
of what I would do, but also a statement of what we
could accomplish with a collaborative approach. When
you role-play your interview with a friend, note how
many times you use the word webecause your inter-
viewers certainly will.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
False modesty is not a quality that will engage the inter-
viewer. She will expect you to describe your strengths
and give examples of how you put them into action.
You need to be able to describe your strong points and
give examples of how they helped you succeed in work.

Example Scenario
Interviewer: Your reference couldnt say enough about
your fundraising abilities.
Bad response: Oh, Jims such a good friendI guess
Ill have to pay him o later!
>> A remark like this only undermines the reference and
does nothing for you.
Good response: Tank you. We worked together
recently on a fundraising campaign for a local
theater, and of course were both delighted a new theater
program for kids was founded with the funds we raised
in that campaign.
>> Tis response conrms the interviewers high
opinion of you, and supports that opinion with a
concrete example.
Acknowledging your strengths does not mean
indulging in hyperbolic self-promotion. Dont say, Im
the best in the business. Stick to assertions you can
support with evidence from your work history: I was
the top salesperson at the company for four consecutive
quarters.
KEEPING IT WITHIN LIMITS
Nobody is good at everything. As the contours of the
position emerge during the interview, it might become
clear the company is looking for someone with a dier-
INSIDER SCOOP
As a senior manager, Ive spent time on both sides
of the interview table. When Im the job seeker,
I talk to an interviewer like someone at a party
that I wanted to get to know. I follow their lead
in the conversation. You have to pay attention to
detailsthe words they use, their inflections, the
questions they ask. If I see them react to an idea
Ive brought up, I explore it; if not, I drop it. Im not
going to spend 10 minutes going on about
something they have no interest in. Its not at
all about giving the right answerits all about
building rapport.
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ent set of skills and strengths than yours. No matter how
much you want the job, dont misrepresent yourself. If
your interviewer realizes youre stretching the truth, it
will count as a black mark. And if you do get the job,
youll be sweating bullets when you show up to work.
A much better tactic is to acknowledge your limi-
tations while emphasizing your very real personal
strengths. You might not get the job but youll make
your way onto the list of people to contact when an
appropriate position does become available.
Heres the testimony of one job seeker: Te inter-
viewer told me: If we could use your set of skills, Id
hire you in a minute, but we currently dont have a need
for them. However, I happen to know a guy over at this
company who is looking for someone with your skills,
and I will recommend you to him, and give you his
number to call. Tat led to a job for me.
SAY IT WITH
BODY LANGUAGE
NONVERBAL CUES CAN be every bit as important
to your interviewer as what you have to say. Even a bril-
liant remark can be undermined by a tentative delivery.
If you avert your eyes while talking about your accom-
plishments, your interviewer might think youre mak-
ing them up. Troughout the interview, make sure your
body language conveys condence and openness. If
your body language doesnt transmit genuine enthusi-
asm and engagement, your interviewer might conclude
youre just wasting his time.
EYE CONTACT
Be sure you begin and end your responses by looking
your interviewer steadily in the eye. When you do look
away, try to make sure your eyes arent rolling upwards
to the left or right because this indicates youre grasping
for ideas. You dont need to stare intently at your inter-
viewer the entire time, but when your interviewer is try-
ing to make a point or close a question, you shouldnt
be gazing out the window or idly inspecting the ceil-
ing. Always look directly at your interviewer when you
begin to respond to a question so that its clear to whom
youre addressing your remarks.
Dont let your expression become wooden or xed,
and dont stare blankly or zone out in the middle of
your interviewers commentary. Take notes periodically
if that will help you stay engaged while your interviewer
embarks on a particularly long monologue, but dont
stare down at your notes the entire time. You might
miss out on some nonverbal cue your interviewer is giv-
ing you: rolled eyes, a smile, a grimace.
POSTURE
You should sit straight, but not rigidly. Crossed arms
indicate wariness or defensiveness, and thats not how
you want to approach your interviewer. Instead, keep
your hands in your lap or hold a pen in one hand
and your notepad on your lap with the other. Tightly
crossed legs can make you appear inaccessible, and
loosely crossed legs (with one calf resting on the oppo-
site knee) might seem overly relaxed. When your inter-
viewer is speaking, subtly lean forward to demonstrate
your interest in her words. Dont rest your head in one
hand because this can make you appear bored or sleepy.
Nod when appropriate and respond to your inter-
viewers comments with appropriate interjections or
exclamations; crack a smile when your interviewer
injects some humor into the proceedings. Ask questions
INSIDER SCOOP
An interviewer asked me How good of a writer
are you? I fudged the reply: Well, my supervisor
said I was one of the three best writers he has ever
worked with. The interviewer followed up with,
Yes, but how good a writer do you think your are?
My replysomething along the lines of, Well, I
think Im very goodtorpedoed the whole session.
I didnt get the job. The experience taught me to
develop a selection of more powerful statements in
response to that question.
Ace Your Interview
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for clarication when needed. Remember what your
mother always told you: Sit up straight in your chair.
Tis makes you appear condent, alert, and interested
in what your interviewer has to say.
If you dget more than once or twice in your inter-
view, your interviewer might think youre too nervous
to withstand the pressures of the job. Worse, he might
think you cant wait for the interview to be over.
MASTER THE
ART OF Q&A
THE INTERVIEW WILL start with introductions.
After that, there might be some moments of prelimi-
nary chitchat. But soon youll reach the heart of the
session: questions and answers. Tis is the part job
seekers usually dread most. But you can keep it from
being an ordeal if you change your outlook. Te ques-
tions your interviewer asks wont demand magic right
answersonly answers that are thoughtful, reasoned,
and memorable.
Instead of seeing yourself as a lowly supplicant to
an all-powerful lord, think of the interview as a pleas-
ant peer-to-peer interaction, an exchange of ideas and
insights. Your interviewer is a possible colleague, maybe
even a future friend. You share common interests in the
eld or industry. Now youre meeting to explore those
interests through a process of question and answer.
Te most important and dicult thing to remember
in an interview is that its a conversation. When an inter-
viewer asks you a question, you should keep the same
considerations in mind as you would in a social situ-
ation. Answering with a long analysis will indicate an
o-putting degree of self-involvementand no doubt
bore the interviewer silly. A curt yes or no will have
an equally objectionable eect, making it seem youre
uninterested in the topic at hand. Keep the conversa-
tion owing and let your personality shine.
BEHAVIOR-BASED QUESTIONING
Following the philosophy that the best indication of
future behavior is past behavior, many interviewers
follow a behavior-based strategy. By asking you to
describe your past professional behavior, they hope to
gauge your potential as a member of the organization.
What to Expect
Most behavior-based questions will begin with: Can
you tell me about a time when you or Please
describe an instance where you Could you give
me an example of a situation when you. When
you hear this cue, know you are being asked to relate a
specic anecdote that shows how you applied your tal-
ents to help an organization tackle a problem or make
the most of an opportunity. Your answer will be judged
according to set criteria; think of them as the Straight
As of behavioral interviewing:
Analyzing the opportunity or problem eectively
Approaching the opportunity or problem creatively
Accessing appropriate team resources to implement
solutions
Achieving concrete results (with gures if possible)
Sample Behavioral Questions
1. Please tell me about a time when you had a conict
with someone and how you handled it.
2. Describe an instance when you had to juggle several
tasks at once and how you prioritized your work.
3. Give an example of a time you seized an opportunity
your organization might have otherwise missed.
INSIDER SCOOP
Recently I was interviewing someone for a position
on our team who was an inside referral, very well-
connected to executives in our company. She was
plenty smart and enthusiastic. But the entire time
we talked, she was looking out the window; it was
as if she had someplace better to be. With no eye
contact, there was no way to establish trust or tell
whether she really cared about the job.
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10 COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Many interviewers dont have enough time to spare to
dream up new, hard-hitting interview questions. Tey
often resort to the tried-and-true questions that have
been asked at millions of interviews. Dont disregard
these questions just because theyre hackneyed; they
oer you opportunities to shine. You should be ready
with the sharp, memorable responses that will distin-
guish you as a prime candidate.

Can you tell me a little about yourself?
What this really means: Im looking for personal
insights about you that would make you seem less like a
list of credentials and more like a person Id like to work
with every day.
How you should answer: Talk about strengths that
might not be clear from your resume, such as your
commitment to hard work and your abilities as a team
player. Back these up with compelling stories.

What are the best and worst jobs youve
ever had, and why?
What this really means: Does this job match your
ideal, or are you going to leave this job in six months for
something better?
How you should answer: Dont emphasize the negatives
of past jobs. Talk about each one, even the ones that
didnt work out, as a learning opportunity. Present each
one as a forward step on your career path.

What project are you most proud
of, and why?
What this really means: What can you do for me and
my organization?
How you should answer: Have a success story ready to
tell. But dont just pu yourself up; talk about how the
attributes that led to your previous success can help you
in the position under discussion.

What are your greatest strengths
and weaknesses?
What this really means: Prove to me youd bring value
to this organization, and show me youre aware of and
can learn from your mistakes.
How you should answer: Your strengths should be
deployable in the job youre discussing. Your weaknesses
should fall under the category of lessons learned and
should have originated from inexperience rather than
an inherent personality aw.

Could you describe for me a time when you
had to perform under pressure?
What this really means: Youre going to be asked to
perform under pressure here and I want to make sure
you can handle it.
How you should answer: Tink of a high-pressure sce-
nario your interviewer will relate to and then describe
how you handled and the positive outcome you
achieved. Just be sure the situation you describe was not
made more dicult by factors under your own control
because you dont want interviewers to think you create
needless drama in the workplace.

What kind of people do you enjoy working
with most and least, and why?
What this really means: How are you going to get
along with me and/or the others on the team? Are you
going to t in with our corporate culture?
TIP
>
While asking questions, an interviewer will
often provide clues about the kind of response
shes looking for. For instance, the question
How exactly might you involve the rest of
the technology team in your projects? indi-
cates she considers involving the technology
team important. Address this concern in your
response and come back to it, when appropri-
ate, as the conversation progresses.
Ace Your Interview
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How you should answer: You should answer truthfully,
but tailor your response to what you know about the
organization. Words such as solidly grounded might
sound right in a buttoned-down setting; in a more cre-
ative environment, you could get away with wildcard
thinkers. Dont use the question as an opportunity to
slam former colleagues.

What kinds of activities do you enjoy
when youre out of work?
What this really means: Are you a well-balanced person
with the enthusiasm and passion were looking for?
How you should answer: Talk about a hobby or pastime
you truly care about, and link it to a personal strength
that will help you on the job.

Tell me about a failure youve had
in your career.
What this really means: How do you handle setbacks?
How you should answer: Mention a success story that
relates to the position, with numbers and anecdotal evi-
dence of success to back you up. Ten describe a failure
that dates from early on in your career and came about
because of inexperience. Describe what youve learned
from it. Te mistake should be understandable, forgiv-
able, unrelated to the job at hand, and should have had
no lasting consequences.

Where do you see yourself in three
to five years?
What this really means: Are you going to stick around so
we can reap the benets of training you?
How you should answer: Start o your response by say-
ing, Right here. Dont mention advancement right
away because you dont want your interviewer to think
youll be restless in the position under discussion and
gunning after someone elses job. Mention ways you
hope you and the organization will grow in tandem.

Why should I hire you over other
qualified candidates?
What this really means: Lets cut to the chasewhat
can you oer me that others cant?
How you should answer: Tis is your opening to reiterate
your three major strengths. Ten close with a statement
of your enthusiasm for the job: I cant imagine another
candidate having my passion and commitment to this work.
Tat will be clear once weve had a chance to work together.
GOOD ANSWERS TO TWO
STANDARD QUESTIONS
1. Describe a time
when you performed
under pressure:
Two weeks before a
clients annual confer-
ence in Kansas City,
a tornado took the
roof off of the hotel
where the attendees
were supposed to
stay. But as any event
planner knows, this is
why you always have
to have a plan B. I
had a block of rooms
in another hotel we
regularly use for
other events set aside
in case of overflow,
and by pulling a few
strings I was able to
expand the block to
accommodate all the
registered attendees.
2. Tell me about a
failure youve had in
your career:
One summer in
college I was an
intern at a lobbying
firm, and I was given
a call sheet of 20
elected officials a
day to call, along
with talking points
for each one. One day
there was a glitch in
the database and all
the talking points
were mismatched.
I was lobbying
legislative aides
about measures
that werent even in
their district.
The first two calls
were just bizarre;
by the third call,
when the aide said,
I think youve got
the wrong district, I
realized my mistake.
I felt about an inch
tallbut I learned
not to think of
technology as
infallible, and to
always double-check
your facts.
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HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS
Hypothetical questions are the curve balls of the inter-
viewing game. Interviewers throw them at you to test
your ability to think on your feet. Your reactions can
show your best professional instincts.
What to Expect
Hypothetical questions begin with How would
you Imagine if you were to or What would
you do if. Hypothetical questions are by their very
nature hard to anticipate but dont allow yourself to be
blindsided by them. If you need to, use these tricks to
buy yourself some thinking time:
Restate the question: Let me get this straight. What
would I do if
Praise the question: Tats a good question. Let me
think about that
Ask for specics: What resources would be avail-
able to the team to solve this problem?
Sample Hypothetical Questions
1. If one of your teammates was having problems at
home that were causing him to fall behind on a proj-
ect, how would you handle the situation?
2. How would you deal with an employee whom you
suspected of inating his travel expense report?
3. Imagine you were allowed to institute any new
workplace policy for one week. What would it be
and why?
How to React
Te best answer to a hypothetical question is one that
ties it to a similar experience in your past. Tis tac-
tic grounds your answer in reality and allows you to
give an example of how well youve handled a di cult
situation. Heres a good response to the expense report
question above:
I always nd that the easiest way to deal with a
suspected breach of workplace ethics is to rst explain
the company policy in a casual, impersonal way, so
there are no misunderstandings about what is expected
and no feelings hurt. I once felt that I was being over-
charged by a vendor. His invoices were vague on ser-
vices rendered. I explained to him that while he didnt
need to punch a time card, he did need to provide a
detailed accounting of the way he spent his time on the
project. Lo and behold, the invoices that came in were
signicantly lower than they had been, and our working
relationship was stronger than ever.
I think I might go with a similar approach in this
case: Id ask everyone on the team to provide annotated
receipts with their travel expense reports, then check
over that employees receipts and spot check the rest of
the teams too. Id also be sure to do the same myself, to
set a good example. Tis would make my scrutiny seem
less like a personal attack.
ANTICIPATE SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS
Even the best-crafted resume probably raises a few awk-
ward questions about detours along your career path.
Why did you leave that marketing job after only six
months? Why do you want to be a stockbroker now
after nishing art school? What were you doing in that
year o between your last position in nance and now?
Dont get caught unprepared. Have answers to ques-
tions about the following:
Gaps in Employment
An unexplained gap of six months or more might raise
questions in your interviewers mind about your com-
mitment to your career or even your work ethic. Be
Ace Your Interview
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prepared to address the issue head-on. Dont approach
it defensivelyI was raising my kids, okay? Present
your decision as a considered choice consistent with
your long-term goals. Maybe you wanted to have kids
sooner rather than later so that you could concentrate
on your career. A good explanation goes a long way:
Tat decision to spend a year traveling around the wilds
of Madagascar might be perfectly consistent with your
interest in biodiversity and easily factored into your
decision to pursue environmental law.
Layoffs and Firings
If you were laid o, you can simply explain your posi-
tion was eliminated as part of a broader institutional
business decision such as a restructuring, merger, or
shift in the business plan, and leave it at that. It should
be enough of an explanation to satisfy your interviewer.
If you were red, briey explain that the position
wasnt a good t for reasons specic to that job. Dont
blame it on personality conicts, because you dont
want to lead interviewers to speculate you cant work
well with others. Mention any lessons learned or valued
relationships you gleaned from your time in the posi-
tion and youll sound the wiser for it.
Everyone knows someone who has been laid o or
red, and your interviewers might have been laid o
or red at some point. Interviewers are predisposed to
understand termination of employment and sympa-
thize with the people it happens to, provided you can
discuss it without sounding bitter or accusatory.
Any Stated Qualifications
Not Evident on Your Resume
If youve mentioned youre an accomplished writer but
you have no bibliography of articles by you on your
resume, explain why. Do you write speeches for your
CEO that always get rave reviews from the audience?
Have you written a grant as a volunteer that secured
$20,000 for an after-school program? Bring up these
accomplishments before your interviewer asks to
resolve any lingering doubts about your qualications.
Evidence of Job Hopping
If youve had ve positions in the past three years, your
interviewer might have reason to suspect youd leave
the organization as soon as you get a better oer else-
where. Explain the circumstances that precipitated so
many moves and how those circumstances are dier-
ent now. Maybe the frequent changes were the result
of a combination of a downsizing or your spouse get-
ting reassigned to another state. Or, perhaps you took
some short-term contract positions while you were
looking for the right jobthis one, naturallyto
come along.
Career Changes
Why should a consulting rm hire someone who has
spent most of his or her career in troubleshooting
and tech support? If this will be your rst position
in a new eld, you need to explain how your skills
and strengths are relevant to the position. You might
explain that creative problem solving and client inter-
action were always your favorite parts of your job at
the help desk.
Career changers who are making a shift to pur-
sue my true calling should be prepared to show
evidence of long-term interest in the eld theyre
entering so employers dont think of them as career
hoppers. If you are considering leaving your current
career because this seems like too perfect a match
for my skills in [specialization] and long-term interest
in [eld] to pass up, by all means say sothis is the
kind of thing employers will be glad to hear.
TIP
>
When its appropriate to discuss salary,
outline the reasons behind your request
and discuss the standard salary range for
that position, in that geographic region,
and for someone with your background and
experience. Even if youre just starting out,
dont suggest you belong on the rock-bottom
end of the pay scale. You need to communicate
your value to the company.
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Nothing wins over an interviewer like a shared pas-
sion: I enjoyed the work in tech support, but I knew
after my rst business-operations class that Id found
my true callingeven though it means starting over at
the bottom of a new eld.
Inconsistent Array of Jobs
If your career path is unclear from your resume, you
need to show your interviewer theres a common thread
in your interests. If you can explain your career goal
has always been to make a dierence in kids lives, sud-
denly it will make a lot more sense that youve been a
track coach, a volunteer for the March of Dimes while
you were pursuing a career in nance, and ultimately
left your job as a banker to become a social worker for
disabled children. Instead of seeming scattered, youll
come across as committed and well-rounded.
Money Matters
Perhaps the trickiest question you might be expected
to answer in an interview is What salary are you look-
ing for? Most interview experts agree that if at all pos-
sible, you want to avoid naming a number before the
interviewer does. Here are some good ways to parry the
question:
Im willing to entertain any fair oer.
Ive learned a lot about the position today. Id need to
take some time to think about the roles and respon-
sibilities described before I can arrive at an answer.
Considering all the elements of a compensation
package, I prefer not to discuss salary in isolation.
Can you describe a typical compensation package?
Te initial interview is seldom a good time to talk
salary. You dont want to discuss the issue until after
youve convinced your potential employer youre the
only choice. Te best leverage you have in a salary dis-
cussion is that they want to hire you.
However, you can only dodge the salary question
oncemaybe twice. If your interviewer pushes you
for a straight answer, its time to tip your hand. See the
Play It Smart sidebar below for advice on disclosing
your salary requirements. And for a more in-depth
discussion of salary negotiations, turn to the WetFeet
Insider Guide Negotiating Your Salary and Perks.
PLAY IT SMART: HOW TO DISCLOSE
YOUR SALARY REQUIREMENTS
1. BENCHMARK
Websites like Salary.
com and Glassdoor
can show you what
you can expect to
earn based on your
industry, location,
skill set, and experi-
ence. If you have
industry contacts,
inquire what entry-
level employees
typically make. Or
go straight to the
source, says Ellen
Gordon Reeves,
author of Can I Wear
My Nose Ring to the
Interview? You can
call the HR depart-
ment of a company
and simply say, I saw
a job advertised at
your company and Im
wondering what the
entry-level salary is
for this department.
2. SET A RANGE
Your benchmark-
ing should help
you determine a
bottom linethe
absolute minimum
youll accept. But
rather than a single
figure, present your
requirements in a
ten-thousand-dollar
range. This increases
the chances that your
expectations and the
employers budget
will overlap and gives
you some room to
negotiate later on.
Reeves suggests
writing, My sal-
ary requirements
are in the $30,000
to $40,000 range,
depending on the
type and scope of
responsibilities.
3. WIGGLE IT
Unless the employer
is feeling gener-
ous, youll probably
be offered a salary
on the low end of
your range. But
you still have some
wiggle room. Salary
is only one part of
an employers offer;
benefits also carry
a lot of weight, and
can be used as
leverage. If you feel
the salary is on the
low side given the
responsibilities of
the position, it cant
hurt to bluff a bit
and say that you
expected more com-
prehensive benefits
and will need a higher
salary to offset this.
Ace Your Interview
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INTERVIEW DOS AND DONTS
DONT DO

DONT
Monopolize the conversation with a laundry list
of your abilities. The interviewers eyes are sure
to glaze over.

DO
Choose three talents to emphasize, and come
prepared with three stories about using those
talents to help make your point. When it comes
to talking up your abilities, remember the adage
less is more.

DONT
Focus your comments on a specialty that will only
account for a small percentage of your job. If you
are applying for a position where your only writing
task is the occasional press release, dont spend
ten minutes of your interview talking about what
a great writer you are.

DO
Draw a clear connection between your
talents and the responsibilities listed in the job
description. For example: I notice the position
entails a lot of presentations, client meetings,
and conferences. Meeting facilitation and public
speaking were my favorite parts of my job as
a school principal.

DONT
Get sidetracked into explaining the technical
details of your area of specialization. The
interviewer will either already know the
territory or not be interested.

DO
Explain your expertise in terms your interviewer
(who might be an HR rep rather than a technical
specialist) is likely to understand. Focus on the
problems you identified and the outcomes you
achieved rather than on processes you used.

DONT
Give unsolicited advice on how to solve a
particular problem youve heard the company is
facing. For all you know, the company might have
already tried that route or might not be able to
afford that solution.

DO
Wait to be asked how youd solve the problem,
then present a couple of pragmatic options that
demonstrate your understanding of the issues
involved.

DONT
Come across as a jack-of-all-trades. If youre
equally good at everything, that means youre
especially good at nothing.

DO
If youve done your homework, you should know
which of your strengths are going to interest your
interviewer, so dont hesitate to play these up.
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Questions You Shouldnt Have To Answer
Some questions are utterly inappropriateeven ille-
galin an interview. If any of these come up, dont
react with indignation. Give the interviewer a way out
by saying, Im sorry, Im not sure I understand the
question. If he repeats the question instead of drop-
ping it, you can attempt to return the conversation to
less personal topics by saying, Why do you ask? Do
you expect this will come up in the course of the job?
Tat puts the onus on him to explain the point of the
question.
If he persists, smile and say, To be honest, I feel
put on the spot talking about this since weve only just
met. You know how that is. No matter what, you
are not obliged to answer illegal questions. (For more
resources on this subject, see the For Your Reference
chapter at the end of this book.)
According to HR Tools, any of the following
questions about an applicants protected characteris-
tics could provide grounds for a legal discrimination
claim:
Are you a U.S. citizen?
What is your nationality?
Have you ever been arrested?
Have you ever led for bankruptcy?
Do you have a physical or medical condition?
Are you married?
What are your child-care arrangements?
Are you a member of a union or labor organization?
Have you ever sued a former employer?
Have you ever led a workers compensation claim?
What were some of the problems in your last job?
When did you graduate from college
(or high school)?
Are you available to work on Easter Sunday?
Are you planning on starting a family?
What type of military discharge did you receive?
SPECIAL CASES
CASE ANALYSIS
Tis is an interviewing approach most commonly used
in the worlds of business consulting, nance, mar-
keting, business operations, and development. Case
questions are intended to test a candidates abilities to
analyze a problem or opportunity, perform under pres-
sure, make use of appropriate resources, come up with
creative solutions, and communicate and present ideas
eectively. Some organizations reserve case questions
for the second round of interviews, and even give can-
didates a chance to prepare responses, but many organi-
zations re case questions at candidates in the very rst
round to weed out as many candidates as possible early
in the interview process.
Tese questions present a series of facts, variables,
and resources, and then ask you to answer a specic
question given this data. With case questions, your
interviewer might or might not respond to a request
for additional details, but you can usually ask your
interviewer to repeat the relevant data to make sure you
have your facts straight.
Tere are four common types of case questions:
1. Market sizing questions ask the candidate to estimate
the size of a given market.
2. Business operations cases pose questions about the
running of a business.
3. Business strategy questions focus on future business
strategy issues, usually with a high-level approach.
4. Resume questions take one of the preceding types,
relate it to something from your resume (career or
academic experience), and ask you to apply your
specialized knowledge.
TIP
>
WetFeets best-selling Ace Your Case series
goes into much more detail and provides many
practice questions (along with examples of
good and bad answers) for those looking down
the barrel of the case interview.
Ace Your Interview
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PANEL INTERVIEWS
One-on-one interviews are stressful enough; the pros-
pect a panel interview is likely to make even the most
assured candidate break into a cold sweat. In this sce-
nario, youll meet two or more interviewers at once.
After you leave, theyll compare notes and oer their
assessments. A panel interview can come at the begin-
ning of the hiring process or it might come after the
candidate has been through one or more preliminary
one-on-one interviews.
But despite your worst fears, a panel interview will
probably not make you feel like a defendant in a trial.
Its more likely to be a pleasant exchange of ideas; it
might even occur over lunch. Even if one interviewer
does start to re tough questions at you, chances
are another panel member will empathize with your
plight and help you to respond.
Te tricky part of a panel interview is making the
conversation comfortable among multiple participants.
Make sure you share your attention with all the panel-
ists. Make eye contact with each one. When one of the
panelists asks you a question, direct your attention at
her but dont make it just a two-person conversation
look around and engage the others.
REACH AN EFFECTIVE
CONCLUSION
ASK GOOD QUESTIONS
Te nal minutes of the interview can seal the good
impression youve made up to that point. Tis is also
the time to explore aspects of the job that might not
have been covered yet. Perhaps youve had a chance to
ask questions during the course of the interview. But if
you havent, you should denitely take the opportunity
now. Incisive, well-thought-out questions will give you
insight into the job and enhance the impression that
youre a desirable candidate. If you end the session with-
out having asked questions, the interviewer might con-
clude you arent that interested in the job.
What Good Questions Can Do For You
Tey can reveal your knowledge of the company
and the industry. If the company has just merged
with another company, for example, you can ask a
question such as, What do you see as the greatest
burden on the communications team as a result of the
merger, and how do you think I could be of help?
Tey can show youve been paying attention. You
can refer to comments your interviewer made to
personalize your questions: You mentioned that
excelling in this position takes perseverance and
grace under pressure. What other personal attri-
butes do you think would be especially useful in
this job?
Tey can establish a personal connection. People
like to talk about themselves. Provide an opening
for your interviewer by asking, How did you start
working with this organization? What do you nd
most stimulating about the job?
INSIDER SCOOP
As a career counselor, I cant tell you how often
Ive seen interviewees make the mistake of
addressing their remarks exclusively to the male
interviewers on a panel. They subconsciously
believe that thats where the decision-making
power lies, which is certainly not always the
case. Sharing your attention among multiple
panelists can be a hard habit to learn, but its
essential in an ever more diverse workforce.
37
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Ten Very Good Questions to Ask
1. What three words would you use to describe the
work environment here?
2. What would you say are the organizations greatest
opportunities and challenges in the next three years?
3. How has [major business trend or current event]
aected your organization?
4. What are the greatest learning opportunities youve
had here?
5. What do you like most about working here?
6. What do you nd most challenging about working
here?
7. Can you describe three specic opportunities for
growth this position oers?
8. What do you see as the potential drawbacks of this
position?
9. What personal qualities do the teammates you value
most possess?
And the most important question of all:
10. What are the next steps I should take to be hired
for this position?
TOUCHY SUBJECTS
Questions about turnover, expected working hours, and
stress levels can be dicult to broach, but if you can ask
them sensitively youll nd out whether this is a place
you really want to work. Also, youll show you know
your worth and want to be part of an organization that
values its employees. Perhaps you suspect you might be
walking into an impossible situation and want to know
why the previous employee left the position. Tere
should be no make-or-break tone in your voice; you
should be diplomatic and non-confrontational.
Gauge the interviewers openness to your concerns.
If the time doesnt seem right, you can wait for a later
interview to bring them up. But if youve developed a
good rapport, it might be appropriate to ask a question
such as, Is this a good place to work?
The Benefits Discussion
One potentially touchy subject is the companys ben-
et package. You might not want to bring this up until
late in the interview process, but be sure you ask about
it before you take the job because its hard to negotiate
better benets after the fact. Check out benets and
company policies on workmans comp, disability, and
maternity, paternity, and elder-care leave even if you
dont expect to need them. You never know how your
life circumstances might change.
YOUR EXIT STRATEGY
THE INTERVIEW IS coming to a close. Dont wait
until your interviewer is out of steam to start wrapping
things up. Instead, obey the old show-business adage:
Always leave em wanting more. When you sense
its time to wrap things up, put your exit strategy into
action by following these steps:

Make Amends
If you think the interview hit a wrong turn at one point
or another, now is the time to modify your answers or
clarify your reasoning: I dont want to take too much
more of your time, but I did want to get back to that
question you asked me about how Id handle a tough
customer. Just to be clear, I wouldnt recommend refer-
ring the customer to a supervisor until Id made every
oer within my authority to put things right.

Invite Further Questioning
Ask the interviewer if he has any further questions for
you. Tis gives him a chance to address any unresolved
issues and it shows youre attuned to his concerns. If
he says, No, that about covers it, you should take the
hint and thank him for his time.

Reiterate Your Interest
Dont leave any doubt in your interviewers mind about
your interest in the position. Interviewers dread rejec-
tion too, and they might fear youre uninterested or that
Ace Your Interview
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you might be settling for a job you dont really want.
Look the interviewer right in the eye and say, I was
excited about this position even before I came in today,
but after talking to you Im more certain than ever that
I really want this job. But be sure you mean it!

Make Your Final Pitch
Remind your interviewer in a minute or less of the three
main reasons why you are a good match for this posi-
tion. Dont be shy about repeating your strengths one
last time. Make your nal sales message clear, quick,
and memorable, and you just might cinch the deal.

Ask About Next Steps
You probably wont get your answer on the spot. Te
interviewer might want to check with her colleagues,
or she might have other candidates she wants to assess.
Ask how soon you should follow up and mention that
youd be delighted to have the chance to meet the rest
of the team.

Give Your Interviewer Something
to Remember You By
Hand over a business card or an article by or about you.
Everything you can do to keep your candidacy top of
mindand top of in-boxhelps.

Make a Smooth Move for the Door
Look your interviewer in the eye and oer a few words
of appreciation for how much you got out of your
conversation. Ten, be sure you have all your belong-
ings and oer your interviewer a warm handshake and
smile. Tis is a powerful last impression to leave with
your interviewerpersonal, meaningful, and consum-
mately professional. Tis handshake should mark the
end of your interview and, ideally, the beginning of a
rewarding professional relationship.
FOLLOW-UP
ONCE THE INTERVIEW is over, you should
review your notes from the interview and start plan-
ning your follow-up. Take a minute to review your
performance and identify areas where you excelled and
areas you might improve upon if you get the opportu-
nity to interview further for the position. Notes from
your interview can help you identify experiences you
neglected to mention or questions youd like to ask in
follow-up interviews.
If your interviewer told you to follow up in a week,
mark that date in your calendar. Be sure to call then for
your status check. Reiterate your willingness to meet
with other members of the team. Just remember, theres
a ne line between talking and stalkingif youve
called two or three times during the course of a couple
of weeks and theres still no denitive response, you
might want to downshift your follow-up contacts to
occasional emails.
THE THANK-YOU NOTE
Te thank-you note is a tactic virtually all career advis-
ers recommend and many candidates overlook. While
the interview is still fresh in your mind, sit down and
craft a warm, personal thank-you message. Put other
candidates oversight to your advantage and send thank-
you notes no later than the day after your interview. A
typed note on business stationary or a legible handwrit-
ten note on an elegant card is ideal. But a quick, sincere
INSIDER SCOOP
At a job interview at an English-language newspa-
per in Budapest, the editors asked a few standard
questions and didnt seem to listen to my answers. I
was sure that I didnt have the job, so I had nothing
to lose. Before I left, I said, Look, Im a damn good
editor and writer. I know youd prefer someone
older, but Im willing to work awfully hard. So I
think you should hire me. They were taken aback,
but I closed things nicelytold them to call if they
had any other questions, and that Id follow up in a
week or so. I got the offer two days later.
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email is preferable to a stunning card that arrives ten
days late, when the interviewer has already forgotten
your name and oered the job to someone else.
In addition to showing your appreciation for your
interviewers time, a thank-you note is a prime oppor-
tunity to:
Mention something you neglected in your resume.
Alleviate any concerns raised in the interview.
Convey your enthusiasm.
Reiterate key strengths you possess that relate to
the job.
Sample Thank-You Note:
Dear Ms. Gonzales,
Thank you again for a most inspiring meeting. I know how hectic your schedule is as you head
toward the restaurant opening, and how many resumes you must have received for the assistant
chef position, so I am especially appreciative you took the time to meet with me and share your
insights on the business. I picked up a copy of that issue of Gourmet you mentioned, and youre
so rightthat feature article on Tuscany really missed the boat! Theres so much more to Tuscan
cuisine than steak and white beans, as youve demonstrated in your cookbook. I look forward to
branching out from Neapolitan cuisine and am sure our regional specializations will prove a fitting
complement for one anotherand a delicious one at that.
I look forward to continuing our conversation in the kitchen at LouLou in the near future.
Best regards,
Sally
P.S.: Your friend and mine, Ruthie, sends her best, and says to say thanks for the pork chop tips.
Additional Interviewing
Resources ....................................42
General Interviewing
Advice .........................................42
Job Search Resources ...................43
Background
Research Tools ............................43
Salary Negotiation
Tools ...........................................44
For Your
Reference
5
Ace Your Interview
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if you can nd recommended questions or practices.
Sites such as the HR-Guide (www.hr-guide.com) oer
valuable lists of interview questions and outline other
ways HR professionals test candidate competencies.
BOOKS
If you are looking for work in a eld that follows a
specialized interview process, look for books that spe-
cically address that interview type. WetFeet publishes
the ve-volume Ace Your Case series of Insider Guides
for consulting interviews, which rely heavily on the
dreaded case question. For those looking to work in
the investment banking industry, check out Beat the
Street: Investment Banking Interviews and Beat the
Street II: I-Banking Interview Practice Guide.
GENERAL
INTERVIEWING
ADVICE
FOR A LEG UP on the competition, peruse these
general interviewing advice sources:
WetFeet.com
www.wetfeet.com
WetFeets website covers every interviewing scenario
from brainteasing case quizzes to lunch meetings, and
oers tips for dealing with tricky situations.
Job-Interview.net
www.job-interview.net
Tis site includes insights from top career counselors,
a database of 1,000 common interview questions and
samples of excellent answers, tips to perfect your skills
with mock interviews, and much more.
ADDITIONAL
INTERVIEWING
RESOURCES
WITH A LITTLE extra research, you can prepare
for some of the less obvious questions interviewers
will ask. Rather than inventing these questions them-
selves, interviewers often pull them from professional
resources you can access, such as the Internet, human
resource and development services, interview books,
and workplace advice columnists. Heres how to nd them:
INTERNET SEARCHES
Google interview questions or job interview questions
and check out the search results to nd the top 20 or so
websites that list interview questions employers should
ask. Chances are, interviewers who are pressed for time
will look at the same sources. Also, sites such as www.
job-interview.net oer lists of some of the toughest
interview questions and appropriate responses.
HR AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES
Spend a while thinking like a recruiter or HR profes-
sional and youll be better prepared for their questions.
Look up websites for HR and recruiting profession-
als and run a keyword search on interviewing to see
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National Association of Colleges
and Employers Career Library
www.jobweb.com
Tis site features in-depth information on job fairs,
thank-you notes, and other interview concerns, plus sal-
ary and job outlook data, job fair listings, college career
center resources, and features on employers.
JOB SEARCH
RESOURCES
BOOKS
Networking Works!
(WetFeet Insider Guide)
Many job vacancies are lled before an opening is
announced publiclybut follow these strategies for
eective networking, and youll tap into this hidden
job market.
Job Hunting A to Z: Landing the Job You
Want (WetFeet Insider Guide)
Tis information-packed guide covers networking,
interviewing, and negotiation, with tips on drumming
up contacts and referrals, handling dicult interview
situations, and choosing from several oers.
WEBSITES
American Staffing Association
www.stangtoday.net
Te How to Select a Stang Company tips, found
under the Job Seekers tab, can help you nd compa-
nies that will seek out jobs for you and advocate on your
behalf in the job market.
Employment Law Information Network
www.elinfonet.com
Concerned that visa status, tness, or drug testing
requirements might be barriers in your job search? Get
the latest on legal hiring requirements on the Hot
Topics section of this site.
BACKGROUND
RESEARCH TOOLS
Fortune Career Resources
money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/rankings
Fortunes annual reports on the best places to work,
most admired companies, and the best places to work
for women and minorities are key background reading.
Also check out the columns to discover jobs you never
knew existed, the latest on workplace practices such as
telecommuting and casual dress, and career quizzes.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Outlook Handbook
www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
Search this site and the Career Guide to Industries
(www.bls.gov/oco/cg/home.htm) to identify oppor-
tunities in your eld and explore the most promising
career options. Te Occupational Employment Statistics
will help you identify mean salaries, the current rate of
layos, and wage comparisons for your industry and
geographic location. Check out Occupational Outlook
Quarterlys special report, Employment Interviewing:
Seizing the Opportunity and the Job, at www.bls.gov/
opub/ooq/2000/summer/art02.htm.

U.S. Census Bureau
www.census.gov
Find the latest economic census gures, including earn-
ings for your industry; earnings cross-referenced by
occupation, education level and gender for your geo-
graphic location; and hard numbers on e-commerce.
Labor Market Information Center
www.careeronestop.org/lmi/LMIHome.asp
See what occupations are hottest in your geographic
area and across the nation.
Ace Your Interview
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Current Economic Conditions
by Federal Reserve District
www.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/BeigeBook/2011/
If youre considering relocating to look for work, use
this government index known as Te Beige Book to
identify where the economic prospects are brightest in
the United States.
The Conference Board
www.conference-board.org
Concerned about what those economic indicators mean
for your industryand your job prospects? Get experts
perspectives on business trends on this site.
SALARY
NEGOTIATION TOOLS
Negotiating Your Salary and Perks
(WetFeet Insider Guide)
Get your way without breaking the dealor even a
sweatwith WetFeets comprehensive guide.
Americas Career InfoNet
www.acinet.org
Find the median wages for your chosen eld in
your geographic location and which careers have the
strongest outlook right now.
Salary.com
www.salary.com
Find appropriate salary and benets for your position.
Pick up tips on how to raise your pay, get paid time o,
and negotiate cost-of-living increases.
Professional Association for
Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards
www.worldatwork.org
Check out the latest research on performance-based
pay, stock options, overtime pay, and paid leave though
survey briefs and in-depth reports.
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>>
The WetFeet Story
WetFeet was founded in 1994 by Stanford MBAs Gary Alpert and Steve Pollock. While exploring their
next career moves, they needed products like the WetFeet Insider Guides to guide them through their
research and interviews. But these resources didnt exist yetso they started writing! Since then,
millions of job seekers have used the WetFeet Insider Guides and WetFeet.com to research their next
career move.
In 2007 WetFeet became part of Universum Communications, the global leader in employer branding.
Thanks to the integration of WetFeet into the Universum group, WetFeet products are now used by
job seekers all over the world. In addition to our Insider Guides and WetFeet.com, we produce WetFeet
magazine, which features career advice tailored to undergraduate students.
>>
The WetFeet Name
The inspiration for our name comes from a popular business school case study about L.L. Bean, the
successful mail-order company. Leon Leonwood Bean got his start because he literally got his feet wet:
Every time he went hunting in the Maine woods, his shoes leaked. One day he set out to make a better
hunting shoe, doing such a good job that his friends lined up to buy pairs of the boots. And so L.L. Bean
was born.
The lesson we took from the Bean case? Well, it shows that getting your feet wet is the first step toward
achieving success. And thats what WetFeet is here for: To help you get your feet wet and take the right
steps toward ever-greater career goals, whatever they may be.
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ISBN 978-1-58207-995-0
$ 14.95 U.S.
>>Interviewing is the most important job-seeking
skill and the one barrier that every job seeker
must face before getting hired. But it doesnt have to be a
harrowing experience. At its core, a job interview is really just a
specific kind of conversation. This Insider Guide, complete with
sample interview questions and scenarios, will help you make
the preparations necessary to keep that conversation focused,
productive, and pleasant, so that you can keep your wits about
you even when the stakes are high.
TURN TO THIS WETFEET
INSIDER GUIDE TO EXPLORE
WetFeet has earned a strong reputation among college
graduates and career professionals for its series of highly
credible, no-holds-barred Insider Guides. WetFeets investi-
gative writers get behind the annual reports and corporate
PR to tell the real story of what its like to work at specific
companies and in different industries. www.WetFeet.com
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF,
THE POSITION, AND THE ORGANIZATION TO
EXCEL IN AN INTERVIEW
WHAT EMPLOYERS ARE REALLY GETTING AT
WHEN THEY ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF INTERVIEW SUCCESS,
FROM HOW TO DRESS TO HOW TO ANSWER
THE MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
INSIDER TIPS FOR ANSWERING DIFFICULT
QUESTIONS, EMPHASIZING YOUR STRENGTHS,
AND CONCLUDING THE INTERVIEW GRACEFULLY
STRATEGIES FOR FOLLOWING UP AND BUILDING
ON YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
TIPS FOR INTERPRETING JOB DESCRIPTIONS
THE INS AND OUTS OF BASIC INTERVIEW TYPES

Ace Your Interview

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DEMYSTIFYING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS GOOD ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS

ACE YOUR INTERVIEW

I am aware of three key competitive pressures

I can think of three competitive opportunities

I can name the top ten news items in the

When I read through a trade publication, I do

I am familiar with this organizations business

I am aware of the key competitive pressures

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