3 Ps of Interviewing
"Thank you for your interest, but we have selected another candidate"
Have you heard these words one too many times while job searching? Well, if you heard this after interviewing with a company then there is a high likelihood that you bombed that interview. There are more job seekers than there are jobs especially entry level jobs.
This article will help to provide some key pointers on how to land a suitable job during your continued search. Throughout my career as a Human Resources professional I have participated in multiple interviews and have found a common thread in those that are successful.
The Three Ps of interviewing: Prepare, Present and Pursue.
Prepare (Research):
Preparation is key before any interview. It is important to research the company, the job and even the interviewers. Most information about a company is on their website. When researching the job, most job specific duties are on the job posting. Having the full job description used by the company would provide more insight into the specific competencies and day-to-day tasks. It would be helpful to speak to someone who is employed at the company and/or in the job you are being considered for to use a resource in this phase.
It is also important to know the content of your resume and cover letter—especially if you had some help writing them. When you are familiar with the content and it is accurate you can speak to it more confidently. Before the interview, you should prepare a few quality questions for the interviewers and practice smoothly answering commonly asked questions such as "Can you tell me about yourself", "Why should we hire you?" "Why are you interested in this opportunity?"
Prepare suitable attire and plan your outfit from head to toe. If you are not comfortable with how you look when you tried on your outfit, then you should not wear it because your confidence will suffer. Ensure that you are early for the interview—fifteen to thirty minutes cushion will be helpful in case you
Present (Dos and Don’ts):
During the interview you must present your best performance from the moment you receive the call of interest; you should be pleasant and grateful for the opportunity. Sustaining a good disposition at every step will get you to the next level. It is critical to be pleasant with everyone you come in contact with—from the security guard who greeted you at the door to the hiring manager.
In a nutshell, here it is:
Do’s: Dress appropriately, be courteous, speak clearly, Listen closely, maintain good posture and body language, be confident, emphasize positives, be honest, and ask for clarification (when needed).
Don’t: Falsify application or resume, make excuses, initiate compensation discussion, stumble over your responses, appear intimidated and have a negative attitude.
Pursue (follow up and feedback):
At the conclusion of the interview, it is important to communicate openly with the hiring manager(s) and interviewers this includes identifying a timeframe for a callback and how this information will be provided to you regarding the opportunity. Secure contact information so that you can send a thank you email or handwritten note to the interviewers as soon as you can. It is appropriate to send a follow up email to the interviewers regarding the status of the job if you have not heard anything from them outside of the timeframe they provided. Do not expect a response to your follow up email as few interviewers respond. Although you may not get a response, this does not mean that you are still not being considered for the opportunity, there could be operational issues that are causing the delay. I would recommend sending more than one follow up email within a reasonable time frame (one or two week intervals) and I would not recommend sending more than three follow up emails at the risk of being considered too pushy.
In a nutshell, after the interview you should:
Establish when/how you would hear back
Send Thank you note
Follow up with a telephone call or e-mail within a reasonable timeframe
Even if you have decided the opportunity may no longer be a fit for you. This would leave an impression and may garner a call in the future for another opportunity.
Ultimately, if unsuccessful at attaining the job offer, do not despair. Seek feedback to assist with next interview.