Interview Preparation Checklist

Some Interview FAQs:
Here are some of the questions we are asked about interview etiquette and how to handle tricky situations. We will open up this discussion during the live teleconference portion of this series on Monday, May 10.

Q: How do you handle a group interview, i.e. when you are interviewed by two or more people at the same time?
A: Hands down, this is one of the toughest scenarios to manage. While in some cases a panel interview, as it's also called, may be deliberately used to test the candidate's performance on the firing line, in most cases it is actually used as a time-saving device. Most experts agree that the keys are to make eye contact with all panel members throughout the session, and to generally be as inclusive as possible.

If you have your itinerary in advance, one way to prepare is to learn as much as possible about each of these individuals and their relationship to the position before the interview. (Remember the checklist tip about asking for interview team bios, which more and more companies are making available to candidates these days). This gives you the ammunition to ask more pointed questions when it's your turn to speak. Another good tip is to bring other interviewers into the conversation by alluding to questions raised or points made earlier in the session.

Q: What if it is apparent that the interviewer is reading your resume for the first time during the interview?
A: While this can be annoying, try not to take it personally. Instead, use the opportunity to demonstrate your tact and interpersonal skills. For example, offer to start the conversation by giving the interviewer a brief synopsis of your background and why you are interested in this opportunity. This allows the interviewer to "catch up" while you are speaking.

Q: What if I'm asked early on what my current (or most recent) salary is and I'm concerned that it's too high – or too low – for the position on the table?
A: Preparation is the key here. If you are concerned that you are/were being underpaid, you want to say something like, "It is my understanding that positions at this level in xyz industry in the xyz geography pay in the xyz range. My current/previous compensation is slightly below that range because (have a reason, such as "I was with the company for 8 years, was promoted from within and started at a lower salary point" or "I took a 10 percent cut in my current position because I wanted to gain experience in the xyz area"). If an offer is extended, I would expect it to be market competitive and would certainly look at the entire compensation package." An approach like this demonstrates both market savvy and flexibility without boxing you into a corner.

Whatever you do, don't lie. Most positions will ultimately require you to write this information on an application, subject to a formal background check. You can almost always negotiate your salary – you can rarely re-negotiate your credibility.

On the flip side of the coin, if you are concerned about earning or having earned too much for the position, emphasize that while you may have earned more in base salary than this position pays, that you are evaluating an entire package, including such factors as organization culture and growth opportunity. Remember, from an employer's point of view, it's all about risk management. The company doesn't want to hire and train someone who will leave in six months for a better offer. Therefore, your job is to persuade the interviewers that you are not a "flight risk." In other words, you need to make a case for why this position is compelling to you at this point in your career.

Q: When I meet with several interviewers over the course of a day, why do they all seem to ask me the same questions?
A: Refer to the beginning of this lecture. In an ideal world, your day of interviews would be well orchestrated, with each interviewer having an assigned area of focus. Many organizations, in fact, do this very successfully. If you do not have the good fortune to interview with one of them, take the initiative in making sure that each interviewer gets what he or she needs from you, and vice versa.

Most important, take each interview from the top. While you have the advantage of being present for all of the conversations, your interviewer doesn't know what you said to someone else three hours ago – or even 10 minutes ago. Even if the day becomes somewhat tedious, don't let it show. View it as an opportunity to perfect your responses.

Another good technique is to ask each interviewer what qualities are most important to him or her in the person who will take this job. You can learn a lot this way, and it also allows you to customize the interview a bit more. Take notes, and reference key points in each of your tailored thank-you letters.

Suggested Reading/Resources:
To get a closer look at interviewing and recruitment from the other side of the desk, here are a few books to consider:

High-Impact Hiring: A Comprehensive Guide to Performance-Based Hiring by Joseph Rose and Robert Levin, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 1977.

Hiring the Best/Third Edition: How to Staff Your Department Right the First Time by Martin Yate, Bob Adams Inc. Publishers, 1990.

Hiring: More Than a Gut Feeling by Richard S. Deems, Ph.D., Career Press, 1995 (good primer on the behavioral interviewing style that is still widely used in interview training sponsored by human resources departments).

In addition, for general moral support during the job search process, here are a couple of resources just profiled in Newsweek:

Landing on the Right Side of Your Ass: A Survival Guide for the Recently Unemployed by Michael B. Laskoff.

The Unemployment Survival Guide: Nourishing Yourself Through the Lean Times by Jim Stringham and David Workman.