Job Interview Advice That Works!

Everybody has an opinion! We'll give you practical, hands on job interview advice that works. You can learn some of the tricks of the trade from a professional recruiter - job interview advice you can take to the bank!

We'll make sure that you're prepared to go head to head with your toughest interviewer. Preparation is more than half the battle, so we'll cover the basics, plus give you an inside look at what questions to expect - and what questions to ask to impress the people you meet. And, we'll even provide you with sample thank you letters that can be customized to any opportunity.

If you're a hiring manager, you can use some job interview advice as well. Surrounding yourself with good people is critical to your success. Hiring is one of the most important responsibilities that you have, yet few are really trained for the task. We'll teach you how to interview with an eye toward finding the best talent for your organization. And, here's a hint...it's not always the person with the most impressive resume!

So, let's get started!

Job Interview Advice: Before the Interview

Our job interview advice actually starts way before the interview. As a recruiter, there's nothing more annoying than hearing your two year old on your voice mail. You would be amazed at how many serious job seekers don't stop to think about the impression they're creating.

Who was it that said you only get one chance to make a first impression??

So, whether you're leaving your home phone or your cell phone number as your point of contact on your resume, make sure that your voice mail message is professional. Your two year old is not cute to me...instead, it makes me question whether I even want to start a conversation with you.

Researching the Company

This is probably the best job interview advice I can give you...whether you're interviewing with a headhunter, or with the direct hiring company, you need to be prepared for your conversation. You want to come to the interview prepared with background information on the company. Find out about:

• Public or private ownership. If the company is publicly traded, view their annual report on line. It's a wealth of information!
• Revenues. What have the trends been over the past few years?
• Number of employees.
• What are some of the company's major divisions, and what do they do?
• Locations, both domestic and international.
• In the news. Check out recent press releases to find out what's been happening at the company.
• Industry. What are the latest hot buttons in the industry for this prospective employer? What are the prospects for their industry?
• Competition. Who are the company's leading competitors and what are the key differentiators in the market?
• Website. The corporate website speaks volumes! Is the website current? Does it look like the company spends money investing in their brand?

Research Resources

Where can you go to find out about these things?

One of the best, yet most overlooked resources around is your local library. Once there, you can use their internet resources to get comprehensive information on virtually any company you're interested in. Public libraries often subscribe to data resources that you might not want to subscribe to as an individual.

For example, Hoovers is an excellent source of information. Some of it is free. But, most of what's available is reserved for their paying clients. Your library just might have a subscription!

Trade and professional associations can also be good informational resources. Research what associations are connected to the industry you're interested in (Google query: industry and associations) - or again, head to the library and look for the Encyclopedia of Associations.

Other tools include OneSource, Corporate Affiliations, D&B, Harris Info, Vault. The list is endless.

Here's my job interview advice: you don't need to memorize the numbers here...what you're trying to do is get enough background information on the company and their industry to be knowledgeable in the interview. You don't want to ask the company in the interview what they do. If you don't already know, I can guarantee you won't be invited back for another round!

And, don't forget to check out the corporate website. When we get to the Questions to Ask part of our discussion, you don't want to just rehash what you could have found on the company website!

The Practical Pre-Interview Checklist

I know you'll laugh at this job interview advice, but here's a checklist of some of the things you need to think about before you arrive for your interview.

• Have a pen and something to write on, preferably in a briefcase or a nice leather portfolio. And, make sure that whatever you bring is professional. Clean it out. You don't want stray papers flying around while you're interviewing!
• Bring several copies of your resume. Even though you know the company has a copy, you can't be sure who you'll be interviewing with (even if you think you know!) and how prepared that person will be.
• Have your references ready. I have a recommended format for references that's sure to impress the most sophisticated hiring managers. Check it out in the top-sales-jobs.com Reference section. A quick preview...hiring managers are interested in professional references, not personal references. You'll want to include at least two former managers, two peers and two people who have reported to you. For sales positions, also include a few customer references.
• Make sure that you know who you're interviewing with (names/titles/departments - how they connect to the position you're interviewing for) and where you're going. That's right...where you're going. Don't take for granted that the hiring manager is located at company headquarters. Know where you're supposed to be and how to get there without getting lost.
• Anticipate commonly asked questions and your response.
• Plan how you'll deal with the salary requirement question.
• Think about your key accomplishments and how they relate to the position you're applying for.

And for Sales professionals, here's some critical job interview advice:

Know your numbers.

I have never interviewed a top sales performer who did not know their numbers. No hesitation.

Performance against quota. Sales last year. Sales this year to date. New business vs. repeat business from existing customers. Customer retention.

You know the drill. If you need to look it up, or can't remember, you're history!

The Interview Dress Code

With business casual attire prevalent in the workplace today, the question of how to handle dress for the interview comes up often. Here's my job interview advice:

Always wear a suit to an interview. And, I'm talking about a conservative suit, whether you're male or female. I prefer women to wear a suit with a skirt rather than pants.

Here's a quick run down of the job interview advice I give in all critical components of personal grooming:

Hair

Neat and well trimmed. For women, if you've got wild, curly hair, think about pulling it back.

Nails

Neat and well trimmed. For women, if you wear polish, go with a mainstream color and make sure that the length is conservative.

Dress

Think conservative. You can never go wrong with IBM blue - navy blue suit/white shirt or blouse. This rule has loosened up a little, but the interview is not the time to where your neon shirt and Disney tie!

Shoes

Shined!!! And, for women, closed toe shoes are appropriate. True story...I had a candidate lose an opportunity for toenails that were purple with little dots...it was her "weekend" look and the interview was Friday afternoon. My client loved her, but hated her toes. He couldn't get past it and she was eliminated from consideration.

Jewelry

Should be minimal and in good taste. Avoid large earrings, bangle bracelets or anything that will detract from your professional image. For men, earrings should be removed.

Perfume/Cologne

Avoid wearing perfume or cologne to the interview. You never know who might be allergic to the fragrance you're wearing. And, there's nothing worse than overdone perfume/cologne - I never want to "smell" the candidate before I can see him/her! Some people think that a little cologne can cover up the smell of cigarette smoke. News flash...it can't. If you smoke, refrain from having a cigarette before your interview. Many people find the smell offensive.

Hosiery

Again, think conservative and tasteful. For men, we don't want to see your skin peeking out when you cross your legs; for women, sheer beige or off black is appropriate.

Job Interview Advice: At the interview

Questions You Might Be Asked

You might encounter different types of interviews during your job search, but chances are the questions you're asked during the interview process will be fairly predictable. If you're looking for a comprehensive list of questions, top-sales-jobs.com has compiled an annotated list of 100 sample interview questions (including sales specific questions) - we even give you job interview advice for tailoring your response! Click here to order your copy now!

In the meantime, here's a preview of some of the questions you should be prepared for:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Short term goals and objectives?
• Where do you expect to be in 3 years? 5 years?
• Why should we hire you for this job?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work for our company?
• What qualifications do you have for this position?
• Why are you interested in leaving your current position?
• Do you have any questions about the position or company?

Our annotated list gives you a road map to what companies are looking for, and more importantly, job interview advice on how to avoid knocking yourself out of the running. It's some of the best job interview advice available on the internet! Order your copy today!

Questions You Can Ask

Savvy hiring managers often differentiate between equally skilled candidates based on the quality of the questions they ask during the interview. There's nothing more disappointing than having an otherwise solid candidate tell me that he/she has no questions regarding the company I'm working with or the position we're trying to fill. Now, I know I'm good - and I give my candidates a lot of information about my client and the job - but, if a candidate can't come up with at least a couple of good questions, I know that they haven't done their homework.

We've compiled a list of questions to ask that you can tailor to your specific situation. Click here to order your copy today!

Here's a sample of what you'll find:

• What are the key deliverables for this position over the next 6 months? 12 months?
• What are the goals for this unit/department for the coming year?
• How will my performance be evaluated?
• How are quotas established?
• What are the biggest challenges for your team in achieving sales results?
• How do you differentiate your product/service from your competitors?

Again, we'll annotate our list with an eye toward what you should be looking for from this prospective employer. Remember, interviewing is a two way street. You need to evaluate how this opportunity matches your personal objectives, just as the company evaluates your background to see if you're the best fit for the job.

Order Questions to Ask today!

One more thing - and this is critical job interview advice...

Get a business card from everyone you meet with. This will ensure that you get each person's name and title right, as well as personal contact information. You'll need this information for follow up.

Job Interview Advice: After the Interview

The Interview Thank You Letter

Candidates who do appropriate follow up to an interview get extra points from hiring managers. This is critically important, so let's review this concept again:

Candidates who do appropriate follow up to an interview get extra points from hiring managers.

I should add from recruiters as well! This is critical job interview advice that will pay off for you in a big way. A short thank you note to your interviewer is good interview etiquette, and if done correctly, can be a deciding factor in bringing you back for a second round - or giving you the job. It's a chance for you to reinforce the message you delivered during the interview, and if needed, an opportunity to strengthen your message if you are unhappy with the way you handled a particular question.

This area is so critical that top-sales-jobs.com has prepared sample Interview Thank You Letters that you can customize for your own use. If you have any questions about the elements of a good follow up letter, you can follow our guidelines to create a great letter that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Some quick tips:

• Send a thank you letter to everyone you interviewed with. These should be relevant to your conversation with each individual. These notes are often passed around the interview team. So, don't make the mistake of sending a carbon copy letter to everyone you saw. Personalize it for maximum impact.
• It's perfectly acceptable to do this via email, but hand written notes still stand out.
• Timing is important. Your follow up will lose its punch if it comes a week after the fact. Send a note out same day or next day. If you wait too long, you're better off NOT sending anything.
• Thank you letters should follow each round of interviews.

Follow our Job Interview Advice: After the Interview and you can't go wrong. You'll be granted more follow up interviews than your competitors, opening up more opportunities to you in your job search.

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