Every time you interview, consider it a professional presentation, including the first steps of sending your resume and cover letter. Everything you write and say is a direct reflection of your image and you want to project confidence and professionalism. Your job is to "sell" the best product you have, which is yourself.
1. Your resume should clearly state your professional objective and not be vague.
2. Ensure that your resume is accomplishment-oriented and reflects what you did for your former employer; how you made a difference.
3. Write your cover letter in a manner that is attention-getting and tells the reader something new or goes beyond what is stated in your resume.
4. Before you meet with an employer, be sure to ask yourself "Why do I want to work for this particular company?" You must know this before you interview to help you better define why this job is right for you. If you are uncertain about this answer, you may be interviewing for the wrong reasons and then it's more difficult.
5. Prepare for the interview by doing your homework and researching the employer. Use any resources you can, such as current business or trade journals, the Internet, or the business community at large. To help you retain this information, write down 3-5 key points on an index card, to which you can easily refer. The more you know about a prospective employer when you go into an interview, the better off you are.
6. Once in the interview, treat your prospective employer like a customer. What that means is that when you respond to questions, try to always frame them in terms of how the company will benefit. Always think about telling them "what's in it for them." A great way to do this is to already picture yourself working at this particular company. Visualize yourself in the job you want and speak as if you are already doing the job. This will infuse more passion in your answer.
7. An interview is not just about having the right answers to the questions. It's also about thinking about what questions you want to ask, to probe and learn more about the employer. The more you get them to say, the greater the chance you can add something meaningful and have a more lively discussion.
8. Never hesitate to sound confident about an accomplishment or skill you can offer to the employer. Your mission is to "sell" you and your skills. If you can give specific examples or an anecdote, that's always a plus.
9. During the interview take notes to remember key points. You may want to follow-up on these during or after the interview. This will ensure you don't overlook anything.
10. What happens after the interview is the last part of the process and equally as important. A thank you letter or card is a very desirable touch and should be sent within 24 hours. You'll also want to follow-up with a phone call to check the status of the job, once you know what the timeframe is for the next step, which you can ask about during the interview.
Dale Klein is a Corporate Communication & Speech Specialist and is the owner of SPEECH MATTERS. When it comes to ensuring you speak with power, professionalism and polish, you'll want to contact Dale Klein to get results at http://www.speech-matters.com or call 518-664-6004.
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