“You Are Hired!”
Start the interview by showing an interest in the job.
Why? Because you are sending out buying signals which are attractive to the hiring manager. Why even go to an interview for an opportunity that you have not researched enough to know whether you are interested. If you are out kicking tires, stay home. You might burn a great opportunity. Do not walk through the company doors of any company until you know where you will be working, approximately what you will be making, and what you will be doing if you are hired. There is so much information out there on the Internet alone that most high school sophomores can pin down job details from a web search on a smartphone.
Prepare to be believable and let likeability take care of itself.
Do not focus on whether people like you. Focus on whether the interviewer believes and trusts you. Know your facts about yourself and your qualifications for the job for which you are applying.
Ironically, even entertainers do not focus on being liked. The successful ones focus on the act.
People will like you just fine. Just give your most sincere presentation of the match between you and the job, and hiring managers will be happy if not excited to find what they are seeking.
Don’t rely on stock questions.
Develop your questions from you research. As you gather information about a company, you will find that your curiosity begins to rise. There is always more to know. Build your question list from the things that truly have raised your curiosity. Many questions people ask are contained right in the job description: the title of the person to whom you will report, the scope of the position, even whether there are other people on the team. Taking the research a small step further, you can find out information about the supervisor for this position and information about the people on the team. Mention their names during the interview and ask questions from your curiosity about these people.
Know your interviewer.
Before you walk in the door, you should try to know the name, career history, and title of the person you are meeting. By knowing these things, you can put yourself on a more even footing against other applicants who may be coming in with a personal referral from a friend.
Layout a map to show the interviewer as to how you will produce results, save the company money, and become a member of the team for the good of the company However, you are not in an interview to be popular. You are in an interview to get a job. Be personable, assertive, confident, but do not act like you want to be someone’s pal. Companies need doers not back-slapper who are there to glad-hand. Within the first thirty seconds of the interview, the hiring managers should know if they have invited the right person to the interview.
Always trial close.
Ask for the date when you should follow up with the company.
Send a thank you note.
You can send a letter if you like. But send an email before the end of the day of the interview.
Post-Interview Letter: Follow Up the Interview With a Letter That Will Get You the Job.
