I got an email newsletter from Rob McGovern of JobFox.com today about “5 Subtle Tips to Succeed in an Interview”. I thought, why not share it and add a few from my own experience job hunting in this market.
1. Dress for the part: With the new casual dress trend, the business-suit-for-safety wisdom is not always best. My advice is to ask the company what style of dress works for the interview, then take it up one notch. One of the benefits of this approach is that you’re showing the interviewer you have the social graces to respect their culture.
Me: Since I am only interviewing with Internet companies, my suit hasn’t gotten any attention lately. In fact, I’m pretty sure I conformed to the business school etiquette too early on and wasted money on 2 of my 4 suits. Now I usually show up for first interview with a short-sleeve blouse (not boring dress shirt) and slacks, and second interview with something less conservative – blouse or top and skirt. Since my resume says I’m working for a fashion company now, I should show it, right?
VS silk blouse tucked in dark grey slacks
VS tulip skirt
2. Show up precisely 5 minutes early: I have to admit, it drives me crazy when an interviewee shows up 15 or 20 minutes early. It results in this annoying pressure, knowing that the person is waiting for me. So why five minutes? Because that’s just enough time to sign-in, catch your breath, and get yourself into the mental zone of the interview.
Me: Bingo! When I worked in HR, I also liked when someone showed up 5-10minutes early to fill out the application, but not too early that I have to go out there to greet and meet when I’m in middle of something. Now if I show up too early for an interview, I just sit in my car and think of good questions for the interviewer.
3. Think “warmth” during the first 5 minutes: Most people go into an interview nervous, tight, and without their normal charm. If you want the interviewer to relax, you need to relax. The best way to do this is to make sure you smile early in the interview. Nothing warms a conversation more than a smile.
Me: I once read a tip that if you tend to have sweaty palms before an interview, put some baby powder on before hand. You don’t want people shaking wet towel. Oh and I can’t recount how many times I’ve shaken hands of people (high power people even) and felt like I was shaking cooked noodle. Be firm but don’t do the death-grip.
4. Bring two copies of your resume: Many hiring managers forget to bring a resume to an interview, and you’ll appear on-the-ball if you have an extra copy for them. When you hand them your resume, make sure you do not start the interview by saying “here’s a new version of my resume”.
Me: Doh! I did pull a #4. I interviewed for a job I applied for over a month ago and my resume just looks so much better now. I mean, we only get one chance to shine. It can’t be that bad if we’re looking to articulate our qualifications better right? Isn’t that the point of those resume tips that tell you to include certain keywords in your resume that would pass the resume filter? After all, interviewing in many ways is a game of manipulation.
5. Send your thank you via snail mail: If you want to get noticed, show up in their postal mailbox. While most hiring managers are getting 200-300 emails in a day (most are resumes), they are getting very little in the postal mail. It’s your call whether this is a typed letter, or a hand written thank you note – just make sure it’s done within 24 hours of the interview.
Me: I’m on the fence about this one. Sometimes decisions get made in a day that your snail mail won’t even get to the interviewer on time. Also I feel if the hiring manager already made up their mind about you (after all, first impression counts more than anything else), a written note delivered 2+ days later isn’t going to all of sudden win them over. Again, maybe because I’m in the Internet industry, I personally feel an email will suffice and I could save the hiring manager some clutter anyway.
Lastly, I want to urge people to use LinkedIn. I never realized its value until I started job searching. And get recommendations from your ex-coworkers and managers. I’ve gotten much better response rate from applying for jobs in LinkedIn (after receiving recommendations) than dropping resumes into the ocean of Monster and Hotjobs.
