Summer is almost at and end, and many of us may be gearing up to change jobs or careers, which means preparing for an interview with a potential new employer!
Depending on your approach, it could be daunting, or, with a few helpful tools, you can turn it around into a positive experience. Here's a few helpful tips :
Tip #1: You’re Interviewing Them
If you expect to be interviewed, then you may feel pressured to impress everyone you meet, which could make you nervous and self-critical.
When you realize that the interview is actually the company’s opportunity to impress you, it changes everything. I’m not advocating arrogance, I’m simply saying, you need to BE impressed as much as you desire to MAKE an impression.
Develop a list of questions for each interviewer as a barometer of whether or not the company is a good fit for you.
Tip #2: Assess Your Personal Skills and Needs – Know What Makes You Happy
What are you really good at, and what do you enjoy doing that must be part of your job? What parts of yourself need to be encouraged in the office to make you happy there?
You might be a great sales person, but do you prefer working in a competitive environment or one where colleagues share information and socialize? Do you want to work from home, or be in an office setting? Take a good look at the full package. If you hate your current job, use your negative feelings as a guide to uncover what you need to be happy at work. Use your interview as a chance to express what makes you inspired at work.
The idea is to make sure your unique personality and talents can thrive!
Tip #3: Research Makes Perfect
Several days before your interview, research the company – Google them, or if you have access to Hoover.com, LexisNexis, or friends or contacts that know the company – find out everything you can. Who is the parent company? What do they produce? How long have they been in business? What cities / countries are they located in? The more you know about them, the more impressive you will be, and your questions will be more informed. This brings us to the next tip.
Tip #4: Know Your Needs and Negotiate
When it comes to salary and benefits, stick to your guns. If you’re worth $100,000, you probably won’t be happy making $50,000. If you’re used to 4 weeks vacation, 2 weeks won’t be enough.
Your needs are important, even if you have no job or income. I believe that if you’re a good interviewer, looking at several different companies at once, and you apply these techniques, you’ll end up with more than one offer, and then you can negotiate for salary, or additional benefits. Don’t be intimidated by a tough market – you may stand out from the competition by knowing your value and needs and expressing them.
When you line up several interviews at once, if one falls through, you have several others to fall back on – so allow yourself to be picky!
Tip #5: Trust Your Gut
This is probably the most important tip – above all else, get really curious about how you FEEL with each person you interview, and within the office space. If your stomach is twisting in knots, and you notice you don’t respect or like your potential new boss, move on. Hopefully, you’ll be working there for a while, so make sure it’s a place you’ll enjoy coming to every day.
If you don’t get the job – ask them to tell you where you fell short. Learning this information could just help you land the next job you apply for.
Heather Markel is President of Spice Up Work Coaching, based in New York City. She specializes in helping people find joy in the workplace by tapping into their unique skills and passions. She has over 16 years of sales and marketing experience. Want to know more? Visit www.spiceupwork.com