“How to Give a Great Interview” Tips for getting the Job With today’s increased demand for I.T. talent and intense competition for every position, it is our job to provide the right tools for success. Your interview may be the one and only opportunity to get the job. First Impressions are lasting! The majority of jobs are won or lost during the first five minutes of the conversation so you must prepare thoroughly. Whether you are a seasoned consultant who has been regularly interviewing, or a long time corporate employee who hasn’t interviewed for a while, you can never be too prepared. This guide is designed to provide some tools and tips to work in your favor and increase chances of being selected for the job. Whether you have phone or a person interview there are 3 things that a client is trying to determine during an interview: Technical Capabilities Communication Textbook questions: Textbook questions are specific questions about a technology or tool such as “what is polymorphism” these questions should be answered in 1 to 2 sentences. Speech / Accent: If you know you have a strong accent or speak fast when you are nervous it is very important to slow down and concentrate on speaking clearly. Experienced based questions: Such as “Have you ever migrated an Oracle 8i Database to Oracle 10g”. They expect you to answer with a yes or a no followed up by a short explanation of when and where, these questions should be answered in 1 to 2 minutes. Expressing Ideas / Concepts: Your ability to make a point shows confidence and clarity of thought. If you didn’t understand a question ask them to repeat it or rephrase their question for clarification but DO NOT guess at answering what you think they asked. Asking them to repeat the question also gives you a couple of extra seconds to organize your thoughts and give a good answer. Again keep your answers to 1-2 minutes but feel free to ask if they want additional details. NOTE: If your answer is “No” it is very important that you tell them that you have used a similar tool or have done the same type of work a different way OR say that you have not but would be very interested in learning and are confident you could pick it up quickly. Cultural Fit Confident and Engaging: The most important thing is for you to sound confident and be engaging during the interview. If they seem to be very proper and professional then take the same attitude, but more often than not they will be less serious and more willing to small talk. Take advantage of that to build a relationship which will assure them that you will fit into their company. Preparing before the Interview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Research the client / company including their web page and have a basic understanding of what they do. Review the Job Description and be prepared to relate your skills & experience to the key areas of the job Have a copy of your resume in front of you (Make sure it is the same one that was sent to the client) Prepare several questions about the company, job, project, team, manager, etc. Review and prepare for some of the “Frequently Asked Questions” which are provided in this document For Telephone Interviews:  Confirm # : Confirm the correct contact number for client contacting you or for you dialing into conference line  Land Line or Cell: Ideal to conduct call from Land Line. If on Mobile Phone, be sure to have strong signal and secure a private and quite location.  Pad & Pen: Take notes during the call. It will be important for any follow up question during and after the interview.  Dress for Success: Put yourself in the right frame of mind! Dress as though you are attending a face2face Interview and the audience will sense your professionalism even over the phone. For In-Person Interview:  Confirm Location: Ideal to MapQuest or drive to location the day before to ensure you are familiar with where you are going. Print direction and take with you to interview.  Be Early: Arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of the interview start time.  Pad & Pen: Bring a pad of paper and pen and take notes! It shows the interviewer that you are serious and care about what they are saying.  Dress for Success: Look professional (NOTE: Consult with Mastech Recruiter / Account Manager to determine appropriate dress for specific client)  Print Documents: Print copies of your resume, Job Description, Questions you want to ask, and any other samples or work-product that you think my help (NOTE: Be sure to remove any proprietary or confidential information from any previous samples / work products) During the Interview 1. SMILE: It makes you look and sound more positive! 2. Listen: Pay close attention to the questions and demonstrate that you are listening. Is shows the interviewer that you care and are serious about their opportunity 3. Be Concise: Interviewees rambling is one of the most common interview blunders. Listen to the question and answer it directly and concisely. 4. Provide Examples: It is one thing to say you can do something; it’s another to give examples of where and how you have actually done it. You may say, ‘Yes, I've done that before. Here's an example of a time I did that…,' and then come back and ask the interviewer, ‘Did that answer your question?'" 5. Speak clearly: It is important that the interviewers (s) are able to hear and understand what you are saying. 6. Make Eye Contact: You will create trust and rapport with interviewer by maintaining good eye contact and looking interested and alert. However, Don’t Stare! 7. Be Honest: Somehow, candidates get the impression that a good technique is to dance around difficult interview questions. "If you don't have a skill, just state it. Don't try to cover it up by talking and giving examples that aren't relevant. You're much better off saying you don't have that skill but perhaps you do have some related skills, and you're happy to tell them about that if they like." Closing the Interview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Thank the Interview for their time Let them know if you are interested in the opportunity Give 3 reasons why you are interested and why you would be a good fit Let them know when you would be available to start Ask if they need any further information to make a decision and discuss next steps Do’s Don’ts Be 10-15 minutes early Dress for success Express Interest and Enthusiasm Maintain eye contact Speak clearly and concisely Provide details and examples Turn off cell phone Be confident Smile Give firm hand shake Have questions prepared Sit up straight Say “Thank You” for the interviewers time Don’t be late Don’t wear too much cologne / perfume Negative comments about current or past employer Limp, fishy handshake Don’t use profanity, slang, or street talk Don’t be vague or indirect Don’t ramble Don’t be arrogant or “know it all” attitude Don’t be defensive Don’t put interviewer on-hold Don’t fidget or appear nervous Don’t stare Don’t forget to ask for the job Below are some examples of questions you may be asked during your interview. The better prepared you are, the better you will do! 1. Tell me a little about yourself This is often the opening question in an interview, be very careful that you do not ramble. Keep your answer to a minute or two at the most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is just a warm up question. Don’t waste your best points on it. 2. What do you know about our organization? Let you answer show that you have taken the time to do some research, but do not overwhelm the interviewer, do not act as if you know everything about the place. 3. Please give me your definition of the position for which you are being interviewed. Keep you answer brief and task-oriented. Make sure that you really do understand what the position involves before you attempt to an answer. If you are not certain, ask the interviewer, he/she may answer the question for you. 4. What are your most significant accomplishments? Have 1 or 2 specific examples ready. 5. Can you work well under pressure and deal with a deadline? Take examples from your list of accomplishments to show how you have dealt successfully with the pressure and deadlines in the past. 6. What are your strong points? Present at least three. Use concrete, work-related examples to illustrate them. Try to relate your answer to the interviewing organization and specific job opening. 7. What are your weak points? Do not say that you have none. But try to make a negative sound like strength carried a bit too far, “I sometimes get impatient and become too deeply involved when a project is running late.”