Be Prepared

What is the key to an effective interview?

Preparation.

What are the elements to preparation?

Company and industry knowledge, pertinent questions, professional focus, and self-marketing skills.

An exit survey of corporate recruiters reveals that Harvard dents were lacking in four areas in their interview:

1. Students did not research the companies beyond the company-provided materials. Their understanding of the field, Industry trends, the company, its culture and potential career paths was weak.

2. Because their research was weak, students did not ask pertinent questions.

3. Students were not completely focused on the industry, company, or department.

4. Students did not market themselves well.

Research. Too often job hunters put all their efforts into getting interviews and forget about preparing for the interviews they worked so hard to get. Having a detailed knowledge of the position, the employer's firm, and the employer's industry results in one of three things: a job offer, a second interview, or a referral to another opportunity. Giving some thought to an upcoming interview and preparing for it can often mean the difference between success and failure in the job hunt.

Questions. Do not ask questions which are answered in the recruiting material or the Fact Sheet. However, you may wish to investigate some aspects of the position/training program in greater depth. If you have done extensive research on the company, questions should reflect an understanding of a concern for the industry and company for which you hope to work.

Make a list of ten questions. Rework and reword them so they are short, clear, definite, effective, and open-ended. You are aiming to accomplish four objectives: (1) to show that you have done your research; (2) to gain information; (3) to demonstrate that you can take control and ask intelligent questions; and (4) to allow the interviewer to talk.

Don't be afraid to take your list of questions to the interview. It shows that you are well organized and it will eliminate the possiblity of forgetting a question. With a list of ten questions the chances are slim that the interviewer will answer all your questions in the course of the general interview.

Focus. Every company that you interview with is your number one choice. In addition, you must be prepared to tell them why they are your top choice and what you have to offer them.

Self-marketing. Marketing yourself well means being enthusiastic, having a positive attitude, being focused, and substantiating what you tell the interviewer about yourself with accomplishment. Do not be afraid to point out your strengths; however, confidence - not arrogance - is the key.

You should also know such basic information about a company as what its products and services are, where its offices are located, what subsidiaries it has, what its growth has been, and how it views its future prospects.

Show up 10 to 15 minutes early for your interview. This will give you a chance to get a feeling for the atmosphere of the employer's workplace. How are people dressed? What's the work atmosphere like? Here's where you can get insights that will help you during your interview.

If interviewing at OCS or Hilles Library during recruiting, arrive 10 minutes early and check the interviewing bulletin board for the appointment schedule, the location of the interview, and representative from the company, be sure you are looking at the schedule on which your name appears. There will be an OCS representative stationed at Hilles to help you with the above information, so please check in with her or him.

Personal Appearance. In a short, 30-minute interview, it's definitely a big factor. Dress appropriately for the role you're aspiring to fill.

Interview Format. It can range from a very structured, direct interview in which the interviewer has prepared questions to an indirect interview in which the interviewer sits back and lets the conversation follow its own course.

Initially, the interviewer may try to break the ice by talking about anything but the job - such as sports, the weather, or current events. One Harvard senior encountered an interviewer who spent the entire 30-minute interview talking football. They had a great conversation, but the student didn't get a second interview.

If you see this happening to you, ask questions about the job they have available, and discuss your qualifications for it. Don't be passive. Don't answer questions in monosyllables. Be informative, direct, and succinct in your responses. Steer the interviewer into discussion of your interest in the company.

Basically, the interview consists of two segments. In the first phase, the interviewer will probably try to determine your interest in the job, your qualifications, and whether your interest and those of the company are compatible. In the second phase, she will usually give you an opportunity to ask questions. Necessarily the first phase is the longer of the two.

In your answers, demonstrate how your past and present accomplishments qualify you for the available position. Answer questions whenever possible with specific and concrete examples. Cite instances of your contributions to a group or activity that got results. Try to pick out the specific functions of the job that you can relate to your own experiences.

Emphasize the positive in an interview. One employer told students never to apologize for their concentrations. Stress the value of your liberal arts education - you have learned to think, to communicate, to analyze problems and pose solutions. Don't downgrade any menial work experience you may have had. Some work experience is better than none; at the very least, you have been part of an organization and learned how it functioned. If you worked your way through Harvard, that effort itself will win the respect of many employers.

Salary usually isn't discussed until subsequent interviews. But if the interviewer asks you what you expect to earn, you can respond by asking what the salary range is for the job. The company usually has a certain number of jobs to be filled in the definite salary brackets. An OCS counselor can tell you the average starting salary for such a position. You may also wish to look over the Salary Survey, published by the College Placement Council, or to look in the U.S. government publications entitled The Occupational Outlook for College Graduates. Both are in the OCS library.

At the conclusion of the interview, ask about the next step in the selection process. The interviewer should tell you when you can next expect to hear from the company. Follow-up letters are usually mailed within two to four weeks after the initial interview. It is unusual for someone to be invited for a second interview at the time of the first interview. You put the interviewer in an awkward position.

Thank you notes. Always send one if an employer has taken time to see you at his workplace. Besides thanking him for the interview, reemphasize any point you feel may have been especially important. Also, if the employer showed any doubts about your background, follow up with points which would help dispel any doubts.

Relax. Of course you'll be apprehensive. But remember, the interview is a mutual process. Relax and be yourself. The interviewer is basically trying to get a feeling for what kind of person you are and to find out what your commitment to her company may be. If you can portray your own likable self and demonstrate an intelligence about your career planning, you will be well on your way to being asked back for a second interview.