Day 5 is all about Interviewing Techniques. You should check out our website for a “Career Spots” video on the art of interviewing. We also have a Last Minute Preparation walk-in workshop today from 11 to 2 p.m. in 116 Ag. Hall. At this workshop you can get a list of employers attending the career fair, ask last-minute questions and print your resume on FREE resume paper. Today’s events are sponsored by Covance.
Many people struggle with interviewing, which is why it takes a lot of practice to get comfortable in this setting. With the Spring Career and Internship Fair less than a week away, I thought we should explore what you should and shouldn’t do in the interview.
Selling yourself in an interview is very important. Sales is all about knowing the right things to say. Knowing what your audience wants to hear. Selling yourself can be the difference between you getting the job and appearing unprepared in an interview.
I was listening to someone talk about their job and heard them say a very smart thing about sales. The person was explaining that the store she worked at was very low in the percentage of people wanting to give out their emails to the store. She thought about how they typically asked the people for the emails. “Can I have your email address please?” This person went on to say that people often would not give out their email address because they did not want all of that junk mail they would be getting. The worker said they should change the question to, “can you confirm your email address please?” The number of emails increased drastically. This is a great example of how sales can impact your daily life, including your chances of getting a job.
Relating this to an interview – how you answer questions and present your resume can have a huge impact on your interview. When it’s your turn to ask questions – you might pose the questions “what does your ideal candidate look like for this role”? As the employer describes what they are looking for – add in how your past experiences are directly related.
The first thing you need to do is know your audience. Find out who you are interviewing with. This is also where company research can be very important. Looking up what the company strives to do in the future may give you a great view of what the employer who is interviewing you is all about. For instance, if the company sells a particular type of product, the person interviewing from probably has extensive knowledge in this area.
I have heard stories of people over-looking this very important step and then failing miserably in the interview. Employers want to know you are interested in their company and that you are a good fit. The best way to satisfy both is to come prepared to the interview.
A great way to prepare is simple internet research. Get associated with the company mission and some of their products. Perhaps find something that you have in common with the company. This can provide a talking point in the interview.
If you know someone in the company you should talk to them. These people would be able to tell you what they like about the company and possibly more about the company. It would be a way for you to get “inside information” about how the company works and treats its employees.
Things to find out about the company include key people in the organization, company size, locations, structure of the company, competitors, and the history. You should also try to find out who is interviewing you and maybe some information about their projects in the company. LinkedIn is a great tool to use here.
When you find what the company is passionate about look that up as well. The company may be a seed or fertilizer company and may be looking at the possible advantages with precision agriculture. Or your company may be a biofuels company that primarily uses corn for its biofuels, but wants to look into other alternatives. Maybe you are interviewing for a company that is on the forefront of biotechnology. These are just examples of topics a company could be interested in and examples of topics you should understand when going into an interview.
Before going to an interview you may also want to find recent newspaper clippings or articles the company is featured in. This will give you a good understanding of the news-worthy things the company has done lately. This will also get you more acquainted with the company.
Creating questions for the interviewer is also essential. You should come prepared with questions like, “what are the working conditions like, are they fast-paced or slower?” These are very important questions that will help you to decide whether you would be a good fit for the company.
You should also make sure you stand for the same things the company stands for. A big part of being able to sell yourself is you believing it as well. For instance, if you are interviewing with a company that provides a product or service you would never use – or that you have a fundamental problem with, why are you there? It is not the right job for you and they will be able to tell that straight from your interview.
As far as selling yourself in your resume, don’t sell the things that you can do, (like shovel snow) but instead sell your skills. Employers do not want to know that you can shovel snow, but rather the fact that you used your ingenuity to create a new snow plowing attachment to put on your 4-wheeler and used your business sense to build up a profitable business in your local neighborhood. It’s the skills that matter most in this situation – not the task.
Always make sure your resume pertains to the position you are applying for. Sell yourself with the experiences that really matter to the employer, not with the experiences that are irrelevant. You can always make your resume smaller and make it pertain to the position at hand. You wouldn’t sell a florist a shovel telling them it is good for shoveling snow, but rather it is good for digging holes for flowers.
The most important thing when it comes to selling yourself is giving the employer reassurance that with your help – they will have a greater chance of accomplishing their goals. This might be associated with money or image or new and innovative products. Whatever it is, don’t explain to them what you hope to gain in this experience, but rather how your experiences can make their company better. For example, tell them about how your design skills can get them more customers, not about how you hope that you can get more design experience from working here.
Interviewing is very important-take today to look at your interviewing style and ways you can improve.
