Interviewing Inadequacies

Job Seeker's Story

Jane had seven years of experience assisting government candidates with their job searches, but was getting tired of the lengthy commute to work. She kept an eye out for positions that would be satisfying but closer to home. Eventually, she spotted an opening for a Career Counselor at a private college. Jane felt the position perfectly aligned with her skills and her interest in helping others. Apparently the Director of Career Services had the same opinion, as Jane was called in for an interview.

Jane took care to prepare for the interview. She researched the college online and prepared an attaché case with extra copies of her résumé and samples of her more outstanding work. Because she had never been to the college, she printed out directions from Mapquest and planned on leaving one hour early to ensure she arrived on time.

The day of the interview arrived, and Jane had high hopes. Her Mapquest directions indicated a route via a nearby tollway. This route was half the distance of her usual commute to her current job. As she merged onto the tollway, Jane noticed the traffic was especially heavy. Within the next 45 minutes Jane was nearly sideswiped by a taxi and almost missed her exit maneuvering through dense traffic. By the time she arrived at the college, she was shaken and disturbed. Although the route was half the mileage of her usual commute, it had taken her nearly as long with a lot more anxiety.

As Jane interviewed with the Director of Career Services, she couldn't seem to shake her negative experience on the tollway. Trying to appear enthusiastic, Jane summoned up a smile occasionally but wondered if her commute would be harrowing every day. The interviewer must have sensed Jane's hesitant mood: At one point she remarked, “We are looking for someone who really wants to be here.” Jane assured her she did, but felt queasiness in her stomach. Could her nerves really handle the daily stressful commute? Jane really wasn't sure.

Jane did not get a job offer. Although she had said the right words, her concern and discomfort over her commute showed in the interview. Weeks later, Jane discovered there was an alternate route to the college that had much less traffic.

Job Seeker's Stumble

Overall, Jane prepared well for the interview by doing her research, getting her marketing materials ready, and obtaining directions to the interview site. But she neglected to verify those directions by doing a “test run.” Instead, she had naively trusted the online directions without realizing that, though the distance was shorter, heavy commuting traffic could make the trip almost as long as her present commute at twice the distance. The additional stress-induced factors of the commuting ordeal shook Jane's composure and distracted her throughout the interview. How different her outcome might have been had she sought alternate routes to the college!

Job Seeker's New Strategy

Getting to an interview safely and with the least amount of anxiety possible is the ideal for anyone who interviews. You cannot afford to have stressful events crowding out your thoughtful preparation for the interview or wreaking havoc with your composure, attention, and body-language signals that should be reinforcing your message, rather than at odds with it.

Preparing for an interview involves more than simply practicing your interview responses. By attending to a few practical considerations in advance, you can optimize your entire interview experience. These interview-preparation elements include:

• • Transportation: Always arrange a backup plan regarding your mode of transportation. Check out your vehicle ahead of time to ensure it is in proper working order. Research bus schedules and look into taxi services to determine alternate transportation. If you are flying or taking a train to an interview, plan enough time in the schedule as a cushion should the flight or train be delayed. Wherever possible, do a test run of the route during the same hours that you would be using to get to the interview to assess how early you need to leave.
• • Directions and Parking: Obtain alternate directions and doing a test run to determine the optimum route. Ask the person who scheduled your interview for parking directions and any special instructions, including reimbursement arrangements (if any) for travel and parking. You do not want to end up parking illegally and have your car towed away while you are in the interview!
• • Weather: Look into the weather forecasts as the interview date approaches so you can make needed adjustments in travel time to the interview. Weather will also impact your choice of clothing and what you choose to bring with you, such as an umbrella or snow boots.
• • Interview Outfit: Select and ready your interview outfit at least one day before the interview. This includes all your clothing and outerwear, shoes, and jewelry (keep to a minimum), and portfolio/attaché case that will hold your job search marketing materials (extra résumés, reference lists, and examples of your work). Be mindful of the professional attire customary for the interview situation. If you are not sure, check it out ahead of time by visiting the workplace prior to your interview. Do not make the mistake of appraising normal work attire on “casual Friday.”
• • Interviewers: At the time you schedule the interview, ask for the names of all the interviewers who will be seeing you and their positions with the company. Try to determine if it will be one large group interview or individual serial interviews throughout the day. If you are expected to stay the whole day to be interviewed you certainly need to know that.
• • Organizational Chart, Job Description, and Media Folder: From the interview scheduler, request a copy of the organizational chart, job description for the position, and media folder or press kit, and do that as politely as possible. You could ask to have them mailed to you, or use this as an opportunity to do a test run by offering to pick up the materials. Realize that you are making “extra work” for the scheduler, so do whatever is necessary to make it easy to comply with your request. The organizational chart will help you to better understand the layers within the company and your potential department/division. It may even include the names of some of your interviewers! The full job description is essential in your planning interview responses that highlight the skills actually needed in the job. Finally, the media folder typically contains press releases and other PR materials that serve as background information for media who want to run a news story on the company. You may not obtain all of these elements, but asking for them will indicate your thoroughness and professionalism. It will undoubtedly impress the interview scheduler, who may in turn relay that information to the interviewers.
• • Research: Do some digging online, at the library, and through your social network into the company and industry so you can appear knowledgeable and interested in this particular position with this company. Also, find out information about the interviewer(s); you may discover points of similarity in their backgrounds that align with yours. Perhaps you belonged to the same fraternity, attended the same college, or volunteered for the same community causes. You will surely want to mention that in the interview.

One final note: Even if you are fully prepared you can still undermine your interview prospects by arriving too early. If you get to an interview more than 10 minutes early, and you know where you are going in the building, then bide your time. Sit in your car or drive around the block. Review your research and recall the primary interview points you want to make. Do whatever it takes to use up the extra time. Do not impose on your potential employer by arriving far too early. You have an appointment time for a reason; heed it.