Use the Job Interview to Your Advantage
As a job seeker, you are more concerned about yourself and your personal needs. That is natural, but this selfish attitude could stop you from getting what you need and want: a job.
A job interview should be viewed as simply a conversation or collaboration to find the best fit for the job. It is an opportunity for two people to come together to find out if they are compatible. For all job interviews, there are three main components that you should consider:
1. Your personal agenda.
2. The company's agenda.
3. The common ground you both stand on.
First consider the common ground. What do you and the interviewer have in common? To begin with, you both want to fill the position. You both want to be working rather than looking for that right fit. The more you can find out in your research about the company (and the specific interviewer when possible), the more common ground you are likely to find.
Next, think about the motives: yours and the company's. Have a clear idea about what you are looking for and why you're well-suited for the job. That sounds obvious, but if you're coming from a desperate any-job-will-do place, you won't be convincing.
What is the company's agenda? There will be specifics for each job, and remember that all companies are looking for two things: flexibility and loyalty. So consider if you are willing to be flexible or to grow and stretch as the company advances? Are you willing to remain loyal to the company or do you simply view it as stepping stone to a "bigger/better" job situation?
As you prepare for your interview, practice seeing yourself from the other side of the desk and go in knowing that you and the interviewer are on the same team and wanting the same conclusion - to find the right match for the job.
For more tips on job interview success, check out the following books from your local Springfield-Greene County library.
Best Answers to 202 Job Interview Questions: Expert Tips to Ace the Interview and Get the Job Offer by Daniel Porot and Frances Bolles Haynes
The Everything Job Interview Book: All You Need to Make a Great First Impression and Land the Perfect Jobby Joy Darlington and Nancy Schuman
Next-day job interview : prepare tonight and get the job tomorrow by Michael Farr and Dick Gaither
The ultimate job search : intelligent strategies to get the right job fast by Richard H. Beatty
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