Will You Be the Best-Prepared Candidate?

Interviewing for a job is one of the most difficult communicating situations a person can experience. In your everyday work life, you don’t go around telling people what strengths you have: “I’m organized, efficient and detail-oriented” or “I’m a team leader who can gain cooperation from a diverse group under extreme situations. I can communicate the team’s plan and the need to achieve a particular timeframe. I can interpret critical information quickly.”

You usually don’t brag about your accomplishments or most difficult tasks. “I’m so pleased that we completed this 10-month project two months ahead of time. And it was perfect! Everyone got what he or she wanted. It was a win-win situation for the agency and the customer. We did it! I’m so glad I was able to negotiate a solution to our contract situation and turn the problems around. Now we can go ahead and provide the services, now that the problems are solved and the set-up is completed.” This accomplishment—whatever the specific nature of the project—was clearly challenging, difficult, required negotiation and problem-solving skills, and yet it was done on time and everyone is happy. This is good! Interviewers like examples like this one—maybe with a few more specifics thrown in.

And you don’t have to be pleasant, sincere, interested and attentive in your working relationships all the time. But in an interview, you are putting on your best face. In the regular world, we don’t have to be totally pleasant and perfect, but in the Interview, you will have to practice acting sincerely happy to be there in the interview. You can do it!

So when it’s time to go to a job interview with someone who can make a decision about who to hire, the pressure is on to try to be almost perfect. It’s time for a show of your best personality, to talk about your strengths and expertise, to demonstrate enthusiasm about your accomplishments, and show a genuine interest in helping the organization achieve its goals. The one or two hour interview is a pressure pot. You HAVE to get ready to be successful! The interview CAN GET YOU THE JOB.

Physically you have to look good too! Sit up straight, eyes sincere and with good contact, and outfit perfect for the organization. Your neat, clean, professional appearance can make a difference too.

If you are a military person who will be leaving the military soon, you have a lot to do to get ready for a civilian interview. If you are relocating from Europe to the United States or making some other long-distance move, you will have to consider searching for a job by mail, Internet and telephone. How can the logistics of a long-distance job search be handled effectively? You can’t afford to sit idle and unemployed if your current job is ending. Finding a new position takes planning and time. Start a full year ahead if possible.

Getting ready for your first interview also takes time. Here’s a list of recommendations to help you get prepared for a job interview that could significantly improve the quality of your life:

12 MONTHS AHEAD: Start thinking about the job change and possible interviews 12 months before you plan to start a new job. Work on your resume 12 months before so that you can begin sending it out at least six months before.

LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR NEXT INDUSTRY AND RELATE YOUR EXPERIENCES TO THE NEW INDUSTRY: Decide what kinds of companies and industries you are interested in. Research these companies and industries online. Envision yourself in this industry or company and get ready to talk about your experiences in terms that this new industry would understand. Read trade articles out loud. Start speaking their language.

COMPANY RESEARCH: Do your homework on the organization. Research the company or agency on the Internet, read press releases and articles in online newspapers. You have to know their customers and their organizational challenges so that you can tell the interviewer why you would be able to help them achieve their goals.

READ BOOKS ON INTERVIEWING SKILLS AND PRACTICE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF: Read books, listen to tapes and CDs on interviewing skills. If your transition office offers interview training and role-playing, take these classes and practice diligently. Learn the questions, write your answers, practice speaking your answers to yourself in your car, in front of a mirror or with your partner. You HAVE to practice speaking your answers OUT LOUD or it doesn’t count! If your spouse wants you to be successful in the interview process, he or she should help you practice talking about your strengths, accomplishments and competencies.

READ BOOKS ON PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS: Read books on values, core competencies, leadership and career topics. These can help you identify your skills that you can sell to the interviewer. You will also learn the new language of the private industry job market (rather than the terminology you have become accustomed to in your current career). For example: You have developed excellent skills in being flexible, right? Are you able to manage multiple projects simultaneously? Work well under pressure? Work with culturally diverse and economically diverse co-workers? These are VERY marketable skills in the private industry job market. These skills are marketable in sales, banking, retail, information technology, office management and program management in the government.

KEEP A LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Think about these accomplishments in terms that will impress your next audience. If your accomplishment had to do with preparing a platoon for combat readiness in the field then you can talk about this as though you prepared a team for emergency services for customers or meeting an organization’s objectives. Write your accomplishments on paper and speak them out loud. Speak them with ENTHUSIASM, ENERGY and CONFIDENCE. The interviewer will be impressed that you can speak well about your successes in past positions.

STAY FIT, WORK-OUT, GET A FACIAL (ladies), SEE A COUNSELOR FOR A BOOST, STAY POSITIVE. Yes, you have to talk well, look good, but you have to FEEL GOOD if you are going to sell yourself to a potential employer. You have to be confident and pleased with the experience and skills you have to offer. A positive attitude, smile and information that you have about the organization can win the interview and land the job.

BE PREPARED WITH QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEWER OR PANEL. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer based on your research. Be curious and get involved. Pretend you are working there already. What questions would you have on the first day of work? Here are a few examples: Where would I be working physically? Who would I work with most? Who would my primary customers be? What would be my most challenging responsibility, do you believe? What will I be doing most? Do you have any special projects in mind already? Are you trying to incorporate any new missions or programs? Would I be giving input into methods or policies?

WORK TOWARD A GREAT INTERVIEW REPORT: Here’s what a panel of interviewers said about the successful candidate for a high-level management position. This report could be yours if you prepared for your interview:

• Good sense of humor
• Creative and innovative
• Very professional and calm
• As he pondered questions, you could see his thought process
• Understands budget issues and finds creative approaches to …
• Obvious wealth of experience in a variety of development activities
• Spearheaded a program …
• Best answer and approach to the question on a particular topic
• Outstanding questions for the team on the position and the organization, and asked us "What is the first thing you want done in order for me to hit the ground running?"
• Brought closure to the interview.

You can succeed in your job interviews if you know your skills, know the company and can communicate WHY THE EMPLOYER SHOULD HIRE YOU. You genuinely have to want the position. Interviewing well takes practice; don’t take it for granted. Prepare ahead of time for your next career move. In this job market the job search is more competitive than ever. You have to be good!

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Kathryn Troutman is the author of popular resume books. Kathryn is a popular speaker in federal agencies on resume writing for government and Defense positions. Her Web site is www.resume-place.com. She writes a free weekly e-mail column which you can receive by registering on the site.