It’s almost Rule No. 1 to be sure to prepare yourself for an interview by doing research on your prospective employer, the position itself and the career path that you may be able to take once you have the job.
Sometimes, however, even the most seasoned of job seekers can fall into the trap of not taking the necessary steps to prove to your interviewer that you are the best candidate for the job. As a consequence, answers can come off looking amateurish, confrontational and, at worst, incompetent.
I should know. This happened to me.
Back in September, I was in line for the Director of Career Services position at one of the Cleveland campuses of a national technical college. My first two interviews, both face-to-face meetings, were outstanding, even drawing compliments from the school’s regional manager.
Then I had my final interview, a telephone appointment with the national career services director…
…and it was horrible…
Never before in my entire career had I felt so inept than I did during the course of that final interview. I had thrown every basis interviewing rule out the window, and, in the end, was confronted with the harsh reality of talking my way out of the job.
However, I believe that all experiences, good and bad, are teaching moments. These are the lessons that I took from that disaster; lessons that all career changers should take to heart.
- Always do research – Interviewers will ask questions about your knowledge of the organization. Don’t get caught flat-footed.
- Be prepared to explain your entire work history - If you have gaps or if you have multiple jobs in a short period of time, you may be asked to explain why.
- Never lose your cool - It’s easy to find yourself in an interviewing situation where you may be uncomfortable. Try not to let it show through.
Interviews are the final stop on the job-search journey. Take it from me: You don’t want it to end up being a dead end.
