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Following a “Tactical Strategy” During an Interview

Did you ever walk out of an interview and realize you forgot to cover something critical? You feel that no amount of preparation can ever adequately prepare you for the hundreds of potential questions. Try to stop worrying about the potential questions and spend time mentally organizing your experiences. The Interviewer is going to be fishing for answers. You want to show the Interviewer where on your resume to drop the line.

From the moment you walk into the room, everything is going to be based upon your behavior. Your behavior at your old jobs, your behavior during the interview and the impression you leave on how you will behave when given a job within their company.

PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW

Get your suit and tie in shape. Be sure everything is freshly pressed. Check for lint, etc. Do not wear clothes that you would wear to a bar or dancing. Dress very conservatively. It gives the impression that this job matters more to you than what people think of your great looks.

Take all body piercings out of your mouth, EARS (men), eyebrows and nose.

Put all of your jewelry on your dresser at home (except the wedding ring and a watch). Remember you want the Interviewer focused upon you and not some gold-plated accessory.

Try to skip wearing cologne. Some people are allergic to perfume and in a small office, the smell can be a negative.

Go to the corporation’s website and connect yourself to the company. Read what the company does and write-down how you match their industry. Make assumptions on how they operate. This will help you connect-the-dots between your military experience and their company’s operations. Your skill set is “valuable” and “transferable”.

PERSONAL TIME

Try not to bring up too much information about your personal time. If you highlight that you are involved in the community and numerous sporting events, you are really painting a picture that you will be not be available outside of the 40 hour work week. How many Managers put in 40 hours per week? Again, personal time should be kept to minimal information bits.

TIMELINESS

Show up early. “Do not be late”, PERIOD! If you think you are going to get the company 5 minutes late, play it safe and call the company immediately to let them know your situation.
The Interviewers keep their schedule full and their time is stretched (just like yours). A courtesy call regarding your tardiness is professional and appreciated.

SMILE!

Do not let your voice sound monotone. Get excited about the possibility of working for this company. Nobody wants an employee that is running from a bad situation and sounds beaten. Companies are looking for candidates that are running to the opportunities they offer.

If you are leaving a bad situation, get excited talking about the good points of working there. “I miss working with the team.” “I always learned a lot from my customers: either the people in other departments or the external customers…”

The best employees are those who believe they never had a bad job. They always found some good (non-monetary) reason to come to work (people, the mission, making a difference).

HIGHLIGHTING YOUR BEHAVIORS

You cannot modify your past, but you can control the way you present your information by highlighting your ‘formula for success’. These are behaviors you will naturally duplicate with every job.

Almost all Civilian companies track the same 5 goals:

Lowering Costs (eliminating waste)

Ø Training people to diagnose better so they did not waste parts, supporting a recycling program, eliminating waste of assets, improving safety (which lowers lost man-hours).

Improving Quality (ensuring things do not fall apart when you leave the area)

Ø “Murphy-proofing” operations to ensure the desired outcome, things are fixed right the first time; employees know the quality standards because you check-up on them.

Lowering Cycle-time (shortening the time to get things done / produced)

Ø Making things happen faster, minimizing paperwork, improving pre-planning, ensuring the right supplies on hand (or a plan to get them quickly).

Improving Customer Service

Ø Internal Customers – Clear lines of communications, managing job orders, everyone knows you are the ‘go-to guy’

Ø External Customers – Handling customer’s complaints personally, showing-up at the job site to check-up on the technicians, customers have your phone number.

5. Improving Sales

Ø Mentoring your customers, ensuring the sales sticks after the closing, taking ownership of the customer’s satisfaction.

QUESTIONS

Come-up with three questions that show you did some research on the company. Be sure to review the company’s website and determine what the company is highlighting / bragging about. This shows you are genuinely interested in the company and the job.

“I noticed you are expanding rapidly; will there be more opportunities in the location I am applying for?"

“I saw that you have a high-customer service rating; do the techs get special training?"

“I assume that in your industry there are hazardous materials that require special handling, would my HAZMAT training be valuable to you?"

RESELL YOUR SIZZLE

After you spend an hour selling the company that you are a great fit; then sell them again as you stand-up to leave. Have three solid reasons why you fit this job and then ask for the job!

“You asked for 3 years of experience, I have seven.

You wanted HVAC training, I have that and boilers, refrigeration and HAZMAT training

You are looking for supervisory experience, I managed 9 HVAC techs, and “This is the job I want!"

"Have this sheet available during your phone interview, be prepared."

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Last updated: 05/21/08.