The hard work you that invested in your resume has finally paid off–you just received a call from the ACME Biotech’s Human Resources Department inquiring about your availability for a face-to-face interview with the company. After about 30 seconds of elation and joy, fear and anxiety begin to creep into your psyche-“OMG, an interview, this is my first one, what am I going to do?”
As you all should know by now, a job interview is typically the pivotal event in any job search. Your performance on a job interview will likely be the different between a job offer or not. That said, you must be adequately prepared for all of yourjob interviews (even the ones that you think you don’t want) if you expect to receive job offers. Unlike stand-up comedy where improvisation has its place, ad libing or “shooting from the hip” during a job interview is dangerous and can yield disastrous results. Like everything else in life–practice makes perfect! So how does one prepare for a productive and successful job interview?
Scheduling An Interview
Typically, during your initial phone call, an HR representative will offer you several dates and times for an interview. I highly recommend that you refrain from verbally accepting the first date and time that the representative offers. Instead, thank him/her for the proffered dates and times and indicate that you will get back to them shortly regarding your availability. It is wise to use this approach because, at this stage of the job search process, there is a huge imbalance in the relationship between an employer and job candidate. Put simply, at this point, the employer has the power–without an offer you cannot work at the company! By delaying your response, you are signaling to the company that you (like their employees) are a busy person with a full schedule. Further, it suggests to a hiring manager that you may have other job interviews and that you’re “not desperate” for the job. Whether your level of desperation is high or low is irrelevant. The purpose of this tactic is to attempt to tip the balance of power in your favor–something that will be important in negotiations if a job offer is extended.
After you have decided which of the proposed interview dates and times is most convenient for you, call the company back to schedule the interview. Obviously, if there are scheduling conflicts surrounding the date that you chose, you must be flexible enough to accommodate the company. If your interview requires air travel, I highly recommend that you arrive a day before your interview. Arriving the evening before is okay but if you flight is delayed or cancelled you may be out of luck! Likewise, if the interview requires that you drive more than 2 hours, I highly recommend that you arrive at the interview destination the evening before. Again, if you wait until the day of the interview to travel, heavy traffic, weather conditions, road closures or car problems may prevent you from arriving to your interview on time.
Interview Preparation
Once the interview date has been scheduled, you must begin to prepare, in earnest, for the actual face-to-face. This will require a fair amount of work on your part. That said, you must allocate a sufficient amount of time from your otherwise busy schedule to accomplish this task. Leaving it to the day before your interview is not a good idea!
First, you must thoroughly research the company to find out: 1) what they do, 2) how they do it and 3) who is in charge. A facile way to accomplish this is to visit company websites, read press releases and blog posts and chat with current or former employees. Another way, if the company is publicly traded, is to read a company’s annual stock holders report.
Typically, during a job interview, you will meet and chat with a variety of individuals ranging from co-workers to managers to company executives. It is vitally important that you craft a list of questions that you can ask all of interviewers that you will meet. This signals to a prospective employer that you “did your homework” and that you are interested in the job that you are interviewing for. It also provides them with insight into your work habits, skill sets and the level of detail that you might bring to the company if you are offered a job. If you don’t ask any questions, it might appear that you are not seriously interested in the job or the company. Nevertheless, it is critically important to remember that a job interview is a fact finding mission for the both the company and job candidate. Both parties need to be convinced that they are a fit before a job offer is extended.
I have listed below several questions that you might ask various individuals during a face-to-face job interview:
Hiring Manager (your future boss)
- What are the most important skills for the job?
- What type of person are you looking for?
- What is the typically career path for individuals hired into this position?
Company Executives (the big kahunas)
- Why does this company have an edge over competitors?
- Where do you see the industry moving in the next five years?
- When do you anticipate that your lead product will hit the market?
- What are the company’s biggest challenges and how will the company meet them?
Coworkers (the guys in the trenches)
- What is a typically day like for you?
- What is the company culture like?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What challenges do you face at the company?
In addition to the questions that you will ask, you must prepare answers to a serious of questions that company representative will undoubtedly ask you during your interview. I will cover those in my next post.
Interview Appearance and Wardrobes
Surprisingly, choosing what to wear for an interview is not as easy at it might seem. The bioscience industry is a very conservative one–not as traditional or “stuffy” as the banking industry but not as free-wheeling at the advertising biz. When in doubt, it is better to trend toward the conservative rather than the flamboyant. Like many other things in life, interview appearances and wardrobe choices are much simpler for men than women. Listed below are some of my recommendations on how to look and what to wear on a job interview.
For Men
- Always wear a sports jacket or suit and tie to the interview and dinners that you may attend (never wear shorts, blue jeans or other informal attire)
- Get a haircut
- Shave (unless you have a full beard) the morning of the interview
- Don’t wear an overpowering deodorant or cologne
- Make sure that your shoes are polished and match your outfit (do not wear sandals or Birkenstocks)
- Take off your earrings, nose studs and other piercings
- Cover all tattoos and other body art
For Women
- Wear a suit (with pants or skirt)
- If you wear a skirt, make sure it is an appropriate length (miniskirts may get you looks but usually not the job)
- Don’t wear low cut blouses (again, you might get looks but not the job)
- Wear an appropriate amount of make up
- Decide on a hairstyle (don’t wait until the morning of the interview to decide!)
- Make sure that your shoe choice is appropriate (4”-6 “heels may not be a good idea)
- Wear a subtle (not overpowering) perfume
- Don’t wear nose studs or rings or other piercings (earrings are, of course, acceptable)
- Cover all tattoos and other body art
Look for my next post on interviewing to learn how to behave, act and react on the day of your interview!!!!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
Who hasn’t heard the old adages “Beauty is only skin deep” or “It’s not what’s on the outside but what’s on the inside that counts?” While these sayings may be apt when looking for a soul mate, they are absolutely not true when it comes to networking or job interviews. I know this may seem shallow and superficial, but the stark reality is that appearance does count when making a first impression or finding a job. There is nothing wrong in adopting a “superficial” persona when it comes to job interviews or networking. I know; we scientists work hard to avoid being superficial and shallow, but let’s face it, sometime you just gotta do what you gotta do to get or job or advance your career!