Get the Inside Scoop on How Job Interviews Work

Get the Inside Scoop on How Job Interviews WorkGet the Inside Scoop on How Job Interviews WorkMaybe its been a while since your lastjob einstellungsgesprch? or maybe youre about to embark on your veryfirst real interview after graduation. Whatever the case, its normal to have a moment of panic after making arrangements to meet the hiring manager. Do you even know what this meeting iswhen it comes right down to it? Whats the typical format of a job interview? At its simplest, a job interview is a aussicht to learn more about the job while showcasing yourskills and experience. Your goal is to find out if the job is right for you, which means learning as much as possible about the duties, expectations, opportunities, team, and culture. You also want to show the hiring manager that youre the perfect person to solve the employers problems and skyrocket the company to even greater heights of success. All Job Interviews Are Not Created Equal If youve watched any workplace sitcoms, you p robably have one very specific image of what a job interview looks like. You expect a long table in a conference room, with you on one side of it, dressed in yourbest business apparel, and the boss on the other side of it, dressed in his or her much fancier workwear. But job interviews dont all look alike. For instance, your interview might Take place in the managers office, a conference room, an open space at the company, a restaurant, or acoffee shop.Involve just one person a representative from Human Resources (HR), for example, or your potential new boss or a panel of people. You might meet with prospective colleagues, people from other departments, the owner of the company, the Vice President of sales, just about anyone who works at the company.Last 15 minutes (generally not a terrific sign, but potentially OK, if its anearly screening) or several hours. You could even spend a whole day participating in several rounds of interviews. Be an exclusive affair, where youre the onl y candidate interviewing, or agroup interviewinvolving several other candidates. Find Out How it Will Work Before You Go The many possible variations are one reason why you want to communicate clearly with the hiring manager, recruiter, or HR representative before you arrive for your meeting. Dont be afraid to ask questions to get a sense of what youre going into. For example, you might ask Whom will I be meeting, and what is this persons role?Whatmaterials should I bring with me? (Regardless of what the hiring manager says, bring several copies of your resume and any other materials you might need to show your work, such as a portfolio.)What is thedress code? (If theres no dress code, tidybusiness casualis the best choice. Your interviewer might be wearing jeans, but you shouldnt be.) What the Interview Format Might Look Like Assuming that you have answers to all your questions (and that youre the only candidate interviewing that day, and will be meeting with just one perso n) the job interview formatwill probably look something like this Youll arrive at the office, at least 15 minutes early, having confirmed the address, including the floor and suite, ahead of time and mapped out your route to avoid traffic surprises.A receptionist or administrator will announce you.Youll be ushered into an office or conference room, whereupon youll meet the hiring manager or HR representative, and begin your conversation.Let the hiring manager set the tone but be on the lookout for an opportunity to ask your questions and make a case for yourself. The hiring manager might help with this, for instance by leading with an invitation to tell him or her about yourself. Come prepared with anelevator pitch, in which you explain who you are and what you do. Agood pitchlasts 60 seconds or less, andsells you as a candidate to the HR person. At the end of the interview, youll have the opportunity toask the interviewer questionsof your own. Be ready with a few questions about th e job and the company, and anything else you need to know to make a decision if you were to be offered the job.After the interview, follow-up with athank-note email or noteto everyone you interviewed with. Be Prepared to Be Flexible Understand that no matter howthoroughly you prepare, and how much information you get from the HR person on the phone, youre probably going to have to roll with some punches the day of the interview. Maybe the representative said that youd be meeting with one person, and youre actually landseeing three people. Maybe youll have to move to a different floor or another location or change your approach when it becomes clear that the hiring manager isnt buying what youre selling. Just remember that a job interview is, at its heart, a meeting between two or more people who might work together someday. You all have the same goal in mind to see if you can have a happy and productive working relationship.