Interview Prepping

As I am coaching candidates to prep for interviews with my clients, I often go though my list of things that they might consider.

Here is some of that prep list that candidates could consider before interviewing with a company:

1) Make sure you have mapped out the address of where the interview will take place and give yourself an extra 15 minutes for any unforeseen circumstances that could make you late
2) Discuss proper dress for the interview that keeps the company culture in mind. Also pick out your best colors so that you feel as confident as you can with what you are wearing
3) Exercise before the interview so that your physical and mental outlook is in top form
3) Go over the list of people you will interview with and look them up on Linked-In. Are there any common connections in your network with the interviewers? This makes for an excellent ice-breaker moment
4) Research the company website and Hoovers.com for any special information about current trends with the company and make note of any specific questions you may have based on this research
5) Be prepared to LISTEN. Most people make a big mistake here as they are nervous and tend to fill in the space with talk. Be a good, connective listener.
6) Cardinal Rule-never ever bring up a negative during the interview unless the company wants you too. Never! Trust me on that as it never pays to do so
7) If you are working with a recruiter, find out how they have leveraged your background to the company and how you have been described to the company
8) Be genuine and plan to do three things: connect, connect, connect

Assuming you get an offer from the company, congrats as your research paid off.

If you don’t get an offer, I give candidates this perspective: you could pay $500 and take a “how to interview” seminar and not get as good of an education with this real, live interview event.

No matter the outcome, the candidate will learn much about themselves in this pressure situation and that is a very strong positive to be carried over the next time.

2017-07-15T02:06:10-05:00By sbalistreri|Uncategorized|

“As a search committee member, we selected Sal's firm to help us with a key CEO search. They made the process painless both for the candidates and our search committee. We made the right choice and Sal's team delivered.”

Michael Bennett, Head of the APRO Search Committee, APRO Search Committee

“Sal specializes in executive search and has delivered some outstanding results for Silvercar. He has assembled a great team and they conduct searches the way it should be done – from scratch! He understands the importance of not only finding the right skill set, but also finding the right cultural match. He does his homework before he starts and does it well. Sal has jumped through hoops for me and delivered great results. He provides personalized service from start to finish and won’t stop until you are satisfied. I highly recommend that you consider Sal and his team for your next search.”

Kay Stroman, Former Chief Administrative Officer, Silvercar

“Sal was definitely a huge asset in our recruiting efforts. He spent a lot of time getting to know our culture and understanding the values that were essential to the makeup of of our team. Sal is a great partner and I certainly recommend him and his firm to anyone looking to recruit a great team. You will not be disappointed!”

Craig Taylor, Former CEO, Cirrus Systems

“Sal clearly understands the culture of the client and clearly understands the REAL person behind the candidate. This allows him to best match clients and candidates because he sees beyond their words and understands their real talents and value systems. Sal also has the ability to present a candidate because he is committed to her/him and their talents and values they could bring to the job. He is even MORE committed to the client’s analysis of the candidate so that he learns from any rejection of a candidate in order to fine-tune the search for the next better candidate.”

Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith, Former Vice President Human Resources, Lozier Corporation

“I appreciate the fact that Sal takes not only the job requirements into account, but he also considers culture and “fit”. These are rare and valuable traits for a recruiter and that is one of the many reasons that we love working with Sal.”

Debbie Mitchell, President/CEO, Velocity Credit Union

“Sal is able to communicate our company culture and organic growth strategy and along with his high level of responsiveness, is a great partner to work with.”

Karen Ganzlin, Former Chief Human Resources Officer, TD Ameritrade

"Sal and his team are awesome partners in our success. His team has taken the time to become part of our team so that they understand the "fit" component of our hiring process that includes the mission, vision and values and most importantly, our culture."

Scotte Hudsmith, Chairman & CEO , Specialized Dental Partners

“Consider Sal if you need a recruiter for key management positions and C-Level searches. Sal is very focused on finding the right person for the right position. He produces solid candidates across a variety of industries and will personally work with his clients to help them achieve success in hiring. He is a seasoned expert, well networked and very responsive.”

Kurt Halvorson, President, Imprimis, LLC

“Sal and his team offered a great process with a very good long term result for Lozier. It was a process made easy for our team to meet all the candidates in a short period of time and come to a conclusion.”

Sheri Andrews, Co-Chair, Lozier Corporation

“Sal is one of those rare business executives who truly believes in the power of ‘doing well by doing good.’ He is generous to a fault with his time and his network. He spends his professional capital to help others in his community with no eye towards personal gain.”

Cat Nawawi, President, The Highland Group

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!