Ways To Win In A Job Interview

From: "How To Use Direct Marketing Techniques To Get The Marketing Job You Want - A Guide For College Students", a DMEF Publication

1. Look the part. A major New York ad agency used to have a reputation for oxford button-down shirts and red ties. Even the agency's female executives used to favor what was known in the industry as the "red team uniform." If you were going on a job interview there, how would you dress? The point is, because so much of the first impression is visual, and so much of the hiring decision is emotional, you will increase your chances if you look and act as if you belong there. Remember: You want to make it easy for your prospect to envision your fitting in. Nobody wants to hire an oddball.

2. Take charge. The best way to avoid a bad interview with an unprepared interviewer is to assume you are just as responsible as the interviewer for making the meeting run smoothly. A professional salesperson always assumes that responsibility, and in a job interview the situation is no different: It's just as much your meeting as it is your interviewer's. If you sense that your prospect is uncomfortable in his or her role, assert yourself. Don't sit back waiting for questions--start asking them. Engage in a dialogue. Not only will you be making things easier on your interviewer; you'll also be making it easy for the person to imagine you taking charge on the job. Remember, an interview is not a test--it's a sales meeting, and it takes two to make one.

3. Never let 'em see you sweat. You want to come across as enthusiastic and ambitious, yet controlled and relaxed. If you're on edge, your prospect will be, too. If, on the other hand, you come across as comfortable in this situation, you'll succeed in doing two things: You'll make the interviewer more comfortable, and the interviewer will be much more likely to envision you feeling comfortable interacting with other departments, management, and/or clients on the job. Take heart in the golden rule of business presentations: No one ever wants to see you do poorly. If you believe in yourself, they'll believe in you. Stand tall, shake hands firmly, smile often, and look the person squarely in the eye when you speak and listen. The more confidence you can project, the more confidence the interviewer will have in you.

4. Listen with your eyes. Watch your interviewer. Try to subtly mimic the person's style. Chances are good that everyone you interview with will unconsciously be looking for little bits of themselves in you. The more you can match their positive attributes, the more they'll like you, and the better the chances they'll see you as their kind of people. Remember, people like people like themselves.

5. Take an interest. If your interviewer would rather talk than listen, so be it. Just be sure you listen intently with your antennae up for uncovering needs. The more interested you are in what your prospects have to say, the greater the chance they'll like you, and the more chances you'll have to find a need that you can fill.

6. Set objectives for the meeting. Determine the three or four things you want the interviewer to know about you. Look for ways to make those points.

7. Bring something to the party. Be informed about the firms you visit. Know their products, markets, number of employees, current stock quotation, growth record, sales, profits, and general reputation. If you've done your homework, you should be able to initiate conversation that will demonstrate your insight and interest in the company.

8. Be sincere. Avoid being too sketchy or windy in your comments. If you can't quite answer a tough question, it's far better to tell your interviewer that you'll have to give it some thought than to fake your way through an insincere answer. A good standard to strive for: Be able to respond to the phrase, "tell me more about that."

9. If you fall, be sure to pick something up. Go on every interview you can. Like everything else in life, you'll get better with practice. Learn from your mistakes.

10. Know your worth. Have an idea of what a suitable salary range is for the position you're seeking, just in case you must quote a salary requirement. Always preface salary discussions with a comment that opportunity and challenge and salary are equally important. Never accept or reject a job opportunity on the spot.

11. Leave your personal convictions at the door. Avoid taking a stand on controversial issues unrelated to the job. There is a 50 percent chance your prospect will disagree and not like you as a result of the stand you've taken.

12. Prepare questions and answers ahead of time. Just as the professional salesperson has to be able to deal with tough questions and objections, so does the job hunter. This final point about preparation is central to everything you need to do in your role as a job-hunting marketing manager, but it's especially critical in the interview because, unlike your preparatory activities, the interview is the equivalent of live theater: You only get one chance. You can't edit a bad answer, a lame question, or awkward moments of silence.

back to top

© Direct Marketing Association | Privacy Statement | Share