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Your key to cramming for a job interview

This article is inspired by and dedicated to bookstore salespersons, who often serve as unheralded job-search support experts. As a career coach I’ve spent hours and hours in bookstores seeking publications to fill my resource library shelves and, more importantly, to broaden my own knowledge of concepts that will help others in their employment quests. And, as author of a book on the subject, I’ve recently spent a great deal of time in bookstores checking shelves to see if orders have been received, presenting seminars, and signing books.

Bookstore employees have told me of many a frantic shopper announcing, “I’ve got an interview tomorrow. Which is the best book to help me prepare for it?” This article will address that inquiry with a five-step approach to last-minute interview preparation.

1. Call the employer to confirm your meeting and, if you don’t already have one, request a copy of the job description and a company profile. Offer to stop by to pick up the infor- mation or ask if it can be faxed. (Almost every copy center receives faxes for a fee if you don’t have access to a machine.) Ask if there are specific questions or issues you should be prepared to discuss at the meeting. (Imagine how well you can prepare if you have a list of potential questions or critical issues inadvance!) You’ll be surprised how often human resources personnel will provide this information when asked.

If you can’t get through to the appropriate person when you call, leave a voicemail message immediately followed by a faxed note. If you have a few days prior to the interview, your chances of receiving a response are greater. If you’ve given your-self just 24 hours, you may wish to call again later in the day if no one has contacted you. Give it a try, anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

2. Call or visit a reference librarian to help you find information on the firm and, most importantly, current articles on the industry. You can conduct a “key-word” computer search to help you. Don’t dwell too long on researching the prospective employer; basic and topical information on the field is often much more valuable. You should be able to discuss industry trends, major players, and “what’s hot and what’s not” within the field.

If our contact with the librarian is by phone, stop by to pick up materials or ask if they can be faxed. Feel comfortable asking these professional problem solvers for help. They thrive on the challenge of locating hard-to-find information. Also, don’t forget to read the business sections and related topics in local papers and professional newsletters.

3. It is critical that you are prepared to note anecdotes of achievements. On the back of your resume (yes, bring a copy with you to the interview), list at least three illustrations of how you used specific skills to complete a project or achieve success. For each, note the Situation, Tasks, Activities, and Results. Complete the pre-interview “STAR Search” exercise to help you in citing examples of your qualifications during the interview.

Thus, you will be able to tell interviewers when you were a STAR! Search your memory for good examples of your work, but don’t try to memorize everything. Write them down! You may also use the back of your resume to make note of key points to make in the interview, and to remember questions you want to ask. You may wish to bring a portfolio with examples of your work to show.

4. Arrive for your interview one-half hour early, check in, and if it was not possible to get company information ahead of time, ask if you can review a copy of the job description as well as current literature on the organization. While you are waiting, review these materials along with your resume and cover letter. It’s ironic that most jobseekers forget this very simple preparation activity. Think about it. What do recruiters review when determining who to interview? What will they be referring to during the interview? Your resume! And, often, your cover letter too.

Don’t forget to review these documents prior to the interview. Mark critical points or, as suggested, make notes on the back. Have your “personal note sheet” and resume with you at all times. It can be a very effective “job-search security blanket.” Also, have extra copies of your resume with you in case you meet with someone who doesn’t have one, or in case you need additional resumes for a panel of interviewers.

5. Ask at least two questions within the first ten minutes of the interview. Your questions should be variations on “What are the qualities you are seeking in this positions?” and “What are specific expectations of the person who holds this job?” This will allow you to gain a greater understanding of the position and more effectively discuss your qualifications for it throughout the interview. The more you learn early in the conversation, the better. Remember, an interview is simply a conversation with a purpose. It is not an adversarial, right-or-wrong, the-interviewer-is-out-to-get-me process. Be enthusiastic, optimistic, and inquisitive.

Time may not allow you to complete all of these steps before each interview, but do as much as you can to be as prepared as possible. The job search doesn’t have to be taken too seriously, and the more fun you have, the better you will do. Relax, enjoy, and go for it.