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Interviewing becoming more important as you try to find job

Ah, the ‘90s—how we miss them. Those were the days when workers ruled, and the labor market was so tight companies were willing to overlook lack of experience, glaring resume problems and even weird personalities.

“When companies have an opening, they’re being very particular,” said Larry Cinco, president of Management Recruiters of Melbourne, Fla.

First assignment: Disavow yourself of any notion that interviewing is easy.

“Preparation is 95 percent,” said Lisa Maile, of Winter Park, Fla., who gives lectures and seminars on interviewing and professional image. “You have to do 19 times as much work to prepare as you do during the interview. The interview is your payoff.”

Make a list of every job you’ve ever had, what duties they entailed and what skills you needed to perform those duties.

“This is absolutely crucial to being able to talk about your skills and accomplishments,” Cinco said. “Most people have never taken the time to examine the components of the jobs they’ve had until asked in an interview. That’s the wrong time to start a self-assessment.”

Don’t just say, “I am a detail-oriented problem-solver.” Say, “Let me tell you about the time I created a companywide network of supplier contacts using a new software program I found.”

Eddie Marmol, a Melbourne, Fla., career counselor, suggests taking it a step further.

“In my 15-year career as an engineer and project manager, I had the opportunity to interview hundreds of candidates.

“I was always impressed by the new grads who placed their senior projects on my desk—a handheld computer, a robot, or even a photo album of their projects—and then described for me how they went about conceptualizing, designing, building and testing their products,” he said.

Folding your hands in your lap is a big mistake, Maile said, because nervous energy gets recycled back into your body. Gesture, but slowly.

Your clothing and demeanor say more about you than your words do. Walk and sit like you’re royalty, look the interviewer in the eye at all times, smile till your face hurts and make it clear that you’re thrilled to be there.

“If I spend all day interviewing people, I’ll probably remember the most smiling, positive, enthusiastic, energetic candidates,” Maile said. “The only time you should lose your smile in an interview is if you’re discussing something tragic.”

A smile and a positive, energetic attitude are two keystones of good interview manners. Also remember to be gracious to everyone you meet.

Job applicants at a corporate headquarters of a Massachusetts company used to wonder about the elderly gentleman in slippers and a patched sweater who would pad around chatting with people, recalls Peggy Isaacson, an Ocoee, Fla., human resources management and staff trainer. Some totally blew him off; some chatted amiably with him.

“The candidates who blew him off goofed—he was the retired chairman of the board of the company that was named for his family,” she said. “He did let HR know which of the waiting-room candidates he thought ought to be hired.”

Finally, never ask how much a job pays. The interviewer will bring up salary when it’s clear you’re a finalist. Even then, a smart negotiator will avoid throwing out the first number.