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Many books, articles and on-line videos have been written and created on the subject of interviewing.  These sources detail all sorts of strategies for answering the many questions that you can be asked during an interview.  If you are seeking a new position, you should certainly be reading some of this information to develop your own baseline of interviewing savvy and skills.   However, friends often ask me to cut through all this information and provide them with the tips that I believe can really bring their interview performance to a new level.  Here is what I tell them:

1)     The only real secret to an excellent interview is research, preparation and rehearsal.  And rehearse out loud as if you are in an actual interview situation. 

2)     You are who you are.  Do not try to be all things to all people.  Just try to be you at your best.  Preparation and rehearsal will help to achieve this. 

3)     Write out your responses to the interview questions you anticipate.  Read them out loud and refine the content.  Most people will not take the time to do this.  You will be surprised how this will improve your presentation and confidence, and ingrain the content.

4)     Stand up and physically rehearse your initial greeting such as "I've been looking forward to this meeting." 

5)     In response to "tell me about yourself" provide a well-developed but concise overview of your experience.  Let the interviewer know that if he or she would like to explore some aspect of your background more fully, just ask and you will be glad to provide further detail.

6)     One of the most important questions, if not the most important question an employer asks is, "Why are you interested in this opportunity - and our company?"   Do your homework and be clear that you are magnetized by the positives offered by this employer and this opportunity.   There are very few mistakes in interviewing that can be more fatal to your candidacy than handling this question in a less than compelling manner.

7)     Be prepared to comfortably discuss compensation if asked.  A good response involves some form of:  "I am here because of the opportunity with your organization.  If you find me to be the best candidate, I feel confident that we can work out the compensation."

8)     You will normally meet several people during a job interview process.  Be attentive to the pace of each of your interviewers.  If a person is high energy and speaks and moves quickly, pick up your energy and pace as well, within what is normal for you, when meeting with this person.  If someone is more laid back than you, apply the same principal.  This "matching and mirroring" is a rich concept and one that goes beyond the content of your discussion to help create deeper rapport with your interviewers.

9)     If you are interested in the position, be sure to express this explicitly.

10)   Before concluding your interview, be sure that an interviewer is not harboring an erroneous assumption about your capabilities or interest.   Consider asking "After meeting with me today and reviewing my background, do you have any reservations or concerns that would stop you from bringing me back for another interview?"   If an interviewer is harboring any doubts about your candidacy, you definitely want the opportunity to address these concerns before you leave.  Experience shows that the interviewer will almost certainly bring up such concerns if you ask this question.

By Paul Kilman

Paul has more than 20 years experience providing attorney search and outplacement services to clients in the US as well as in select markets in Canada, Asia and South America.

Paul takes very seriously the impact his work has on the lives of individuals and the success of organizations. He constantly strives to update his skills and combine the technical sophistication found at the largest consulting firms with the personal attention only a boutique firm can provide. You can expect honest talk, balanced assessments, and a clear and objective understanding of the searches Paul performs and the people he represents. Bringing the right people together for each opportunity is what Paul continually strives to do best.

Paul is also happy to reach beyond his immediate client base to share his advanced job changing knowledge with all people in the profession. His website offers extensive information to both employers and attorneys about the job hunting and hiring process including white papers, free proprietary mailing list articles, blog insights and an ebook written to help improve any job search. Paul has also recently addressed the CT Bar Association membership regarding how to mount a sophisticated job campaign in a down market.

Kilman offers a new Career Portal at www.kilmancareerportal.com where you can explore the resources now available to you.

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