by sylvester clemente money matters
The Importance of a Personal Interview
Never before has a personal interview meant so much to a job prospect’s chance of getting a new job. Most employers are flooded with
resumes each time they post a job. I am going to assume that yours is impeccable, that’s required to earn a personal interview these days.
I will also assume that both your cover letter and resume have been written specifically for the job you have applied…generic doesn’t cut
it anymore. My final assumption is that you have had a friend review both of them, as most of us are bad at proofreading our own work. In
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fact, we suck. Please don’t forget that.
“Tell me why you believe you are a good candidate for this position?” You must ten years, my familiarity with Hyperion includes designing and integrating a new
know this one cold! Be mindful, your response to this is not about you. The best module, and I have turned home office departments that had been considered
way to answer this is to respond by first saying, “I am so glad you asked me that.” Be part of overhead into profit centers.” It’s a mouthful yes, but once it’s out you’re in
nice, and be a little humble. People want to work with nice coworkers, it is just that the home stretch.
simple. Your next sentence is a template for the remainder of your interview, as it Now that you have told the interviewer exactly why you are a good candidate,
will serve as a reference point to most everything you discuss. pause, let him/her process what they just heard. It is probable that your inter-
“The reason why I believe that I am a good candidate for this position is my viewer has prepared a half-dozen questions that he/she will ask each candidate.
experience thriving in similar situations.” It does not matter that you have not Field each one with the confidence of knowing that one of the three or four items
worked for a biotech company, or have not been in an audit department, or you mentioned can authentically be woven into your response. What is even
that you have not been a project manager. You have what it takes because you better, they may ask you to tell them about those three or four experiences. Once
have helped other companies, with skills developed that will ensure success for again, tell them three important facets of that experience. This gives the inter-
this employer. This is what an employer is hoping to hear. It means that you can viewer an easily followed path that you have already prepared, making you look
hit the road running. You have already come off as nice, easy to work with, and like the consummate professional. Please save your gift of gab for your friends,
composed…now it’s time for you to display your communication and analytical don’t supply the interview with some irrelevant fact that could disqualify you.
skills. C’mon, this will be fun. At the end of your interview you should express sincere interest. Make sure
The bulk of your pre-interview preparation will be focusing on three or four that it is (not just sounds) sincere. People are more intuitive that we give them
particularly relevant situations, which are on your resume. These link your prior credit. Once you are home, send your interviewer(s) a very short thank you
work experience to greaT fuTure Performance! You have just told the note. Please send it that day. Your interviewer will respect your ability to finish
interviewer that you have thrived in similar situations; now connect yourself with the interview cleanly, leading to your landing the first position in your next
what the company’s needs are. For me it was “I have been a part of, or lead, the career. Now go for it!
finance team who successfully completed five major acquisitions over a span of Thanks to Erik Kuderna,
erik@ekrecruiting.com
august 2009 | RAGE monthly 49
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