Interviewing Skills

Think of the job interview as a conversation among potential colleagues.  You want to present yourself as a professional.  Remember that non-verbal cues and body language will be scrutinized as much as what you say.  Greet everyone with a firm handshake and make good eye contact.  Keep nervous habits under control, such as tapping your pen, twirling your hair, using filler words (e.g. “ummm,” “like”), looking away or looking down.  Sit up straight.  Recent research reveals that what an audience remembers most about a speaker is based on:

• How the speaker looked: 55%
• How the speaker sounded: 38%
• What the speaker said: 7%

It is very important to communicate good body language in a job interview.  Do so by:

• Walking confidently and maintaining good posture.
• Smiling and pausing appropriately.  You will come across as confident and relaxed.
• Maintaining eye contact 75%-85% of the time.
• Using gestures for emphasis (e.g. use your fingers to count off points you are making) without overdoing it.
• Dressing your best.

General Tips for Successful Interviewing

Below are more general interviewing tips to follow: 

• Be yourself (corny but tried and true).
• Use the language of the industry!
• If appropriate, make a conscious effort to dispel misperceptions (e.g. people with advanced degrees are too abstract.)
• Project a positive attitude—avoid making negative statements.
• Be enthusiastic about the job, the institution, and the contributions you can make.
• Throughout the interview, at intervals bring your responses directly back to the job
  (e.g. in summarizing and making transitions).
• Be poised.  Smile.  Maintain a sense of humor.  Doing so puts people at ease.  Do not be self-deprecating, though,and be careful with jokes.  Watch this especially at the beginning of the interview, when you are the most nervous.
• Remember that first impressions are powerful and lasting.  Start off strong!
• Be confident (but not a know-it-all) and sincere.  Do not act as if you are trying to give the “right” answers.
• Ask for clarification if you do not understand a question.
• Address people as they are introduced.
• Be cordial to everyone; shake hands (practice this).
• Do not hesitate to take a moment to pause and think before you respond.  Doing so conveys confidence.
• Use the present and past tenses at least as much as the future tense to underscore your accomplishments, not make promises.
• Make eye contact with everyone in the room, not just the person asking the question.
• Show that you would “hit the ground running” in every aspect of the job if offered the position.
• Listen and observe. 
• Be flexible in unexpected or problematic situations.
• Do not take things too personally and do not try to read too much into the behavior of others. 

Answering Questions

When answering questions and when communicating generally in an interview, be succinct and do not ramble.  You want to show people on the hiring side that you can listen, focus, and organize your thoughts quickly.  Also be careful not to speak too rapidly, which some are prone to do when nervous. 

Using “I” and “We”

In talking about your experiences, keep the focus on you.  It is good to show that you are a team player, especially if the job is collaborative, but avoid overusing the first person plural (e.g. “We did X, we improved Y, we succeeded at Z,” etc.)  Your team is not interviewing for the job; you are.

Talking About Your Research to Non-Experts

Think about how you explain your dissertation/thesis to your parents or relatives at family get-togethers.  Do not talk down to the interviewer, but make the information accessible and interesting.  Think big picture and be brief!  Ask yourself—does this information showcase knowledge, a skill, or qualities that the employer can take advantage of?  Does this information have meaning to the employer?

Interpersonal Skills

Be careful not to underestimate the value of good interpersonal skills in interviewing for jobs, even for research or analyst positions that involve little human contact.  Recent studies reveal that employers consider the personalities and interpersonal skills of job candidates as important factors in the final decision-making process.  Generally speaking, if you are invited to a job interview, the employer assumes you can do the job.  The interview allows people to evaluate you as a potential colleague.  Often the top 2 or 3 candidates are relatively equally qualified, and in those cases a winning personality can tip the scale.  While personality certainly does not compensate for lacking qualifications, at times when the market is saturated with brilliant job seekers, even if you are one of them, remember your manners and smile.