IDEA 2

Identify the key points you want to get across at an interview and take a mental checklist along with you to the meeting.
REFRESH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR CV
All the achievement statements, for example, that make an appearance in your CV are entirely legitimate topics for the interviewer to explore, which means that if you want to impress the interviewer, you'll need to be able to expand on this information. So, refresh your memory about each achievement so that you have all the relevant details at your fingertips.

I've conducted interviews where the candidate has been asked about a particular project referred to in the CV. Hardly a trick question and yet people stumble over basic facts and figures. I remember one exchange that went something like this:

Candidate: The project started in April 1998 actually, it was July. Anyway, the project had three key aims (candidate only remembers two of hem) and it completed in May 1999.
Interviewer: Oh, you say in your CV that it finished in August 1999.
Candidate: Swipe me, you're right!

Now the odd slip of the tongue or the memory is understandable at an interview, as nerves often play a part. But let's face it, you were the one who mentioned the project in the first place, so it's hardly the interviewer's fault if they want to know a little bit more about it.
Defining idea...
"It's the first time I've opened a pier. Nothing can really prepare you, though last night I opened a tin of tomatoes and then declared my bathroom open." STEPHEN FRY, comedian, giving his backing to the principle of being prepared when he opened Cromer Pier in the summer of 2004
Try another idea...
Don't scupper your chances of interview success by sexing up your CV and being exposed as somebody who dresses up the truth. Read more about this in IDEA 13, Ditch the dodgy dossier.
DON'T CREATE HOSTAGES TO FORTUNE
Something you absolutely want to avoid is putting anything in your CV where you've slightly buffed up the truth to make your contribution seem more impressive than it really was. When you're sat at your computer compiling your CV and there's a job requirement mentioned in the advertisement that you don't meet as strongly as you'd like, it's quite tempting to deploy just a smidgen of exaggeration. After all, where's the real harm in that?

Well, the harm becomes very evident when you find yourself blathering and blustering at an interview because you can't back up the substance of your CV. And the trouble is that an interviewer who uncovers just one chink in your credibility will not be inclined to believe that the rest of your CV is a chink-free zone.

So far, I've concentrated on how your CV can influence your interview performance, because CVs are the focus of this book. However, you might well want to seek out some more comprehensive advice on preparation and performance to supplement this perspective. In the meantime, here are a few general tips for optimising your interview performance:
* Anticipate what the interviewer(s) might want to know about you.
* Prepare a few questions to ask at the end of the interview.
* Appear positive and enthusiastic. At the end of the interview, explicitly confirm your interest in the job.
Defining idea...
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer." DOUGLAS ADAMS
How did it go?
Q I've tried to find out what I can about the company I have an interview with tomorrow, but there's not much to go on. Is there anything I can do at the last minute?
A Take a cultural sounding by arriving early, sitting in reception and observing what goes on. Were you expected? Did you get a friendly greeting and the offer of a cup of coffee? What sort of conversations did they have with colleagues passing by? Also, watch out for any company literature. A front page of the company newsletter devoted to a team of the month award, for example, will tell you something about the organisation's values and aspirations. On the other hand, if the front page is devoted to a dry-as-tinder address by the CEO exhorting the troops to tighten their belts, it's another clear, if less positive, indication of what you might be letting yourself in for.
Q What's the advice these days for handling the interview question that asks about weaknesses?
A When asked to describe a weakness, it's not clever to come back with ëI can't think of one.' You'll be marked down as lacking self-knowledge at best and as an arrogant so-and-so at worst. Once upon a time, the best answer was to offer a weakness that was a strength in disguise. For example, I'm not too good at time management as I'll always take time

Interview Tips


Please take a seat
Delivering great answers to the interviewer's questions is the main skill in impressing people and getting the job; but let's not underestimate the importance of the body language you use to get your nose in front.

Neurolinguistic programming can help you to develop rapport very quickly in an interview.

It includes techniques that can help you at the beginning of the interview when you're getting over your nerves and the interviewers are forming their first impression.

MATCHING AND MIRRORING
Interviews are like speed dating. You quickly eye each other up and decide whether or not you're interested in taking things further. So you need to be able to build rapport with your interviewer as quickly and effectively as possible. You never have a second chance to make a first impression.

The key skill to use here is mirroring. Mirroring body language is based on the theory that we are more at ease, subconsciously, with people whoare similar to ourselves. It's a bit like dancing. You can mirror most things:

Posture, for instance. If they're upright, so are you. If they cross their legs, so do you. If their arms are on the table, so are yours. If you're sitting opposite someone with their right leg crossed, you cross your left leg to make a mirror image. You're making the person feel comfortable that they're talking to someone with similar behaviours to theirs.

Listen to the tone and speed of their voice. If they talk quickly, try to answer at the same speed. Vary your tone in the same way they do. Is the language they use concise or detailed? If they ask long questions they're going to be more comfortable with you giving a detailed answer.

Pick up on their mood, whether it's humorous or serious. You will notice, of course, how formally or casually they dress and conduct themselves. You can mirror their use of gestures to accentuate a point. If they change their posture, you change yours. (People who are brilliant at thistechnique claim to match the speed at which a person's eyes blink, but beginners shouldn't try this lest they look like a mole emerging into sunlight.)

Don't mimic them or copy their gestures too quickly. Mirroring is a subtle technique and interviewers who are not NLP proficient should not consciously notice what you're doing. They will just get the warm feeling that comes from dealing with someone on the same wavelength.

We all use this form of body language when we're relaxed with our friends. Watch people in a restaurant or a pub and you'll see how mirroring helps the group to feel comfortable in each other's company. Or maybe it's the other way round: when you're with someone you're entirely comfortable with, it's quite hard not to do it.