INSURANCE

Readers of interview books understandably complain if advice seems obvious, but the number of people who fail to put the basics into practice is considerable. So, the basics are worth repeating, if only because they provide valuable insurance against things going wrong – at least the things within your control.

Any of the following could ruin your day if you fail to anticipate them:

1. Double check the interview location. Use a map as well as your satnav, and ring in advance if you are not sure about which building or entrance you go to.
2. Plan your journey meticulously – take an earlier train than you need to or allow time for traffic. Check where and how to park: if it’s a pay and display system, take enough change to pay for an hour more than you need in case things over-run (an extended interview is a strong buying signal, so don’t wreck it by having to rush out).
3. Get a good night’s sleep. Going into an assessment in a haze of sleep deprivation and caffeine indulgence is no way to start.
4. Take any documents you will need during the interview process, which will include organisational and job information and a copy of the exact version of the CV and cover letter you used to get short listed. Take a small pad and paper too.
5. Get the timing right. Showing up late signals poor commitment, more than ten minutes early shows desperation. Ten minutes is plenty of time to settle down and chat with reception staff (they may be asked how you came across).
6. Declutter – leave your coat, umbrella and bag in reception. Just take in a slim folder containing the documents you need, and you will look like an employee rather than a visitor.
7. Switch your phone off as you arrive. No distractions.

‘THE LOOK’

Take advice from people who just know what makes people look good and look right. Try your outfit on in front of a mirror (or a good friend). The right question is not ‘Do I look good?’ but ‘What picture is presented here?’ We remember images far more clearly than words. Remember that image and dress sense change across organisations and cultures. Don’t guess or assume, find out.

If you don’t ‘get’ the whole image thing, put yourself in the hands of someone who does. This needn’t cost you a fortune. Book advice is useful, but no match for trying things on with the help of someone with good instincts. Often it’s a question of buying clothes that look classically smart in an understated kind of way. Men in particular seem to err when matching patterns and colours and some fail consistently in the art of tying a tie so that the knot sits tightly under the chin. Chaps, if you have doubts about buying an outfit, often the best combination of suit, tie and shirt is the one on the model in the shop.

Take advice (see Mary Spillane’s books) – suits should be current but not too trendy, avoid perfume, and shoes should match the quality of your suit. The right interview outfit shows a candidate is professional, organised and focused; sloppy dress is usually taken as an indication of poor attention to detail, a dated or worn-out outfit a sign that you’re out of touch with the workplace.

Wear clothes that are just slightly smarter than those worn in the workplace, and choose something slightly conservative such as a well-fitting suit in a solid, dark colour. Playing safe and looking like you’re in business ‘uniform’ means that your outfit is quickly forgotten.

Dress the part, but don’t overdo it – your clothes shouldn’t be more interesting than you. A good benchmark is what business people wear for TV interviews – something instantly recognisable as smart and business-like allows the viewer to focus quickly on the words being spoken. Remember the last time that you saw a TV interviewee wearing over-bright colours or a loud tie? You formed an immediate impression, but did you remember what was said? Women should avoid large, distracting jewellery, men should definitely save gimmicky socks and wacky ties for another occasion.

Choose something you are comfortable in rather than something brand new that still feels strange – particularly true of shoes. Put on interview clothes the day before the interview and practise sitting down in them, otherwise you will always look and feel like the new kid who hasn’t got used to the school uniform. Not only that, but if there are problems (shoes that squeak, clothes that don’t look right when you sit down) you will discover the problem in good time. Similarly, if you change your hairstyle the day before a job interview you will not feel at ease.

Recruitment specialist Graeme Dixon of Cast Consulting writes: ‘If in doubt always dress formally with gentlemen wearing a professional tie. Clean, shiny shoes are a must. If the company has a dress-down policy ask the interviewer what you should wear, but even if it is an informal dress culture your clothes should still be clean and well-pressed, and other aspects including hair and jewellery not distracting – informal does not mean scruffy. It is essential a candidate looks as if they could walk straight into the job. Going into an interview in a pinstripe suit when the interviewers are in jeans will not give the right impression.’

PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOURS

An organisation picks up evidence about you well before you open your mouth. How you arrive, for example – quiet and professional, or in a flurry of anxiety about late running trains. Do you come in carrying all kinds of bags as if you’re half way through a shopping trip?

Then, of course, you speak. As soon as you arrive, your behaviour is monitored, including the first words you say to the reception staff. ‘The interview starts the moment you arrive on a client’s premises’, writes career coach Beverley Grant. ‘When I recruited employees for a large IT company I often asked the staff on reception or any other employees who came into contact with the candidates what their impression was because when not in the formal interview people can sometimes behave differently.’

‘Practise your smile’, advises Kathryn Jackson, author of How to Keep Your Cool if You Lose Your Job. ‘If you’re not confident at meeting people for the first time (or you know it takes you a little time to warm up), practise making eye contact and smiling at everybody you meet on the street (bus drivers, supermarket scanners, doormen, you name it ... smile at them). You might worry that they will think you’re nuts, but when they start smiling back at you then you can feel more confident that you’ve become able to make a good first impression to others.’

Language is a particularly powerful indicator – your tone, delivery and the choice of words are very much part of the audition. Remember that all the time your interviewer is transposing you into a different context and wondering whether you will be the right person. Think carefully about the language you use to describe difficult experiences, particularly those involving stress or conflict.

Always, always, avoid criticism of former bosses, employers or customers. Avoid emotive language unless it’s positive: enthusiasm, yes; bitterness, no. Be very careful in the words you use to describe areas of difference – there is a big variation between ‘we saw the world differently’ and ‘he was a complete idiot’.

‘Bad’ language ranges from swearing (don’t do it, even if the interviewer does) through to inappropriate friendliness – calling the interviewer ‘mate’ or ‘sweetheart’ are characteristics which have got candidates a ‘no’ letter. Pulling faces, extreme gestures, making noises – these are forms of communication which can be instantly off-putting.

Graeme Dixon writes: ‘When a candidate enters a room for an interview I always suggest a genuine smile and look at each of the people in the room, thanking them for seeing you. Wait to be asked to sit down and when asked how your journey was reply in a positive way. It is essential to maintain a positive impression. Complaining about the traffic is not the best start to an important interview. Once you have sat down, come out with a positive one-liner, like “I have to say how much I am looking forward to this meeting as it is an exciting opportunity.” It also allows the interviewer a natural and positive starting point.’

As soon as you leave the room, an interviewer naturally runs a mental ‘movie’ of what you have said and done. So, when you are in the interview room, even if it is informal and just the two of you in the room, imagine that movie being recorded, and then played back on a large screen in your city centre in front of an audience that is going to give you a YES or a NO card simply on the grounds of personality. What do you say, entirely independent of content, which shouts out ‘NO’? Get feedback on that well before you go anywhere near an organisational decision maker.

Think about getting in and out of an interview room. This isn’t as strange as it sounds. When we are nervous, hands and feet go in unexpected directions, and you may crash into furniture or drop papers. If you were walking out onstage where there were steps, chairs and a lectern to fall over, you’d practise. You can’t physically practise in the interview room, but you can remember to pause and plan. Stand in the doorway and look at the room, and think about how you are going to get into the interview seat without difficulty (another reason why it’s a good idea to leave your bag and coat in reception).

SCREEN TEST

Imagine that the next few minutes are going to be like a screen test for a part you are going to have to play for a long time. Just as a director watches a screen test of an actor trying on a role, an interviewer is wondering whether you can play the part. That’s why an important unstated part of the interview is observing professional behaviours.

This begins with image, body language, and instant impact, but extends to a range of behaviours which matter in this particular workplace – clarity and tone of voice for a call centre job; the way you inform, direct and delegate as a manager; the ability to use diplomatic or inclusive language in sensitive contexts. These behaviours are also partly measured by the way you tune into the social niceties of the interview. The interviewer is trying to get a clear picture of what you will be like in the job – for example, imagining how you would appear to senior colleagues.

Research studies (see Michael Watkins’ The First 90 Days, Harvard Business School Press, 2003) suggest that anything up to 50 per cent of external appointments fail to achieve the desired results. So a big factor for any recruiter is looking good, particularly when they take the risk of choosing an external candidate. The person offering you the job will feel under considerable scrutiny the first time you are introduced to the MD or the team. Will you look and sound like a good hiring decision?

CLOSE THE FEEDBACK LOOP

The difficulty for some is that they never see themselves the way others do, and are unaware of their impact. Since these people are often the last to ‘get it’, the best safety mechanism is for everyone, no matter how brilliantly you think you interview, to triangulate their perspective. Here are the three vital steps:

1. Self: Write down how you think you come across, how you communicate, what your style is, the things you see that help your performance, and the things that get in the way.
2. Coach: Get someone else to give you a short mock interview and get some honest feedback before telling them the list you came up with in (1). You may be surprised by what goes well, and what doesn’t. Ask for tough love, not unconditional affirmation.
3. Video: Get someone to video your performance. Watch it several times, on your own and with a colleague. Now turn the picture off and listen to the soundtrack – are you clear, interesting, with answers the right length? Now – most importantly – watch it again with the sound off. What are you communicating without words?

GETTING THE RIGHT ADVICE

Because interviews occur so widely it shouldn’t be hard, by asking around, to get advice from someone who has experience of conducting them. However, do be aware that many general managers overrate their interviewing skills – try to find someone with an HR or recruitment background who can put you through a professionally structured interview, probing your CV and your answers in depth. You don’t want someone who last interviewed in 1985, or someone who tells you you’re wonderful and shouldn’t change a thing.