wsj interview advice

8/11/2019 WSJ Interview Advice

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The Interview That'll Bag a Job

by Sarah E. NeedlemanTuesday, April !, "##$

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In re%ent wee&s, re%ruiters or (onsolidated (ontainer (o. have seen )ob %andidates arrive up toan hour early or interviews. *ther %andidates have alluded to inan%ial hardships while in the hotseat, and one person even distributed bound %opies odo%uments des%ribing pro)e%ts he %ompleted or pastemployers.

These sorts o ta%ti%s aren't e+a%tly winners.

In today's ultra%ompetitive )ob mar&et, even getting aninterview is a eat. et re%ruiters and hiring managerssay many unemployed %andidates blow theopportunity by appearing desperate or bitter abouttheir situations - oten without realiing it.

/0eople are be%oming a lot more aggressive,/ says Julie 1oubaton, dire%tor o re%ruiting andtalent management or Atlanta2based (onsolidated (ontainer. /They oten wind up hurtingthemselves./

At an interview, you want to stand out or the right reasons. To do so, you'll need to leave yourbaggage and an+iety at the door. 3or starters, wait until # minutes beore your s%heduledinterview time to announ%e yoursel. Arriving any sooner /shows that you're not respe%tul o the

time the hiring manager put aside or you,/ says 4s. 1oubaton, adding that a %andidate whoarrived an hour early made wor&ers un%omortable. /(ompanies really don't want someone%amped out in their lobby./

Signal %oniden%e by oering a irm handsha&e, adds5endy Alus 6othman, president o 5enroth (onsultingIn%., an e+e%utive %oa%hing irm in New or&. 3o%usyour attention on the interviewer. Avoid loo&ing aroundthe room, tapping your ingers, or other nervousmovements.

No matter how you're eeling, &eep your personal woesout o the interview pro%ess, asserts 4s. Alus 6othman.

Instead, always e+ude an upbeat attitude. 3or e+ample,i you were laid o, instead o lamenting the situation,you might say the e+perien%e prompted you to reassessyour s&ills, and that's what led you here. /ou want to

demonstrate resilien%e in the a%e o unpredi%table obsta%les,/ she says.

4eanwhile, show you've done your homewor& on the %ompany by e+plaining how yourba%&ground and tra%& re%ord relates to its %urrent needs, adds 7eborah 4ar&us, ounder o(olumbus Advisors 11(, an e+e%utive2sear%h irm in New or&. This is parti%ularly important i the

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irm is in a dierent industry than the one you wor&ed in beore. To stand out, you'll need to loo&up more than )ust basi%s on %ompany leadership and %ore businesses. ou'll also need to ind out- and understand - how re%ent %hanges in the mar&etpla%e have ae%ted the irm, its%ompetitors and industry overall. 6ead re%ent %ompany press releases, annual reports, media%overage and industry blogs, and %onsult with trusted members o your networ&. /(ompanies thatmay have been perorming well )ust a ew months ago might be in survival mode now,/ says 4s.4ar&us. /ou want to understand how


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