Tips For Interview Success

In a recent syndicated article reprinted in the Houston Chronicle, editor Bob Weinstein noted that there are hundreds of job interview books on the market.  He reviewed one of them, "Hire on a WHIM" by workplace productivity coach Garrett Miller, and summarized Miller's eight tips to set you apart from your competition in a job interview.

With all due respect to Mr. Miller, I think his advice misses a fundamental point:  An interview is not a competition with others for a job, it is an opportunity for both parties to see each other as they really are and to assess the FIT of the person to the role.

Here are Miller's eight points, and my comments:

1. Miller suggests you make small talk about sports or news so interviewers can get a sense of your personality.  I suggest this only works half the time, for those interviewers who are natural small-talkers themselves.  The other half of the time, your interviewer will be a "get to the point" person and will not appreciate your small talk.  The best approach is to know in advance who you are going to interview, do your research on them as much as possible (LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, etc.), prepare to speak on topics of interest to them, and look for clues they give you about their desire for small talk vs. job discussion.
2. Miller suggests you take notes during the interview to indicate to the interviewer that what they are saying is important to you.  I suggest this is more distracting than anything else.  An interview is not a debate or a college lecture on which you will be tested later; it is a conversation.  You show your interest not by taking notes, but by engaging with the interviewer.  Still, it is a good idea to have a notepad and pen handy, but only if something the interviewer says triggers a question that you want to clarify later.
3. Miller suggests you sit up straight and lean in when excited to convey a higher energy level in your body language.  I suggest you sit as you normally would in a workplace office meeting -- whatever is natural for you.  If your natural body language is revealing about you, then great.  If you are putting on a false body language for the interview, you will not be able to keep it up should you get the job.
4. Miller suggests you tell your story with enthusiasm and excitement so the interviewer will believe you can be excited about their company.  I suggest you do your advance research on the company and on the people you would work for ahead of time.  If you cannot be naturally enthusiastic about the company before you walk in the door for the interview, then why on earth would you want to work there?  Don't force it.  If you are not naturally enthusiastic and excited, then a job interview is not the place to practice self-improvement.
5. Miller suggests you arrive early to signal that you are not a "just in time" employee.  I suggest you arrive early as a simple professional courtesy.  I have found no correlation between promptness in the job interview and timeliness in the workplace.  I have had punctual employees with low productivity and have had tardy employees that get more done than any three of us.  Keep in mind, though, that tardiness or timeliness is almost always a choice you make.  And the choices you make tell an interviewer a lot about how you will set your priorities in the workplace.
6. Miller suggests you edit yourself and avoid providing too much detail.  I suggest that you be yourself.  If you are naturally chatty and you hold back in your interview, think how surprised your employer will be when "Chatty Kathy" emerges in the second week of your employment?  More importantly, think how miserable you will be trying to hold it all in.
7. Miller suggests you ask relevant questions about the company and avoid asking questions about what the company can do for you.  I mostly agree with him here.  You should do your research on the company and ask valuable questions about things you are wondering about:  Where is the company going?  How do they see the value in this role?  What would you be expected to handle on a daily basis?  Asking fake questions for the sake of sounding interested does you no good.  I do think it is good form to allow the interviewer to raise the topic of compensation and benefits, but once that door is open you should ask your questions.  (Most companies have some summary of benefits online.  You did find that in your research didn't you?)
8. Miller suggests you be nice to everyone since the interviewer is likely to ask the receptionist what first impression you made on her.  I agree that if you are naturally a nice person, don't hold back.  But if you are naturally shy or withdrawn, why show your employer someone else?

Overall, I think, it is better to reveal in an interview who you REALLY are; not to portray some other person.  You wouldn't want your boss to act one way in the interview and then be a completely different person after they hire you, would you?   They want YOU to be YOURSELF in the interview, too.  Besides, if you get the job, it just takes too much energy to try to be someone else all day long.   Think of it... if you are a perpetually late detail-oriented introvert with bad posture, incredible talent, and fierce loyalty, wouldn't you want to work for a company that values your strengths and doesn't care about your shortcomings?  They only way they can judge you is if they meet the REAL you!  If they hire the FAKE you and then get to know the REAL you over time, the job will not last.