As I have previously mentioned in my article Top 5 tips to land a good job one of the most important skills you can have is to be able to interview well. You can have the best resume in a huge pool of people and it won’t make a bit of difference if you get out interviewed. On the flipside of that, if you have an average resume but killer interview skills, you will pass the entire field ahead of you. So, its about that time in the post where you are probably saying to yourself “Wheres the beef?” Well, heres a nice step by step process that will work well for you 99.99% of the time including THE MOST underutilized interviewing skill that quite frankly can take EVERYTHING else out of the equation that I really think has the most to do with 100% interview record. Yeah, that big time.

1) Do your research on the company
The very first thing you need to do is study up on the company that you will be interviewing with. The very first thing you want to do is figure out what their “style” as a company is. It may be somewhat difficult just using outside information but it is good to at least try. Every company is different and sometimes the differences have a very strong influence on who they will hire. For example, are they more concerned with only your specific skills or are they the kind of company that wants to “get the right people on the bus” ala Good to Great. More on this later.

2) Think ahead of time what kinds of questions they will ask you
If you are interviewing for a technical job, think about what kind of questions they will ask you about technical details. For example they might ask a programmer about inheritance, or they might ask a crane operator about procedures. Whatever your particular field is, think hard about what kinds of tough questions they might come up with.

Bonus: a lot of companies do variations on a test that my company calls the “who” test. These kinds of questions are open ended questions designed to try and figure out what kind of person you are. They might have to do with integrity or ethical situations. An example might be “Describe a time when you thought something a manager was doing was unethical and what you did about it.” They are not meant to be “trick” questions with a right or wrong answer, but rather a way of probing personalities.

3) Dress nicely/appropriately
As tempting as it might be to show up in jean shorts, tshirt and sandals it really isn’t a good idea. Well, its a good idea if you want to be laughed at after you leave, or maybe not even let in…but otherwise not so much. It might sound like a no brainer but for my most recent position apparently one of the interview candidates actually did show up in sandals. Showing up naked also not advised…stick to business attire. If you don’t have any nice clothes go buy some.

4) Arrive early for your interview
This is somewhat obvious but there are other reasons aside from just looking good. When I went into an interview for HP I showed up at the building (actually it was one of the mods onsite) and there was no front door. Thats right, a corporation and the place I was supposed to meet at had no front door. Not only that but EVERY DOOR WAS LOCKED. Luckily I was about 30 minutes early and after about 15 minutes someone saw me standing outside. If I had been running late I might not have ever had that interview…and that job for six years.

5) Stay calm and confident
You want to show you are poised, relaxed and overall a badass that is up for tackling everything. They want someone ready for challenges? Bring it on. They want a team player? You’re their man(or woman). They need someone who wrestles alligators? You make crocodile dundee look like a wuss.

6) Establish Rapport and then turn the interview around
Here is your secret weapon. This is your fourth ace when theres a flush on the table. Every other sucker in the interview room is being interviewed, you are interviewing. Here is what I mean. Several years ago my friend, roommate and former coworker was interviewing for a job. He came home and I of course asked him “Howd it go?” – “Great” – “What did they ask you about” …….. “I don’t really remember but I know the hiring manager’s life story. I start next week.” Even the most seasoned hiring professionals are susceptible to this. Why? People love having things in common with other people and people love talking about their company and then themselves. In a group interview environment this is much harder but still has an opening. Ask about the company and their group. You surrender information about yourself gracefully and answer technical questions to the best of your ability, but when it comes discussion time, pour it on. You can BOMB the technical part of the interview and save yourself here. I had an interview with Dell (that I didn’t end up taking the job) and they never even got around to asking me more than two questions, and (no joke) ended with the senior interviewer telling me “well, we will have to have a beer at <a pub in houston that has belgian ales> when you get down here”

7) Most interviewers ask about your weaknesses. Answer with Strengths.
Here are two different examples that I have used before:

“Name a weakness that you have in your day to day working environment”
-”Well I would say my main weakness is that I do sometimes get frustrated with people that do not pull their full weight and put in 100% effort.”

“Name a personal weakness”
“Sometimes I drive myself too hard. I am a perfectionist and so I tend to be hard on myself at times.”

Two things you should never say:
“I don’t really have an weaknesses” -It comes off as an arrogant lie.
“I am not really sure” -The employer point of view is: you mean you don’t know yourself?

8] Follow Up
This is HUGE. I have had one job where I did not think I got it, only to be surprised when I followed up with a phone call. “Oh yes, we haven’t been able to send out the formal offer yet, but we are extending one to you.” Always always always follow up. Always.

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