The #1 thing to note is that they already like you on paper. Now you have to bring the personality and charm to the table. In 2010, I did over 50 interviews (meaning with over 50 different individuals) at 25 different companies. I can often tell within the first 10 minutes of the interview whether or not it's going to work out or not. I have been bored, excited, awkward-ed out, comfortable, and scared sh*tless at interviews. The full spectrum of emotions, but I always knew one thing, they already liked me on paper, so I knew I just had to mesh well and back-up the statements on my resume.
In a Harvard Business Review blog post titled "Stand Out in Your Interview," there were 3 key takeaways that I wanted to emphasize:
Preparation
The article mentions preparation in 2 ways - doing your research to figure out what the job entails and then preparing yourself for the tough questions when they came up. I cannot stress the importance of researching the company and the actual position before you head into that room. Plus, practicing what you will say when the tough questions come up will ease those "pregnant pauses" and make you appear more polished. This doesn't mean canned responses though, it means to at minimum know which direction you'll take your response.
Go in with a strategy
Think about what key things you want the interviewer to take away from the conversation. Whether or not it's that you offer something outside the box, or connect on a cultural level, think about what will rank most importantly in conversation. AND also know what strategy to take if the conversation goes south. What will you do to keep yourself afloat.
Emphasize your potentialIf you diligently arm yourself with the tools you need before you step into a room with an interviewer, you will already be ready to shine and stand out.
Emphasize what you can do for them. Not what they can do for you. Oftentimes people go into an interview thinking "this job offers me room to grow" or "this job will give me the money I deserve/need" but not thinking that the reason they want to hire you is for what you can do for them. Keep that message front and center. If you were a salesperson, the interview is the client. Sell them.
In addition, something that wasn't emphasized was appearance. The first thing I will judge a person on in the interview is based on looks. As rough as that sounds, I am positive a majority of other people will do the same.
In a sea of black suits, men and woman alike, it's hard to be that stand-out candidate. For me, I utilize the "peacock" method. What does this mean? I literally wear something that stands out a bit in comparison to the other candidates. I've worn brightly colored shirts (but still conservative) to interviews. I've found that when I interview, I forget which face goes to what resume, and I usually refer to something in their personality or outfit. For instance, "pink shirt girl" or "fun tie guy." It's weird, but when you're meeting with a lot of people who are all wearing the same tie and suit, it's hard to remember who is who.
Beyond the 3 takeaways, you should be flexible enough to change your strategy if you're not doing well at your first rounds of interviews. If you're at least getting a second round, it usually comes down to whether or not you're the right fit or if there's another candidate. BUT if you're not getting beyond the first round, you should talk it out with someone who is experienced as both an interviewee and interviewer. This will help to identify potential weaknesses.
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