Use the checklist below to identify your interviewing strengths and areas for improvement. When you click on "No", you'll go to a page with information on that item.

Can you list the personal qualities the employer wants in a worker? Put a check beside the ones that the interviewer knows you have. 

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Employers want to be sure they are hiring the right person. They want the answers to two big questions:

1. Do you have the skills and/or experience that they need?

2. Will you be able to work with them and fit in with the other employees?

Employers will probably not ask you these two questions directly. Instead, they will ask you many other questions and then decide whether you have what they need. Most interviews are short, maybe only 15 or 20 minutes. You must make sure that when you leave, the employer has answered YES to the two big questions. How can you do that? You must find:

To uncover this valuable information, you must ask the right questions and really listen to the answers.

Three questions you must ask:

1. What skills or experience are you looking for in the person who takes this job?

2. What results will this worker be expected to produce?

3. What attitudes or personal qualities do you think a worker needs to fit in here?

Never leave an interview without the answers to these questions.

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Some people say things easily; for others, words come hard. Whatever your speaking skills, you might use the seven ideas below to get better results from phone calls and interviews. These ideas were first presented by Robert Anthony in his book, The Magic Power of Super Persuasion.

1. Use words that move you forward.

Some words are friendly: they make people feel like responding to you with a smile. You already know about "please" and "thank you," but there are more. For instance, calling people by their names or mentioning the name of the company: "I would very much like to work for BestCo, Mr. Brown."

2. Drop words that hold you back.

Some words cause people to turn away, even though they may not understand why they do so. Try to stay away from "I" words. You want to communicate on the employer's terms, not yours. Also, avoid words like "sort of" or "maybe" that make you sound uncertain.

3. Use simple words.

4. Do not wave red-flag words.

Some words make you sound critical or angry. Avoid "shoulds" and "ought to's" and other words that put people on the defensive. When describing your injury, avoid descriptions such as "I broke my back." Replace it with "I injured my back."

5. Avoid slang.

6. Say what you mean.

You've thought a lot about your skills, attitudes and results produced. This means you will be able to express yourself well. This is even easier if you have written your ideas and statements down. You won't be reading from your notes, of course, but what you say will come out with more authority and make a better impression.

7. Mean what you say.

When you say that you'll follow up in a week or send a resume, do so. This gives you credibility. People learn you can be counted on. That's the kind of employees that employers want.

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When you research the company and job, it's easy to figure out which of your skills, attitudes and results produced are most important. Here are ways to describe yourself:

Describing Skills:

The employer says: "We're looking for someone who can not only type, file, and answer phones. We want someone who can do all three at the same time while smiling and greeting walk-in customers.

The worker says: "As a receptionist at Jim's Quick Print, I typed invoices, maintained numerical and alphabetical files, worked a five-line phone, and handled a very busy front counter. That sounds very much like what you need."

Describing Attitudes:

The employer says: "I need someone who will give 110% whenever it's needed. Our business comes in spurts, and you've got to give great service to all our customers regardless of when they need it."

The worker says: "At Charlie's Automotive we often had times during the day that were busy. Many times, I'd take my lunch break late or skip a break so that I could help with a rush. I know that this kind of service brought customers back.

Describing results:

The employer says: "This is a production job. We need someone who can keep up with our 100-units-a-day production. Ideally we would like a person who could even help increase that.

The worker says: At BestCo Machine Shop I filled job orders that called for 1,000 of the same item. I saw a way of doing this that could save time. I presented this idea to my boss. She adopted it and it increased production by 10%.

In each case the worker had a story ready to back up what he or she said. When you know beforehand what a company produces and a job requires, you can be really ready. Notice also the way to talk about yourself:

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When you have a disability that limits your ability to do certain parts of a job, you need to know about job site modification.

A number of years ago the Dupont Company in Wilmington, Delaware did a landmark study on its workers with disabilities. Workers had impairments related to allergies, amputations, epilepsy, hearing, heart, mental function, paralysis, respiratory and vision. Here's what Dupont found:

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides information to both employers and workers with disabilities on possible job site modifications. Here's what their records show:

In other words, job site modification increased productivity and cost little. Job site modifications work for you and the employer. Share this information with employers. Everybody wins!

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You did your research. You've looked over the notes on the job and company. As you approach the entrance to the building, you feel those familiar butterflies stirring in your stomach. You enter and the receptionist greets you. He directs you to the interview.

Within five minutes-- or less-- the interviewer will decide whether or not you are a likely choice for the job. How can this be?

Think about what you do when you meet someone new. You get a feeling or a first impression of that person. You sense whether or not you are going to hit it off. Interviewers do the same thing.

The first impression you make comes from your:

Based upon these, the interviewer decides whether or not you are likely to be right for the job. You will then be interviewed in a way that supports that belief. If the interviewer has a favorable first impression, she will ask questions that bring out your strong points and reasons to hire you. If the first impression is not favorable, the interview will be a rocky road. And remember: You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

Fortunately, it's not that hard to develop habits that help you make a positive first impression. Let's look at how you can do this. Let's look at initial greeting, posture, and appearance.

Initial greeting

This is easy. All you have to do is:

Practice these four steps until they feel natural. Look in the mirror and see how you smile. Practice walking across a room, making eye contact, and extending your hand in greeting. Practice saying the interviewer's name correctly. This will help you feel less nervous and that adds to your first impression, too.

Posture

Walk into your interview with your head up, standing tall. Think, "I'm excited about being here. I am making this the best interview I can." Remember that you have something of value that this employer needs--your skills, attitudes, and results produced.

Try to seat yourself so that there is nothing between you and the interviewer. A desk, for instance, can become a barrier to communication. When you sit, take a moment to relax yourself:

What do you see? Are there pictures, awards, diplomas, or other things that you feel comfortable commenting on. Do so as a first step, an "icebreaker," in meeting the interviewer.

Be relaxed in sitting, but don't slouch. Be aware of your body and what it is doing. Are you tapping your foot, wringing your hands, rubbing your nose, yawning? These are all signs of being nervous and you can control them.

Lean forward in your chair as you speak. Let your excitement come out. Nod your head and maintain eye contact as you listen to the interviewer.

You should practice all of these posture techniques.

Appearance

Primarily, you need to know what is worn in the industry or company in which you want to work. Visit places that hire people who do what you want to do. See how the employees dress. Notice hair styles, and whether there are beards, moustaches, or accessories like bracelets and earrings. Are the outfits sporty or conservative? Each company has certain written or unwritten dress codes. Your interview outfit should match these standards and even be one step above them.

Hundreds of books have been written about interview clothing. Take a look at a few of them at the library.

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In the interview, you can control how you present your physical abilities to an employer.

Remember, it's not just your physical abilities an employer needs. Your attitude, skills, and results you can produce are also important. Let the employer know about these.

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As the interview comes to an end, you must lay the groundwork for a job offer. The steps below show how.

Step 1: Pick two or three major parts of the job as explained by the employer. Briefly summarize them. With each part, state how you can do it or learn to do it.

Explanation: This shows the employer that you understand the job requirements and that you believe you can do it or learn to do it. You also are giving the employer a chance to clear up any wrong impressions you might have.

Step 2: Ask which of the required skills you may lack.

Explanation: As the employer answers this question, he or she is telling you what could stand in the way of a job offer. This gives you a chance to correct any wrong impressions the employer may have.

Step 3: Ask which of your skills will be useful in doing the job.

Explanation: The employer will be telling you why he or she should hire you. This helps the employer see how you are the right person for the job. If important points are left out, you can add them.

Just before you leave the interview, take the last three steps of "the close."

Step 4: State very clearly that you want to work for the company.

Explanation: Even if you have doubts about this, it's important to say it. Many times, you will not learn all the facts about a job until an offer is made. New information may clear up your doubts. Also, let's face it, it's good for your confidence to receive a job offer, even if you decide to turn it down.

Step 5: Ask when a decision will be made. Try to learn a specific time (in two hours, three days, etc.). If the employer says, "We're going to make a decision soon," you ask, "When you say soon, do you mean tomorrow or next week?"

Explanation: This again shows your interest in the job. You also learn when to make your follow-up call. Many interviewers will say, "We'll be contacting everybody, one way or the other." Do not believe this. Most companies don't have the time or resources to do so. YOU should make a follow-up call after every interview.

Step 6: Thank the interviewer and let him or her know you appreciate the time taken out of a busy day.

Explanation: As simple as this sounds, most applicants don't do it. When you do it, you set yourself apart from the competition. This adds to the positive impression you have made.

These six steps lead to more job offers. If you are not offered a job, you will have a better understanding of why. Then you can take actions to increase your chances of landing the next job offer.

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Before your interview, print this page and answer these questions. Go to the Information Source page for sources of the information you need to answer the questions. The more you know, the better impression you will make.

The Basic Info

Interview date and time:

Interviewing for:

Company:

Phone/Address:

Interviewer's name and position:

Directions to company:

Information That Shows I Know About the Job

Job description:

Product or Service:

Skills required to do this work:

Attitudes required to do this job:

Results I'll need to produce:

Information That Shows I Know About the Company

How long in business:

Number of employees:

Other branches:

Customers:

What advertising sells:

Competitors:

Is the company growing, maintaining, or losing business? Why?

Is the industry growing, maintaining, or losing business? Why?

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Listening is a skill you can develop. Concentrate on hearing and understanding all that is said. Here's how:

You can practice becoming a good listener; try these listening skills with a friend. After five or ten minutes of repeating, nodding, smiling, and maintaining eye contact, ask your friend if he or she thinks you were paying close attention. If your friend says yes, you're on the right track.

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When we talk, we communicate in three different ways:

1. With our bodies. This is what the listener sees. It is non-verbal communication like our clothes, posture, and facial expressions. Even when we never open our mouths, we're still making statements. Non-verbal communication makes up more than half of our total message.

2. With our ways of speaking-- our delivery. This is what the listener hears in our tone of voice, as well as how quickly or loudly we speak, or how high or low pitched our voice is. EEyore in the book Winnie the Pooh is a great example. No matter what he said, he sounded depressed. The way you talk accounts for one-third of your total message.

3. With our words. These account for less than 10% of our total message. Words are important, of course, but if the listener doesn't like what he sees or hears, your words are not going to change anything.

So, 90% of your message is non-verbal communication. Ninety percent is in how you speak, rather than what you say.

How can you get the right message across?

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In many ways, this little note is as important as the interview. When the interviewer has seen two, three, or seven applicants in a day, they start mixing together in his mind. A thank-you note takes you out of the pile and sets you apart from the competition.

Keep your note brief. You can tell what to put in your note by completing this Post Interview Checklist.

If the interview went well simply include these three points:

You can tell the interview did not go so well if:

These are just some possible ways an interview can go bad. Once you identify what happened in your interview, you can mention it in your thank-you note.

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