Interviewing is a key part of the hiring process. Here is an array of content that I’d encourage you to review before your interview. This information comes from direct feedback from hiring managers, my team’s collective experience as hiring managers AND recruiters, and other published works. I hope you find them useful as you prepare for your interview.

1. First impressions are paramount: look professional, jacket and tie for men, professional garb for women. It’s fine to OVERDRESS for an interview. Underdressing can be fatal.
2. Greet with a firm handshake and a smile.
3. SMILE OFTEN….few other mannerisms will make a more lasting impression.
4. Maintain eye contact as much as possible – it makes a HUGE difference.
5. Keep your energy up. If you have a long interview, be sure to ask for WATER and stay hydrated. If it’s a long session, bring a banana or apple just in case you need “no mess” sustenance.
6. Know the product line as much as possible. Visit the web site, poke around. The more familiar you are with the product and company, the richer your questions will be. Plus, it’s a healthy signal that you are engaged and interested in what lies ahead.
7. Write a follow up Thank You email right to each person you interview within 24 hours. Also, be sure to collect business cards from each person you speak with.  (SEE THE ARTICLE BY JOHN HARTNETT on the Thank You Note at the end of this file). Also, this link about Thank You notes from Fiona Foley is helpful: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-thank-you-email-after-job-interview-2019-4. If it’s a LARGE committee you’re speaking with…one generic email thank you sent to your JFA rep will suffice as he/she will share it with the group.
8. Make sure your resume tells a story. By that, I mean that ALL your past jobs should point toward the job you are interviewing for. Fact is, each job you’ve had has given you new skills and facets that make you THE BEST applicant for the job in front of you. You should be comfortable telling that story in the interview. Hiring mgrs oftentimes want to know “how things fit together” from your past. This exercise helps you convince the hiring mgr of this fit.
9. Have a couple “success stories” at the ready to cite in the interview. These specific examples demonstrate your abilities – in marketing, in sales, in editorial, in management, in IT – and give the hiring manager a more vivid picture of your skills.
10. If you like what you hear in the interview – TELL THE MGR YOU WANT THE JOB. It might seem obvious, but doing this will distinguish you from 90% of other candidates
11. We don’t encourage candidates to talk salary. That’s our job. HOWEVER, it’s important BEFORE THE INTERVIEW that YOU and your JFA recruiter are on the same page on salary – past salaries, current salary, desired salary! If we are in synch…there’s no reason to not share salary info during an interview (if allowed…see below for more on that). Generally speaking, salary doesn’t typically arise in interviews until the end of the process but let’s use these rules just in case. Lately, more and more states PROHIBIT discussion of salary history. See here for the list of these states https://www.hrdive.com/news/salary-history-ban-states-list/516662/. Given that, the question to candidates become “what are your salary expectations?” So…that’s the OTHER thing to be ready for in an interview.
12. On any application you complete (online or hard copy), we recommend that you leave salary questions blank. This is confidential information. Applications are occasionally handled very cavalierly and salary information can become public knowledge.  However, if the hiring HR department is insistent, then definitely put your accurate compensation but not your required compensation.  Salary is an issue that could be negotiated between the hiring mgr and the recruiter who represents YOU. If the hiring party insists on negotiating directly with you….BE SURE to include US in the loop to give you the optimal negotiating result.
13. If someone asks you about salary, the best response is “Jack has asked that all salary discussion be directed to him, and I’m comfortable with that.” If you get pushed into a corner for a salary answer, then be honest and be sure it reflects any discussions that you and your recruiter have already had. WE ARE A TEAM on this very important part of the process.
14. Be prepared to provide references but chances are you WILL NOT need them till the very end of the process.  Always be sure to confirm with your colleagues in advance, that they are comfortable providing you with positive references.  Try to provide the names to me as well.  Some companies like to do their own reference checking and others ask me to expedite the process.
15. Be positive. Never run from one job to “this job.” Instead, have a cogent reason why leaving your current job for this one makes sense in your career progression and in “your story.”
16. Similarly, be able to talk about why you left each job on your resume. Don’t be defensive, just the facts please…and never run down a former employer…even if they deserve it. It reflects very badly on a candidate.
17. Bring an extra copy of your resume with you…just in case.
18. TURN YOUR PHONE/SMARTPHONE COMPLETELY OFF…NO VIBRATE…GO AIRPLANE MODE ….OFF! AND DO NOT LOOK IT AT DURING YOUR INTERVIEW. FOCUS ONLY ON THE DISCUSSION AT HAND. Several candidates have lost out because of a preoccupation with their phone during the interview…it’s a major turnoff.  
19. Be VERY careful if considering a COUNTER OFFER from your firm. 70-80% of those accepting counter offers are NOT with the firm a year later. The reasons? See the article that follows for details. The dynamic that occurs between an employee who’s been countered and countering firm can go south in a hurry. Our advice is…commit to the career change and stick with it…ONWARD and UPWARD!!!
20. Increasingly, clients are utilizing video conferencing to save on cost and time. The technology is improving which is a good thing and no doubt will continue to do so. Here are some key things to consider in this setting: 1) be sure the lighting is good in your venue, 2) recall that YOU ARE ON SCREEN and all gestures (scratching nose, looking for notes, yawning) and environmental elements (dog barking in background, door bell ringing, interruptions by colleagues, etc.) are amplified. Find a quiet, professional location for the call, 3) NO LOUD clothing please…, 4) EYE CONTACT remains KEY so look at the camera…not the screen, 5) BE UNFLAPPABLE! in that the technology could fail so be sure to have alternate call-in info in case the screen goes dark and the link fails….more than ever…prepare for the unexpected. 6) REMEMBER to SMILE…still the #1 body language tool.

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