Also, you need to be able to use the interview process to determine whether an organization is right for you. The interview is also the time for you to begin the process of negotiating for those things you believe necessary to ensure that you will be satisfied with an organization once you are hired. The combination of the interview—or interviews—and your postinterview correspondence are your opportunity to negotiate for what you really want.

A successful interview depends as much on what you do before the interview as on what you do during it. An interviewee who is well-prepared has much more control over the interview than one who is poorly prepared.

Be Organized

If your letter of application and resume are successful in obtaining you an invitation to an interview, you will probably receive that invitation by telephone, by email, or in a letter asking you to call and arrange for an appointment. However you receive the information, you need to be prepared:

1. Keep a copy of your resume and a list of the organizations to which you have sent applications near your phone. The list should contain the name and title of the person to whom you addressed your letter, the name and address of the organization, and the specific job for which you have applied. Also, unless you are absolutely sure, the list should contain a few notes about the organization and its products or services.

2. If you have call-waiting, cancel it. Increasing numbers of organizations are conducting the first interview entirely by telephone, and having your interview interrupted by call-waiting is a sure way to annoy the interviewer.

3. Safeguard against possible memory loss by having a pen and note pad handy. Take notes during the conversation. Make sure that you record the information correctly. More than one qualified job applicant has shown up at the wrong company at the wrong time, so make absolutely sure that you know who, what, when, and where before you hang up the phone. Make sure that you have the person’s correct name and title, and listen carefully for the correct pronunciation of his or her name.

4. Be flexible. If the day or time the person suggests for an interview is not possible for you, show flexibility in finding a time that will be convenient for both of you.

5. Express appreciation. Be sure to thank the person for inviting you. Courtesy counts. Whether you recognize it or not, the interview begins with that first telephone contact. The impression you make on the phone will carry over and influence the impression you make in person. Even if you have already decided to accept another position, you can never tell when and where you might encounter and need to rely on that person again.

Do Your Homework

Although you will have conducted some research of the organizations to which you have applied, you will need to do more before you actually have your interview. The more you know about the organization, the better off you will be. In addition to knowing the location of the organizations main plants and offices, you would do well to know the following additional details:

1. Does the organization have subsidiaries or branches? If so, what, and where are they? What is the relationship among the organization and its various parts?

2. What are the organization’s products and services? If you didn’t know before, make sure you know before the interview.

3. What are the organization’s growth patterns and its prospects for the future? Has the organization been growing or downsizing? If publicly held, has its stock been increasing in value, decreasing, or holding steady?

4. What has been written about the organization in the past two or three years? Check especially The Wall Street Journal Index and the Business Periodicals Index.

5. Does the organization have a web site? If so, make sure that you review the site and become familiar with its contents.

6. What is the organization’s style of management? Does it encourage continued education? Does it provide the training necessary for promotion from within? Are most mid- and higher-level managers long-term employees?

7. What salaries are typical of people with your educational background and work experience who are starting work with this and similar organizations? You need to know both the range (low to high) and the mode (the most frequent number).

8. What exactly will you do for the organization? If the job for which you are interviewing has an unusual title, check the Dictionary of Occupational Titles to see what the job involves. Be prepared to discuss typical job duties and your ability to perform them.

As you do this research, prepare a list of questions you would like to ask the interviewer. Be sure to avoid asking anything you should already know about the organization from having read its annual report, articles written about it, and materials posted on its web site. Ask instead about things of interest that you learned from reading about the organization. Also ask about things that would naturally interest you: the training program, the way the job you would be doing fits with the organization as a whole, and the normal career path for someone hired in the type of job for which you are applying.

You may also ask specific job-related questions concerning your duties and responsibilities, the computer hardware and software you will be using, laboratory equipment, the flow of work activity, and other job-related questions not clear from what you have read about the organization and the job.

Avoid asking about salary. If the interviewer asks you what salary you require or what you are expecting, specify a range that emphasizes the high end of what your research indicates is common for people in your occupational area. Also, a new employee should be more interested in the job and working conditions than in his or her first vacation, so avoid asking when you will be eligible for your first vacation.

Allow plenty of time to prepare for your interview. Appearance always counts—be neat and clean. Professional employment officers report that they often make their decisions on whether to hire a particular person on the basis of appearance alone, and poor personal appearance is one of the most often cited reasons for rejecting an applicant. The image you present says a great deal about you and about the way you will fit in to a particular organization.

When possible, find out before the interview how current employees of the organization dress. Most organizations still prefer their employees to present a conservative image, and most interviewers expect the interview to be more formal than normal working conditions. For this reason, when you do not know how employees dress, it is better to guess on the conservative side than to present too informal an appearance.

Your psychological appearance is also important. Many other reasons for rejecting applicants are based on the psychological impression applicants make. The following are common mistakes:

• A superior, know-it-all attitude. New college graduates sometimes make the mistake of assuming they know more about running an organization than those who have spent the past several years running it.

• Absence of purpose, no plans or career goals. Interviewers will expect college graduates to have a sense of direction and an idea about their career path.

• Laziness. Interviewers will be interested in how you spend your spare time and whether you do more than the minimum to get by.

• Greed—too motivated by salary. While it is natural to want the best salary possible, salary should not be your only consideration.

• Poor manners Social etiquette and courtesy for others are important components of business success.

• Lack of outside interests. Interest in and knowledge of national and international affairs and current events are common topics of discussion, and you will need to be able to participate.

• Desire for special treatment. Those who expect to be hired on the basis of who they are or whom they know and those who make excuses for lack of normal achievement will not do well in the interview process.

• Poor academic skills. One’s attitude toward schoolwork is a good indicator of one’s attitude toward employment.

• Negative attitudes. Because cynicism, racial or sexual bias, or other signs of hostility indicate the potential for future trouble, they are almost always cause for rejection.

Be prepared. Have extra copies of your resume (both scannable and traditional) available, and have your notes on the job for which you are interviewing. You may take notes during the interview, but keep them brief. You can fill in details when the interview is over. For some occupations, a portfolio of your work is required. For others it will be helpful. You do not need to show your work unless it is asked for, but it’s better to have it and not be asked than to be asked and not have it.

When you arrive at the office, introduce yourself to the secretary or receptionist. Be aware that in many organizations, the secretary, receptionist, or whoever greets you will be providing a summary of your interaction for those who will make the hiring decision. While waiting, observe the physical surroundings and office environment. Is it a place where you would enjoy working?

When the interviewer (or panel of interviewers) is ready for you, the receptionist may direct you to the appropriate office, or the interviewer may come directly to you. In either case, when you first meet with the interviewer, greet him or her—by name if you already know it—and extend your hand for a handshake. If you are uncertain about the custom of shaking hands in U.S. culture, find someone who understands the custom and practice. The hands should meet comfortably, and the grip should be firm but not overly tight. In general, your grip should match that of the other person. Most people in the U.S. will expect you to maintain eye contact during the handshake, which should last no longer than two or three seconds.

Do not sit down until you are asked. This is a good time to remember everything you have been taught about good posture. Sit up straight, and look alert. Maintain appropriate eye contact, and smile. Make sure that the interviewer has a good copy of your resume. If you have been selected for the interview on the basis of a scannable resume, and you also have one designed for human reading, provide the interviewer with a copy of that one as well.

The body of the interview is that portion in which the participants exchange pertinent information by means of questions and answers. The main requirements for success are careful listening and clearly worded statements. Remember that the interview works both ways: the interviewer has the opportunity to evaluate you, and you have the opportunity to evaluate the organization.

The close of the interview provides the interviewer with an opportunity to review and summarize the key points. If you have not had an opportunity to ask questions in the body of the interview, the close is your chance to do so. The close also needs to clarify the next step: the interviewer should provide at least an estimate of the time by when you can expect a decision, and it would be appropriate to ask if he or she does not.

The first interview for most jobs is a screening interview and will take about 30 minutes. Be alert to terminating signs from the interviewer; take the hint and prepare to leave. Thank the interviewer, and leave graciously. Thank the secretary or receptionist on your way out as well.

• Leading Questions. Leading questions guide the interviewee to a specific response and are typically used to confirm known information. Leading questions may be used in the opening of an interview to help the interviewer and interviewee relax: “You majored in marketing, didn’t you?” “You went to Iowa State University, didn’t you?” “Is it true that you received an academic scholarship?” Well-trained interviewers avoid leading questions unless they know for certain that a socially approved answer will result.

• Direct Questions. Direct questions call for a limited response, often “yes” or “no”: “Are you applying for the management-trainee position?” Other examples include such questions as “Where were you born?” and “Did that influence your decision to apply for a job with us?” Some direct questions may be threatening in some circumstances: “Did you go to college?” “What was your GPA?”

• Open Questions. Open questions require the interviewee to develop an extended answer. They are the interviewer’s main tool for discovering what the interviewee is like: “Tell me a bit about yourself.” “What do you expect to be doing 10 years from now?” “What do you do for relaxation?” “What would you consider your major accomplishments during the past year?”

• Probes. Probes are direct or open questions that pursue some aspect of a previous response. “Why would you like to be a district manager?” “Which do you prefer, fishing or hunting?”

• Mirror Questions. Like probes, mirror questions, serve to elicit more information about a certain aspect of a previous response. The question mirrors some part of the response:
  Interviewee: ...and then I went to Iowa State University for about a year...

  Interviewer: Iowa State University?

  Interviewee: Yes, in Ames. That’s where I...

• Hypothetical Questions. Hypothetical questions are used most frequently in employment and performance appraisal interviews. They permit the interviewee to develop an extended response exploring a particular possibility: “What changes would you make if you were district manager?” “Let’s assume that we could find the money for new equipment, what would you like to see installed?” “How do you think technology will influence our operations over the next 5 to 10 years?”

Unlike the previous types of questions, some questions tend to discourage open communication. Loaded questions, forced-choice questions, double-bind questions, and why-didn’t-you questions are the most common closed-climate questions:

• Loaded Questions. Loaded questions are leading questions that include an assumption or a value judgment that predetermines the kind of response that will be acceptable: “What do you think about Melvin Crane’s stupid behavior?” “What makes you think that you could run the organization better than it’s currently being run?” Interviewers may ask loaded questions inadvertently, as when a person who has not finished college is asked when he or she completed the degree.

• Forced-choice Questions. Forced-choice questions require the interviewee to choose between two possible answers and then defend the choice: “Which is more important to you, serving humanity or making money?” “Would you rather read Playboy or Religious Opinion magazine?” When forced-choice questions are asked during employment interviews, they are usually intended to determine the candidate’s flexibility in responding: “I think that serving humanity and making money are both important....” “I don’t read either of those magazines as a rule....”

• Double-bind Questions. Like forced-choice questions, double-bind questions present the interviewee with a choice. With forced-choice questions, however, either answer may be correct if adequately explained. With double-bind questions, neither answer is acceptable. The classic double-bind question from the days of Vaudeville is “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Note that some questions that seem innocuous may in effect be double-bind questions: “Do you drink alcoholic beverages?” If you say “no,” you may be considered antisocial; if you say “yes” you may be considered a lush.

• Why-didn’t-you Questions. Why-didn’t-you questions (and any why question that implies why-didn’t-you) accuse the interviewee of some shortcoming: “Why didn’t you do something about that when you had the chance?” “Why didn’t you tell me about that sooner?” “Why are your grades so mediocre?”

If you are asked a closed-climate question, assume that the interviewer is either testing you to see how you will respond or has simply asked the question inadvertently. Respond as though he or she has asked an equivalent open-climate question: “At the time, I didn’t have the negotiation skills to resolve that issue. Since then I have learned....” “My grades are not as good as I would have liked, but I’m proud of the fact that I was able to work full time while attending school, and I still completed my degree in four years.”

Students often want to know the right answer to these questions, but the right answer is the honest answer. If you tell the interviewer what you think he or she wants to hear, you may persuade him or her to hire you for a job for which you are not well-suited. Your objective should be to be hired for a job that will prove a good fit, one in which you can make both yourself and the organization happy.

Personal Questions

• Tell me a bit about yourself. Determine whether the interviewer is interested primarily in your personal history or your current interests and goals. Be prepared for either approach.

• What are your personal (and/or career) goals? (What do you want to do with the rest of your life?) You may be asked about career and personal goals separately, or you may be asked whether you have set any new goals for yourself recently. Graduation from college is, of course, an ideal time to set new goals, so think clearly about what your goals ought to be at this point in your life.

• Have you ever had a problem with your parents, fellow students, or your teachers? Everybody has problems with other people sometime, so think about those problems you can discuss in an interview situation. If you say “no,” the interviewer will know that you are being less than truthful.

• What books do you read for pleasure? Employers want to know whether you have an active mind, and the books you read for pleasure are the best indicator of what you are able to read and comprehend. If you do not have the habit of reading books, you might wish to select two or three of the business titles from list of nonfiction best sellers or classic business titles and read those before you begin interviewing. You may, of course, be expected to discuss the contents of the books in the interview, so memorizing authors and titles will probably not be sufficient.

• How do you spend your leisure time? (What did you do on your last vacation?) Most organizations prefer to hire those who spend their spare time in some kind of renewal activity: reading, golf, working out, traveling, or other activity that fosters physical or mental renewal. If you have been working full time while attending school, you may not have had much leisure time, so think about what you typically do when you have had vacations.

• What have you accomplished that shows initiative and willingness to work? What you have done may come from your schoolwork, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or jobs you have held to pay for your college education. Unless you have prepared for this question, it’s easy to “go blank” when you are asked.

• Do you enjoy traveling? (Do you prefer any geographic location?) Such questions are designed to reveal not only your ability to enjoy new places, people, and things, but also your suitability for positions that will require travel, perhaps including assignments overseas. If you do not like to travel, be honest and say so, or your answer may come back to haunt you. If you prefer a specific geographic location, say so. You may not get that particular job, but if location is important to you, you can doubtless find the right combination of job and location.

• What are your strengths? (What are your weaknesses?) Be prepared to discuss both your strengths and your weaknesses. Interviewers are interested primarily in how well you understand yourself and the way in which you relate to others. Are you a self-starter but you have difficulty following through? Or do you have trouble starting new projects but excellent perseverance? Ten years ago interviewees were encouraged to present perceived organizational desires as weaknesses: “My main weakness is that I’m a workaholic.” This is no longer a good strategy. Most interviewers have heard such stories too many times and are looking for a better understanding of human psychology and organizational behavior than such answers represent.

• What’s your idea of success? Interviewers may want to know whether you define success in terms of financial achievement, career accomplishment, contribution, relationships, or some other factor. While most people would say that doing well in a number of areas is necessary for “success,” what you say first will be important.

• Tell me a story. Telling a story tests your creativity and reveals many of your presuppositions about life, work, relationships, and success. Unless you are directed otherwise, answer this question by telling a story about how you faced a challenge, solved a significant problem, or demonstrated initiative or leadership. Your story might be entitled, “How I Developed Leadership Skills.”

Questions about Education

• Why did you major in . . .? Students sometimes make the mistake of selecting a major based on what they believe will be guaranteed employment when they finish college. Employers know that when students have selected their majors based on such factors that they often do not like doing the work required in that field. It’s best to select a major because you like the subject and to be able to tell interviewers why you enjoyed studying for courses in your major.

• Tell me about your senior project. (Tell me about your internship.) Interviewers often want to know whether you have been able to make specific connections between your course work in school and the world of work. Senior projects, internships, and courses with direct practical application help bridge the gap between school and work.

• What are your plans to further your education? Organizations survive and thrive based on what their employees know. At the same time, however, an organization can’t afford to have new employees work for a year or two and then quit to return to school. Either a total lack of interest in furthering your education (“I’ve really had it with school at this point and never want to open a book again”) or an overeager desire to return to school full time (“As soon as I’ve saved enough money, I’m going to go for my MBA”) would hurt your chances for success.

• How was your education financed? Interviewers have a bias toward those candidates who earned at least a portion of their college expenses. If your education was financed by scholarships and your parents, say so and shift the focus to those things you accomplished that would have not been possible had you worked your way through.

• In what way does your academic record reflect your true abilities? This question is usually asked in a way that presupposes that your academic record reflects your true abilities, which may not be the case. Be prepared to provide specific reasons that your record does or does not provide an indication of your abilities. (“My A- average indicates that I am able to learn quickly, communicate well, and retain information over time....” “My grades are not really a good indicator of my abilities because throughout college I was working 40 to 50 hours a week to finance my education....”)

• In what way did your extracurricular activities contribute to your education? Did you join a fraternity or sorority to improve your social skills? To provide opportunities for you to learn leadership skills? Did you join a student organization to increase your contact with those working as professionals in your field? Did you join a club for social or recreational opportunities? If you did not have time to take advantage of extracurricular activities because you were working, say so and go on to say something about the ways you benefited from working: “Although I was working too many hours to participate in extracurricular activities, I learned a lot about customer relations from my job at....”

Questions about Work

• Why do you want to work for our organization? (What do you think about our organization?) Interviewers are looking for specific knowledge about their organizations and the industry as a whole. Do your homework before the interview and make sure you can say good things about the organization.

• Do you prefer working with others or by yourself? This is a forced-choice question. Either answer can be correct depending on the type of work for which you are interviewing. Keep in mind, however, that virtually all organizations require at least some work in teams these days. To answer this question successfully, you will need to know enough about the work that will be required of you, how much work you will be able to perform alone, and how much will require work in a self-directed team.

• How important is salary to you? (What’s important to you in a job?) Because salary is an important measure of how much the organization values your contribution, it should be important to you. It should not, however, be your only consideration. The kind of work you will be doing, opportunities to learn and grow, the opportunity for advancement, and other factors are also important. Show the interviewer that you have a broad perspective of the relative importance of salary.

• What did you like (not like) about your last job? You should be prepared to talk about what you liked and have not liked about your previous jobs. Be careful to avoid focusing on the negative. Show that you learned something or otherwise benefited even from those aspects of your previous employment that you did not particularly enjoy.

• What did you learn on your previous jobs? Make a list of the kinds of things you have done on previous jobs, and think about the various things you learned from each of those activities. Some possibilities include accuracy, attention to detail, sense of responsibility, ability to follow instructions, customer service, ability to communicate (in person, on the phone, in writing) the ability to think quickly, the ability to use computer hardware and software (or other technology), and any number of other skills that will carry over from previous jobs to future work.

• What do you think will determine your success in our organization? This question is designed to reveal how much you think your success will be determined by your own efforts and how much will be determined by luck or whom you know. Organizations prefer to hire those with the confidence that they can influence their careers by their willingness to work and learn what’s required for advancement.

• We have more than 100 applicants for this job. Why should we hire you? Know your principal skills and strengths for each of the jobs for which you apply. In many ways this question sums up the purpose of the interview, and you need to have a ready answer for the interviewer. What makes you well-qualified for the job? Review your education and work history looking for specific examples of how your background matches what the organization is seeking.

• Rate your knowledge of our products (or services) on a scale from 1-10. You should, of course, learn everything you can about an organization’s products or services before the interview. If you rate yourself too low on this scale, the interviewer will probably conclude that you failed to do your homework or that you lack self-confidence. If you rate yourself too high, he or she will probably conclude that you are arrogant and prone to exaggeration. The safe answers are 6 to 8, and you should be prepared to demonstrate that your self-assessment is accurate.

• What major challenges do you think this industry will face over the next 10 years? Be familiar with the issues and trends facing your occupational area and the industries in which you are considering working. How will social and technological change affect your chosen occupation? How will they affect the organizations in which you would like to work? Current business periodicals are likely to have more information about changes and challenges than will be presented in your college classes.

Questions about Ethics

• What would you do if you saw another employee stealing from this organization? You will be expected to report all stealing to the appropriate person in the organization, and your answer should reflect an understanding of that expectation. You may recall that words like “stealing” are nominalizations and that their meaning may change from person to person, so you wish to provide a brief definition for “stealing” that precludes using the office photocopier for an occasional personal copy. Reporting the insignificant as “stealing” could cause as many problems as failing to report significant pilferage.

• What would you do if you saw that another employee was using or had an illegal substance on company property? As is true for theft, you will be expected to report use or possession of illegal substances to the appropriate organizational authorities and to do so immediately. Individuals who use illegal substances on the job expose themselves, their co-workers, and the organization to variety of hazards for which the organization may be held legally responsible.

• Have you ever discovered a crime being committed on the job, and, if so, how did you handle it? Even if you failed to report a crime, show that you have learned from your previous experience and would handle any future instances more appropriately.

• What would you do if you discovered a crime being committed on the job? While what you do may in part be determined by the circumstances, including the nature of the crime (domestic assault, child abuse, armed robbery, etc.), your answer should include summoning help and/or reporting the crime immediately.

Questions for the Interviewer

Before the close of the interview, you will be provided an opportunity to ask questions of the interviewer. Be prepared to ask. Interviewers consider it a negative sign if you have no questions about the job, the organization, or the industry. Use your questions to show what you do know about the organization and the industry.

Not this: What products does your company manufacture?

But this: What exactly are the differences between your ABC product and the XYZ product made by Competitor A?

Other questions you might ask include the following:

• What are the major responsibilities of the job?

• What are some of the problems facing the person you hire?

• To whom would I report? What can you tell me about him or her?

• How would you characterize your organization’s managerial philosophy?

• What happened to the person who last held this job?

• Does this organization (use the name of the organization) support the continuing education of its employees?

The theory behind stress interviews is that they force the applicant to think quickly and permit the interviewer to see the candidate as she or he really is. Certainly stress interviews will reveal how well you deal with the unexpected, and almost certainly they will be uncomfortable—if not thoroughly unpleasant. The following questions are typical of those designed to produce stress:

• I’ve already interviewed 15 people for this job. What makes you better than the others?

• Why should I be interested in you?

• That’s the ugliest tie (or blouse) I’ve ever seen. Do you always dress like that?

• How do I compare with the other interviewers you’ve met?

• I’ve never met a (your major) major who knew what he (or she) was doing. What makes you different?

• Can’t you talk a little faster? Our time is limited.

• I think (your major or a course you just said was valuable) is a complete waste of time.

• Everyone lies on application forms. What are your lies?

• Where did you get a crazy idea like that? (In response to something you just said.)

• See that (any common object in the room)? Sell it to me.

One of the main things to remember about stress interviews is that staying calm and rational is more important than anything you say or do. Be prepared to emphasize your strengths. Be well-prepared with stories that illustrate these strengths by showing how you have applied them in the past. Consider a “Go ahead and start” statement to be the same as the “Tell me a bit about yourself” question, and begin to sell yourself.

If you are greeted by silence, simply ask the interviewer if she or he is ready to begin. If you receive no response, say that you assume that she or he is using silence as a stress technique, and then begin selling yourself. Remember that there are no “right” answers in stress interviews, except the one from the old deodorant commercial, “Never let them see you sweat.”

If you are asked an offensive question, politely decline to answer it. Remember, too, that the interview is an opportunity for you to evaluate the organization and the people who work for it. If the interviewer who has been selected to represent his or her organization is obnoxious and disrespectful, what will the rest of the organization be like? If the person is too offensive, leave. No law says that you must remain. You may tell the interviewer that you find his or her technique offensive, but avoid the temptation to be offensive in return. Keep your cool, and maintain your self-respect.

Illegal Interview Questions

The following questions, for example, are all illegal before employment because answers to them may be used to discriminate against an applicant because of race, age, sex, religion, or place of national origin.

1. What is your maiden name?

2. Have you ever been employed while using another name?

3. What is your marital status?

4. Where were you born? When were you born? How old are you?

5. Can you work Saturdays? Sundays? (Legal if the job requires it.)

6. What organizations, associations, clubs, societies, and fraternities do you belong to?

7. Other than your immediate family, what are the names of three of your relatives?

8. What is the name of your nearest relative whom we can notify in case of an emergency?

9. Where did you learn to read, write, or speak a foreign language?

10. Have you ever been arrested for a crime? If yes, where?

11. What are the names of your dependent children under 18 years of age?

12. Who will take care of your minor children while you work?

13. What is the minimum salary you would accept?

14. How tall are you? What is your weight?

15. Were your wages ever garnished?

16. Are you a homeowner?

17. Do you own a car? (Legal if the job requires it.)

18. Do you have charge accounts? How much do you owe on them?

19. Where is your spouse employed?

20. Please submit a recent photograph of yourself.

Some of the information these questions would produce may be required after employment for a variety of reasons, but before the applicant is hired, these questions are illegal. Not all interviewers, however, are sufficiently informed of the law to avoid all illegal questions.

Some illegal questions may occur naturally in the course of your conversation with the interviewer. If, for example, you say that you and your husband have recently moved to town, the interviewer might naturally ask, “What does your husband do?” If you mention that you are fluent in Spanish, the interviewer might naturally ask where you learned to speak the language.

If you are asked an illegal question, attempt to determine the intent behind the question. Is the interviewer asking so that she or he can perhaps pay you less than another person would receive, or is she or he simply trying to conduct a friendly interview? If you are concerned about how the information will be used, ask. Express your concern in a straightforward way and remain friendly.

Poor Interview Questions

In addition to asking illegal questions inadvertently, some untrained interviewers will simply ask poor questions. You may encounter an interviewer who phrases questions so that you are encouraged to answer “yes” or “no” rather than provide the kinds of complete answers that would help you sell yourself. If this happens, answer the question the interviewer should have asked rather than the one actually asked.

If asked this:	Answer this:
Are you qualified for this job?	What have you accomplished that illustrates your qualifications for this job?
Can you accept criticism?	How do you respond to criticism? Can you give me some specific examples?
Do you have leadership skills?	What have you done that illustrates your leadership skills? Do the groups to which you belong look to you for leadership? Why do you think this is so?
Do you get along with others?	What is your interpersonal style? How do you handle interpersonal conflict?
Did you enjoy your job at XYZ?	What did you like about your job at XYZ?
Are you ambitious?	What are your goals? What does success mean to you?

Second interviews may last several hours and many include a tour of the facility, a meal, or both. The longer time allows both you and your prospective employer an excellent opportunity to see what the other is like. The time limitation of first interviews does not permit an extensive exploration of many of the factors that will contribute to your success in the organization. By the time of the second interview, the organization is fairly well convinced that you have the technical qualifications to perform (or to learn to perform) the job for which you are applying. The second interview will tell them whether your social skills, attitude toward work, attitude toward the organization, and adaptability will make you an asset to the organization.

Social Skills

Second interviews test your skills at meeting people—learning and remembering names, being cordial with and accepting of others, and answering questions from a variety of people. Social manners—and mannerisms—are important.

While you will not be expected to remember everyone’s name and job title after brief introductions, be prepared to learn the names and titles of several people during the course of the interview. Those interviewing will watch to see how well you interact with others. Do you wait until others are through speaking, or do you interrupt? Do you use eye contact to make all members of the group feel included? Do you hold the door for others or let it slam behind you?

If your interview includes a meal, your table manners will also be important. Are you able to eat and carry on a conversation at the same time? Do you talk with your mouth full? Do you hold your utensils correctly? Your social skills at the table will tell your interviewers a great deal about you and your ability to fit into the organization. If you are insecure about your table manners, consult a book on etiquette and practice good table manners until they become automatic.

If you have not had much restaurant experience, it would be helpful for you to have lunch or dinner at two or three of your area’s better restaurants. Go with a group of friends who will also be interviewing, wear the clothes you plan to wear to the interview, and help each other with etiquette. Discuss current events, the economy, and other factors concerning the business climate. Ask each other questions about the kind of work you plan to do following graduation.

Attitude Toward Work

The second interview will also give the interviewers a good opportunity to explore your attitude toward work. Organizations would rather hire people who work primarily because they want to work and only secondarily because they have to. Your degree of interest in your previous jobs and in the kind of work for which you are applying will be important indicators of your attitude toward work.

Ask yourself which of your previous jobs you enjoyed the most and why, what job you would enjoy doing the most if you could do anything you wanted to, and how much you enjoyed taking classes in your major area of study. People who have enjoyed previous jobs, have specific ideas about the kind of work they enjoy the most, and have enjoyed academic preparation for a particular career are more likely than others to continue to enjoy working and learning new skills.

Attitude Toward the Organization

An organization will also be interested in your attitude toward it. How familiar are you with its products or services? Do you have faith in the quality of the organization’s products or services? (Did you drive a General Motors car to your interview at the Ford Motor Company?)

Doing your homework before a second interview is critical because the interviewers will have a longer time to explore your degree of interest in the organization. You will be expected to hold up your end of the conversation about the organization’s products or services. Your interviewers will infer your attitude based on the quality of your answers to their questions and the questions you ask them about their operations, policies, products, or services.

Adaptability

By the time of the second interview, your technical skills in a particular job area will probably be assumed, and the organization will want to explore your promotability. As you move up the ladder in any organization, the skills required for success on the job will change. Generally speaking, the path of promotion will take you from (1) doing the work, to (2) supervising others who do the work, to (3) planning how the work should be done, to (4) deciding what work should be done.

As you are promoted from one job level to another, your duties will become less specific and less concerned with technique and more general and more concerned with people. During the second interview, your interviewers will try to determine whether you have the human relations potential for success at higher job levels. The following are some negative behaviors that interviewers often use to eliminate people from further consideration:

• Personal complaints. People who have numerous personal complaints (and they can be about anything—from school, to family, to working conditions, to the weather) rarely succeed as managers. Managers must actively seek solutions to problems, and people who spend a great deal of time complaining rarely have the time to work on solving problems.

• Excuses. A legitimate reason for a negative outcome or problem is different from an alibi for failure to make an effort. Such excuses mark a person as unsuitable for management positions. The worst kinds of excuses are those blaming others.

• Unwillingness to share information. Management is a cooperative task. People who attempt to make themselves look good by concealing negative information—either from their bosses or from their associates—may succeed for a while, but bad news eventually surfaces. It is much better to share potentially important information early so that appropriate action is possible.

• History of insubordination. To maintain their own authority, managers need to respect the authority of those who supervise them. Going over a manager’s head (except as a last resort when the problem is serious), engaging in hostile confrontation, and other signs of disrespect for a manager will disqualify a person for managerial consideration.

The following attitudes indicate your adaptability and thus your promotability:

• Optimism. While honesty prevents you from ignoring negative elements around you, you will do better in life if you focus on the positive aspects of any situation rather than the negative ones. A previous job, for example, may have been unpleasant in many respects, but you should have been able to learn something of value, make friends, or earn money to further your education. Emphasize those positive aspects when you speak to the interviewer.

• Fairness. In discussing problems and possible solutions, focus on facts rather than on personalities. Be fair to others even when you disagree with them.

• Helpfulness. Show that you are willing to do what you can to make your supervisor’s job easier. Express a willingness to assume appropriate responsibilities; show that you understand that the manager has his or her own job to be concerned about and that your needs are only a part of your manager’s responsibilities—perhaps only a small part.

The forms seem simple enough, yet countless people make mistakes in completing them and consequently are refused further consideration for particular jobs. In completing job application forms, be sure to

1. Read the instructions carefully and follow all directions. For example, note whether the form asks for reverse chronological order for your job history, and, if so, be sure to list your most recent job first. If the form asks you to print, be sure to print rather than using cursive writing.

2. Answer every question, even when the answer may be none or not applicable.

3. Be specific. Especially for broad categories, such as type of work and subjects of special study, have definite answers in mind. For questions about expected salary, make sure that you know your market value.

4. Spell correctly. Know how to spell the names of your previous employers and your references. You may be required to complete the job application form as part of the first or second interview, so be prepared.

While your second letter requesting an interview should be essentially the same as the first (especially if several months have elapsed), you should mention that you are writing a second time because of your serious interest in the organization and your belief that you can make a significant contribution to its ability to achieve its objectives. Even though one objective of the interview is to secure the job for you, your task is not over with the interview. You should pursue your objective until you have been hired, rejected, or have decided that you would be better off working for another company.

Correspondence after both the first and second interviews has one or more of the following objectives:

1. To bring your name to the attention of the interviewer one more time.

2. To improve your interviewer’s opinion of you by
   • Expressing appreciation for the interview.
   • Overcoming deficiencies discovered during the interview.
   • Offering new information to strengthen your application.
   
   

3. To express continued interest in a particular job.

4. To find out more about a particular job or organization.

5. To negotiate for
   • More money.
   • More time to decide about an offer.
   • A change in some aspect of the job.
   • A more rapid decision about your job status.
   
   

6. To accept a job offer.

7. To refuse a job offer.

Thank-you Letters

Thank-you letters are the most frequent of the follow-up letters. Every interview you have, regardless of whether you still want the job or of how you were treated in the interview, deserves to be followed with a letter of thanks. Thank-you letters can be either simple or complex, depending on how much work they need to do. When you are no longer interested in the job, you could, for example, simply write the following:

Thank you for discussing the junior accountant’s job with me last Tuesday. I was glad to meet you and greatly appreciated your frank discussion of the duties involved.

As we agreed in the interview, I would be happier working for a company that would expose me to a variety of accounting functions. I did enjoy talking with you, and I’m sure that you’ll find the ideal candidate for the job.

When you still want the job and the interview went well (that is, you are fairly convinced that the organization will offer you the job), a short thank-you letter expressing your continued interest will suffice. It is more often the case, however, that you will need to improve your interviewer’s opinion of you either by overcoming deficiencies that were discovered during the interview or by offering some new information that you believe will strengthen your application. In such cases, you will need to write a complex follow-up letter, which is essentially a negotiation.

Use the following organizational pattern:

Pace: Thank the reader for having taken the time to interview you. Your thanks is a positive opening that places your letter in a specific communication context and paces the reader’s expectations.

Lead: Show that you have learned something in the interview. Mention helpful answers to your questions or supplemental information presented by the interviewer (such as books he or she recommended to you).

Blend Outcomes: Deal in a direct manner with the deficiencies that came up during the interview. The damage was done during the interview, and your objective is to overcome the negative element by stating what you have done or will do to correct the deficiency or by offering a fuller explanation for the problem than you did during the interview. Be especially careful to avoid arguing with the reader:

You said that I don’t have adequate training in written communication, but I do. I took the required course in business communication and earned an A.

Focus instead on what you are doing to correct the problem, such as taking additional courses, enrolling in a special training program, or buying books to help overcome the deficiency. Show that you are willing to overcome problems and emphasize the various ways in which you can make a contribution to the organization.

Motivate: Avoid pushing. It’s all right to assert yourself and to desire to know more, but avoid being aggressive. Express your continued interest and whether you might answer additional questions.

The sample follow-up letter illustrates these points.

Inquiries and Negotiations

While your initial thank-you letter following the interview may easily and naturally contain questions about aspects of the job that you were not able to ask during the interview, it is more difficult to write a letter (after the initial thank-you letter) with no purpose other than to ask further questions about the job or to negotiate with a prospective employer for more money, more time to decide about taking a job, a change in some aspect of the job, or a more rapid decision about your application.

Some people may feel that requesting more information about an organization or a particular job may be viewed as criticism. Actually, the reverse is true. As long as your inquiry is legitimate—about something you should know before accepting a job with that organization or about something for which the information is not readily available elsewhere (the organization’s annual report or web pages, for example), asking will demonstrate your real interest in the organization and place your name before the interviewer one more time. Treat inquiries about job matters the same as you would other inquiries, and use the organizational pattern presented in the section on obtaining information.

Negotiations also present problems. Every negotiation is a risk, and when you negotiate, you should be prepared to lose. By asking for more money or a change in job duties, for example, you run the risk of not getting what you want and creating resentment in your reader that will reduce your chances of getting the job at all. For this reason, most letters of negotiation need to include enough positive information to prevent the writer from losing what she or he has already gained. Suppose, for example, you received the following letter:

Thank you for the prompt return of the completed application form. This expression of your continued interest is sincerely appreciated.

We are still interested in your background and would like to consider you for our September 10 Sales Management Development training class. However, because your graduation isn’t until August, I would like to delay further consideration until July. If this presents a problem, please drop me a note.

You really want to work for this organization, but other good organizations have made you more definite and attractive offers already, and they require your answer by mid-June. How do you answer the letter? Here is how one student handled this situation:

Thank you for your letter. Because I am particularly interested in the job you described at Steele, I would be grateful if you would make a final decision about my eligibility for your Sales Management Development class by early June.

As you probably know, I have also been interviewing with several other companies, and I have been asked to give these companies my decision by the middle of June. While Steele is the company for which I would prefer to work, I would like to know what my opportunities will be with you before I refuse other offers.

Please let me know if another interview would help you decide. The University of Illinois has spring break from April 14 to April 23, and I could see you any time during that week. Or, with only short notice, I could visit La Crosse at some other time convenient to you.

Note that the student does not explicitly state that the situation requires an either/or decision. The letter implies that if the Steele Company does not make a definite job offer by early June, the student will have to accept one of the other job offers. This illustrates one of the basic premises of negotiations: you cannot negotiate unless you have something with which to negotiate.

When you negotiate for more money, you must be able to offer tangible evidence that you are worth more money. When you negotiate for more time to decide about a job or for a change in some aspect of the job duties, you must be able to provide evidence to support the worthiness of your request. And in all cases, do not negotiate unless you are prepared to lose.

Job-Acceptance Letters

Job-acceptance letters rarely present problems. They should begin with the acceptance of the job. Because the letter offering the job and the letter accepting it will constitute a contract, you need to make sure that you understand exactly what is being offered before you accept. Also, your letter of acceptance should include those aspects of the job, its responsibilities and its rewards that you consider essential parts of the offer. The sample job-acceptance letter illustrates these points.

Job-Refusal Letters

Job-refusal letters are negative messages and employ many of the strategies of other negative messages (see Writing Negative Messages). The reader will undoubtedly have other qualified applicants to choose from, but his or her feelings can still be hurt by your refusal. Try to keep the reader on your side. Base your refusal on reasons that leave the door open for possible future employment with the organization, and express continued interest in the firm. Do not, however, imply that you may at some later date leave the organization whose offer you are accepting. The sample job-refusal letter illustrates these points.

Letters of Resignation

Like job-refusal letters, job-resignation letters are negative messages and use the same basic strategies as those shown in the section on Writing Negative Messages. In most cases, you will announce your resignation orally, and the letter will be useful primarily as a matter of record. Even when your employer knows in advance that you are resigning, you should use the letter to help retain good feelings between you and your employer in spite of the fact that you are resigning. You can do this by including the following components:

• Showing that you learned something while working for the organization.

• Providing ample notice (what’s ample depends on the job level—in general, the higher the job level, the more notice is required).

• Expressing willingness to train a replacement.

• Explaining your reasons for leaving.

• Offering constructive suggestions when possible (being careful to avoid gratuitous criticism).