An interview cannot be over-prepared for

On a college campus, a colleague and I were conducting interviews with recent high school graduates. Most of them appeared to be well-prepared, presentable, asked good questions, and appeared to have done their homework. But there was one who stood out from the crowd, and not in a good way.

I could tell right away that this was going to be an interesting interview. He arrived ten minutes late for his interview. He appeared to have awoken ten minutes earlier than the interview. He was dressed in an old sweatshirt, denims, and sandals, and he hadn’t bothered to brush his hair.

He had not done any research on my company, had no idea what products we developed aside from our flagship product, and had no idea what kinds of jobs we were looking to fill. The most wonderful aspect, however, was that he came in expecting me to promote him on the company rather than him demonstrating why he was someone worth following. I made my decision within the first minute of the interview. It was the best interview I had all day.

If you want to work for a company, the message is clear: you must put in the effort up front to impress them enough for them to want to talk to you further. First impressions are extremely important, and simply avoiding a negative first impression is insufficient. Impartial first impressions will, at best, place you on an equal footing with other candidates and, at worst, will place you at the bottom of the list. Why some candidates gamble with first impressions baffles me; it is entirely within the candidate’s management to create that constructive first impression. If someone does not care enough to make the best impression possible, I do not need them as a worker. The end of the story.

Prepare for the interview by considering the following ideas:

Do your group research – In today’s web age, learning about almost any group is only a few mouse clicks away. Examine what the company sells, how many employees they have, their gross sales and internet revenue, and their main business challenges. The more you understand and are able to demonstrate your understanding, the more likely you are to impress your interviewer.

Speak with someone who currently works for your potential employer – Have you acquired a friend, relative, or casual acquaintance who works on the group? Buy them a cup of coffee and discuss their experience with the group. You may be taught issues that either confirm that the group is a good fit for you or cause you to not want to work there.

Request that someone conduct a mock interview with you – Ask a friend, colleague, or family member with interviewing experience to run you through a mock interview. The goal is not to be light and ask you softball questions. Your mock interviewer should ask you difficult questions to get you out of your comfort zone. The better you respond to difficult questions in a practice interview, the better you will perform in the real interview.

Learn as much as you possibly can about the job – Before the interview, ask your firm’s contact for a job description. Speak with other employees at the firm. Speak with someone who does the same job at a different company. Any knowledge you can gather will be beneficial.

Investigate your interviewer – Learn the name of the person or people who will be interviewing you. Is she or he a published author? Is she or he a published author? Is she or he giving a speech or giving a presentation somewhere you can go? Do you know anyone who might know who this person is? Is the interviewer able to access data from both the group’s and his or her personal websites? You could research a common interest or concept that will allow you to connect with your interviewer.

Gown the half – For Pete’s sake, dress as if you need a job. Make sure your sneakers are shining, your shirts or blouses are pressed, and your hair is combed. Even in today’s informal environment, most employers expect interviewees to dress business formal. I’ve never refused to hire someone because he was overdressed for an interview, but I’ve turned down quite a few who appeared to have crawled out of bed.

Be on time – Enough said.

I can’t think of a single instance in my expertise where someone was eliminated from a job search because they were too prepared for the interview. Do your homework, prepare for tough questions, and dress for the interview, and you’ll leave a favorable impression on your interviewer. It will not guarantee you a job, but it will not hurt your chances either.