The Ultimate Guide for Job Interviews or How To Memorize Speeches

(This article was originally published on Tumblr; https://danieljleblanc.tumblr.com/post/163794477513/the-ultimate-guide-for-job-interviews-or-how-to)

By Daniel LeBlanc, MCS, VPPR Watkins Toastmasters Club #8424

Doing well at a job interview is difficult for most people. It’s such a nerve-wracking experience. They seem to ask the most ridiculous questions sometimes.

Here is my short-list of the things I will cover in this article;

1)     Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know the answer to a question.

2)     Always be honest on your resume and in an interview.

3)     Be friendly and communicative. Let your personality shine.

4)     Be confident but modest.

5)     Schedule practice interviews to improve your interview skills.

6)     Study the subject matter for the position you are applying for.

7)     How can I quickly memorize presentations or interview answers?

8)     Research the company you are going to interview for.

9)     Have questions prepared to ask when it is your turn.

10)  Consider volunteer opportunities to practice or join a Toastmasters club!

I remember once at a job interview for a software developer position I was asked the following; Name the 3 pillars of object-oriented programming and tell me what they are.

Any developer who has been out of school for any reasonable length of time would likely struggle with this question. An experienced interviewer would tell you that questions like this are asked to test your honesty and reaction when you don’t know the answer.

I told the interviewer I remembered studying that in C++ or C# programming class but I didn’t really remember the answer. I assured her though that if I needed to know the answer to do my work that I would either ask someone I worked with or look it up on the Internet myself.

That’s the best answer you can give in a situation like this and it shows that you are honest about not knowing the answer but that you are resourceful in getting the information you need to do your job.

You should always be honest in a job interview. If you are unsure of an answer then don’t make stuff up. Just be honest and admit you don’t know the answer.

The number one thought on the minds of most interviewers is about personality and a fit for the culture of the company that is hiring. When interviewing for a technical position it is critical that you can answer technical questions but nobody knows everything. Interviewers always want to stump a candidate to check the honesty factor as well as their resourcefulness and personality quirks when faced with a difficult challenge.

An interviewer can tell a lot about someone’s personality from the way they react in situations like these.

Confidence is another key consideration in an interview. Especially if you are applying for a position that is customer-facing or working with key stakeholders; you need to be able to appear confident. A confident appearance and communicative personality is critical to a position where you are the voice of a company. 

Don’t confuse confidence with bravado or windy-attitude however. Appearing pompous or self-important is counter-productive in an interview. Teamwork is a key consideration in the modern workplace and people who are too grandiose can be a liability to a company.

How do you learn confidence or to be confident?

Confidence typically comes with age and experience but it can be learned or at least practiced. The best way to become more confident is to put yourself out there and not be afraid of rejection or failure. Volunteer in your community and learn to be a better communicator. Many people lack confidence simply because they lack social skills. Even if the job you are applying for doesn’t involve working with customers you are going to have to communicate to your co-workers. Social skills are a critical job skill.

Why am I so nervous in a job interview?

Basically we are afraid of rejection. The rejection damages our ego and while it is happening it feels like we may never recover. You have to be brave and use self-talk techniques to remember that there are millions of companies and other fabulous jobs in the world.

What is the worst that can happen in a job interview? You don’t get the job. But you didn’t have the job to begin with so really you are no worse off. The worst that can happen is that you don’t get hired, unless you lie. 

Doesn’t everyone lie on their resume or in job interviews?

No, most people are honest. Recruiters do network. If you are caught in a major lie on your resume or during a job interview then you can bet that recruiter is going to be talking about it. In the best-case scenario you’ll likely never get asked to interview with that recruiter for any position. In a worst-case scenario they could mention it to other recruiters who will avoid your resume. Always be honest in everything.

Recruiters are also trained lie detectors. Many of them have backgrounds in psychology or have at least taken courses in psychology and know what to look for in regards to lying. Don’t even bother trying. Even if you get a job because of a lie sooner or later you are going to be caught.

Where can I practice my job interview skills?

The best way I know to get better at something is to practice. Whenever I begin a new job hunt the first thing I do is to get some practice interviews. I begin by applying for jobs I don’t really want. By submitting my resume for jobs that are similar to my ideal job I get lots of calls for interviews that I don’t really care about. It doesn’t bother me when I do poorly at an interview for a job I don’t really want.

After every practice interview I immediately write down what I was asked as well as the answers I gave. I run through the entire interview in my mind and think about the things I might have done wrong as well as the areas where I think I did well. I also look carefully at any questions I may have struggled with and I make sure I learn the answers in the event someone asks me the question again.

How should I prepare for a job interview?

The first thing to do is to find out everything you can about the company and the position from the recruiter or the person who schedules your interview. Be sure to make careful notes right from the start. When you get into the interview you want to make it clear that you did your research.

Search the Internet to find out as much information about the company. While you are in the process, be thinking about potential questions that you can ask in the interview that will show you did your research and are seriously thinking about what it would be like to come to work there.

Also research the position. Use the position title to find available online interview questions. Many people in hiring positions don’t have time to think of original questions. They might have one or two standard questions that they always ask in an interview but when it comes to technical questions they usually look them up online themselves. If you are applying for a position as an MS SQL administrator, for instance, then do an Internet search on “interview questions for MS SQL”. If you are applying for a position as a digital social media specialist then do an Internet search on “interview questions for digital social media”.

You will be amazed at the results that come up for searches such as this. Most hiring managers and staff have other full-time jobs. I have often discovered that the questions I am asked in job interviews come directly from the results I find with searches like this. Look through the specific technical requirements for the position you are applying for and search the Internet for interview questions about those topics. 

Study the information you find in your research and be prepared to answer those questions in an interview. 

There are so many interview questions, how can I memorize the answers to all of these interview questions?

For technical questions with detailed definitions, I always use flashcards. Simply creating the flashcards gives you a foundation for learning new or unfamiliar terminology and many people like to create them by hand on standard index cards. I like to use software to create my study flashcards. I use the FreezingBlue online application because it is free, online so that you can access them from your phone or anywhere you have an Internet connection and the application is pretty full featured and reliable; https://www.freezingblue.com/

There are lots of other flashcard applications available so just use your favorite one.

Another way to memorize the details of a complex technology is to write blog articles about them. Writing skills are a key employment consideration no matter what your vocation. Especially if you find writing difficult, that is a strong argument that you should write more. You only get better at something with practice. You may have often heard people say that the best way to learn something is to teach it.

Creating blog articles not only helps you to be a better writer but it gives you something to show to prospective hiring managers to prove your writing abilities. Building a reputation on sites like LinkedIn can really help to propel your career while you are writing about the technologies you need to know.

Lastly, you’re going to have to set aside lots of study time to prepare for an upcoming interview. For an important interview I have been known to spend 20-30 hours studying and preparing.

Besides the position, what else do I need to know about a company where I am applying for a job?

Company culture is even more important than salary and benefits. Before considering a new position I always ask questions in the interview like; “is this a new position or was someone else in this job before me?”, “can you tell me the areas where the last person in this position excelled and where they might have missed the mark?”, “can I meet the people I will be working with beforehand?”, “can I see the location/work area where I will be positioned?”, etc.

You learn a lot about a company when you ask questions like this in a job interview. If they seriously berate the person who was in the position before you then that’s unprofessional and I would take it as a warning sign. Carefully consider the work area if you get to see it. Do the people around you look happy? When you are shown through the company work areas do people say hello and seem friendly? Is the location of your desk going to be conducive to a happy work environment for your needs?

Remember that you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. While you may be desperate for a job now, wouldn’t it be better to ensure you are accepting the right position that makes ending your job search worth it for the long run?  Job searching is a full time job. It is much more challenging to look for a new job when you are working full-time. It’s better to be sure you are making the right choice before you end your job search and all of the effort you have put into it.

Look at the company’s career area on their website. Are there lots of openings? Is the attrition rate really high? Have you seen this company searching for employees on the job boards before? And if so, was it for the same position you are applying for? Some companies do not value their employees and take an approach to replacing employees regularly to keep salaries low. In companies where there are upper management issues the attrition rate can be unusually high. For most departments within a large company the attrition rate should be between 10%-15%. 

Look at company review websites like Glass Door and read what other employees have written about what it is like to work there. Don’t be fooled by the occasional bad review. Not everyone is a good fit and a serious berating of a company by only one or two individuals could just mean that it wasn’t a good culture for them. You have to read between the lines. The vast majority of the reviews should be great!

There are lots of reasons a company may have a high attrition rate. A big factor is salary and benefits. Be sure to ask about the health plan options and co-pays. Also ask about the performance review periods and how often people get raises. Especially if you are coming in at a lower entry-level salary then be sure you understand when the performance reviews are going to happen and when you might expect raises.  

If the company offers a bonus package based on performance, don’t assume that this is 100% your own performance. Most companies give bonuses based on a number of factors including how good the profits are in a given year. Ask how often the bonus has historically paid anything to employees. I once took a job at a company that used the yearly bonus to entice me to take the position. Once I had the job I asked someone about the yearly bonuses. That person had worked there for 10 years and told me that the company had never paid a bonus during their own tenure.

What questions should I ask at a job interview?

You should always go to a job interview with some prepared questions for the interviewer. The time will come, typically near the end of the interview, when the interviewer will ask whether you have any questions for them. This is the time when you can stand out from the crowd by making it clear you are seriously thinking about the position. Since it is the end of the conversation you can position yourself well in their memory with some intelligent questions.

Here is a short list with some suggestions;

a)     What will my work area be like?

b)     Can you tell me what the person in the position before me did well?

c)      Can you tell me what areas the person in the position before me may have done better?

d)     Can you describe what the typical work day would be like for me in this position?

e)     Have I convinced you that I have what it takes to be able to do the job?

f)      Will my manager be readily available when I have questions?

g)     Who else will be available to help me as I come up to speed in this position?

h)     What facilities are in place for career development? Training? Classes?

i)       What is the performance review process?

j)       What is the next step in the interview process?

k)     When should I expect to hear from you next?

During the interview be sure to keep an ear open for anything that may need clarification. While it is never a good idea to bring up salary first, if you get through most of the first interview and you are still wondering what they want to pay someone for this position then it is time to ask. I would never recommend going into a second interview without knowing whether or not a company is offering a salary that meets your own financial needs. 

If a recruiter sent you to the interview then chances are they have already filled you in. If you are working with a recruiter then typically they will tell you that if salary comes up during the interview process that you should refer them back to the recruiter. 

Sometimes interviewers will ask you about your current salary level. Many industry analysts warn against divulging your current salary in a job interview. On the other hand, if a company has no idea whether your current salary is in-line with what they are offering then they will likely ask. Again, if your recruiter specifically tells you not to discuss salary then don’t. If you got to the interview without the help of a recruiter then understand that it is smarter to find out what the position might pay before you divulge your current salary information. Also, a company could rule you out as a potential candidate or worse, take advantage of you if they know you are earning well below industry standards. Make sure you research the salary level you should be expecting for the position you are applying for.

How can I feel less nervous and overcome performance anxiety for a job interview?

Everyone has stage fright. Even the most experienced actors, public speakers and lecturers report the jitters before they appear before an audience. A job interview is no different. No matter how confident, successful or determined to succeed a person seems, they still suffer from anxiety before an interview. The best way to get over this is to do more practice interviews. Whether you do them with your friends or interview for jobs you don’t really want, practice in the key to appearing more confident.

But don’t confuse arrogance with pride. Interviewers are always considering your personality type in an interview and nobody wants to work with someone who is arrogant about their skills. Strive for confidence with enough modesty to make it clear that you know when it is time to ask questions. People who think they know everything are a liability. Nobody knows everything. Make it clear that you know when it is time to ask for help before you get underwater.

Volunteering in your local community is a great way to improve your communication and leadership skills. It teaches you to be more comfortable meeting new people and helps you to work as part of a team. Special interest clubs or team sports are another great way to get more practice socializing with new people. 

Toastmasters International is a non-profit organization that strives to teach people public speaking and leadership. There are Toastmaster clubs in most neighborhoods around the globe and membership is extremely affordable. You can also attend a Toastmasters meeting as a guest at absolutely no charge. Take a serious look at your local Toastmasters club as a great way to improve your professional interview and communication skills.