Interview Tips
Want a Job? Better Be Ready To Nail the Interview!
Fewer jobs, increased competition raises the bar on job screenings
Are you proud of your portfolio? Do the inner pages of your book clearly proclaim your genius? Your portfolio is your creative calling card to the world. It needs to echo your talent, resonate your vision and leave your audience pining for more. Above all, your book needs to be the visual expression of your resume.
Interviews have always been the focal point of the job search process, but even more so in today's competitive market. Layoffs, a tough economic environment and fewer jobs have raised the bar for candidates looking to impress hiring managers. It's a "buyer's" market now and employers are taking longer to hire candidates because, well, they can. What does that mean for job seekers? You better come to screenings with your game face on and be ready to impress.
No matter how charming you think you are, you are now in the mix with a highly competitive field of candidates who want the same job as you. Don't blow it and leave this aspect of the job search process to chance. Invest the time it takes to learn about your potential employer, their products, their advertising, culture and other distinctions before you set foot inside their offices.
"Candidates need to prepare for a job interview just like they would train for a marathon," says Nicole Tebo, Recruiting Director at 24 Seven's Los Angeles office. "Too often people figure they can just wing it and that's a gross miscalculation in today's market where the competition is stiff."
Indeed, employers are looking long and hard at candidates with the selection process sometimes dragging onto half a dozen meetings. With no room for error, they are determined to make the right hires even if means elongating the search. "Employers are under no pressure to hire quickly and are more interested in getting the right person and the right match for their team, even if it means waiting," adds Tebo. "Candidates have to be at the top of their game, patient and ready to prove how they will complement the team."
All the more reason why you need to be prepared to nail every job interview that comes your way. Here are a few hints to help you get ready:
Nothing makes a better impression in an interview than intelligent and informed questions about the company that may hire you. The Internet and corporate web sites have made it easy to get background information on a company. Scour the company's web site and learn about its history and upcoming initiatives. Check out their pressroom for recent news coverage and announcements. Review recent issues of trade magazines to find recent company mentions. Use this information to fuel relevant questions and reference points during your conversation.
Is the company a fast fashion or accessory brand? Does the agency cater to small or medium sized brands? Or does it market its products in the mass retail channel? If so, make it a point to competitive shop them. Walk their stores. Size up their shelf space compared to other brands. Understand what they have worked on for their clients. What do they do well? What could they do better? Take the time to observe their brand in action so you can talk about their products in a more familiar way. Your interest and knowledge about the brand will be an obvious sign of interest to the hiring manager.
What's your potential value to the company? What would you do, if hired, to immediately have an impact on the business? What examples can you offer about ways you have increased business for past employers? Can you offer suggestions of how you can help them best the competition? The better able you are to speak in specifics, to the tangibles you bring to the equation, the bigger the impression you will make.
Work up some quick sound bites about yourself, your skills and your experience that will help you get to the point and succinctly state what you bring to the team. Hiring managers are usually pressed for time. The better able you are to clearly express your qualifications and value, the more ground you can cover during the interview.
This is a job interview not a night out with friends. Use good taste and common sense and dress appropriately for your meeting. Even if you work in a creative field or are strictly behind the scenes person, it's best to error on the side of conservative business attire than too casual a look.
As silly as it may feel, the best way to get comfortable with your responses to interview questions is to rehearse them with a friend or colleague. Have your pal mix up the questions and throw in a few unexpected ones to help you anticipate any left field questions. (See inset box.) Or if you are working with a recruiter, chances are he or she will offer to help you prepare.
Above all, use common sense about your job search. If it has been years since you conducted your last job search, you probably are rusty about what to do. Don't hedge your bets and wait until the last minute to get prepared. A hurry-up strategy can only translate into a weak first impression. Take the preparation process seriously and later you'll be glad you did.
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