engfer(s)

After years of sitting on either side of that ever-dreaded interview table (and giving an interview to a horrible candidate today), I figured it was about time to enumerate some things that I have found useful.

Interview-er: (The Bad Guy)

• Prepare your questions beforehand. Don’t look like an idiot.
• Have a set schedule and constrained time-frame.  Don’t waste your time nor the interviewee’s.
• Create a personal atmosphere to bring out the “true” interviewee
• Talk about the history/job of what they will be doing.
• Find what they are passionate about; make sure they have the drive to do what needs to be done
• Verify items/topics on their resume. Make sure it’s not fluff!
• Ask relevant and to-the-point questions when verifying any technical qualifications
• Take enough notes to help you remember, not for a master’s thesis
• Smile They need to know you are not there to kill them.
• Ask the interviewee whey they think they are the best candidate (or what they have to offer)
• Appearance and dress at an interview can paint a 1,000 words, but don’t judge them by it or shy away from them if it’s a bit shabby.  You may miss hiring a gem that could help your team tremendously
• Be objective. Be smart. Be frank. Be friendly.
• Remember: If people have the drive to learn and get things done, they can be taught anything. (College graduates are prime examples here).

Interview-ee: (The Good Guy)

• Prepare!!! Know about the company and its values so you can include those in some of your answers
• Do NOT be on time; be 10-15 minutes early!
• Be dressed appropriately! (“dress-to-impress” and “first impressions are the only impressions”)
• RELAX!
• Give a firm, but not ridiculous handshake
• Be prepared to discuss, in full, anything on your resume Seriously folks, don’t put anything on there that you can’t talk about for at least 5 minutes.
• Sit up!
• Either take notes our clasp you hands and form your arms in a triangular shape to be attentive
• RELAX and take a deep breath.
• Smile
• Eat a mint beforehand (don’t laugh until you interview someone with bad breath!!!)
• Try and get them to talk about what they want to talk about. The interviewer doesn’t necessarily want to be there either
• If someone asks you the question “Why should I/we hire you?“, answer immediately, giving several reasons
• Ask them questions!!! You will be surprised at the positive response if you ask them questions like:
  • What can I do to help you/this group/the company?
  • What is the atmosphere like?
  • What do you like best about your job (or the company)?
  • Why is this position open?
  • etc…
• Make eye contact
• Stay attentive!!!
• Don’t brag on your past, talk about the future
• Remember: You are not only being interviewed, but also you are interviewing them! Make sure you are not getting yourself into a job that is not what you want to do and this company has values that align with your own! Don’t get screwed into a job that’s not what you signed up for.
• If you really need to be hired somewhere, be careful about asking for salary figures.  Do your research on salary.com instead.

• This is not a pissing contest… do NOT brag!

Get Involved!

There are more cliche items I left off, but if there are some more I can add on there, just let me know below!