|
 |
Congratulations, you are halfway there! Your foot is in the door.
You have accomplished 50% of the “self-selling” process by sending
your resume and successfully generating an interview. The company
is interested in you, they want you – you have made the sale. Now,
you just have to make a great impression and close it.
One crucial step of making a great impression is the demonstration
of your knowledge about the company. How much do you know about them?
Don’t make the mistake many interviewers are guilty of – not knowing
a thing about the interviewing company.
Never arrive at an interview unprepared!
Find out and read everything you can about the company. It
couldn’t be easier today with the availability and power of the
Internet. Visit the company’s website, conduct a search. Go to the
library and ask for help at the reference desk. Talk to people who work
there.
While you were in school, you studies and prepared for tests, didn’t
you? That was school and “only” a test. This could be the job of
your life. Shouldn’t you be as ready as possible? Now, go and
prepare for it.
You are probably asking – “OK, I do all this legwork and find out
everything I can about the company but how on earth will I be able to
demonstrate it all during the interview? What are the real benefits of
all this preparation?” Here are the benefits and a few ways on how to
dazzle them by showing your knowledge:
- When you are armed with knowledge, you instantly project more
confidence and you are less nervous and edgy. Also, when you are
relaxed, your whole body seems to cooperate better: your body language
is more positive, your expressions and your tone are clearer. Your
memory is enhanced and will allow you to remember more of what you planned to say.
- When there is a lull in the conversation between you and the
interviewer, say: “So, I understand that you are planning to
manufacture XYZ gadget. When will you start making these and who are
your customers for this kind of product?”
- By knowing details about the company, it will be much easier to
answer the question:”Now, tell me how will your skills and experiences
benefit our company?” or “What will you be able to bring to our
company that will help us solve our customer retention problems?”
Dazzle them with a masterful combination of company knowledge and
self-promotion.
- You will probably be asked this: “Do you have any questions?” Of
course, you do! In light of the knowledge you have acquired about the
organization, you can ask a number of questions, including: “Although
I have a basic understanding of your company operations, I would like to
know more about what you do and where you stand in your industry. Could
you tell me what distinguishes your company from its competitors? What
are the plans for the next 5 years as far as company operations and
expansion goes?”
As you see, in light of the knowledge you gained about the organization,
you will be able to ask the right questions and effectively answer the
interviewer’s inquiries. Also, you will be less nervous and will be
able to sell your relevant skills and qualifications, the ones that
are the most significant in that particular position.
Rita Fisher, a
nationally published and recognized professional resume writer, is the
owner of Career Change Resumes, an online resume writing service. Rita
specializes in writing carefully crafted, powerfully written resumes
for individuals changing careers or re-entering the workforce. Visit
Career Change Resumes at
http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com. |
