WinningtheInterviewGameThispageintentionallyleftblankWinningtheInterviewGameEVERYTHINGYouNeedtoKnowtoLANDtheJOBAlanH.NierenbergAmericanManagementAssociationNewYork•Atlanta•Brussels•Boston•Chicago•MexicoCity•SanFranciscoShanghai•Tokyo•Toronto•Washington,D.C.Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritativeinformationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththeunderstandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpertassistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalpersonshouldbesought.SpecialdiscountsonbulkquantitiesofAMACOMbooksareavailabletocorporations,professionalassociations,andotherorganizations.Fordetails,contactSpecialSalesDepartment,AMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.Tel.:212-903-8316.Fax:212-903-8083.Website:©2005AlanH.Nierenberg.Allrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019PrintingNumber10987654321LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataNierenberg,AlanH.Winningtheinterviewgame:everythingyouneedtoknowtolandthejob/AlanH.Nierenberg.p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN0-8144-7279-61.Employmentinterviewing.2.Jobhunting.I.Title.HF5549.5.I6N542005650.144—dc222004029946ToMarsha,Tara,andErin,themostimportantpeopleinmylifeThispageintentionallyleftblankPrefacexiAcknowledgmentsxvPartILettheGameBegin:ThePreparation1Chapter1PrepareforPerfection:BeforetheInterview3HowSusanGottheInterview3RulesoftheGame4GamePreparation5Behavior-BasedInterviewing12TheVignetteStrategy14ElevatorDrill18DoIAskQuestions?19Practice,Practice,Practice20PartIIGamePlan:InterviewStrategiesandTactics23Chapter2FindanOpeningConnection:EstablishRapport25ViewfromBehindtheDeskoftheVicePresident—HumanResources25TheMorningoftheInterview27TheMomentofTruth33EstablishingRapport37viiCONTENTSChapter3MeanderThroughtheMiddle:BulgingwithQuestions47PowerofPerception47UseofPreparationKnowledge49FacinganExperiencedInterviewer49TheInexperiencedInterviewer50ADiscouragingInterviewer51IllegalQuestions52FrequentlyAskedQuestions53NeutralizetheAgeIssue60BigCompanySmall64FrequentJobChanges66ChangingIndustries67Long-TermUnemployment69Overqualified70TheInterviewGameContinues71Chapter4EndwithaLastingImpression:AnyInterviewer,AnyVenue75TheBeginningoftheEnd75YouWanttoKnowMySalary?76RequestforReferences78DocumenttheInterview79Thank-YouNote80WaitingforFeedback88OtherFirst-TimeInterviewers89OtherGameFormats97viiiContentsChapter5DifferentiateYourself:SecondandSubsequentInterviews111Focus111ASecondInterview112CompetitiveIntelligence115HowtoUseCompetitiveIntelligence123DifferentiationTechniques125Susan’sSecondInterview140PartIIIWinningMove:EnjoytheMoment141Chapter6NegotiateFinalHurdles:TheEndGame143ReferenceChecking143ReceivinganOffer147PickingaStartDate155DueDiligence156BackgroundCheck159PersonalityTests160SusanIsStillintheGame166TransitionfromIntervieweetoEmployee169PreparefortheNextInterviewGame176Appendix179Bibliography181Index185ContentsixThispageintentionallyleftblankxiIfyouareplanningtointerviewforajob,thenyouhavefoundtherightbook.Youmaybegraduatingfromhighschoolorcollege,tran-sitioningbetweenjobs,orseekinganewjobwhileemployed.Re-gardlessofage,levelofseniority,orareaofexpertise,thisbookwillgiveyouastrongcompetitiveedgeoverthehundredsorthousandsofcompetingcandidates.AnOverviewWinningtheInterviewGame:EverythingYouNeedtoKnowtoLandtheJobpresentstheinterviewforwhatitis—agame.Therearemanyplayerswhoaffecttheoutcomeofthiscareergameandyoumustlearnhowtodealwitheachgroup.Competingcandidatesandthejudgesrepresentingeveryoneontheothersideofthehiringdeskarethemajorplayers.Youmustdefeatyourcompetitorsandconvincethejudgesthatyouaretheonewhocanperformthejobandshouldgettheoffer.Theroleoftheseplayersintheinterviewgameandhowyoushouldinteractwiththemarediscussedinthebook.Indescribinghowtoprepareforandplaytheinterviewgame,WinningtheInterviewGame:EverythingYouNeedtoKnowtoLandtheJobwillprovideinformationnotwidelyknownbymostjobseekers.Youwillobtainfirst-handknowledgefrommyexperienceontheothersideoftheinterviewdeskasthecurrentownerofanexecutivesearchfirm,withpreviousexperienceasavicepresident-humanresourcesandacorporatehiringexecutive.Iwasalsoajobseekerseveraltimesinmycareer.Ihavepersonalexperiencewitheveryapproachpresentedinthebookandhavecoachednumerousjobseekerswhoseinterviewexperiencesarereflectedthroughoutitspages.PREFACExiiPrefaceAlthougheachinterviewisdifferent,therearemanycomponentsthatarethesameorsimilar.Thisbooktakesadvantageofthosesim-ilaritiesbyprovidingastep-by-stepapproachtoachieveyourmostimportantobjective:toconvinceinterviewersthatyouhavetheskillsrequiredtoperformthejobbeingdiscussedandthatyouareexcitedaboutapplyingthoseskillsattheinterview