Employers are sensitive to their most valuable asset – time. Employers realize there are many job seekers who are skillful writers or many job seekers that have paid a skillful writer to help create their resume and cover letter.
Why am I sharing this? Because most employers use the first interview / screening interview to further qualify the type of job seeker they are looking for. Here’s how they do it and what you can expect.
An employer will do their screening interview in person or over the phone. The employer may be represented by a manager or someone from human resources. That leaves four possible scenarios – in person or over the phone by a manager or by human resources.
In the case of job seekers using recruiters, you should consider the first interview with a recruiter to be a screening interview. If you are successful with a recruiter, they will often introduce you to jobs they need to fill right on the spot. If this happens, take the time to change the role of the recruiter to coach by asking questions about the employer. A recruiter will know many things about their customers, the employer, and can coach you to save time and better your chances of getting the job.
In Person Interviews:
The primary purpose of any first interview is to create a group of strong candidates for the hiring manager. The interviewer will be looking and listening for your formal (such as skills) and informal (such as attitude) qualities and how they match the job description. The interviewer may not be up to speed on the details of the job itself, but they will often work from a script to confirm where you worked, how long you were at each job and what you were paid. Be open about this. You may find this interview to be very easy and it may very well be, but other factors are being considered by the interviewer.
The interviewer may also get into other qualitative areas. Remember, you will be joining a company, their culture and their team. This is important for you to evaluate along with the interviewer. Other things such as enthusiasm, energy and how you express yourself will be considered. With this in mind, there’s no need to break into stand up comedy. Just be yourself and pay close attention to what is being said and closer attention to what isn’t being said.
In the case of smaller and medium sized organizations, this interview may be conducted by the hiring manager. The environment may be more informal, but the rules are the same. Be present to this, no matter how informal the interview may be.
Phone Interviews:
This is more difficult than you think. Two valuable tools, body language and eye contact, are gone, but the “rules” of the first interview are the same. What you have left are your words and your voice, more importantly the tone of your voice. No matter what, always project a positive tone. Smile while you speak. It may feel funny, but the effect of smiling while speaking will significantly help to project your positive tone.
You can expect the interviewer to call you to set a time for the interview. Sometimes the interviewer will want to interview you as soon as you answer the phone. Do not do this. You need time to get mentally prepared and prepare your surroundings. Hearing the kids playing or the dog barking in the background won’t help either. Consider what would happen if your wireless phone battery ran out. You get the point. You need to be prepared. Politely request a mutually agreed upon time where the interviewer can call back. After the introductions, do it right away. Don’t do this after the interviewer has started interviewing. Here’s a suggestion: “I appreciate your call. Can we schedule a time to continue this conversation?”
Smaller and medium sized organizations often do first interviews over the phone. It saves them time. This interview may also be conducted by the hiring manager. The environment may be more informal, but again the rules are the same. Be present to this, no matter how informal the interview may be.
Your resume and cover letter got you your interview. Now your first interview will get you your next interview. Always be focussed on what is present and what is next. You know the end point. You got the job or you didn’t get the job. It is very important to spend more energy on what is present and what is next.
You’ve all read this before. The odds are stacked against you. You can still come out the winner by paying close attention to the details of interest of your prospective employer. On the other hand, hearing “no” is one step closer to “yes”. Always remember that the organization has a requirement. Someone has to get the job. It may as well be you.
