Selling Yourself in the Job Interview 143
Don’t let any questions, comments, ramblings, or war stories
distract you from making your points. Even if the interviewer asks
the wrong questions, you can give the right answers.
I have to stress this point because most interviewers are not
good at interviewing. You won’t always be given the opportunity
to tell your story as you’d planned, so you may have to create that
opportunity. This isn’t usually maliciousness on the interviewer’s
part, but rather ineptness.
My advice is to never leave an interview without having made
your best case—unless, of course, you’ve lost all interest in the
job that’s available.
Using all the tact, warmth, and subtlety you can muster, you have
to take control of the interview, always allowing the interviewer to
continue to feel in control. You must keep returning to what you can
do, how well you can do it, and how that might apply to the
interviewer’s needs. Don’t linger over a general conversation. Keep
the spotlight focused on the subject of the interview: you.
But don’t forget to be a good, attentive listener.The way the game is played
There are two kinds of interviews: the general interview and
the specific job interview.
The general interview is aimed at establishing and developing
leads. You want someone of some consequence to know that you’re
available and have something to offer. It may turn out that this
contact does become interested in hiring you, which would be an
ultimate scenario. Otherwise, your attitude is “I’m not expecting
you to offer me a job. Rather, I’d like to explore with you where
someone with my background and skills might be useful to some-
one in your field or someone you know who might be interested.”
This immediately lowers the interviewer’s resistance. He’s
off the hook and is only being asked for advice and possible
leads. He doesn’t have to face the problem of turning down an-
other nice person and is flattered into being in a position we all
love, that of the expert. It also opens the door to his hearing a
straightforward presentation of your skills and experience. How
can he make a suggestion to you or advise someone with your
background without learning what that background is?