Guidelines For An
Effective Job Interview

Prepare to Discuss:
Employment data
What you did
How well you did it
Salary level
Reason for leaving or considering change
Educational data


Personal data
Speaking engagements
Articles written
Family, hobbies, interest
Professional affiliations

Be Prepared to Answer:
"Describe yourself" questions

Pre-planned response should include
Education
Work credentials
Accomplishments

Personality questions
Example: "How do you perform under pressure?"
Give "the obvious answer," supported by past or present experiences

Motive questions
These attempt to determine if you will enjoy the job or fit in, for example: "Why should you want to work in a firm this size?" or, "What's the ideal situation for you?"
Answer in terms of your qualifications for the job: Don't be vague, be specific and to the point

Salary questions
Tell them what you are presently earning when asked
Avoid negotiating salary; state you would consider a reasonable offer once all the facts have been gathered
Discuss with your recruiter how to best negotiate salary for each opportunity

Tough questions
Prepare answers in advance and answer them matter-of-factly
Why do you want to make a change?
What are your weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What kind of firm are you looking for?

Knowledge of the Company:
Know as much as you can about the organization, and be prepared with a list of questions (written is OK).
But be careful not to cross examine.

Interest questions:
the firm, the department, background of the interviewer
“What do you like about your job?”
the importance of the work, your responsibilities and authority, career potential
Avoid questions on salary, fringe benefits, vacations: these questions will be answered at the appropriate time

Attitude:
Maintain strong interest throughout the interview; it will be too late to decide you're interested if you've been "just curious" throughout the interview
Smile, be friendly and relaxed, but never casual; show enthusiasm for the things you see and hear that you like
Be positive, answering questions in terms of past performance
Never be negative (or overly positive) about past/present employers
Always dress conservatively

Conclusion:
Ask your interviewer "what's the next step"
Thank your interviewer and express interest again
Call your recruiter at JCA immediately after interview
Write a brief thank you note to your interviewer