8/3/2019 Prepare for an Interview by Thinking Like an Employer

1/2

/7/12 Prepare for an Interview by Thinking Like an Employer - Bill Barnett - Harv

1/2logs.hbr.org/cs//prepare_for_an_interview_by_thinking_like_an.html

Prepare for an Interview b Thinking Like an Emploer2:39 PM Thursday January 26, 2012

by Bill Barnett | Comments (13)

People have different natural talents at interviewing for jobs (http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2008/02/how-to-ace-an-

interview.html) . But even the m ost talented can fail to get offers if they don't prepare. This goes beyond arriving on

time, dress ing profess ionally, being polite, and preparing to discuss every detail of your resum e. Of course, these

things are important. But get ready for interviews in a way that makes you s tand out. Adopt a different minds et

theirs.

An employer's purpose is to help determine who best fits the job opening and who will im prove the organization's

capability in that position. The interview is a test. To stand in the shoes of the people who are interviewing you,

imagine what they need to know to decide whether to make you an offer.

Consider these six steps to align your interview skills with an employer's mindset:

1. Learn all ou can before ou meet. Interviewers bring their experience to the interview. Nothing can substitute

for knowing where they're coming from. Master the available information on the institution. Read everything you can

find about the company and the job from public sources, the company web site, and anything they send you.

Study the written job description and the requirements for candidates. Interviewers expect candidates to know this

material. It's the admission ticket.

But you can do better. Try out their products. Meet people who once worked there, as well as suppliers, customers ,

or others in the industry. Ask about the company and how they think the job would work. If you know s imi lar jobs at

other companies , consider how they might differ.

This foundational knowledge leads to all the other steps.

2. Prepare our own questions. Thoughtful ques tions show the interviewer you're thinking deeply about the job.

They show you're a serious candidate. Among the most impress ive lines of questioning are those that address

how the organization operates. Get beyond the bas ics. If you're interviewing at a company known for consumer

marketing, for example, don't ask, "Do you do much market research?" If they're known for marketing, you can be

sure they do market research. Instead, perhaps this: "How do market research findings influence product design?"

Or this: "What are the differences in careers involving market research compared those in brand management?"

3. Make our case. Link yourself to the interviewer's needs in the job. Come to the meeting with two elevator

speeches one i f you have one minute to describe yourself and another if you have four or five minutes. Start with

your personal value proposition (PVP) (http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/a_value_propos ition_for_your_c.html) and

tailor it to the job. Ask yourself this question: "If I get this offer, why might that be?" The answer includes your

elevator speech.

Imagine questions interviewers may ask and how you'll answer. Some may be about how well you match the job

requirements. Others may be prompted by your resume. Are there gaps agains t their criteria? If so, how have you

overcome gaps in the past, or how would you in the job?

4. Show how ou'd succeed. Especially in later interviews, help interviewers judge how you'd do in the job. Show

how you'd deal with the job's challenges . Don't suggest you have the answer to a complex situation they

undoubtedly know better than you do. Introduce your ideas as a way to imagine how the job would be, and ask for

their reaction. ("I assume the situation's l ike this...If that's right, then I'd need to do this to succeed...") Do this wel l,

and they'll be thinking more about how they'd work with you than whether to m ake you an offer.

This line of discuss ion is important for everyone, and it's essential for senior roles. CEOs and boards expect new

senior people to hit the ground running.

5. Prepare for special interview formats. Consulting firms and others use case interviews. Interviewers at some

8/3/2019 Prepare for an Interview by Thinking Like an Employer

2/2

/7/12 Prepare for an Interview by Thinking Like an Employer - Bill Barnett - Harv

2/2logs.hbr.org/cs//prepare_for_an_interview_by_thinking_like_an.html

- , , "H

?" I ' , . T

. S , Are ou Smart Enough to Work at

Google?(://../A-S-E-W-G//031609997X/=_1_1?

=UTF8&=1327603743&=8-1) Case in Point(://../C-P-7-M-

C//0971015864/=_1_1?=&=UTF8&=1327603756&=1-1) .

6. Snthesie along the wa and adjust. Y' - . I

, ' . T'

.

W ? H ? W

? R . P .

A PVP ,

(://..//2011/12/ ___.) . B . T

.

W ?