If you get an invitation for a job interview, then that means your resume is working just fine. This is of course if you are getting interview calls for the types of positions you are sending out resumes for.
But that’s not all – everything you do before, during and after the job interview can play an important role in getting the offer.
Having said that, there are a number of things that you can do so as to get best results.
Before the Executive Job Interview
Doing your homework is the first thing that you must do before going to your job interview. So, for this, look at the company’s website and LinkedIn profile first. You can learn more about the staff, what work they do, the clients they have and areas where you can add value. Seeing what current and former employees have to say will be an excellent idea too. You can even look through your list of networked contacts to see if there’s any more information you can obtain about the company. Apart from this, you can even Google the supervisor’s name for more information.
As a result of this research, prepare three to five questions that will show the interviewer that you’ve done your homework. Of course, the objective of crafting these questions means that you would like to gain more insight into the company too.
During the Executive Job Interview
While taking the job interview, the interviewer is thinking about whether you are a match for the organisation. This is something that you should be doing as well. There’s no point joining a particular company while realising that you don’t make for a good fit.
One common area that most executives miss out during a job interview is making a “closing statement.” It’s vital that you sum up why you make a good candidate for the position too. Just make sure that you note down these points prior to the job interview but deliver them in such a way that they don’t sound rehearsed or canned either.
Another thing that you must doing as soon as you’re at the end of an interview is to ask what the next step is. In other words, find out whether there’s another round of interviews or the date when the hiring decision will be made. Check if you can follow-up with the company too by email or phone too. If you don’t do that, then your employer might question your interest level.
After the Executive Job Interview
Right after the job interview, make sure you send a follow-up or thank you letter so as to thank every person you meet. No matter what, these letters are always appreciated especially if you mail it the very same day. If this doesn’t work, then an email follow up is just fine. You must thank the employer but also express your interest in the position as well as ask for the next step too. This could mean either the information you’ve promised or your expectations from the interviewer.
Now, it’s important to remember that hiring will take much longer than usual. So, make sure you confirm the timetable for what needs to be done next. If you keep this in mind, then you’ll know when to follow up too.
Finally, if you don’t get another interview or the job, then it is a good idea to get some feedback from the employer. Doing this will help you in your overall job search too. Of course, if you can’t get in touch with the hiring manager, then look at the person who was hired for the position and then look at their professional profile so as to check why they were able to secure the job instead of you. There are times when you might not be able to tell, so just move on anyways.
In Closing…
Without a doubt, these tips should be able to help improve your chances of getting a job offer. Yet there are a number of other tips that can increase your chances even further.
So, are there any other executive job interview tips that you would like to share? If so, feel free to share them in the comments section below.
