The Gerard Alexander Consulting Group, Inc. Ybor Square 1300 E. 8 th Avenue Suite S-180 Tampa, FL 33605 Phone: (813) 248-3377 Fax: (813) 248-3388 Meeting Preparation Checklist Properly preparing individuals for an interview is an exclusive service that we perform for all of our candidates submitted for positions from entry level to senior level CEO s and Presidents. If we are currently working with you on an opportunity, we have already recognized your talent as being in the top 10% and, therefore, must already possess exceptional interviewing skills. However, experience shows us that by reviewing the following information with our candidates prior to an interview, we place them at a significant advantage over others competing for the same position. 1. Be professional, confident and look your best. You have heard it before; the first impression is a lasting impression. Most people size up others within the first 30 seconds of meeting them. So, at the point of introduction, be sure to smile, look the person in the eye and give them a good handshake. 2. Bring pen and paper with pre-written questions pertaining to the position. For example, What is expected of me? and What happened to the prior incumbent? Don t hesitate to take out that pad and pen and use it during your discussions. Taking notes helps when it comes time to make your points later. However, be sure to let the person at the other end of the discussions know you are listening and not just busy writing. 3. Bring multiple copies of your resume; more than enough. You never know how many people you may end up meeting. Upon being introduced to each person with whom you will discuss your opportunity, voluntarily hand them a fresh copy of your resume and then ask for their business card. Submitting your resume indicates a proactive nature and a prepared individual. It may even save the interviewer the embarrassment of having to look for the one we previously sent. Asking for their business card shows respect, gives you a chance to glance at their name and title in case you forget during the interview and ensures accuracy in spelling when sending a follow-up thank you card. In addition, bring a copy of your most recent performance review (if applicable) and a sample of any written material prepared by you in the course of performing your duties (again, if applicable). Take
care to make sure that the write-up does not contain any proprietary information such as names of customers or any other items that may lead to a customer s identity. 4. Listening is 80% of a successful meeting. Try to keep the meeting moving along by having a list of probing questions pertaining to the responsibilities of the position, the division and the company goals, culture, etc. And listen to the answers. Also, try answering their questions with a follow up question. For example: If you are asked about a specific qualification, answer the question fully, then inquire as to how that fits with what the company is looking for. Don t be afraid to probe into the duties of the position. When a requirement is mentioned that fits one of your strengths, write it down and be sure to bring it up when it comes time to talk about yourself. An excellent question to ask is: If you have two candidates with almost identical backgrounds, what quality or qualities would make you choose one over the other? Or, you might say: If the perfect candidate was standing in front of you right now, how would you describe that candidate? 5. Display energy, drive, and initiative Don t ever compromise on this one. These are the universal traits of success. The key to personal success is to do more than is expected of you. So give the interviewer some examples of your initiative, personal successes and extra efforts. 6. Identify the trend of your Performance Over Time Indicate the impact you have had with your current and previous employer(s) over the past five to ten years. This would include major accomplishments and organizational changes that you have implemented. This is a good time to share what you can do for the interviewer s company. HAVE A PLAN BEFORE THE INTERVIEW! Ask us about the So What! method of identifying your true accomplishments. 7. Experience, Education and Industry Background Use this along with the Past Accomplishments category: Strong education and experience can sometimes offset a weaker accomplishment rating. 8. Problem Solving and Thinking Skills Express that you have the ability to solve job-related problems and anticipate what needs to be done. Also, remember anyone can say, Yeah, I can fix that! Be sure to elaborate. Give specific examples of past situations that prove your skills and abilities. 9. Management and Organization (If going in for a management position) Let the interviewer know that you have the ability to persuade and motivate others. Team leadership is a component of both management and personality. Share management ability and style and organizational skills. 10. Team Leadership (If going in for a management position.) This is the ability to persuade and motivate others. Explain how you motivate your immediate subordinates and people who work in different departments. Again, be sure to give specific examples of past leadership roles. 11. Character: Values, Commitment and Goals Summarize your integrity, honesty, responsibility, openness, and fairness in dealing with others. Express your commitment to the organization, and have a plan as to what you can do for the Company. THIS TOPIC SHOULD BE SAVED FOR THE END OF THE INTERVIEW OR FOR THE SECOND INTERVIEW. 12. Watch your body language. Maintain good posture and lean slightly forward to express interest. Maintain eye contact. Leaning back or slouching gives the impression of a lax attitude. The interviewer gives body language as well. You can determine if you are keeping the interviewer s interest by reading his or her body language. This holds true to some extent for a telephone interview as well. Although you cannot see the interviewer, you can detect from voice inflections whether you have his or her attention. If the interviewer is on a speakerphone and you hear their voice fading in and out, it means that he or she is probably walking around the room and you may not have his/her full attention. If that happens, ask the interviewer to pick up the receiver, as you are having difficulty hearing and don t want to miss anything he or she says. At that point, you will again have the interviewer s full attention. THE GERARD ALEXANDER CONSULTING GROUP, INC
13. On your memo pad, have a pre-written list of your strengths. Add to this your notes taken on specific comments the interviewer has made that relate directly to your strengths (see #4). Let the interviewer know why you are the perfect fit for the position by talking about those strengths that match up to their requirements. If they ask about weaknesses, always talk about those weaknesses in a positive way. Never use negatives like the words Can t, Don t, or Won t. Make sure you accurately identify what it is the interviewer is looking for. EXAMPLE: If interviewing for a supervisory position, one major weakness most interviewers look for is the tendency for a supervisor to do everything themselves. This is a very common problem that indicates a lack of willingness to delegate work. The best way to overcome this is to step back from your desk, look at the project you have for the day and determine which REALLY requires your personal attention. Anything that can be delegated should be given to subordinates who can then use them as a learning tool while your time is freed up to attend to the more urgent and sensitive issues. What you have done at this point is turn a negative into a positive. One of the toughest interview questions that you can be asked is Tell me about yourself. Rather than guess where the interviewer wants you to begin, use this very simple response: I d be happy to. Where would you like me to begin? Once you have the interviewer s reply, you have a point of reference and can begin answering the question. 14. STAY POSITIVE! Even if you decide that you don t feel the position is right for you, never communicate that during the interview. Once you get home you may change your mind. If, after considering the opportunity you still feel the position is not a good fit for you, let us know and we can withdraw your candidacy gracefully and still keep the door open for future consideration. 15. VERY IMPORTANT! At the conclusion of the interview state that you are very interested in pursuing this position and then ask, Where do we go from here? or What is the next step? If you really think you hit a home run, ask, When do I start? What you are doing is asking for feedback on how well you did. Another excellent closing question would be Is there any reason that you could not offer me this position (opportunity) today? 16. Do not discuss salary or benefits. If asked about your current salary, give it to them! But do not comment on the salary expectations of the new position without knowing all about the opportunity. Just as you wouldn t want to buy a car without knowing all about the options available, you wouldn t want to commit too early on your price. You might answer: Compensation is extremely important to me, but frankly at this point I ve been more focused on what I can offer your company and what the future will hold for both of us in a long term relationship. 17. Have available a list of references that you can present if requested. These references should include names of former supervisors in previous jobs over a five-year period that would be willing to discuss in detail your work performance. Be sure you have checked your references thoroughly and are confident that they will provide positive feedback to the inquirer. If you are still unsure, have a friend call these references to see what they will say about you. If desired, your recruiter can call your references and provide you with feedback on their responses. 18. Call your recruiter as soon as possible right after the interview to advise of how things went. Clients want post interview feedback quickly. Being prepared with your feedback demonstrates your enthusiasm and professional follow up. We will then call our client for their feedback and advise you of their impression. 19. Finally, send a thank you letter pointing out your strong points that were brought out in the interview and that you are indeed very interested in pursuing the opportunity. THE GERARD ALEXANDER CONSULTING GROUP, INC
Questions to Ask a Hiring Authority on Required Qualifications You want to be sure to review the background of the position with each and every person you meet and then match your skills to their qualifications. There are two questions that will help you to open up these discussions. Bring them up early in your conversations and, again, ask them of each and every person with whom you meet. Don t be afraid to take notes. 1) What is it that you are looking for me to accomplish in this position? 2) How will success be measured with this opportunity? These two questions and others will set the tone for the meeting. You will begin to see how s/he thinks before answering any questions about yourself and s/he will not dominate the entire conversation. Other great questions: 3) Is this a new position or a replacement? 4) (If a replacement) What became of the previous person in this position? 5) What challenges might I encounter as I set out to accomplish these goals? 6) Where is the path for growth lead when I do accomplish these goals? Determine Hiring Authority s Concerns At some point during your meeting you will want to address any possible concerns the hiring authority may have with you. An interview is always a sales opportunity. You are selling yourself. Yours should be the following questions: 7) Do you have any concerns with me doing this job? or You know, my recruiter at Gerard Alexander shared a great deal with me about this position when he came after me, but I didn t know how you and I would get along. Now I am convinced that we could work together. Tell me, do you have any reservations about our effectiveness in working together? Remember, no concern of theirs could be a reason for you to be concerned. If there is a concern, qualify the hiring authority by repeating back stated concerns. Address invalid concerns and get an agreement that it is no longer a concern. If the concern is valid, minimize it and stress your strengths.
How to Address the Compensation Question Compensation is a question that will occur at some point. It should never really be brought up by our client in earlier interview stages and never, ever by you. However, it could happen and we ll explain why. First, the client could be genuinely excited about your interview and in his/her enthusiasm forgets standard etiquette and asks you anyway. If this happens you should feel proud; consider all the points you must be scoring. Secondly, s/he may be testing how you answer the question; that is, what your reaction may be. This is often a favorite of HR people who read way too many How To Interview books. If our client does ask you what you are currently making, look them in the eye and tell them exactly where you are at including any bonuses or commissions and perks. Keep your answer brief and to the point. You do not ever have to make excuses for what you are currently earning. DO NOT inflate your salary. Many employers verify salaries or ask for W-2 s prior to making an offer. You may say for example, Mr./Ms. Client, that s a valid question. I am currently making $10,000 a year in salary with a 10% commission on sales. In addition, I sold an estimated $10,000 worth of equipment. And I receive a yearend bonus based on company performance every Christmas. Last year that was $300. So, last year, for example, I W-2 d $11,300. If our client asks you what you are looking to come on board for, NEVER give them a number at this point. That is for you and I to discuss when the time is right. What you should say is something like, Mr./Ms. Client, I am here because I believe there is an opportunity for me with your company. My recruiter at Gerard Alexander has also told me that if things where to work out between us, there should be no doubt that you will make me a fair offer. If asked a second time, simply state that you must admit that homework will have to be done on your part before giving that kind of an answer, that you came here because of the opportunity and if it is something they need to know this soon you will get back to me right away with the results of your homework. That should satisfy them.
Debrief After Your Meeting After the interview and as soon as you are able, you should call your recruiter with feedback on how things went. It is important that we hear first from you before we speak with our client who in most instances gets back to us rather quickly. Your responses will determine how we position you with the client. So you have an idea as to what we will be interested in, please review and prepare answers to the following questions after your interview: How did it go/how was the chemistry, can you work for this person? What did he/she say they were looking for? Did he/she explain how that matched what you were looking for? Did the H/A have any concerns? Did you overcome them? Did you like what you heard? Do you want to move forward and why? Are there any concerns? Was money discussed? Did you ask what the next step was and what did they say? Did you send a thank you letter? Do you have references ready for your recruiter?
Reasons Why Finally, you should take some time to think about the reasons why this opportunity would be right for you. This will help you to mentally prepare for anything the prospective employer will do as a next step. It also serves as an excellent comparison tool should you be currently looking at more than one opportunity. Reasons Why Name: Date: Current Title: New Title: Prospective Employer: Reasons Why I should take this position: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Unanswered Questions / Concerns 1. 2. 3. Ideal start date should this company wish to move forward: