The topic of interview tips has been covered and recovered numerous times over the last couple years. However, it always amazes our recruiters, and the hiring managers they serve, how many candidates have missed closing the deal on a big career opportunity because they were focused on the basics and were unfamiliar with the five key areas listed below. Practice these five tips and you’re likely to do much better in your next interview.
 
1. Have a compelling reason why you want to work for that company
Most people already know that they need to do their research about a company, but being prepared to tell them why you are leaving your current employer for them is key.
 
If the interviewer starts off the interview with, “Tell me why you want to come work for my company,” most interviewees are not quick to respond. We often hear responses like, “because Partner set me up with this interview.” Don’t be caught off guard - perform targeted research, not just general research, and formulate a 30 to 60 second response related to your goals.
 
2. Be “You” oriented
Candidates will often fall into the trap of being “me” oriented. Their questions, comments and demeanor are focused on what they will get out of it. To avoid this, you must be prepared to ask questions that help sell your ability to bring value to the interviewer and their company. We have seen many hiring managers get turned off by a great candidate because that person was asking questions about vacation and training too early. 
 
3. Be prepared to sell through your questions
Seventy five percent of selling is not telling, it’s asking questions. The other 25 percent is crafting the message as a response to what you have heard. Many candidates will go into an interview and blindly talk about their skills, talents and experiences without finding out what the employer is seeking. Examples of good questions to ask include:
 
a. “What are you looking for in the person you want to hire?’
b. “What does it take to be successful in this position from a hard and soft skills standpoint?”
c. “What skills are you looking for this person to bring to the table that your team is currently lacking?”
 
Finally, it is always a good idea at the end of an interview to say, “I am very interested in this position. How do you feel about my qualifications?” This gives you an idea of where you stand and ascertain if they have any concerns that you can address before you leave.
 
4. Research your interviewer.
 With social media being so prevalent in today’s job search, candidates have a great opportunity to learn about the person you will be interviewing with through sites like LinkedIn. This can provide insight into areas that you have in common and to better understand their perspective. However, don’t overstep your bounds and never send a LinkedIn invite prior to the interview.
 
5. Prepare for the salary question.
The first rule is to never initiate the salary and benefits discussion in the early rounds of interviewing (see tip number two). If the interviewer asks the question try not to give a specific figure that could lock you in either too high or two low.
 
A good response here could be, “Like everyone, money is important to me, but I’m much more interested in what this position offers from a career perspective. So I will seriously entertain any fair and reasonable offer.” If they press further you may want to add, “This is my current compensation. Like anyone, I would like to make more, but again I am interested in what the opportunity offers career wise. So I don’t want money to break the decision.”
 
This accomplishes two things. It keeps you from locking in at a certain rate and it stresses that you’re career motivated and reinforces that you are flexible and reasonable and open to dialogue.