by Beatriz Sylvain

Created on: October 03, 2008   Last Updated: December 21, 2011

When a company selects a candidate for an interview the Human Resources Department and the Hiring Department have already gone through the person's resume, cover letter, personal and professional accomplishments. The interview process is the candidate's opportunity to showcase his or her skills and basically sell them selves. The interview is nothing more than a sale pitch; that is exactly why is so important for candidates to be well prepared for an interview.

The interview performance is not the only way to select an employee, but it is the foremost important part of the hiring process. I am a great believer in "dress for success". How many times I have interviewed a person who was ready to go to the beach after awards? Was that person hired? No. If that person cannot even take my own job of interviewing her/him seriously, what does it tell me about their responsibility level? Candidates should get rid of that first nervous impression, get acquainted with the company.

Do not show up for an interview knowing absolutely nothing about the company's accomplishments and position in the market. Often that information is not going to be available to the public, if that is the case at least try to know the industry and what you would be doing.

I am a Human Resources Representative and it is part of my function to pre-select candidates. Often a person will leave a message where they hardly can pronounce words or when they call my line they do not even know their own phone number. If a person sounds drunk, high or just not even place the effort in the first call, why should I even bring this person for an interview? It will go straight to my not-hired box. First impressions are the ones to remain.

A good resume, an objective and effective cover letter, and off course a professional voice mail, if applicable, are the first series of criteria to select an employee. If one has been selected for a job interview, half of the battle has been won already. When a company calls you for an interview, feel good about yourself. They are already impressed with your resume. Now all you need to do is to impress the interviewer. A good interviewer will take in consideration the candidate's nervousness; however, do not short sell your self. Sell! Sell! Sell! It is the word of the day.

Companies will not call you for an interview and then read your resume. Therefore, the preliminary steps have been taken. The interview is the final step and that is why most companies will rely on the result of the interview to hire the employee. However, all rules have an exception. I have been interviewed before by a director who told me that I was perfect. In her whole professional life she had never had a great interview like mine. Did I get the job? No! Why? She told me that I was capable of much more and she was hiring me for another job. A better one!

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