Get Ready for that Job Interview
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

It is estimated that most employers, when talking to a prospective employee over the phone, decide in less than 10 seconds whether to invite the person in for a face-to-face interview. Employers discount people for a variety of communication mistakes. Some of the biggest include mumbling to the point of not being clearly understood or speaking so quickly that the employer has to work overtime to understand what you are saying. Why would I call you in for an interview for a job in which you will likely be communicating with co-workers and customers if you can't even communicate when you are supposed to be at your best?

Another mistake is communicating a lack of enthusiasm or interest about the employer and the prospects of working for them. Or, consider this genius move-chewing gum or eating while trying to get in the door for a job over the phone. We're talking rude, inconsiderate and unprofessional. Employers love that!

These are just some of the reasons why people never get to the all-important face to face interview. Now, if you are lucky enough to get in the door, how you communicate will largely determine whether you get the job or not. Whether you are right out of school or looking for a career change, most job interviews are pretty much the same. You are trying to communicate that you are someone this organization would be fortunate to have on board.

To get a better idea of the keys to coming across more effectively in an interview, I spoke with Michelle Lubaczewski, Assistant Director of the Career Services Employment Center at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

What follows is my spin on what Michelle says are some of the keys to communicating effectively in an interview:

Be Specific. Provide concrete experiences. When asked a question, rather than being vague and lacking detail, give specifics. If you have unsupported examples, you are going to lack credibility. The employer might wonder if you really have done what it is you have claimed if you don't offer some depth to your answers.

Pause. Take a moment to think of the best possible answer. Many questions are complicated and have multiple parts. A lot of job candidates try to blurt out an answer. Take one to two seconds (not 30 seconds) to organize your thoughts so you can avoid the "nonsense words" such as "umm," "like," "ahh," and "you know".

Customize your response. Avoid generic answers. In an interview, the "cookie cutter" response will not work. Instead, customize your response to the needs of the organization. You must connect with the employer and let them know that you know and respect them. Do your homework and research the company to know their goals, products and other specific details that you can use in your responses.

Maintain your momentum. Give yourself an "energy check" every few minutes to make sure you are projecting and enunciating your voice. Many times people will lose their focus, thereby losing the edge with a prospective employer.

Turn the tables. They are not only interviewing you, you are interviewing them. Find out where the interviewer is in the company, how he or she got there, his or her view of the company and what direction he or she feels the company is going in to see if this company is a good fit for you. It is important to ask solid questions to determine whether you really want to work there. The key is to do this without being pushy, cocky, or arrogant while always maintaining respect for the employer and their organization.

Focus your message. Don't be all over the place. Determine the two or three key themes you want to get across and do it while still being responsive to the questions you are asked.

Please write to me with other specific tips and tools for communicating in a job interview. I will share them in a future column. We can all help each other.

Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com, or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.

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