Making the Personal Connection for A Successful Interview
By MedZilla Staff Writer
Marysville, WA - February 20, 2004--To be successful,
you need more than just the right credentials – you also
need to stand out from the crowd as being the best person for
the job.
“Being outstanding in the interview process is more a process
of connecting than being different,” says Frank Heasley,
PhD, president and CEO of MedZilla.com, a leading Internet recruitment
and professional community that serves biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,
healthcare and science. “A good question to ask yourself
when you're planning for an interview is, ‘What can I do
to make this interview enjoyable for everyone?’”
Making a positive impressions
It’s one thing to be impressed with a candidate; it’s
another to “like” the person. Developing rapport with
the interviewer is the key, says Joe Takash, president of Victory
Consulting in Chicago. Takash, a corporate coach, consultant,
trainer and speaker who works with Fortune 500 companies, says
the first step in building rapport is to demonstrate your interest
in the company and person you are about to interview with. “It’s
human nature to be more interested in those interested in us,”
he says.
Make it a point to learn about the company, as well as the interviewers.
If you can’t find out what is important personally and professionally
to an interviewer beforehand, try to discover how that person
works when you arrive for the appointment. For example, look at
photos, plaques and other hints that might be displayed in the
office. Open the interview by asking a few questions about the
interviewer, such as, “How long have you been with the company?”
or “What do you like most about working here?” By establishing
common ground, you plant seeds of trust, Takash says.
Be your natural self
You might have impeccable credentials, but if you can’t
shake the interviewer’s hand and look him squarely in the
eye at the same time, you’re sunk. Takash uses the S.H.E.
Principle: Smile! Handshake! Eye contact! These simple gestures
can help to establish either an immediate connection. Or, if you
omit them, a disconnect.
Your smile, Takash says, must be sincere. Extend your hand for
a warm but firm handshake and make direct, friendly eye contact.
The overriding element in all these is “warmth,” Takash
says. “We tend to turn into professional robots once we get
into the corporate world. With a warm handshake, you let the other
person know, ‘I’m a good person and I value you.’
And you say that without uttering a word.”
Laundry lists of accomplishments might brand you as boring or
conceited. Instead, draw on your interest about the employer and
point out things you offer that would benefit the company. “Speak
in output, not input,” Takash says.
Qualifications are important, but so is presentation, says Anthony
Mora, president of Anthony Mora Communications, Los Angeles, and
author of Spin to Win (Hawk Publishing). Presentation is a package
of qualities, Mora says—from how you dress to whether you
can speak the language of the industry. The key is to be able
to communicate comfortably in the verbiage of the industry without
going overboard (which could backfire).
Start the interview on a positive note
Learn to introduce yourself in 30 seconds or less, Mora says.
People tend to have short attention spans – they're looking
for the summary view first. Interviewers tend to make decisions
in the first few minutes, according to Mora, so you need to seize
the opportunity of the first 30-seconds to summarize what is important
to the employer with a warm, human presentation style.
End with a note – literally
Send the interviewer a handwritten note immediately after the
interview. Make specific reference to something memorable that
occurred or was said during the interview. The gesture reinforces
your sincere interest, personal approach and warmth, according
to Groutage.
“Being the most likeable person for the job shouldn’t
take away from your professional presentation. Rather, it enhances
it, proving that not only are you qualified, but people will like
working with you,” Groutage says.
About MedZilla.com
Established in 1994, MedZilla is the original Web site to
serve career and hiring needs for professionals and employers
in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, science and healthcare.
MedZilla databases contain about 10,000 open positions, 13,000
resumes from candidates actively seeking new positions and 50,000
archived resumes. These resources have been characterized as the
largest, most comprehensive databases of their kind on the Web
in the industries served.
