With three decades of experience preparing professionals for interviews, I want to teach you techniques and strategies that will help you excel at the interview process. Taking the time to plan-ahead and prepare for an interview is essential to your success. When you want to make a good impression, you must prepare for each interview thoughtfully in advance. Preparation is the key to successful interviews which lead to offers with companies. The primary purpose of this Interview Guide is twofold: 1) Prepare you for questions you should ask during the interview process and 2) Prepare you for questions you may be asked.

Preparation Prior To Interviews

Research the company prior to an interview and gather as much information as possible.  The interviewer(s) appreciate the fact you have done your homework on the company upfront. Your advance research demonstrates you have taken an interest in the company and are prepared to start a conversation with them. Research in advance also helps you to build a list of questions you will want to ask the people you meet in the company. Research the backgrounds of the key people who will be interviewing you; this enables you to discover if there are any similarities in your backgrounds or common ground on topics of discussion. Did you go to the same school, work for the same organization or type of firm, or enjoy the same sports or activities, etc.?

The more information you have about the company and people who will interview you, the quicker you can establish common ground during the interview. Each person who interviews you will view you through their own personal lens and they will be looking at what you may have in common with them. This is perfectly natural to do. The psychologist Donn Byrne was the first to develop a study that proved the impact of similarity on the early stages of relationships. His studies explain that most of us have a need for a logical and consistent view of the world. We tend to favor ideas and beliefs that support and reinforce that consistency.  Therefore, we are attracted to people more when they share our ideas and beliefs.

You have no idea what an individual’s filters may be, so it is important to establish a common ground with each person as quickly as possible. Your job in researching the background of those interviewing you is to discover what you have in common. Oftentimes, you will not have any personal information on the person interviewing you until you enter the interview process. Surprisingly, the first thing you may notice during an interview are photos of their children on their desk, art on the walls, plaques, golf balls, or even a model airplane on the credenza or a stuffed fish on the wall. This is a wonderful opportunity to identify similar interests and creates a comfortable ice breaker in those first few minutes meeting someone new. Always search for common ground during an interview because people become more interested in people when they have something in common.

It is important to prepare a list of questions you want to ask in advance of the interview. You can take the questions with you and open your notebook to refer to your prepared questions. It lets people know you have taken the time to prepare for the interview. It is perfectly acceptable to refer to your notes during an interview. Ask questions to learn more about the opportunity; prepare questions in advance to make certain you get the information you need to make an informed decision. If you have a phone interview, the questions should be placed right in front of you to guide the discussion in a way that gathers the information you need. I will share ideas on questions to ask during interviews. Add your own questions to the list below.

Questions To Ask During An Interview

Can you tell me about your background?

Can you describe the responsibilities in this role?

What do you enjoy about the work you do for the company?

How would you describe the company culture?

If I were to start this job today, what are three projects you would hand to me immediately?

What technical skills will be most helpful to you in this position?

What type of tax software does the organization use now?

Can you tell me how I can best support you and the work you do?

How would you describe your management style?

What is the best way to communicate with you and others on the team?

What are the characteristics of the most successful people in this organization?

What outside firms or advisors do you work with currently?

Is there anything about my background or technical experience you want to know?

Can you tell me what the next step in the interview process is? How many interviews?

In closing, I want to let you know I am very interested in this opportunity and look forward to hearing back from you regarding this role.

Questions Interviewers May Ask You During An Interview

The importance of preparing for questions you may be asked by those interviewing you for a role cannot be overstated!  Think about the questions you may be asked during an interview before the interview and practice what your responses will be with someone you trust. People are normally nervous when interviewing and often provide responses that in retrospect they wish they would have answered differently. Often people tell me when I debrief them from their interview, they wish they would have responded differently on a question or two. Thinking through your answers in advance will ameliorate these situations.

Greeting– Start the interview by thanking the person for taking the time from their schedule to be with you! Tell them you appreciate their time.

 Small Talk – A great way to begin an interview is with small talk about any topic that may be familiar to both of you (i.e. photos on desk, weather, commute, sports, clothes, etc.). Establish common ground as quickly as possible as it establishes mutual interests.

Think about how you would answer each of these questions and type out your responses first as a practice run. Look over your responses as you prepare for the interview. How can you present your skills and experience best?

Where did you go to school? When did you graduate?

What is your degree in? Why did you major in this area?

What course did you enjoy the most in school? Why?

Are you involved in any other activities outside of work? What are they?

Have you attended any special training program recently? Tell me about it.

Tell me about a recent webinar/conference you attended. What did you learn?

Do you have any other educational experience or certifications?

What is your role at (Company)? What are your major responsibilities?

Tell me about your responsibilities with your previous employer?

What were your responsibilities with your employer before that?

How do you feel about your current position? What are your favorite responsibilities? What are your least favorite responsibilities?

How do you feel about the progress you have made to date?

What is your biggest challenge in your current role?

What are your prospects for professional growth in your current role?

What is your motivation to consider another opportunity?

How would you describe your relationship with your current boss?

Can you tell me what you and your supervisor most often agree on? Disagree on?

Can you give me an example of something your supervisor has done that has contributed to your professional development?

What is your current team like to work with?

How would your supervisor rate your job performance?

What does your supervisor tell you that you have done particularly well?

Has your supervisor recommended any area of improvement?

How would you describe yourself to someone who knows little about you?

How would those closest to you describe your personality?

What do you consider your greatest strength? Weakness?

How do you think your current and previous employers would describe you?

What is most important to you in a new job?

What kind of experience would you like to gain in a new role?

What are some of the things you would like to avoid in a job?

What are your long-term career objectives?

Do you have any questions for me?

Biggest Mistakes People Before, During And After Interviews

• Failure to have an updated online professional profile and photo to view.
• Being unprepared for the interview; failing to research company.
• Being late for the interview; plan on being 15 minutes early.
• Cell phone sounds and you are glancing at it. Turn cell phone off!
• Sharing too much personal information about family or medical.
• Women wearing low cut clothes; men dressed sloppy and unkempt.
• Any type of inappropriate language or joking during the interview.
• Absolutely no drinking with the person who is interviewing you.
• Asking about vacation time at interview; ask when you have offer.
• Displaying resentment discussing current or previous employers.
• Failing to follow up and write a thank you letter after interview.

(The natural inclination of an interviewer is to ask you questions from what you have presented on your online profile. Thoughtfully write your online profile knowing your interviewer is likely to conduct the interview from the statements you made on it.)

Written By Kat “Kitty” Jennings

ABOUT KAT JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH EXPERTISE

CEO Kat Jennings, has more three decades experience connecting multinationals corporations, public accounting firms and law firms with the most technically sophisticated tax executives around the world. Kat and her team have placed more than one thousand tax professionals worldwide. You can reach Kat for tax executive search services at kat@etsearch.com. Kat is also widely known by her nickname “Kitty”. Phone 502.512.4888 for executive tax search consultation.

As an internationally recognized executive tax search consultant to multinational organizations searching for tax expertise, Kat has been retained by multinational organizations including Apple Computer, AC Neilson, Accenture, Agilent Technologies, Allergan, Alza, American Express, American Media, Aon, Baker & McKenzie, Barclays Bank, Bechtel, Cargill, Carl Zeiss Vision, Century Aluminum, Chevron, Clorox, Citigroup, Commercial Metals, Constellation Energy, Deloitte Touché, DLA Piper, E&J Gallo Winery, Electronic Arts, Ernst & Young, Fox Entertainment, Fremont Investments, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Hyatt, Intel, ITV, Jones Lang LaSalle, Kimco Realty, KLA , Koch Industries, KPMG, Levi Strauss, Logitech, Lucas Films, Maersk, McKesson, Newell Rubbermaid, Nissan, Oracle, Orbitax, Pacific Gas & Electric, , SAIC, SanDisk, SONY, Sempra Energy, Synopsys, Toyota, Univar, Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo, Vertex, Yahoo and Xilinx.