You Landed the Interview – Now What You Need to Know to Land the Offer

I recently met a recruiter for a Fortune 50 company who interviews at least 10 candidates every day for her employer.  As we all know, hiring managers are receiving anywhere from dozens to hundreds of applications for most open positions these days.  Given that atmosphere, this recruiter offered the following piece of advice: If you get an interview with a company, your resume has already convinced them that you could do the job—you just need to prove that you’re a good fit for their team.

The recruiter was not suggesting that an interview should be a relaxing experience for anyone.  However, she emphasized presenting yourself as a good fit for the company’s culture just as much as explaining your previous work experience.  She recommends contemplating a personal mantra of “you can work with me” before and during your interview.  As long as you smile and do your best to convince the interviewer that they can work with you, you’ll walk out knowing you’ve given the interview your best shot.

If you’re like me, your parents raised you to keep your poker face on in certain situations—like dating or buying a car.  Well, that concept doesn’t apply to job interviews.  If you really want the job after your interview, you need to show your hand!  Let the interviewer know how much you like the company or that you’ve succeeded in a similar role in the past.  If you think of something you wish you’d said after leaving the building, your thank you note is a great place to include your final thoughts.

Remember—if your resume makes it through the hundreds in the pile to get you an interview, you’ve got the skills to do the job.  Your goal should be to leave the interviewer thinking, “I want to work with them!” For more interview, job search and resume advice visit our blog. You can also view professionally-written resume samples at http://www.greatresumesfast.com/Samples.htm.