Is it Possible to Get Inside The Mind of an Interviewer?

Is it Possible to Get Inside The Mind of an Interviewer?

A job interview like any other meeting boils down to simple human interaction.  The interviewer is just as important in the two way conversation as the job candidate.

The more you can get inside the mind of your interviewer the better prepared you will be to knock the interview out of the park.  Here are a few ways to accomplish this.

Assume They’ve Come Prepared

So let’s say your interviewer has prepared for your interview.  At least you would hope they’ve prepared for the interview as much as you have.

After all, they are going to be investing a lot time and money in you.  However, you would be surprised as to how many interviewers are not prepared.

This doesn’t make them a bad person at all.  They probably have a lot of work to get done or they may have just had a bunch of interviews dumped on them without their notice.

If you run into this, it is your job to remain as cool and calm as possible.  Put yourself in their shoes.  If you make the interview easy for them, it could go a long way for you.

Review Your Resume

Make sure you take the time to really go over your resume.  Most interviewers don’t have as much data on you as you are lead to believe.  Most of the information they have on you comes from your resume and anything else that you possibly have on your LinkedIn profile.

Most interviewers are going to look at your work history in terms of numbers.  What I mean by that is that they will look at your resume as a linear document.  They see that you got your experience at “XYZ” corporation.

However, that’s not the way you see yourself.  You look at as a snapshot of what you’ve done and accomplished in your professional life that has shaped and molded you into who you currently are.

To really get into the mind of an interviewer, you have to really consider what the interviewer would like to know about each of the companies you worked for and what you did while you were there.

Find Out What Their Role Is

I know it sounds really basic, but in order for you to really succeed in this interview you have to understand what the interviewer’s role is.  They may perform other functions in the company aside from just being an interviewer.

Knowing their role will help you understand what preparations you need to do, what stage you’re at in the assessment process and what the interviewer’s part in this process is.  The more you know this, the better you can prepare your interview and presentations.

Understand What Value The Interviewer is Seeking from a Potential Employee

The more you study the job description and decipher what’s needed, the more you’ll comprehend the interviewer’s needs and requirements. Thus, the more likely you are to display during the interview the value you have that aligns with the value they’re seeking.  It is all about value!

Do Your Homework

This is one area that I cannot stress enough.  You have to be tenacious and unabashed about the research that you conduct.  You should not only research the role, but you should be researching the interviewer as well.

Sound research is based on facts and not fiction.  Which means don’t pay attention to what others have to say until you’ve conducted your own research.

It’s ok to get feedback from others, especially those that currently work at the organization that you are applying to.  Just take the long view approach before arriving at any conclusions.