Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Each company, each group and each position is different. Thorough preparation targeted at the specifics of each interview is crucial. Get to know the company you will be interviewing with in detail. Make sure that you have reviewed their Web site before you walk in. Don’t over-rely on the Web site. Dig a little bit via your personal network to learn more about the current, possibly non-public, information about the company. Learn about the group your potential position is in. Try to understand how the position will contribute to the success of the group, its projects and the hiring manager.

Review the details of your current and previous jobs and the skills that are germane to the position. Brush up on all the previous experience you have listed in your resume. You need to be able to confidently represent yourself. If the position calls for certain new skills, learn about them. You should be somewhat knowledgeable, even if you cannot demonstrate a track record with these skills.

Take a mental dry run of the interview. Imagine someone asking you questions about various aspects of your resume, attitude and thought process. Challenge yourself with some tough, open-ended questions and formulate a strategy of approach.

Learn how the specific group conducts the interview process. You might be able to learn such details from contacts that work there, or from other people who have interviewed there previously. Investigate a bit further and learn about the people you will be meeting—their idiosyncrasies and expertise.

On the Interview Day

Getting yourself mentally ready to face the interview is important. In sports jargon, it is called “putting on your game face.” Be calm and visualize yourself confidently tackling the conversations and issues that arise. Pay attention to the following:

Even if you do not usually eat breakfast, start the day off with a decent meal. The wise say, “Dress for success,” and this is even more important when the hiring climate is tough. A business suit is proper attire for both genders. In core technical positions, if a suit appears to be over-dressing, take the coat off.

Be on time. If you are late for the interview, it calls into question your dedication to delivering projects on time after you join the company.

Never forget that the first impression is the best impression.

During the Interview

The better you perform in face-to-face encounters, the better chance you will have of bagging the prize. Whatever questions or issues are raised, compose yourself first and then present your answer in a calm and collected manner. Do not get flustered or anxious. If you do not know the answer to a question or are not completely confident, it is best to admit that at the outset. Communicate whatever you know, rather than begin with a bang, get stuck in the middle and end with a whimper.

Sometimes, interviewers will purposely lob a tough problem at you, knowing it will not be possible for you to address it fully. This is to gauge how someone approaches the process of problem solving. Just approach it confidently and go through the processes of analyzing the issues, evaluating the alternatives and presenting possible solutions.

Even if you feel you know the correct answer, it is advisable to paraphrase the question to make sure you understood it right, and then tackle it. This indicates your ability to understand and communicate clearly, and eliminates misunderstandings.

After you answer, ask if the interviewer felt you addressed the issue to their satisfaction. If there are several possible approaches to solve a problem, it is better to quickly summarize the alternatives and identify their pros and cons before expanding upon your chosen approach. That way, even if your choice is different from the interviewer’s, it can be the basis for educated disagreement, rather than silent disapproval.

Show your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Ask for more details about the group or project, and how you can add value and contribute to its success. Show that you will be a priceless asset to the company, contributing in versatile ways to multiple aspects. Briefly mention instances when you went beyond your field of assignment and helped to get things done. Show that you will grow in your career and contribute to a greater extent in the future. Even if you are junior and don’t have a track record, you can show your potential for growth by asking about the company’s career ladders and training programs. Companies want to nurture and retain their experts and leaders.

You will meet several team members during the interview. If even one of them has a negative opinion, it is difficult for the company to hire you. Hence, it is important to impress every person you interview with. Come across as generally bright, and able to solve problems and learn from hints. Gauge interviewer’s area of interest and excite him or her with your interest in that field. The members of the team in which you will work or supervise should be enthusiastic about working with you. Insert anecdotes about how you worked with a team to solve a difficult problem or helped someone on their project. Clearly convey that you do not view the job as a mere occupation, but that you will approach it with passion.

Even if you are a recent college graduate, you should be able to discuss your work experience. You can talk about your summer internships, practical experience stints, research and teaching assistantships, and course or research projects.

Follow-up

Do not drop the ball after the interview is over. Follow up soon with an e-mail message to your interview host, indicating that you are vey enthusiastic about the opportunity and are looking forward to making progress. Make some specific positive points about the discussions you had with the different interviewers. Offer to discuss things further in a follow-up interview, by e-mail or by phone, if necessary.

References

If you have reached the stage where the company is following up on references, congratulations are usually in order! It is not typical for companies to waste time on references if they were not satisfied with the interview. Don’t put references in your resume and avoid entering them into job applications. It is difficult to predict who will be available when they need to be contacted. Further, references should be tailored to the specific opportunity, so it is best to defer them to when they are needed. For instance, for a the management position you should list your manager and one or two members of the team that reported to you. For an architect position, you should list people who have track records in technology, people who can vouch for your architectural credentials and people who have worked with you in the past.

If you are a fresh graduate without prior work experience, you can give the names of your professors and fellow students who are now working in a similar company.

Negotiations

Congratulations, you have arrived! You will now be negotiating your salary, benefits, stock options and perks. There are a few etiquette points to observe—and pit-falls to avoid—at this stage to make sure that you can consummate the one ultimate goal: the offer letter!

Never mention salary, options, et cetera in your application or during the interview. Even if the human resources representative or the hiring manager specifically asks, it is best to indicate that you want to make sure that there is a good fit for the opportunity – the compensation can be discussed later. However, mention that you will be flexible with your expectations, and that you are only looking for whatever is fair in accordance with the industry norms.

Don’t haggle over small amounts. If the offer is in line with what is typical for the position, you should accept and move ahead. Avoid unpleasantness over trivialities. Don’t present a long list of minor demands. Instead, focus on the few larger things that you really need, such as a relocation package, telecommute options, educational reimbursement or more stock options.

Give a little to get a little. . If you force their hand to land a huge package, it will come back to haunt you later on when it is time for raises, promotions and follow-on grants.

The Don’ts

It is important to keep a couple of things in mind: Do not get into protracted arguments, even if you have a difference of opinion. You don’t need to be a push-over and agree with everything that’s thrown at you, but try to listen hard to the interviewer and exhibit a clear, open-minded approach. Don’t bad-mouth your previous company or its management.

An associate of mine once said that many people do not perform well in interviews because they are so pre-occupied with their fear of rejection that they do not execute to their full potential. Just remember: No one is rewarded on the basis of how many candidates they reject—their job is to select the best person for the job. Being selected or rejected is largely in your hands; perform to your potential, and leave the outcome to fall where it may.

Prabakar Sundarrajan is CTO and EVP of strategic planning and corporate development at NetScaler. Sundarrajan has more than 20 years of technology experience in the networking, Internet and eBusiness markets. Prior to joining NetScaler, Sundarrajan was senior vice president, technology for Exodus Communications. Before that, Sundarrajan was a product manager with Transarc Corporation, a subsidiary of IBM. Sundarrajan holds a Master's in Computer Science from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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