How To Hack A Personal Interview

For many people, an interview is one of the most stressful parts of the application process.  Whether it’s because you get nervous talking to strangers or because there’s so much riding on a one-hour conversation, it’s not uncommon to find your heart racing.  That’s why today I’d like to talk a little about a strategy you can use to take control of your personal interview…and get your dream job with the federal government!

Whenever you start a conversation with someone new, your biggest and most immediate challenge is making a connection.  This is called building rapport, and the quicker you manage to do it, the more successful you’ll be during an interview.  If you can present yourself in a positive light then your personal stress level will be greatly reduced, and you’ll stand out from the other candidates as well.  This can be a daunting task, so here are three main strategies you can use to make your connection:

1)       Learn about the job you’re applying for!

Believe it or not, most people don’t do a whole lot of research before they fire off that application, so you’ll probably be in a rush to do this if you get contacted for an interview.  If possible, conduct a “drive-by” of the work site so that you can scout out the work environment or even the dress code.  If you feel comfortable, consider approaching current employees to learn about the general duties you’ll be performing.  During the interview, your challenge will be to make the hiring manager create a mental picture of you performing the work, so “talking the talk” will come in handy here.

2)       Don’t forget to accessorize!

I don’t mean to sound like a fashion designer here, but one quick and easy way to build rapport is to put some thought into the accessories that you take with you to the interview.  It would be entirely appropriate, for example, for a veteran to wear a service pin to an interview with the Department of Defense.  Small things like that are great conversation starters, especially if they create an opening for you to talk about your qualifications.  I met one person who was applying for a position overseas, so he brought his passport to the interview as a form of photo identification.  That showed that he was seriously interested in working abroad, and also that he was ready to get started immediately.

3)       Prepare a list of questions!

An interview shouldn’t be a one-sided interrogation.  It’s important that you ask a few questions during the interview, if only to show your interest in the work.  I always recommend thinking up at least five questions in advance, and writing them down to help you remember.  Avoid hot button topics like salary and benefits for now, and stick with open-ended questions such as asking about some of the most challenging projects you’ll be working on.

If all of this preparation sounds like hard work, then do your best to keep it in perspective.  Remind yourself that an interview is the last hurdle keeping you from working with the federal government, and about how many applications you had to submit to get to this point. This is your chance to shine, so make it count!