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Your mother was also right in reminding you always to say thank you. Always, no matter what job level, to send a thank-you note to the interviewer via E-mail, even if the meeting was set up by a recruiter. Keep the note short, sweet, and relevant to the job opportunity. A note may seem rote, but it still can set apart one candidate from another if their qualifications are similar.
2. The Two-Minute Drill
The best candidates seem able to summarize a 25-year career sharply and precisely in two minutes. They discuss what's relevant about their experience and avoid long anecdotes or digressions. It's similar to the encapsulated sales speech entrepreneurs give investors to pique their interest.
But few people master the pitch. Have it prepared the moment you enter the building. The pitch should contain, for example, names of prominent companies where a candidate has worked, and in the case of lesser-known companies, its size. A potential Finance Director candidate could start with something like: "I was the controller of a £700 million manufacturing company that catered to clients who were similar to your customers."
The flip side, of course, is that a poor two-minute drill can be costly. Don't bring up your earliest finance job, for example, unless it pertains directly to the current job opening. Listen carefully to questions, answering them completely without drifting off target.
Offering too much on a first interview by answering unasked questions can drag things out to the point where it's hard for a candidate to recover a sharp focus. Like a résumé, an interview should illustrate clear, concise communication skills from a candidate who brings complicated issues into focus quickly.
3. Question, Question, Question………
One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is not asking questions. Too few questions may suggest to an interviewer that a candidate is unengaged and uninterested in the job.
An uninformed question can stop things short, however, so we advise that candidates work up queries from the annual reports of public companies, and press releases and news reports of private ones.
Some wise candidates purchase private company reports from a financial-information service, such as Dun & Bradstreet or Hoovers, for their information.
Avoid being too historic in your approach, though. Don't go into the past. If you know about a recent acquisition, for example, ask about merger-integration issues, not deal specifics that were taken care of months ago.
4. Talking Money
Recruiters at retained search firms usually pass along current salary requirements of a candidate to the hiring company.
It's a mistake not to be ready to discuss compensation in an interview if asked; specifically, what it will cost to get them to move to a new job.
We suggest putting together a compensation spreadsheet that calculates salary, potential bonus targets, and payouts; vested and unvested stock; stock options; and company perks such as car allowance & club memberships.
That way you'll be able to tell an interviewer quickly what you would be leaving on the table should you accept a new job.