If you're willing to become overtly pushy and aggressive, you can cover whatever you wish. But if you want to stay within the ritual boundaries of a social conversation in which the employer has the prerogative of asking most of the questions, there are really only two techniques by which you can gently guide him toward matters you'd like covered.
Out of Town Tryouts
Most people find that, in interviewing, "practice makes perfect." By the time they're in their third or fourth interview, they're very effective. But what if you haven't interviewed for quite awhile and you suddenly face an unexpected "biggie"? Or if you look forward to a series of interviews and don't want to waste the first one or two? Then try your show in Philadelphia and Boston prior to opening night on Broadway.
"Role playing," of course, is the answer. A social friend or your spouse cansit in for the interviewer, perhaps asking questions from a random list you've prepared. Better yet, try to set up a real grilling by a business friend from the right industry. Choose someone who can come up with his own tough questions, and who will give you a clear-eyed critique afterward.
The Danger of Being Prepared
There's no such thing as being over-prepared. There always is, however, the danger of being over-eager to play back what you've worked on. And by recommending "capsules," I certainly don't mean to encourage that tendency.
Occasionally I come across people so anxious to deliver the thinking they've developed that they don't listen carefully to the question and conform their answer to it. These people are extremely rare...only one of them for every 50 or 75 who fail to come up with clearly focused, brief, and factually explicit answers to questions they certainly should have anticipated.
Engines Ready...Contact!
Prepared as you are, you have absolutely nothing to fear as you take off into the sunrise. If you've got anything close to the right stuff, your interview will demonstrate it.
However, let's run through a preflight checklist of practical tips:
Check the forecast. If your interview has been arranged by a recruiter, call her in the morning or the afternoon before. She may have new information since you saw her last, regarding job content, what's looked for, how long other interviews have lasted, what line of questioning was pursued, and what mistakes other candidates made. Don't betray nervousness by asking about all these items. Just say: "Anything I should know before I go over there tomorrow morning?"
Pack your flight case. Into your elegant attaché go extra copies of your resume (just in case your host has misplaced his or wants to pass some along), a yellow pad and a quality pen, any charts of figures you may need to refresh your memory if questioning gets detailed, and a Wall Street Journal to pull out and read if your host is interrupted or you have to wait a few minutes.
Arrive early and check the equipment. Get there five minutes ahead of time and ask to use the lavatory before being announced. That way you can check for lint on your collar and parsley on your teeth. You'll perform best knowing you feel and look perfect. Return your salute from the crew. The interview begins in the corridor as your host's secretary greets you and maybe offers to shake hands (be alert for this). He, and through him possibly the receptionist too, will probably be consulted for a report on your poise and personality. Your down-the-corridor conversation with him...cordial but not presumptuous...is the start of your interview.
Don't land prematurely. After your firm handshake, I hope your host doesn't feign a landing and then pull up, leaving you discourteously plopped for an awkward minute or two. But he might. It's a fairly common maneuver. Circle gracefully until you get landing instructions, or you clearly see where he's landing.
Warning. There's advice going around...maybe via a book or a psychologically oriented outplacement firm...not to sit where the interviewer first suggests and, wherever you land, to move your chair. This odd behavior is supposed to connote an aggressive personality. I merely find it obnoxious. Unless you've got a bad back, or the sun's in your eyes, why not just sit down where indicated, and relax?
Five-minute warning. Don't go all-business all at once. Get off to a positive, upbeat start on a relatively personal note. Admire something in the office, or the company's convenient location, or the fine weather. Do not start off with the lousy weather, a bad commute, or any other "downer."
Hazardous terrain. Enter the Bermuda Triangle with extreme caution, if at all. Avoid such obviously hazardous topics as politics, religion, and sexually- and racially-oriented issues. Beware of trick questions aimed at exposing your negative attitudes on these matters by implying in advance that the interviewer has such feelings. Even sports can be a hazardous topic until you know your host's opinions. Believe it or not, some interviewers will see your failure to share their views on player trades as an indication that you're probably not a very shrewd analyst in the world of business either.
Keep an eye on the radar. Read the interviewer's body language. Leaning back signals a smooth leisurely ride; tapping fingers, fidgeting, and checking the clock call for crisper answers. "Closed position" (tightly crossed arms and legs) says you're meeting resistance, whereas open, loose limbs say "all clear." And hand-to-face says he...and you...are uncertain, possibly untruthful. Body language can be overrated, but shouldn't be ignored. If you haven't read a book on the subject, you ought to.
Don't go on autopilot. No matter how well things seem to be going, don't let your guard down. The most skilled and subtle interviewer is never the one who treats you roughly. The one who puts you totally at ease is the one who'll find out even more than you'd prefer to tell her.
Debrief promptly. If a recruiter is involved, call soon afterward to debrief.
The client will also call, and if the recruiter can play back your favorable comments, they will reinforce the client's good feelings about you. Don't be a sappy sycophant. But don't be coy, either. People tend to like people who obviously like them. And recruiters are more inclined to support candidates who probably will accept, than those who might not.
File your flight report. Why not send a brief "thank you"...two to four paragraphs, using "Monarch" (71/4" x 10'/2") personal stationery if you have it, otherwise "regular size." While you may refer in some way to what was discussed, this note is not a parting salvo of hard sell. Instead, it's a courtesy that says fine person...and differentiates you from the vast majority of candidates, who don't bother with amenities. Even more importantly, write down for future reference everything you found out at your interview. Most candidates won't do this either. Therefore, you'll be more on the employer's wave length than they will, at "second round" interviews three or four weeks later.
