Career Success Starts With the Interview

Most folks think that a job interview is all about making a sales pitch on your qualifications and landing a job offer. Hundreds of books have been written about how to perform during an interview and win the job of your dreams. But they miss the point.

While it’s true that offers are the ultimate outcome of any interview, it’s seldom the most important aspect. Job interviews are a means to an end – to help you find a better job. But if all you do is sell yourself, how do you know the job you’re seeking will actually turn out to be an improvement over your current one?

You don’t.

A job interview is the only place you can determine if the job you’re applying for is the right job for you. If you ignore this critical activity and simply focus on “getting the offer,” you may actually end up in a job that you don’t want; or even hate! And it’s virtually impossible to be successful in a job you hate.  

This Magic Moment

Don’t misunderstand, your first objective is to land an offer, but that’s just the beginning, not the end. Most people take an offer and start negotiating. They may want more money, vacation time, or simply an extended start date. That’s fine, but if that’s all you do after you get the offer you’re missing a rare career Magic Moment.

Once you have an offer in hand and before you accept it is one of the few moments in your career when you hold all the cards. The employer cannot arbitrarily withdraw the offer; they must wait for you to accept or reject it.

Rather than squander your Magic Moment, use it to drive your career success by asking the tough questions that you were afraid to ask before you had the offer in hand; questions that will allow you to determine your ability to succeed and whether or not you’ll be happy.

Next Post – Key Questions Regarding Objectives